The fire had burned down to embers, casting the room in a soft, amber glow that seemed to hold its breath. The shadows danced on the stone walls, stretching and shrinking with each pulse of the dying light. The silence was heavy, thick with the weight of what had just been spoken.
I had told him what I wanted. I had laid my heart bare, raw and honest, with no armor, no walls, and no secrets. I wanted him. Not because of duty, not because of politics, not because I had to. Because I loved him. Because he was the only thing that made sense in this world.
Now I waited, my heart pounding so loudly I was certain he could hear it. His hand was still in mine, warm and steady, his thumb tracing circles on my palm. His winter-gray eyes were fixed on my face, searching, probing, as if he were trying to see into my soul.
"Kaelen," I whispered. "Please say something."
