*Max*

One Year Later

The salty air drifts softly through the open windows of our chamber, carrying the scent of sea and pine, wild and fresh. Moonlight spills across the stone floor, catching on the scattered toys my son left behind, tiny wooden dragons, and wolves.

I lie in bed next to him, where he sleeps half-curled like a wolf pup. His tiny fingers twitch, and I swear I can feel the pulse of ancient power mixed with untamed instinct in his breath. He is ours, wolf, dragon, and witch all tangled into one perfect soul.

Kael traces delicate circles along his soft skin. “Look at him,” he says, voice...