KAIA'S POV
I'm back in Ronan's chamber, my heart still racing from what happened in the meadow. The way we almost kissed, the way he pulled away at the last second... I can't stop thinking about it.
I pace around the room, trying to make sense of my feelings. One moment I want to give in to this bond between us, and the next I remember why I'm here and pull back.
A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.
"Come in," I call out.
A young maid peeks her head in. "Miss Kaia? Your father is here to see you."
"My father?" I ask, surprised. "Where is he?"
"In the main hall," she replies. "He's waiting for you."
I nod and follow her out of the room. Papa is standing near the entrance, looking uncomfortable in the grand surroundings of the pack house.
"Papa!" I call out, walking toward him.
He turns and his face lights up when he sees me. He grabs my hands immediately, pulling me closer.
"Kaia, sweetheart," he says, studying my face with concern. "How are you? Really, how are you?"
"I'm fine, Papa," I tell him, though I'm not sure if it's true.
"Are you eating enough? Are they treating you well? You look tired."
"I'm fine," I repeat, squeezing his hands. "Really. You don't need to worry about me."
He nods, but I can see he's still concerned. "I heard that the mating ceremony has been postponed."
Relief floods through me. "Yes, it has."
"Why?" he asks. "What happened?"
"I asked Ronan to wait," I explain. "I told him I wasn't ready, that I needed more time to accept all of this."
Papa nods approvingly. "Good. That was smart. You shouldn't be rushed into anything."
"He was actually very understanding about it," I add. "He said he'd wait until whenever I was ready."
"Did he now?" Papa says, looking thoughtful.
"Yes," I confirm. Then I take a deep breath, knowing I need to tell him about my conversation with Ronan. "Papa, there's something else."
"What?" he asks, immediately alert.
"I told Ronan about what really happened with Kelly and Mama."
Papa's eyes widen in shock and horror. "What?!" he exclaims, his voice echoing through the hall.
"I had to," I say quickly. "I needed to see his reaction, to gauge whether—"
"I asked you not to tell anyone," Papa interrupts, his voice rising with panic. "What if he's not trustworthy? What if this was all a mistake?"
"He is trustworthy," I find myself saying, surprising us both.
Papa stares at me like I've grown a second head. "He is?" he scoffs.
"Yes," I say, more firmly this time. "Papa, you should have seen his face when I told him. He was horrified. Genuinely horrified."
"That could be an act," Papa argues.
"It wasn't an act," I insist. "He vowed to help me find whoever did it. He wants justice for Kelly just as much as we do."
"Kaia—"
"I want to trust him, Father," I interrupt. "If I don't, there's no way we can find out who really did that to them. We need his help. We need access to his family's records, their history, their secrets."
Papa is quiet for a long moment, processing what I've said. Finally, he nods slowly.
"You're right," he admits. "We do need his help. But Kaia, please be careful. Promise me you'll be careful."
"I promise," I say.
"If he betrays your trust, if he uses this information against us somehow—"
"He won't," I say with more confidence than I feel.
Papa looks at me searchingly, then suddenly pulls me into a tight hug.
"I'm so scared for you," he whispers against my hair, and I realize he's crying.
"Papa," I breathe, my own eyes filling with tears.
"I lost your mother and Kelly," he continues, his voice breaking. "I can't lose you too. You're all I have left."
"You're not going to lose me," I promise, hugging him back just as tightly.
"I miss them so much," he sobs. "Every day, I miss them."
"I know," I whisper. "I miss them too."
We hold each other for several minutes, both crying for the family we lost, for the pain we've carried for five years.
"We're going to find him," I say finally. "We're going to find whoever hurt them, and we're going to make him pay."
"Are we?" Papa asks, pulling back to look at me.
"Yes," I say firmly. "We are."
He nods, wiping his eyes. "I should go. I don't want to overstay my welcome."
"You could never overstay your welcome," I tell him. "You're my father."
"I'll check on you again soon," he promises. "Be safe, Kaia. Be smart."
"I will," I promise.
He kisses my forehead and then he's gone, leaving me standing alone in the grand hall.
I walk back toward Ronan's chamber slowly, my shoulders sunken with sadness. I miss Papa already, miss the simple comfort of having family nearby.
Being at the pack house gives me such mixed feelings. Sometimes I feel safe here, protected. Other times I feel like I'm walking into the lion's den.
I don't know if I'm happy or sad. I don't know if I'm making the right choices or walking straight into disaster.
All I know is that I'm more confused than ever.
I reach Ronan's chamber and slip inside, closing the door behind me. The room feels too quiet, too empty after the emotional conversation with Papa.
I need a shower. I need to wash away the tears, the confusion, the overwhelming weight of everything that's happening.
I start to undress, pulling my shirt over my head and dropping it on the floor. My hands move to the clasp of my bra when suddenly the door bursts open.
I freeze, half-naked, staring in shock as Ronan walks into the room.
He stops dead when he sees me, his eyes going wide.
"Kaia," he breathes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know—"
But he doesn't look away. And neither do I.
We stand there for a moment that feels like forever, the air between us electric with tension.
My hands are still on the clasp of my bra. His eyes are fixed on my exposed skin. The mark on my neck is throbbing with awareness of his presence.
"I should have knocked," he says quietly, but he still doesn't leave.
"Yes," I agree, but I don't cover myself either.
"I'll go," he says.
"Okay," I whisper.
But neither of us moves.