12. Laia

12

LAIA

T he river’s cool spray hits my face as I stand beside Kael. The sound of rushing water fills the air, a soothing backdrop to a peaceful interaction between us. He’s showing me how to fish, his hands moving with a grace that belies his size.

“Like this,” Kael says, throwing a spear with a fluid motion. His eyes flick to mine, a small smile playing on his lips. “You’re getting the hang of it.”

I try to mimic his actions, feeling the spear tremble in my grip. “Thanks to you,” I reply, my voice softer than I intended. “But I don’t have your physical strength.”

He grins. “That’s why I’m here!” He captures one using his hand and grabs my spear, putting the fish at the tip as I got it myself.

I laugh out loud. Kael shrugs his shoulders as if it’s the most natural thing to do.

He has this very calming presence about him. There’s something about the way he moves, the quiet strength in his every gesture. He’s different from Thalos and Irix—gentler, more thoughtful. I can’t help but stare at him.

He notices my gaze and chuckles. “You’ll catch more fish if you watch the water instead of me.”

A blush creeps up my cheeks, and I quickly turn my attention back to the river. “Right,” I mumble, embarrassed but oddly warmed by his teasing.

The minutes pass in companionable silence, broken only by the occasional splash of water as we throw our spears. There’s an ease between us that feels novel. He’s a beast and a human, after all.

“Why did you help me?” I ask, unable to keep the question at bay any longer.

Kael’s eyes soften as he looks at me. “Because you needed it,” he says simply.

“But Thalos...”

“Thalos doesn’t always see things clearly,” Kael interrupts gently. “He’s focused on survival—our survival. Sometimes that makes him hard. He’s the most logical out of the three of us, making him more dangerous.”

“And you?”

He hesitates, as if choosing his words carefully. “I see someone who deserves a chance.”

His words wrap around me like a warm blanket on a cold night. For so long, I’ve been seen as nothing more than a burden or a tool to be used and discarded. To hear him say this—it means more than he could know.

“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. “I find myself thank you a lot.”

Kael’s smile soften. “We all have scars, Laia. Some are just deeper than others.”

Suddenly, he splashes me with water, and we end up playing like children. I stumble, and I drag him with me. Our gazes lock, his face so close to mine.

“You’re amazing,” I whisper, my eyes lingering on his lips, but I push up and run away as my heart thumps against my chest wildly. “I’ll cook the fish!”

___

Kael and I spend the afternoon moving through the dense forest. His voice is a steady guide, showing me how to track the animals that roam these woods.

“See here,” Kael says, pointing to a set of hoof prints in the soft earth. “Deer. They passed through not long ago.”

I nod, crouching beside him, studying the tracks as he taught me. The air is cool, filled with the scent of grass and earth. It’s easy to forget the world outside of the silent forest.

Kael’s hand brushes mine as he reaches for a branch, and I look up to find him smiling at me. There’s something gentle in his eyes, something that makes my heart ache with an unfamiliar warmth.

But then, like a shadow falling over us, Irix appears. His eyes gleam with jealousy, his voice cutting through our peace like a blade.

“Enjoying yourselves again?” he asks, sarcasm dripping from every word. “I see you guys everywhere. You’re monopolizing her, Kael.”

I stiffen, the tension between the brothers palpable. Irix steps closer, his gaze darting between me and Kael, his lips curling into a sneer.

“You think you can just run off with my brother and forget about me? About Thalos?”

Kael steps forward, his body tense and ready. “As you can see, I’m teaching her things necessary for survival.”

Irix ignores him, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. “You belong to all of us,” he says, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t forget that.”

My heart races, fear and something indescribable clawing at my chest. My mind flashes back to that night with Thalos—the way he touched me, the way he made me feel. Every time I see him now, that same urge flares up inside me—an undeniable desire that makes me question my sanity.

I swallow hard, trying to push the memories away as Irix's gaze bores into mine. The tension in the air is thick enough to cut, and I can feel Kael’s protective presence beside me.

“Thalos, Kael, and me... will take turns with you,” Irix declares, his voice low and deep. His thumb presses on my lips. “You better get that into your head. Even if you like Kael, it won’t just be him.”

Kael shakes his head, pulling Irix's hand away, and I can finally breathe. “Give her time.”

Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of Thalos in the distance. He stands, half-hidden among the trees, watching us with those cold, unreadable eyes. My body betrays me, heat pooling in my belly as the memory of his hands on my skin fills my thoughts. It’s wrong; I know it’s wrong, but I can’t stop the way my body responds to him.

Irix steps closer, ignoring Kael. With his breath hot against my ear, he says, “You feel it, don’t you? That pull? It’s not just me. It’s Thalos too. We all feel it.”

My eyes flutter closed, my mind spinning. I’m caught between them—between the safety of Kael’s quiet strength, the wildness of Irix, and the raw power of Thalos. What should I do? What do I even want?

Kael’s hand on my shoulder brings me back to the present.

“Focus on me,” Kael says softly, his voice a soothing balm against the storm of desire inside me.

But how can I? When every part of me is being torn in different directions? When each brother offers something I crave but can’t fully grasp?

The tension hangs thick in the air, an unspoken question lingering between us all. What happens next?