Chapter 47

Chapter 47
Leighton didn’t wait for more. He stormed past Kael and down the hall. Kael lingered a second longer, looking at me. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said softly. Then he was gone too.

I stood there, staring at the empty doorway, the echo of his words buzzing in my ears.

The meeting was quick, but what I heard made my blood run cold. One of the guards had found tracks near the outer fence. Fresh ones. Rogues didn’t just retreat, they circled back. Which meant whether we liked it or not, we should be on the lookout for their return. 

After the meeting, Kael and the triplets were sent to reinforce the borders. Mom made me stay inside. 

But the house felt too big, too empty.
I went out to the balcony just to breathe. The air smelled of rain. Thunder rumbled far away.

Down below, I could see Kael and Leighton walking along the gate, flashlights in hand. They didn’t speak, but the silence between them looked heavy. Paxton was checking the vehicles. Ashton barked quiet orders to the guards.

I hugged myself, watching them move in the dim light. A chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the wind.

Then, just as I turned to go back inside, I saw it.
Movement at the edge of the woods.
It was small at first, just a shadow slipping between trees. Then another. Then a pair of glowing red eyes.
My breath caught.

Before I could even scream, a deep growl tore through the air, louder this time, closer.

Kael’s head snapped up. Leighton’s flashlight swung toward the trees.
Kael’s head snapped up.
Leighton’s flashlight followed his gaze, cutting through the darkness.

But there was nothing.
Only trees swaying in the wind. The night was quiet again, too quiet.

Kael kept staring into the woods, his jaw tight, his shoulders tense. Leighton took a slow step forward, scanning the trees again.
“Did you see something?” Leighton asked.
Kael didn’t answer. His eyes didn’t move. “Maybe.”

Paxton and Ashton came closer. “What is it?” Ashton asked.
Kael finally turned back toward them. “Nothing,” he said flatly. “Must’ve been the wind.”
But I could tell by the way his voice sounded that he didn’t believe that.

From the balcony, I leaned forward, watching. The wind pushed my hair back, cool and sharp. A shiver ran through me, but I didn’t know if it was from the cold or something else.

Kael looked up suddenly, straight toward me.
Even from that distance, our eyes met.

He didn’t move for a moment, and neither did I. The light from the porch caught half of his face, making the other half shadowed. He didn’t look away. Not even when Leighton called his name again.

I felt something strange in my chest. Like a pull. Like I wasn’t supposed to look away either.

Then Leighton turned and saw where Kael was looking. His face darkened. He said something I couldn’t hear, and Kael finally broke the stare, turning back toward the woods.
I exhaled slowly, realizing I’d been holding my breath the whole time.

A few minutes later, the guards began heading back to the house. Leighton followed Ashton and Paxton. Kael stayed behind for a while, still near the fence. When he finally turned to leave, I noticed a faint light blink on his wrist, like a small device flashing.

He glanced down at it, frowned, then switched it off and walked away.
I didn’t know why, but my heart started beating faster again.

When I finally went back inside, the house felt too quiet. I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that look in Kael’s eyes or the way Leighton’s jaw had tightened when he saw it.

The next morning came slowly.
Clouds covered the sky, and the air smelled faintly like rain.

I found Mom in the kitchen, talking softly with one of the maids. When she saw me, she smiled, though her eyes still looked tired.

“You didn’t sleep,” she said.
“Neither did you,” I replied.
She gave a small, sad smile. “You take after me.”

I sat down at the table, stirring my tea. “Did they find anything last night?”
She shook her head. “No. But your stepfather’s been uneasy since dawn. He says something feels off.”

Before I could ask what she meant, Kael walked in. His hair was still damp from a shower, his shirt half-buttoned. He looked calm, but there was something guarded in his eyes.
Mom turned to him. “Morning, Kael.”
He nodded politely. “Morning, ma’am.”

His eyes flicked to me for a brief second before he walked to the counter and grabbed a cup of coffee.

“You didn’t sleep either,” I said quietly.
He looked up at me. “Couldn’t.”
“Still thinking about the woods?”
His lips twitched. “You saw that, huh?”
“I see more than you think,” I said.

Something in his gaze softened then, but before he could reply, Paxton’s voice echoed from the hallway. “Kael! Leighton wants you in the yard.”
Kael sighed. “Of course he does.”

He turned to leave, but stopped beside me. “Stay inside today,” he said softly. “Just don’t go wandering off.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” I said, frowning. “Why?”
He didn’t answer. He just looked at me for a second longer, then walked out.

When he was gone, Mom gave me a curious look. “What was that about?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
But I did know. At least, a part of me did. There was something Kael wasn’t telling anyone. Something about that night.

Later that afternoon, the triplets were back in the yard, but this time, it wasn’t training. It looked like an argument.

Leighton stood facing Kael, his voice sharp.
“You don’t belong here.”
Kael crossed his arms. “Your father thinks I do.”
“That doesn’t mean we agree.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Then maybe you should start trusting his judgment.”
Ashton tried to step between them, but it was useless. They were both too proud.

“You think saving her once makes you one of us?” Leighton said. “You don’t even know what you’re getting into.”
Kael’s voice dropped low. “I know enough to see how you treat her.”
The air went still. Even Ashton didn’t move.

“What did you just say?” Leighton asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
Kael took a step closer. “You heard me.”

That was when Paxton’s voice broke through, low but cutting. “You both sound like idiots.”
Leighton glared at him, but Kael just smiled faintly and looked away.

I watched them from the window, my heart heavy. They were all strong in their own ways but it felt like their strength was tearing them apart.

When Kael finally walked away, Leighton’s shoulders dropped. Ashton said something to him, and he nodded, but I could still see the anger burning behind his eyes.

I turned from the window and sighed, pressing a hand to my chest. I didn’t know what scared me more. The danger outside the walls, or what was happening inside them.

Then, as I moved to close the curtains, I caught something strange out of the corner of my eye.

Kael stood alone near the fence again, his hand pressed to the same device on his wrist. This time, the light didn’t blink, it glowed steady blue.

He looked toward the woods again, whispering something I couldn’t hear. Then he turned his head, almost like he could feel me watching him.

And even from that distance, I saw it again. 
that same unreadable look. It resembled a warning.