Page 6 of Her Fated Alpha Prince
Kael’s head snapped toward the sound, eyes narrowing into sharp slits.
“Trouble,” he muttered.
He grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet with a grip that was firm but not cruel.
“Hold on tight,my girl,” he said, voice dropping to a growl that sent shivers down her spine.
“My girl?” Ariana echoed, heart skipping a beat.
Kael smirked, a dark promise in his eyes. “I’m not done claiming you yet.”
Before she could respond, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, pulling her with him.
The jungle swallowed them whole.
The jungle closed around them like a living beast, leaves snapping underfoot and the humid air thick with tension. Kael’s huge body moved with practiced grace—silent, powerful, predatory. Ariana struggled to keep up, her lungs burning from the sprint, heart hammering not just from exertion but the sharp thrill of being so close to him.
His hand never left her arm. The heat of his skin burned through the thin fabric of her shirt, anchoring her to reality and to him.
A distant growl echoed again, this one closer, sharper. Kael’s jaw clenched. His eyes flicked to hers, blazing bright with that feral fire.
“You’re not just passing through,” he said, his voice rougher now. “You stirred something I thought I buried centuries ago.”
She swallowed, feeling the pull of his huge presence—how his huge frame pressed power and danger into every step. The dragon inside him wasn’t just a myth. It was real. Alive. Hungry.
And now it claimed her.
They stopped at a clearing bathed in moonlight, the leaves glowing silver around them. Kael lowered his voice even further.
“The island doesn’t want you gone,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Nor do I.”
Ariana’s breath hitched. She felt it too—the invisible thread winding tight between them, unbreakable and fierce. The way his gaze devoured her, licking over every curve, every trembling shiver.
The flush that rose to her cheeks stirred something low and primal in him.
Kael’s smirk deepened. “Fight it all you want,” he murmured, voice rough. “But it won’t change what’s already burning between us.”
His huge hand slid from her arm to cradle her jaw, thumb brushing over her fuller lips. The touch was gentle but made her skin ignite like wildfire.
“You’re under my skin,” he said, almost to himself. “It’s not just hunger. It’s something deeper. Older.”
Ariana’s knees weakened. The air between them thickened with promise and danger.
But then his expression hardened. The moment shattered.
“We’re not safe yet,” Kael growled, eyes flashing with fury. “Lady Seryna’s watching. She’ll move against you if she suspects anything.”
Ariana’s stomach twisted. She didn’t understand all the politics of this world, but she knew enough: danger was real, and she was caught in it.
Kael stepped back, massive wings unfurling in a burst of fiery light that warmed the night. The flames flickered, not burning her but dancing like silver-white fire—the same color she’d seen in the ritual flames that had confused her.
Arianna’s eyes widened but she didn’t seem afraid.
His dragon growled low and possessive.
“I don’t know what you are,my girl,” he said, voice thick with longing and certainty, “but Iknowyou’re mine.”
Her heart thundered so loud she thought he’d hear it.
