Pov: Auren
"What. The. Shit."
Laughter rang out—Kaelira's light and musical, Damian's low and delighted.
"You swear!?" the wolf gasped, mock scandal lighting his face.
"Not usually," I muttered from the dirt. "But I'm in shock."
Kaelira dropped beside me, still giggling. "D hasn't gotten a fright from me since he got here. So that was nice for me. Thank you, Ren."
Damian burst into another fit of laughter. I groaned and flopped back into the grass, letting my wings vanish and my limbs go slack.
"You enjoying yourself, wolf?" I huffed, eyes half-closed.
The way he relaxed beside me, all sharp edges softened by the lingering adrenaline, made me wonder if we were more alike than I cared to admit. Two warriors, bruised and stubborn, both craving release from burdens no one else could see.
"Immensely."
Kaelira leaned over me, concern softening her grin. "You're sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine… probably. Just a bit broken and bruised. But I'm healing."
Damian snickered again.
I gave up on dignity and stayed sprawled out, white hair fanned across the grass.
Yeah. That happened.
This morning
The tension had been inevitable.
It had built from the moment Damian and I locked eyes. Constant jabs. Stares. Growls. Something had to give.
And it did.
It started with something stupid.
"I don't see why you two keep glaring like that," Kaelira had said, frowning between us. "You're both handsome—just admit it and hug already."
Damian snorted. "Handsome? Him? Please."
"Is that jealousy, or just your face?" I shot back.
"Keep talking, starboy. Maybe I'll knock the smug out of your mouth."
"You could try."
Kaelira sighed, long and dramatic. "Do all males communicate through aggression, or is it just you two?"
"Move, Kaelira," Damian said.
"Damian—"
"No," I cut in. "Let him. I need to burn off some steam."
Kaelira stepped aside, arms crossed. "Fine. But don't wreck my garden or I'll wreck you."
Damian shifted mid-step, his wolf form igniting into being, shadows licking his fur. I met him halfway, wings flaring as light cracked through me. He hurled a spike of darkness; I flicked it away.
We collided—celestial fire and demonic power. Shockwaves scattered petals and tore through vines. The air trembled with every blow.
Somewhere behind us, Kaelira shrieked, "I said don't wreck the garden!"
"This is ridiculous," I growled. "You think fighting me makes you less threatened?"
"I'm not threatened. I'm pissed."
"You could've just said you were jealous."
"You talk too much."
"You swing too slow."
It went on—sparks, steel, claws, curses. Every strike taught me something about him. He wasn't just brute force—he was precise. Purposeful.
"You're better than I thought," I admitted.
"And you're slower than I hoped," he shot back.
On and on. Until our bodies ached and lungs burned.
Eventually, we stepped back.
"Are you two done?" Kaelira called, glaring at her ruined rosebushes.
"Draw?" I offered, dragging a sleeve across my bleeding lip.
"Unfortunately," Damian muttered, shifting back into his humanoid form.
"Cool," Kaelira muttered, plucking crushed petals. "Next time, throw flowers at each other and call it a day."
"He started it," I said.
"I'll finish it next time," Damian growled.
We turned away, pride dented. But something had shifted.
"…Damn wolf fights like he was forged in war," I muttered.
"If you want a real fight," Damian said, still catching his breath, "try sparring her."
I looked up. Kaelira stood nearby with an armful of blooms and a delighted grin.
"Oooh, yes. Let's!"
"You're serious?"
"Deadly," Damian said.
"You two just want to see me suffer," I muttered.
Kaelira winked. "Nope. I want to see if you can keep up."
At first, it was play.
She twirled and danced more than fought—giggling as I chased her, teasing me with flicks of energy.
She gasped in mock offense when I tapped her shoulder.
I laughed.
I stopped and looked at her, my expression turning serious.
"Don't hold back Kaelira."
She tilted her hear, "Okay."
Her smile vanished.
Her eyes flared—deep, burning red. Her wings snapped open in one violent motion.
Then she moved.
Power like nothing I'd ever felt surged through the air. My bones screamed in warning.
This wasn't magic.
It was divinity. Raw. Old. Terrifying.
I didn't stand a chance.
I hit the ground so hard the world spun.
She hovered above me—beautiful and deadly, wings glowing faintly in the firelight.
"You okay?" she asked, like she hadn't just obliterated me in five seconds.
I nodded, too stunned to speak.
We ended the day by the lake, water lapping at our feet, bruises washing away under moonlight. The lake healed our wounds.
Kaelira sat beside me again, worried. "You seem uncomfortable Ren"
I wasn't uncomfortable, just…thinking.
Before I could answer, she pressed a glowing hand to my ribs. Warmth spread through me —comforting.
"You're smiling," she whispered.
"Am I?" I murmured. "Thank you, young one."
"I've been wondering… why do you call me that? We could be the same age."
"In years, maybe," I said. "But not in experience. The name just felt right."
She tilted her head. "Like Ren, then!"
I smiled. "Exactly."
Moments later, she darted off toward a basket of fruit. Damian dropped beside me again—silent, but not cold.
"I haven't fought like that in a while," he said. "You held back."
"So did you."
He smirked, slower this time. "Maybe. Maybe not."
The silence stretched—not awkward. Just... full.
Then he looked at me—and for a second, I froze.
His eyes weren't just dark. They shimmered with flecks of ember, like coals still burning beneath obsidian. Something ancient looked out from them.
And maybe I stared too long.
"You're staring," he said, not unkindly. Just amused.
I looked away. "Just figuring you out."
"Good luck."
Another pause.
"She scares you now, doesn't she?"
I exhaled. "She should scare all of us."
"She was made to."
The weight of that landed hard.
"You still don't trust me."
"I don't trust anyone." He leaned back on his hands, moonlight softening his silhouette. "But you fought fair. That counts for something."
"Truce?"
He met my eyes—level, unreadable.
"For now."
"You should know… I have the highest rank among celestial warriors," I added after a beat. "The fact you held your own says a lot."
He smirked. Then bumped his shoulder into mine—light, but deliberate.
Not friendly.
Not hostile.
Something in between.
And I didn't hate it.
Kaelira reappeared with two handfuls of berries, cheeks puffed with stolen fruit. She dropped beside me and shoved a glowing silver orb into my hand.
"Here. It's gross, but pretty."
I took a bite.
It was vile.
But she wasn't wrong—it was beautiful.
We sat together as she talked about her human books. Damian, apparently, had taken to giving them to her instead of answering questions.
"He just doesn't want to explain things," she said with a pout.
"Maybe he just doesn't understand," I offered.
Damian growled, half-hearted. "Why don't you explain it then, Starboy? For the record, the books were a terrible idea—she ended up with even more questions."
"Yay!" Kaelira cheered. "D, give me the book!"
With a wicked smirk, Damian pulled it from… somewhere.
I should've known better.
"You might like it. Though it's very confusing," Kaelira warned.
I looked at the title.
Bound to the Duke's Desire.
I stared at the cover. Then flipped to a random page.
"She melted beneath his stormy gaze, her spine arching like a bow strung with desire."
I blinked.
"Her spine did what now?"
Kaelira clapped, giggling. "It's metaphorical! Or so D says."
"I hope so. Otherwise, she needs a healer."
Damian snorted. "Maybe he just looked at her real hard."
I flipped to the next page. "Next chapter: The Duke is charged with spinal manslaughter."
Kaelira was full-on giggling now. "Don't act like you're not enjoying it."
I looked at her. Then the book. Then her again.
"…I hate how readable this is."
"Gotcha," she said smugly.
"Not a word, wolf," I warned, already sensing Damian's shit-eating grin.
I closed the book with a soft thud, still smirking. But as silence settled, my thoughts drifted—to the mission, the disappearances, the forbidden book... and Kaelira, who moved like a storm wrapped in starlight.
I glanced at her—head tilted, eyes shining with mischief and something unknowable—then at Damian, who watched her with a quiet intensity I hadn't seen before.
"Hey," I said.
Two pairs of eyes turned to me.
"Celestials have been vanishing. They were sent to investigate strange anomalies on different worlds. The higher-ups finally pieced it together. Someone's searching for something."
Kaelira blinked. "Something?"
I nodded. "A book. One that shouldn't exist."
Damian stiffened.
"I think I need your help," I said, turning to Kaelira. "And in return… you might learn more about who you really are."
Damian's voice cut in sharply. "Why would you need her help?"
"They'll be sending me next," I replied, meeting his gaze. "And I'll need a small team. You, Kaelira—you're powerful. I'll need that."
Then I turned to the wolf, my tone steady. "That includes you. Your shadow magic would be a serious asset."
I turned back to Kaelira.
She didn't look at me.
She looked at the wolf.
They stared at each other for a long moment, like they were speaking without words.
Then Kaelira squealed, and Damian sighed.
She obviously won—whatever silent argument that was.
Kaelira turned back to me, eyes bright.
"So," she grinned, "when do we leave?"