Chapter 7

• The forest floor seemed to hum with an energy that resonated with Tallia’s newfound understanding. The initial shock of Kael’s pronouncements had settled, leaving in its wake a bewildering sense of clarity. He was her mate. The words themselves were still alien, yet the truth of them was as solid as the ancient oaks surrounding them. Kael, his golden eyes still locked on hers, saw the acceptance, the nascent comprehension dawning in her gaze. The celestial alignment had not merely brought them together; it had unveiled a world she never knew existed, a world Kael was intrinsically a part of.
• "There is more you need to understand, Tallia," Kael said, his voice a low murmur, the resonance of it still sending shivers down her spine. "This place… it is not merely a forest. It is a sanctuary, a hidden realm protected by ancient pacts and the very essence of my kind." He gestured with a subtle inclination of his head, and the silvery luminescence that had bathed the clearing seemed to shift, to intensify, as if responding to his silent command. The trees, which had appeared as ordinary sentinels of the night, now seemed to pulse with an inner light, their branches interwoven with a subtle, shimmering veil.
• Tallia followed his gaze, her eyes widening as she perceived the subtle alterations. The air itself seemed to thicken, to swirl with unseen currents. It was as if the forest had always held a secret, a hidden layer of reality, and Kael was now peeling it back for her to see. "A hidden realm?" she echoed, her voice barely a whisper, filled with a mixture of trepidation and an undeniable curiosity. The ordinariness of her life had always felt incomplete, a canvas waiting for vibrant hues. Kael, it seemed, was about to provide them in abundance.