70. Simmering Fear

Roman

One day until Kaden gets married, and I’m twisted into a fucking nervous pretzel.

I’m in a hotel room with Aella, its elegance almost suffocating with the weight of tomorrow’s event. The window curtains are drawn shut, the dim light casting a soft, mellow glow and the king-sized bed, covered in silk sheets, looks inviting, but neither of us feels like sleeping just yet.

Aella is standing at the window overlooking the city lights, her posture tense, her eyes clouded. I know her well enough to gauge the storm brewing in her mind. I smell it, too—the anxiety, the fear, clinging to her like a second skin. It’s an odor I can’t stand, and it’s not one that belongs to her.

I know she’s terrified about the possibility of seeing Vasily again at the wedding celebration tomorrow. That bastard took her for whatever twisted plan he had, and the scars are still there. Emotional scars that I’d do anything to erase.

I set my cell phone aside and walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her fr