Chapter 20. Not His to Burn

Kade’s territorial growl still vibrated in the soles of Aria’s feet. They were moving down the silent, long corridor toward the North Wing—the area designated for containment and restricted access. The air behind them smelled of fear and ruined metal. Every step Kade took was heavy, definitive, marking territory they had not agreed upon.

Aria walked beside him, or rather, she was propelled by the current of his Alpha presence. He hadn’t touched her since placing his hand on the back of her chair, yet his proximity was more invasive than any physical grasp. His aura, usually a cold and distant force, was now a volatile shield, enveloping her completely, fighting the scorching heat emanating from her core. It was suffocating.

They reached the heavy, steel door of her Stabilization Chamber—a room designed to prevent the very kind of energetic backlash she had caused minutes before. Kade stopped, standing over her like a sentinel carved from granite.

Aria finally stopp