Chapter 8 · Scent of the Hunter

"Stop moving, Nova. You're shaking," Kael said, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped closer.

I didn't stop. I couldn't. I backed away until the cold marble of the hallway pressed into my spine, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I wasn't shaking because I was scared of him—well, not *just* him. I was shaking because the air had changed. There was a metallic tang under the scent of the Sanctuary’s expensive incense. Blood. And ozone.

Someone was in the building. Someone who knew exactly how to mask their presence from the Sanctuary’s sensors, but not from me. Not even with my core shattered, I could still smell the rot of a Void-Stalker.

"I'm fine," I snapped, trying to keep my voice from cracking. I glared up at him, making sure my eyes looked wide and fragile. "I just... I can't sleep. This place feels like a gilded cage."

Kael didn't buy it. He never did. He leaned in, his chest nearly brushing mine, trapping me between the wall and his frame. He was too damn tall, too damn perfect, and he smelled like sunlight and arrogance.