Chapter Twelve: A Matter of Timing

The next day, Seraphine couldn't shake the heaviness in her chest. The realization had settled deep within her, but she wasn't ready to face it. Not yet.

Azrael was persistent. He had always been that way - driven, focused on his goals, and right now, those goals involved her. He had never once doubted their bond, the way their magic intertwined so easily. But there was something missing, something that gnawed at the edges of her mind every time she was near him.

Seraphine found herself walking through Rivenfall's central square, trying to distract herself from the overwhelming weight of the choice that loomed over her. The crowds bustled around her, the vibrant city alive with its own pulse, but Seraphine felt strangely detached from it all. Her heart was somewhere else - out there in the streets, waiting for Kairos to appear.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Kairos had never been a part of the plan, and yet, the bond between them had been undeniable from the start. The first time they had met, it had been different from anything she had ever felt. It was like recognizing a part of herself that had always been missing, but it had never been the right time to acknowledge it.

Her steps faltered as she reached the edge of the square. She turned quickly, not sure if it was instinct or something else, but there he was.

Kairos.

His figure stood just beyond the edge of the crowd, his wolf eyes scanning the area, but the moment they locked on hers, it was like the world stopped. He was different - more tense, more guarded - but the connection between them was just as strong as ever.

Seraphine took a step forward, her breath caught in her throat. "Kairos," she said, her voice low but full of unspoken emotion.

His gaze softened slightly as he moved toward her, but the wariness in his eyes didn't fade. "I couldn't stay away," he said, his voice rough, as if he were holding something back.

"Why now?" she whispered, her heart beating faster. "After everything we've been through? why come back now?"

"Because I was wrong to walk away," he said, his words heavy with the weight of everything left unsaid between them. "Because I know now that I'm not supposed to let you go. We were meant to be, Seraphine. And you can't deny it any longer. Not when you feel it too."

Her breath caught in her throat. The intensity in his words, the quiet certainty in his voice - it was the same pull she had always felt toward him, but now? now it felt like a promise, not just a fleeting feeling.

"I don't know if I can do this," Seraphine whispered, her voice breaking. "I've chosen Azrael. I've chosen this path."

"Azrael is not your only path," Kairos replied, his voice soft but firm. "I'm not asking you to choose between us. I'm asking you to accept that you can have both of us - two mates who match you. And it's not wrong, Seraphine. It's who you are. Who we are together."

The world around her seemed to fall away as she absorbed his words. Kairos was her second mate, the one who had always been there, always understood her in ways Azrael couldn't. It wasn't about replacing one with the other. It was about balance.

"I don't know how this works," Seraphine admitted, her heart pounding. "I don't know what to do with this."

Kairos stepped closer, his presence filling the space between them. "We take it one step at a time. Together."