Chapter 36

Maren

The back kitchen smelled like grease and steam, like soap and fried bacon. Normally it was comforting, a little pocket of normal where I could catch my breath between tables. Tonight, it felt like a cage.

Kaelen stood only a few feet away, the space between us charged, his shoulders squared like he could block out the whole damn world if he had to. His eyes were too sharp, too intense, like