Chapter 58

The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, its golden light spilling across the dirt path like molten gold. Althea followed Kaden silently, her heartbeat quickening with each step they took deeper into the forest. The earthy scent of pine and damp moss surrounded them, and every now and then, Kaden would glance back at her, his silver eyes unreadable but glinting with something that sent a shiver down her spine. “Are you ever going to tell me where we’re going?” Althea asked, her voice breaking the comfortable silence between them. Kaden glanced back, the corner of his lips curving into a faint smirk. “Where’s the fun in that?” Althea rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips. “You’re infuriating sometimes, you know that?” “Only sometimes?” Kaden teased, his tone warm and low. “Is this another training exercise?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. Kaden smirked, the faint curve of his lips making her pulse race. “Be patient,” he said, his voice lo