Kaelen's pov
The door creaked open, and Lena stepped inside.
She stood in the doorway, her face hard to read in the dim light.
Before anyone could speak, before I could even draw breath to greet her, she crossed the chapel in quick strides and slapped me.
Hard.
The crack of her palm against my cheek echoed off the stone walls like thunder in a small space. My head snapped to the side from the force of it, and I tasted blood where my teeth cut the inside of my mouth. The pain was sharp, immediate, but I didn't move. Didn't raise my hand to my face. Just stood there and took it.
The other members of The Rendered went very still. Some looked surprised, eyes wide. Others, like Vera, looked almost amused, like they'd been waiting for something like this to happen. They'd never seen Lena lose control like this. None of us had. She was always so careful, so controlled, so focused on the mission.
