Page 18

Kieran leans back in his chair as he considers my words.

The room is silent, the weight of his authority palpable.

My body flares, warmth spreading from my chest down to my core.

My wolf whines with the desire that pumps through our veins.

But I'm standing here, being judged by him and despite how attracted I am to him, I want nothing more than to sucker punch his face.

No Mate of mine would make me go through this. But how much of my disdain for him can stop me from the thoughts that flood my mind about him?

I feel my core tighten, and I know I am oozing pheromones. He knows what I’m feeling, and I can swear by the way his eyes darken from their usual clear blue, he feels it too.

Finally, he speaks.

“If these Omegas are as capable as you claim, they’ll have the chance to prove it.” His tone is final. “There will be a tournament. They’ll compete against each other, as well as some of my guards. If they succeed, their training can continue. If not…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, but the implication is clear.

The Omegas glance at me, their faces pale, but I see the fire in their eyes. The gratitude in their stance and the determination not to let me down.

“Fine,” I say, my voice firm .

Kieran’s eyes lock onto mine, his expression unreadable. “I hope your little stunt is worth it.”

As I leave the hall, the weight of the challenge settles over me. I’ve put everything on the line for these Omegas. Now, it’s up to them—and me—to prove we’re not as weak as they think. And now, my life may well depend on it.

I feel Nina’s glare burning into my back like she would throw daggers at me if she could. I don’t grant her the luxury of looking back. I have bigger fish to fry.

The observation booth is stifling even though it's just Kieran and I here. The polished glass walls that overlook the sparring pit seem designed to magnify the tension hanging in the air. Below, the pit is alive with motion, the sound of grunts and sharp impacts reverberating through the space.

The Omegas are holding their own. Mara ducks under a heavy swing from one of the guards, her movements quick and calculated. She counters with a sharp jab to his ribs, and I feel a flicker of pride as he stumbles.

“She’s good,” Kieran says beside me, his voice low.

I glance at him, surprised by the almost grudging respect in his tone. His sharp blue eyes are fixed on the fight, his posture relaxed but his jaw tight.

“She had to be,” I reply, keeping my voice steady. “No one taught her how to survive. She has had to figure it out on her own.”

Kieran’s lips press into a thin line, but he doesn’t respond. His focus shifts to the next match as two more Omegas step into the pit.

The silence stretches between us. I know he has things he wants to say to me. Questions he wants to ask. I wonder if Eldon has reached out again since the last time.

The memory of the moment when he watched me undress comes into my mind. And it feels like I’m back there, watching his eyes cloud over with pure lust, watch his muscles tense with self-control as the Omega dresses me .

I feel my body respond to him because it is made to. I know he wanted to send her away, have me to himself to satisfy those cravings. And a part of me wanted him to, needed to feel his hands all over me, his hand grabbing my hair, his muscles rippling as his body presses against mine.

I can feel his presence like a physical weight, the desires that we’ve been avoiding are drawing us together like a magnet. It’s maddening—this constant pull, this connection I can’t sever no matter how much I want to.

Or how much I tell myself I want to.

“Why did you do it?” Kieran asks suddenly, his gaze still fixed on the pit.

I stiffen. “Do what?”

“Train them,” he says, his voice even. “You knew it was dangerous. You knew it would draw attention. So why?”

I glance down at the sparring pit, my chest tightening as I watch Gina take a hard hit. She recovers quickly, her movements fueled by the sheer spunk of not wanting to fail, but the sight still twists something inside me. What if they do fail?

“I couldn’t just...turn them away.”

“It’s not your responsibility.”

I turn to him, my anger flaring. “And whose is it? Yours? Because it sure as hell didn’t seem like anyone cared about them before I stepped in.”

And I bite my tongue from saying that it would have been mine. If he had not been an ignorant stone wall, there would have been no need for all this tension between us. And it makes me oh so angry.

His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of the observation booth.

“You put yourself in danger,” he says, his voice low. “And for what? To prove a point?”

I shake my head, my fists clenching at my sides. “I did it because I know what it feels like to be powerless. To have no one stand up for you. If you think I did this for some selfish reason, then you don’t know me at all.”

His gaze shifts to me, and for a moment, the anger between us gives way. I feel his energy shift, the tension in his muscles, the aura of our bond feels different. It’s like something raw and unguarded.

“You’re not powerless,” he says, his voice almost a whisper.

I laugh bitterly, the sound cutting through the tension.

“I feel like it most of the time. Trapped here, dragged into conflicts that aren’t mine, constantly fighting to prove I’m more than just..

.expendable. I might be a skilled warrior, know how to tackle any opponent to the ground and save myself.

But what use is it when I don’t have...” I sigh, the words I’m about to say are a lump in my throat.

“When I don’t have a pack to fight for.”

The words sound softer than they did in my head, and I immediately regret the vulnerability in my voice. I don’t want him to see that side of me, don’t want him to know how much this weighs on me. I’m strong. I’ve survived horrors without him. I can do that again and again.

But Kieran doesn’t mock me. He doesn’t dismiss my words or turn away.

Instead, he watches me. It makes me hyperaware of how close together we are.

How my body is angled slightly to his. How with just a stride, we can close this distance.

One move and we are in each other’s arms. I feel every movement of my muscles, knowing that he’s also aware of me in the way I am of him.

I glance away, my chest tight as I struggle to rein in this fire that lights in me if he so much as looks at me. Below, the fight intensifies, the sound of fists meeting flesh filling the air. The scent of sweat and adrenaline wafts up from the pit, mingling with the tension in the booth.

I feel Kieran shift closer, the warmth of his presence brushing against me.

The air between us shifts. I can feel his gaze on me, the weight of it burning into my skin. My wolf stirs restlessly, her frustration and longing mingling in a way that makes my head spin. I can’t think. All I can feel is his heat, his desire, the pull to him.

“Why do you smell so fucking good?” he growls, almost as if he hates that being around me makes him feel like he can’t help himself.

I don’t know who moves first.

One moment, we’re standing inches apart, the tension between us thick and electric. The next, his lips are on mine, fierce and demanding, and I’m pulling him closer, my hands fisting in his shirt as if I can’t get close enough. As if being skin to skin is too far away from him.

The kiss is a storm, wild and consuming, and it’s all I can do to keep up. His hands grip my waist, pulling me flush against him as my heart races.

For a moment, nothing else matters. Not the sparring pit, not Eldon, not the endless web of conflicts that’s trapped us both. It’s just him and me, the fire between us burning away everything else.

Before I know it, my pants are off and his hands are delving inside my top.

His big, strong hands roam all over me, burning a path as they explore my body.

The urgency is not lost on me. It’s just like that night two years ago.

We are carried by our bodies, driven by lust, fueled by passion, and excellent at triggering each other’s bodies.

Nothing compares to the way he stops kissing me just to trail his lips, tongue, and teeth, down my jaw, my neck and my chest. I’m moaning. It’s just us. The glass is soundproof. It’s the perfect opportunity to lose it all.

I fumble with his pants until they give, revealing his mouthwatering bulge. His musk is strong, calling to me.

I slide down, missing his mouth on me already. I pull his briefs down and his veiny length pulses before me. The urge to taste makes me heady and I give in, taking him in my mouth, sucking on the head, letting my tongue flex as I go up and down.

Kieran throws his head back and groans. His hand connects with my hair and grabs a fistful.

Then he pushes me down. His cock makes it past the back of my mouth and down my throat.

It fills me up completely, and my eyes roll to the back from just how good it feels having him pulse deep, deep down my throat.

He reaches down and takes a breast in his hand.

He kneads, sending waves of electric pleasure through me.

He slaps it softly, making my throat tighten around his cock, then he does it again and again.

And again, keeping my face steady. I’m losing air.

but all I can think about is feeling this throbbing cock in my pussy.

But he instead starts fucking my face until waves of pleasure makes my body shudder with an orgasm. He wastes no time, lifts me back to my feet, wobbly and barely able to stand. He bends me over and plunges into me. I gasp, shocked by how maddeningly good he feels and relieved.

I can’t believe it’s been two years, and feeling him inside me still feels like the first time. Gibberish comes out of my mouth as he pumps into me.

The sparring is still ongoing. The grunts and shouts, our moans, Kieran’s labored breathing, it’s all doing so many things I don’t have words for to my body right now. And I hate how much I love it. I hate how great he makes my body feel. Because I want more.

I start matching his strokes until he grabs my hair and pulls me back. He whispers in my ear, “Don’t tell me what to do with my pussy.” The warmth of his breath distracts me from his words.

But I’m so close to the edge, so close to coming apart again. He reaches around and finds my clit.

I no longer have control of my body now, fulfilling every sexual dream I once wished I could have. Kieran grants me that wish. He groans, “Fuck Hazel. I’m cumming.”

And as if his words are a switch, my body shudders and cums all around his cock. The grip my pussy has on him milks him dry and gives me another orgasm as he fills me up.

I am lost in the throes of how he’s made my body feel when we hear footsteps down the hall and laughter accompanying them. The sounds snap me back to reality, as if I've just woken up from a dream.

We quickly dress.

“Fuck, that shouldn’t have happened,” I mutter as I zip up my pants, regret mixing with the delicious sensations still tingling on my skin.

What was I even thinking, giving in to him that way?

I am starting to act like a whore and it makes me resent Magnus all the more for sealing away my wolf.

The heat takes over me like a puppet without control.

I notice Kieran’s eyes flash like he’s about to say something.

But then the door opens.