Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

EIRA VALE

The morning sun cut through the slats of my window like it had a vendetta. I groaned, curling deeper into the blankets, trying to erase the memory of last night. Not the kiss itself—I couldn’t—but the way Kael had pressed me against the wall, the way his body had burned against mine, the hunger in his eyes that made my own pulse stutter.

I sat up, gripping the edge of the bed. God, I hated him. And yet I didn’t.

By the time I had dressed and made my way to the small lab space the pack had given me, Kael was already in motion. He moved through the corridors like a storm contained in a perfect body—muscles flexing under his shirt, eyes sharp, everything about him deliberate.

We passed each other in the hallway without a word, but when his shoulder brushed mine, the spark was enough to make me stumble. I clenched my fists to keep from reaching for him.

He smirked faintly, catching my faltering step, but didn’t stop. That smirk. That cursed smirk. I was both infuriated and completely undone.

***

The following days were a blur.

We kept running into each other—literally and figuratively.

I’d duck behind a stack of herb crates to avoid him, only for him to find me, leaning close with that impossible, commanding presence. Our hands brushed when passing vials or notebooks. Fingers touched in a fleeting, electric moment. He’d tilt his head, lips twitching, and I’d nearly melt against the counter.

And sometimes, when no one was watching, he’d steal a kiss. Quick, sharp, leaving me breathless and furious. Other times, it would linger, teeth grazing, tongue teasing, and heat coiling low in my belly. But nothing more. Nothing full. Nothing that crossed the final boundary.

I hated it. I loved it. I hated loving it.

By midweek, I was fuming over it. I wanted more. No, i needed more than stolen kisses.

Sitting with Mira in a quiet corner of the infirmary, I dumped all of it on her.

“I swear, Mira, he’s insane,” I whispered, stabbing a finger into my notebook filled with samples of the poisoned water. “He teases me, he kisses me, he… he nearly suffocates me with desire, and then stops. Like… like he’s punishing me for wanting him.”

Mira laughed, loud and sharp, leaning back in her chair. “You’re not imagining it. He’s driving himself crazy too. Trust me, I can smell it from here.”

“You can smell it?”

“Of course. I’m a wolf. Not only can I smell it, but I can see the sparks flying off you two. Literally. People are going to start noticing.”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Do I tell him I want more?”

“Are you insane? You want him, right?” Mira said, eyes twinkling. “Then let him come to you. But be ready. He’ll be… intense. Wild.”

“I’m already terrified,” I admitted.

“You’re in love with fire, Eira. Don’t be afraid of getting burned.”

Later that day, I decided to do something about it.

Kael had been running himself into the ground with pack duties—patrols, strategy sessions, and meetings that kept him from sleeping, eating, and apparently remembering that he had a mate. I could fix one of those things.

So I cooked.

A small meal. Nothing fancy. Just enough to make him pause for a few minutes. I wrapped it carefully, carried it through the halls, and arrived at his office, peeking inside with my heart doing its own dangerous choreography.

And then I froze.

Kael wasn’t alone.

She was there.

Laura. His ex.

I had caught a glimpse of her some months ago. If not for Mira, I would have been oblivious about her connection with Kael.

Laura seemed perfect. From long dark hair to her bwitching eyes, down to her composure. She looked like something out of the books.

Mira wanted to tell me why Kael had broken off thrir engagement, but I stopped her. It wasn't as though I wasn't curious. I was more than curious. But rather, I wanted Kael to tell me himself. I wanted him to trust me enough to reveal his past.

It seems that was a foolish wish.

My heart sank as I watched her laughing at something Kael had said. Her hand rested lightly on his arm, and he… he wasn’t pulling away. He was leaning in, relaxed, warm, smiling in a way that made my stomach drop.

“Kael,” I said, voice sharper than I meant. “I brought—”

He glanced up, caught sight of me, and immediately tensed. But Laura didn’t notice. She continued speaking, casual, teasing, warm.

I gritted my teeth, rage, and jealousy mingling into a burning cocktail. My fingers tightened around the satchel.

I wanted to throw it at him. I wanted to run. I wanted to throw him to the ground and kiss him until he forgot she existed.

Instead, I turned sharply and stalked away.

Kael followed me out into the corridor. His voice was low, controlled, but every inch of him vibrated with… something I could feel without him touching me.

“Eira,” he said.

I stopped, arms crossed, glaring. “What was that?”

“She’s…” His voice faltered, then steadied. “She’s nothing. I was just… catching up.”

“Catching up?” I echoed. “With her hand on your arm? Laughing at something you said? Kael, what the hell is that?”

“I—” He exhaled sharply. “Eira, listen. You don’t understand—”

“I don’t understand?” I shouted. “I’m watching my mate act like a gentleman for his ex while I stand here like an idiot! What do you call that?”

“Idiot?” he muttered but then stepped closer, dangerously close. "Wait, how do you know she's my ex?"

"Is that what you care about?"

"Eira—"

I raised my hand. "So you'd have rather left me in the dark, looking like a complete fool. Do I look like a fool to you?"

"Of course not, Eira. I just didn't want to bring up the past. I was scared of hurting you."

"So keeping it from me is better? I am your mate, yet you still seek the services of your ex."

My heart stung at the thought of him with her. Was that why he didn't go further with me? Because he was already getting pleasure from her.

"Eira, you know I won't do something of that manner."

"I don't know anything. I might as well be a joke to you."

Kael sighed and stepped closer, closing the space between us. "No. What you are is mine. Laura was merely there to deliver some documents. As much as I would love to never see her again, I can't banish her from the pack as she plays a key role, especially now that we are not aware of the forces that we are up against.”

I bit my cheeks, annoyed at myself for getting jealous and also annoyed at him for being right. There is most likely a traitor among us, and the chances that a war would happen is very high. The last thing Kael needed was a jealous mate.

So, any possible help was more than welcome, even if it came in the form of his ex-girlfriend.

"Are you jealous?"

"Of course not! Why would I be?" I denied it, although I knew that he did not believe me.

"I won't have a personal meeting with her again. Anything she has to say to me can be done through my Beta or, at best, during a council meeting."

"Kael, you don't have to..."

"No, I have to. My bond with you is more precious than anything. I will cut off everything that threatens us, even if it is a person."

I swallowed hard, heart hammering. His proximity made every nerve in my body scream. He smelled like cedar, smoke, and something wilder—dangerous. Undeniable.

“You’re impossible,” I hissed.

“Yes,” he said, voice low, rough. “And you’re infuriating. And I love it.”

Before I could reply, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the shadows behind the office corridor. Safe from prying eyes. Safe from the gathering, but not safe from the magnetic pull that made my chest ache.

“Kael—” I started, but he pressed a finger to my lips.

“No words,” he growled.

I blinked at him. He was breathing hard, dark eyes dark and desperate.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited?” he whispered. “How long I’ve wanted to do this?”

And then, without warning, he kissed me.

Wild. Hungry. Angry. Desperate.

I didn’t resist. I couldn’t. My hands found his chest, pulling him closer, matching the fire in his kiss with every ounce of heat in me. The world disappeared: the lanterns, the pack, Laura, the sickness—all of it vanished.

It was just him.

And me.

His teeth grazed my lip. I gasped. His hands tangled in my hair. My knees nearly gave out. He groaned into the kiss—low, raw feral.

And then, abruptly, he pulled back. Just enough to rest his forehead against mine, both of us panting, hearts hammering.

“I… can’t… stop,” he muttered.

“You’re insane,” I whispered, chest heaving.

“And you love it,” he said, darkly smiling.

I glared, even as I felt the truth in his words.

And somewhere, deep in the courtyard, the music continued. Oblivious to everything we’d just set on fire.

***

Meanwhile, the sickness investigation didn’t pause.

Later, I returned to the lab, hands still tingling from the kiss, mind still replaying Kael’s lips, his hands, his heat. I poured over water samples, noting chemical traces, contaminants, and anomalies.

The river poisoning wasn’t random. Someone wanted to hurt the pack, and the pieces were slowly falling into place. I scribbled notes furiously, anger sharpening my focus.

But even in that focus, even among chemicals and suspicion, my thoughts kept drifting to him. Kael. My mate. My wildfire. My danger.

And the next time I saw him, I knew it would be impossible to behave.

He is impossible to resist.