Hallway 4

Liam’s POV

“Shit.”

It’s beginning to feel like I’m developing a reputation for being awkward. I saw the confusion in Mira’s eyes when she turned and realized it was me. And honestly, I am as confused as she is.

Why do I feel so drawn to her?

Kai is no help. He’s been growling in my head with a wave of excitement I can barely contain.

“Her scent is so soothing, Liam. I know you can feel it too.” Kai purrs.

But it’s not just the scent, it’s everything. Those piercing green eyes, that long, snow-white hair. She’s like winter and summer all at once, and I can’t take my eyes off her.

As she bends to pick up the fallen sheets, her fingers trembling slightly, her breath uneven, I feel the heat surge in my gut. My hard length strains as the soft brush of her hips grazes against me while she scurries to collect the fabric.

My heart pounds hard, too hard. I shift slightly, trying to focus on anything else, but it’s impossible.

I should ask her why she was crying. That’s why I came here. That's what I should be doing.

I stand up quickly, letting her finish gathering the sheets… but the sight of her bent slightly, curves shifting beneath that simple dress, meets me full force.

I freeze, completely mesmerized by all the movements her backside was making as she was picking up the sheets, turning me on even more.

She lifts her head, and her face bumps right into my arousal. A jolt of shock and raw heat shoots through both of us.

For a heartbeat, we just stand there. Her wide eyes lock on mine. Her soft lips part slightly in surprise, and I feel Kai rumble inside me, hunger stirring.

Her breath hitches. Through the fabric, I catch the faint outline of her hardening nipples, see the flush rising along her neck.

She just stands there, frozen.

And then, without even thinking, I close the space between us.

I reach out instinctively, brushing her hair back, cupping her cheek, feeling her skin burn against my palm. My lips find hers in a hesitant kiss, a question I don't know how to ask out loud.

She answers by leaning in, just slightly, just enough.

Heat surges through me like wildfire. The kiss deepens, and the world narrows to the point of contact where we meet…her lips, her breath, her small trembling hand finding the edge of my shirt, mine tangled in her hair.

I feel a rush of protectiveness, of hunger, of something dangerously close to need. I slide an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me. I guide her back into my door, nudging it open with the force. As we crossed into the room, my free hand fumbling behind me, I slammed the door shut, still lost in the kiss.

The bedsheets slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor again.

To my surprise, she doesn’t pull away. The realization makes a low growl escape my chest, rough and possessive, as I catch the scent of her arousal filling the room.

feel the hardness of her nipples pressing through her shirt against me.

My fingers tangle in her thick, wavy hair, brushing against her face as I drink her in, fingertips tingling where they graze her skin.

I slide my hands down, slipping the straps of her pinafore off her shoulders. They fall to her waist, revealing the soft curve of her chest, the buttons of her shirt strained almost to the point of breaking. My breath catches, and I feel myself harden even more.

One hand trails lower, slipping under her dress, tracing the softness of her thighs. When my fingers brush against the edge of her panties, she lets out a soft, trembling moan that vibrates through me, nearly shattering my last shred of control.

I lift my eyes to her face, wanting to take in every detail…etching the moment into memory as she moaned in pleasure.

But then, just as quickly, I force myself to stop. Her eyes are glassy, tears still caught at the edges, and I realize I’ve been pushing too hard, too fast.

Pressing my forehead to hers, I breathe hard, trying to calm the storm raging inside me.

“Why were you crying?” I whisper, my voice rough, almost breaking.

She doesn't answer. Her lips part, her breath coming in soft gasps, her eyes wide, glistening. Inside me, Kira stirs, restless.

“She’s ours,” he growls softly in the back of my mind.

But I hold back, fighting the need to claim, to possess.

Pulling away from her now-reddened lips, I pause, not wanting to overwhelm or hurt her. The intensity between us is sharp, almost too much.

“Do you want this?” I murmur, my voice quieter, raw.

She stays pressed against the wall, eyes unreadable, but then she gives me a small, almost imperceptible nod…and that's all the permission I need.

In one smooth motion, I scoop her into my arms, carrying her to the bed. As I set her down, the top button of her shirt pops open, and I see the flush rise in her cheeks.

Climbing over her, I undo the remaining buttons, revealing her bare, full breasts and dusky nipples, now just inches from my lips.

I cup one of her breasts in my palm, its softness sending a surge of heat straight to my core that shoots through my shorts. With one hand, I undo my shorts, a groan escaping as the pressure eases, while the other continues to knead her breasts with growing urgency.

She gasped at the sight of my hard length, arching toward me, eyes locked on mine. I lower my mouth, tracing her nipple with my tongue before closing over it, gently sucking, grazing it with my teeth. My free hand teases her other breast, drawing a shuddering moan from her lips.

“Yess Alpha,” she whispered, her voice thick with desire as her fingers dug into my back. The smell of her arousal was now very thick in the room causing a possessive growl to rumble through my body.

Needing to feel more of her, I traced her earlobe with my lips, planting kisses on my way there,grazing it with my teeth a little as I felt the softness in my mouth. Her body shivered against mine.

When I nip at her bottom lip, she opens for me, and our tongues meet, clashing, tangling in a fight for control.

Sliding one hand into her hair, the other around her back, I pull her close, rolling her slightly onto her side as we continue to kiss. She melts into me, eyes shut tight, lost in the moment.

Driven by the urge to claim her even more, I lift her leg over my hip, rubbing my thighs between hers until I feel the damp heat through her soaked panties. Her eyes flew open as my fingers slip to the waistband of her panties, nearly tearing them off. She gasped, body arching, hungry for more. I toss the panties aside, needing nothing between us.

I took a deep breath, letting her scent flood my senses.

I lift a trembling hand, brushing the walls of her clits, but before I can speak again, a sharp knock at the door cuts through the haze between us.

I whip toward the door, instincts slamming back into place. I yank up my shorts in one rough motion, both of us breathless, chest heaving.

Mira fumbles with her shirt, fingers shaking as she tries to button up.

I drag a hand through my hair, forcing myself to get a grip. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mira scramble to gather the fallen sheets.

Before I can steady myself, the door creaks open…and Dahlia’s unmistakable voice floats through.

“Liam?”

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, much louder than I intended.