Chapter Elleven - One kiss, two promises.

I didn’t move. Just stared into his ocean blue eyes that was suddenly pulling me to him.

My breath was shaky, caught somewhere between 'what the hell just happened' and 'why do I want it to happen again'5. Kyren took a small step back, eyes searching mine — those sea-blue eyes now darkened with something I wasn’t ready to name.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I... I didn’t mean to... do that. Not like that.”

I blinked, my heart still hammering. “You broke into my room.” I repeated, my mind racing.

His lips twitched again. “Technically, the window did that. I just… followed the were the wind took me.”

I rolled my eyes, even as my chest tightened. “You have five minutes. Talk.”

His gaze sobered immediately. “We didn’t know, Daphne. Not until the coronation. Not until your scent… it hit us like a truck. I wish I had an excuse for all the things we said — the things we did. But I don’t. There’s nothing I can say to erase the past, but I need you to know…” He hesitated, jaw clenched. “I... it was never real hatred. Not from me. Not even from Maddox. You were always… there. In my head... even when I didn’t understand why.”

I stared at him, arms crossed but heart unraveling thread by thread. “You bullied me.”

“I know.”

“You stood by while they tore me apart.”

“I know.”

"You watched them,"

"I know."

“I don’t trust any of you.”

“I know.” He stepped closer, his presence both grounding and suffocating. “But I’m willing to wait until you do. We all are”

I hesitated — not because I believed him, but because I wanted to. And that terrified me more than anything.

“I need time. A lot of time,” I whispered, eyes dropping to the floor.

Kyren didn’t try to change my mind. He nodded slowly, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips, relief swirling in his orbs. “I’ll tell my brothers.”

He turned toward the window, but I stopped him. “Wait.”

He looked over his shoulder, a lock of hair falling over his eyes. He was hot... I cleared my mind.

“I’m not saying I forgive you. Or that I believe this is real. But… thank you. For being honest.”

Something in his expression shifted — softer, quieter. “No, thank you. For listening. You have the right not to but you still did. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

I walked him to the window, unsure why my chest felt so tight.

He paused just before climbing out, turning back toward me. “One more?”

Before I could ask what he was talking about, his head dipped lower and his lips brushed mine again — slower this time, tender and aching. Sparks ignited in my blood, my wolf howled within me. It whisper of a kiss, but it still left me breathless. I kissed him back, fingers tightening on the windowsill for balance while his hands cradled my face gently. I gasped at the touch, giving him entrance to slip his tongue into my mouth as he deepened the kiss. My legs were trembling. My skin buzzing.

When his hands started to slide to my waist, I placed my palm on his chest and pulled back.

“Kyren—”

He pulled back instantly, breathing just as ragged as mine.

“Sorry,” he murmured, stepping away. “I promised space. I’ll keep it.”

The arousal was evident on his face... and his pants too. And with that, he disappeared into the night, leaving me alone… heart racing, panties soaked, lips swollen, and head spinning.

What the hell was happening to me?