Mag-log inLyra’s POVCole did not release my hand as he walked me toward the mansion. The garden lights glowed softly around us, and even though anyone could have looked out a window and seen us together, he did not seem to care. He held my hand openly, as though making me his girlfriend had changed something important, and maybe it had.Before we reached the entrance, Cole stopped and turned toward me. “If you want to know anything, you can ask me, Lyra.”His expression was serious, without the teasing smile he had worn only moments earlier. I nodded, though guilt tightened inside my chest. There were so many things I wanted to ask him about the Ashwood territory, the attack that destroyed my pack, and whether his family knew more than they had ever admitted, but there were even more things I could not tell him.“Okay,” I said quietly.Cole studied my face as though he knew I had not said everything on my mind, then lifted my hand and pressed a kiss against my knuckles. “Good.”The following w
Lyra’s POVCaitlin held the colored pencils I had brought from Crestmont City as though they were precious. She placed them beside her butterfly drawing and smiled brightly.“Thank you, Lyra. I’ve never had this many colors before.”“You deserve every color,” I told her. “Your butterflies need more than one shade of blue.”As she added purple to one wing, my thoughts drifted back to Cole finding me outside his study earlier. I had only wanted to search for files about the Dravenfords and my parents’ deaths, but he had invited me inside and calmly explained the Ashwood territory from a pack history book.He had watched me carefully while I asked questions, yet he had not accused me of lying or demanded to know why I was outside his locked study. I still could not decide whether I had imagined his suspicion or whether Cole was simply good at hiding what he thought.“Lyra?”Caitlin’s voice pulled me back to the garden, and I looked at her. “Yes?”“You’re holding the purple pencil upside
Cole’s POVI woke before sunrise with Lyra’s warmth still lingering against my chest. We had stayed on the rooftop beneath the blanket for most of the night, talking until her voice grew softer and the distant town lights disappeared beneath the early morning mist. I had not expected her to trust me enough to remain there, and I certainly had not expected to fall asleep with her in my arms.When I finally opened my eyes, she was gone. The blanket had been folded neatly on the bench, with a small note placed on top.Caitlin’s training starts at five. Do not be late.I smiled despite myself. Only Lyra would leave a warning after spending half the night curled against me.The morning passed too quickly. Caitlin complained about waking up early, Lyra pretended not to notice whenever I looked at her for too long, and I left for a meeting with Kalen before I could find a moment alone with her.By early afternoon, I had heard enough. Kalen had found no trace of the rogues who attacked us ne
Lyra’s POVCole’s lips moved against mine with enough certainty to erase every sensible thought from my mind. His arm tightened around my waist while my fingers remained tangled in his hair, and although I had entered his study determined to confess my feelings, I hadn’t expected three kisses or his admission that my absence had driven him insane.When the kiss ended, I rested my hands against his chest and tried to steady my breathing. He looked ready to kiss me again, and judging by the way I leaned toward him, I would have allowed it, but he brushed a strand of hair from my face instead.“Come with me,” he said, taking my hand.“Where are we going? That order sounds suspicious.”“You kissed an Alpha without permission, but following me upstairs worries you?”“You didn’t complain about the kiss.”“I’m not complaining now.”His mouth curved before he led me from the study. The hallway was quiet, and most of the lights had been dimmed. I remembered that I needed to check on Caitlin, b
Cole's POV For several seconds, I forgot how to move. Lyra's arms wrapped around my neck, and before I could understand what she was doing, she rose onto her toes and pressed her lips against mine. This was the last thing I had expected when the door to my study opened, especially after spending the entire day wondering when she would return. I had checked my phone more times than I cared to admit, asked Martha when Lyra was coming back, and eventually checked the bus schedule from Crestmont City when evening arrived without any sign of her. I had been worried, frustrated, and mostly angry with myself because of how badly our last conversation had ended. She had stood in this same room and asked me what she was to me, a question that should have been easy to answer. I hadn't answered because I didn't know how to explain something I barely understood myself. Instead, I had watched the hurt appear in her eyes and let her walk away believing those kisses meant nothing to me. N
Lyra’s POV I should have returned to Dravenford Estate after talking to Grandfather, but I stayed in Crestmont City instead. Martha knew I would be gone for the day, Freya was taking care of Caitlin, and I had promised to return tonight, so there was no reason to rush. The truth was I wasn’t ready to see Cole. Grandfather’s words followed me through the crowded streets. For once, stop deciding how something will end before you even let it begin. Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one who had kissed an Alpha several times only to have that same Alpha fall silent when asked what those kisses meant. I pushed the memory away and wandered through Crestmont, where cars filled the streets, buses stopped for passengers, and shops were crowded with people enjoying their afternoon. I bought an iced drink, browsed a bookstore, and picked up colored pencils for Caitlin while pretending I wasn’t avoiding one arrogant Alpha with gray eyes. I was doing fairly well until my phone vibrated.







