No turning back

Later that night, sleep refused to come. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling while moonlight spilled through my curtains, painting pale silver lines across my room. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Caspian; his silver eyes, his smile, the way he had looked at me when he said I was his erasthai. The way he always looked at me like I was something precious, something worth keeping.

I understood why Dad wanted us gone, and I understood why he wanted to leave this pack behind. But every time I thought about leaving, my chest tightened because all I could think about was Caspian, how much I would miss him, and how much I already missed him. I grabbed my phone at least six times to call him. Six times. And six times I chickened out. Pathetic.

Eventually exhaustion won. My eyes grew heavier and heavier until I drifted somewhere between awake and asleep. Then cold air brushed across my skin. My window. The window was open. "Caspian," I mumbled sleepily. A soft chuckle answered me. "Shhh, my queen." His deep voice wrapped around me like a blanket. "I just wanted to say goodnight."

My heart immediately settled, like it recognized him. "Need to talk to you," I whispered, barely awake. His fingers brushed through my hair. "You can talk to me tomorrow." His lips pressed softly against my forehead. "Sleep now, sunshine." And for the first time all night... I did.

The next morning started with confusion. Serious confusion. I stood in front of my mirror holding three different bras and wondering if somebody had secretly replaced my entire wardrobe overnight. Nothing fit correctly. My jeans felt tighter around my hips, my shirts fit differently, and even my favorite top seemed smaller than it had yesterday. "What is happening?" I muttered. Had I gained weight? Overnight? That wasn't even possible.

By the time I finally got dressed, I was already annoyed. Meeting Aurelia and Vesper outside school didn't help. The second they saw me, both of them stopped walking. Aurelia blinked, then blinked again. "Okay." "What?" I asked suspiciously. "What are you doing differently?" I frowned. "Nothing." Vesper tilted her head. "Are you wearing makeup?" "The same makeup I always wear." Aurelia pointed dramatically. "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it." I narrowed my eyes. "You people are weird."

The truth was I spent most of the morning avoiding one particular Lycan. Caspian. Every time I thought I saw him, I turned the other direction. Every time I smelled that clean masculine scent that belonged only to him, I disappeared. Cowardly? Maybe. Necessary? Definitely. Because every time I looked at him, my brain stopped functioning.

By fourth period I spotted Hunter near an empty hallway. Relief flooded me. An easy conversation, exactly what I needed. "Hey," I called. Hunter smiled nervously when I pulled him into a quieter corner. For a few minutes we talked normally, then his smile faded. "I like you, Livana." My stomach sank immediately. "But I can't do this." I already knew why. "Bane?" Hunter nodded. "He threatened me." I sighed. "I'm not with him." "I know." Hunter looked genuinely disappointed. "But he believes you belong to him." I hated those words. Belong. Like I was property. Like I didn't get a choice. "I understand," I said quietly. Hunter smiled sadly before lifting my hand and pressing a quick kiss against my knuckles.

And that's when everything went wrong. Because I turned around and found Caspian standing there, watching, silver eyes locked directly on mine. Beside him stood Julian and Silas. The second Hunter saw them, all color drained from his face. "I didn't touch her," he practically squeaked. "I promise." Then he ran. Actually ran.

Julian patted Caspian's shoulder sympathetically while Silas looked entertained. Then both Lycans disappeared, leaving me alone with the very irritated male staring holes into my soul. "Hey," I said awkwardly. Nothing. "Caspian?" Still nothing. His jaw tightened, and his eyes never left mine. "Say something." "What do you want me to say?" His voice came out rough. "I don't know." His laugh held absolutely no humor. "What do you want me to think, Livana?"

I froze. "You avoided me all day." His eyes darkened. "Then the first time I see you, you're alone with another man while he's kissing your hand." The hurt in his voice hit me harder than anger would have. "Caspian..." He inhaled sharply, like hearing his name from me physically affected him, and somehow that made me feel even worse.

"I was scared," I swallowed. "The way I feel around you... it's overwhelming. I've never felt this way before." Not even with Bane. Not even with my mate. Just Caspian. Only Caspian.

The bell rang, and students flooded the hallway. A girl tried squeezing between us, but neither of us moved. Then Caspian grabbed my elbow and walked me straight out of school.

A few minutes later we stood near the edge of the woods where nobody could hear us. The world felt quieter here. Just us. Then Caspian asked the question. "Do you want to be with me?" My heart nearly stopped. No teasing; just honesty. And for the first time in my life, I knew exactly what I wanted. "Yes." The word came out as barely a whisper, but he heard it.

His entire body went still. Then he looked at me like I had just handed him the world. "Then be with me, sunshine." His voice was rough and honest. "I want you, Livana. All I want is you." His arms opened slightly. Not demanding, giving me a choice.

I stared at him for one long second, then stepped forward. The moment I wrapped my arms around him, warmth exploded through me. His scent surrounded me instantly; wood, winter air, something uniquely Caspian. Strong, safe and home. His arms tightened around me as if he never intended to let go. Sparks danced everywhere our bodies touched, and for once... I didn't want them to stop.

"You are mine, Livana." His lips brushed softly against my temple. "There is no turning back now." I shivered, not from fear, not entirely. "I don't share," his voice dropped lower. "And I won't let go of what's mine." My heart hammered painfully against my ribs, because somehow, the thought terrified me and excited me at exactly the same time.