(POV of Eliza Claire Gold when she was still 19 years old)
The sparkling stars filled the dark sky of the night. The full moon looked like a graceful queen, ruling over those diamond-like stars as its silvery light wrapped everything like a thin blanket. While walking through our porch, I headed to our flower fields which was my favourite spot to calm myself down. After meeting Aldus, I was feeling so restless that I needed some time to calm down before I could go back to the party. Eden allowed me to take a walk on our porch for only 10 minutes and he returned to the hall. Flowers carpeted the field below me, blooming as far as the eyes could see. My eyes searched for a spot where the flowers were thin and I sat down there, looking at the sky. It was like sinking into a fantasy world. I always felt that the flowers were so large and much more beautiful when sitting among them. Numerous fireflies began to approach me while flying around me as if I were their sole purpose of living. Suddenly, my senses became aware, feeling another presence near me. I heard a faint sound of movements, only a few hands away from me. Crawling quietly when I approached the source of the sound, the shock of discovery hit me full force. My curiosity, as well as my doubt,, was aroused as I kept on moving forward. On the delicate flower bed, a tall, handsome silhouette with a beautifully proportioned body was deep asleep. Even in the dim light of the moon, his beauty felt ethereal and bewitching. His midnight black, messy hair was ruffled by the soft breezes. He had a stubborn, arrogant face with a commanding manner. His appearance was so perfect and devastatingly handsome that he could be easily mistaken as a stone sculpture. My heartbeats throbbed in my ears and there was a tingling in the pit of my stomach. Still, avoiding all those weird sensations, I leaned closer to his sleeping face to get a better view of him. Along with me, all those fireflies who pledged to be my silent followers that night also approached him. They began to fly, circling him and some even landed all over his body and messy hair to help me in investigating. His fair skin magnified the inky blackness of his hair. Suddenly, one of the fireflies landed on his cheek and began to walk on his face. His sculpted face wrinkled in annoyance as he groaned sleepily, moving a bit. Instinctively, I raised my hand to gently chase away that firefly without bothering his peaceful sleep as if I was suddenly extremely concerned for that stranger and his peaceful rest. However, before I could do that his strong hand grabbed my wrist firmly and pulled me harshly to him. I wanted to escape. But, due to that sudden attack, I lost my balance and fell on his chest, only an inch away from his face. He opened his eyes with an unpredictable expression as his emerald eyes clung to mine, analysing my reaction. Softly, his breath fanned my face, and my body tingled. It felt like his eyes were probing to my very soul. I tried to get up, moving a bit away from his face. But, startling me, he wrapped one of his strong arms around my waist and pulled me closer to his chest. His grip on my wrist became gentle. Burying his face in my hair, he sniffed for a few seconds. My heart took a perilous leap as a hot ache grew in my throat. I sharply tried to push him away as I growled helplessly, “What are you doing? Let me go.” His husky voice whispered near my ear, making my whole body shiver with an unknown feeling, “Weren’t you the one who approached me? Didn’t you enjoy staring at me?” Stains of scarlet appeared on my cheeks and I was filled with humiliation. I mumbled in a breathy tone, “Firefly!” “Firefly?” The stranger was still staring at me with his compelling eyes as if he were photographing me with his eyes. The very air around me seemed electrified. He asked again in his low, magnetic voice, “What is your name, Miss?” I managed to whisper a few broken words in my breathy voice, “Firefly! I- I wasn’t staring- was Firefly!” My heart was still pounding erratically. His nearness was overwhelming. I cleared my throat while trying to finish my sentence. His arms were still around me, stopping me from escaping that embarrassing situation. He suddenly laughed in a deep, jovial way as he asked in a teasing tone, raising his brows, “So, your name is Miss Firefly.” That was the most refreshing and delightful laugh I heard in a long time. “No? When I said that?” I pushed my hands against his chest as I protested shyly, “Let me go. I wasn’t staring at you. I was just trying to chase away the firefly-” “Why? Why were you trying to bother that innocent little creature?” Mischievousness gleamed in his bright, emerald eyes. I replied in a low voice, taut with anger, “Who are you? Why must I answer to a stranger like you? Most importantly, what are you doing in my garden?” The stranger released my wrist suddenly as his fingers gently brushed away the strands of my hair that were hiding half of my face as if to get a proper view of my face. His fingers burned into my tingling skin as he whispered in my ear, “What if I say that I am here in search of you, Miss Firefly. Will you believe it?” “Are you a stalker?” I glared at him, “You must be very brave to enter our territory. I don’t think that you can escape-” I was interrupted by Eden’s voice nearby, “Eli! Eli! Where are you?”[POV of Eliza Claire Gold](The Main Building of the Night Walker Clan)“Happy Birthday, Mr.”I whispered shyly, passing him the wrapped gift box, “I am so sorry for my ignorance. I should have known-”“Shh!”Pressing his finger gently to my lips, Keir whispered with that signature, charming smile of his, “Sorry is the last thing I want to hear from you tonight. Can I ask you something?”Curious, I nodded. “Yes?”“Will you stay with me tonight?”Before I could respond, his strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. His emerald eyes locked with mine, and he whispered, his voice soft and warm, “Can I have you as my special gift, M’lady?”Even though I’d shared moments like this with Keir before, his words always made my heart race uncontrollably. His intense gaze was almost too much to bear. My cheeks burned with a blush I couldn’t hide, and I bit my lower lip shyly before nodding.“You can,” I replied softly, barely meeting his eyes. “It’s your birthday, after all. I should
(POV of Eliza Claire Gold)(One month later)“It’s so sunny today!”I dropped onto the cozy couch on the balcony of the little cottage nestled in the forest. Sweat trickled down my forehead, and my breath was uneven after a 10km run. Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned sharply, startled.“Sasha! When did you get here?” I asked, my face lighting up with a bright smile.Sasha sank onto the couch beside me, holding a cup of coffee. “I’ve been waiting for you for fifteen minutes. Where on earth were you so early in the morning?”“Oh, I was just bored staying inside,” I replied casually. Smiling brightly, I added, “Why don’t you stay with me today? I’ve been so lonely lately that I ended up teaching myself how to cook.”Laughing, Sasha raised an eyebrow. “Were those dishes even edible?”“Of course!” I said, puffing up my chest proudly. “Aunt Merry even complimented my cooking. I could cook lunch for you today if you want!”Throwing her hands up in surrender, Sasha exclaimed, “No way! We’r
“You can moan louder!”Passion coursed through me, igniting every nerve as I trembled under the intensity of his playful tongue. My voice wavered, barely a whisper. "Keir... it feels so-"Before I could finish, his fingers gently pressed against my lips, silencing me as they slid inside. The warmth of my breath mingled with the slickness of his touch, heightening the tension between us.My body arched instinctively, every muscle tightening as waves of pleasure crashed over me. A soft cry escaped my lips, and when I met his gaze, the satisfied curve of his smile sent another jolt through me.Keir leaned down, his lips capturing mine with a fiery hunger. "Don't give in so soon, Eliza," he murmured against my mouth, his voice low and commanding. "We've only just begun.”My breath came in quick, shallow bursts as the heat between us grew unbearable. His body pressed closer, the firm evidence of his desire teasing me, brushing against the dampness he'd already claimed. The anticipation was
(POV of Young Eliza Claire Gold)I somehow managed to stammer, "Y-You already have a mate! H-How can I-"Keir's arms tightened around me, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "Yes, I do. I found out my mate is my childhood friend-but none of that matters because my Lycan craves you, Eliza. You, more than anyone, more than her, more than fate itself.""Oh."I tilted my face toward him, raising a brow. "So, you want me because your Lycan desires me, is that it?"Keir chuckled low, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. Before I could react, he spun me to face him. His hands gripped my waist firmly, pulling me closer until there was no space between us. His voice was low,deliberate. "No, Princess. I want you because I love you. I care for you. You're mine-not because of my Lycan, but because I choose you. I've always chosen you before everyone."My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. His intense gaze locked onto mine, his breathing ragged. I could feel his
POV of Young Eliza Claire"Keir? Where are we going?"I asked, my voice filled with curiosity as I looked around the unfamiliar path. Instead of heading back to the Night Walker Clan house, the car sped deeper into the forest of the Night Walker Territory.Without glancing at me, Keir smirked mysteriously and replied, "You'll find out soon, Firefly. Are you sleepy?"It was close to midnight, but sleep was the last thing on my mind. Keir's presence had stolen any trace of tiredness. My heart fluttered restlessly as my eyes kept drifting to his sharp, handsome features. His charming smile lingered on his lips, and in the soft glow of the moonlight, he looked like a perfect sculpture carved out of stone.Sensing my gaze on him, he suggested, “Take a nap if you want. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”“Umm, no, it’s fine,” I murmured, smiling shyly at him. “I can stay up all night if you—”“If I ask? Would you really do whatever I ask?” Keir teased, his tone playful.Shaking my head, I
POV of Young Eliza Claire Gold“It’s getting late. I think I should leave now,” Eden said, glancing at his watch. I sat besidehim, with Sasha on his other side. Keir and Kyrell were seated next to me.Dave, the host of the party, had stepped out for a moment to greet some VIP guests. The party downstairs on the ground floor was lively, but Keir had arranged a quiet meeting with Eden on the second floor of Dave’s resort to keep things private from the Lycans’ Kingdom.It wasn’t safe for me to leave the Lycans’ Kingdom to meet Eden, so they invited him here. Dave, Keir’s childhood best friend, was helping us in every possible way. At first, I had found Dave a bit strange, but he turned out to be the most welcoming host I’d ever met.I tugged on Eden’s sleeve and looked up at him with pleading eyes. “When will you come to see me again, Brother?”Eden gently patted my head, his voice kind. “Very soon, Eli. I promise.”The thoughts of parting away from him was tormenting me from within. I