EPISODE 5: KIERAN'S VISIT

“What if I’m way older than her?” I growled again, fury and longing burning inside me.

The knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I growled in frustration. Who dared disturb me at this hour?

“Speak,” I yelled, my tone unfriendly and filled with malice.

“It’s Kieran,” I heard her soft voice, and my eyes lightened just a bit. She was my best friend and had been by my side through it all.

“Come in,” I muttered, and she slowly opened the door, stepping in gracefully. I couldn't help but take in the dress she was wearing, but I rolled my eyes and looked away, which made her frown.

“At least compliment the dress,” she said, but I wasn’t in the mood for her humor.

“What? Do you have any business-related news?” I asked, and she sneered playfully.

She walked toward me, holding a cake in her hand. It was fancily decorated, and I stared at it blankly. She knew all my favorite things—cake was not one of them. Was she here to piss me off?

I growled at the sight of the cake, and she glared at me.

“I heard that. Cake can cure a man’s angry attitude—especially yours,” she said.

I wasn’t in the mood for flattery, but I didn’t want to hurt her ego either.

“Leave it here. I’ll eat it later,” I said flatly, and she sighed.

“What did Lucien do again?” she asked.

I wasn’t surprised. She always understood my moods, and she knew the only soul who could make me this mad was my brother.

I didn’t consider him family. Ever since my pack was attacked, his gamma wolves were needed—but he turned a blind eye. He waited until my parents were dead before swooping in, boasting and trying to claim my place. The only reason I didn’t rip his throat out was because of Kieran. She told me to stay calm until the pack was officially mine.

Best advice she ever gave.

But I noticed something about her… Her eyes always sparkled when I entered a room. Whenever I did what she liked, she’d drag me to her shopping sprees, spending everything on clothes for me—not herself. So, I returned the favor and got her things too.

But to me, she was just a friend. Someone I could rely on. Someone I leaned on. I made sure she knew that. Yet she was still the same persistent best friend I’d always known.

“Forget him. He gets on everyone’s nerves,” she said, sitting in my chair and running her fingers over the documents on my desk.

“They’re important. Don’t mess anything up,” I growled, but she rolled her eyes and opened a page anyway.

If I were in a worse mood, I would’ve ripped her head off. I was already pissed off, and she was only making it worse.

“We should kick her out,” my wolf, Draven, whispered to me inwardly.

But I ignored him. The last thing I wanted was her tears.

“Lucien suggested I make you my Luna,” I said, and I watched her freeze. Her hand remained still on the page she had just flipped.

I wanted to see her reaction—any flicker of emotion. I wanted to know if she felt anything more than friendship for me.

“That’s absurd. Where did he get that idea from?” she said, laughing mockingly. “Wow, what a crooked old man. What would he even gain from me being your Luna?”

There was nothing in her voice—no sadness, no regret, no crack, nothing.

“Hmph. Good thing. She’s not romantically attached to us,” Draven muttered.

I hummed inwardly.

She stood up and walked to my mirror, showing off her backside. She was always this loose around me, always doing whatever she felt like. I didn’t mind it.

We’d always been close—hugging, talking. But once my mate arrived, I would stop all that. I didn’t want my mate to feel jealous of a best friend. No, I wanted everyone to be jealous that my mate had me

“How’s the dress?” she asked, catching my attention again.

She wore a short lacy spaghetti-strap dress with slits on both sides, paired with high heels. Her hair was styled differently—worse, I hadn’t even noticed when she came in.

She had a body her mate would definitely love.

“Are you going on a date?” I asked, and she hummed.

My brow furrowed at her answer. I never thought she’d take dating seriously. She was the type to reject any suggestion I made about seeing other men—what if her fated mate was out there?

But she was stubborn. Really stubborn. Always clinging to me.

I was happy for her. Finally, she was stepping out of her shell. She turned and flashed me a smile.

“How do I look?” she asked.

“Normal,” I replied flatly.

Her smile dimmed instantly.

“You’re not helping,” she said, and I chuckled.

“You look normal to me,” I repeated, and she gritted her teeth.

If she wanted to hear compliments from me, she had to be my mate. And since she wasn’t, she didn’t deserve them.

Even the Moon Goddess knows—I would be a complete softie for my mate, and I’d let her take advantage of me endlessly.

“If I were your mate, would you say otherwise?” she asked.

I gave her a cold smile.

“Yes. But since you’re not, I don’t think you deserve to hear it,” I said coldly and walked over to my chair.

“Oh… okay,” she whispered. Did I hear a tremble in her voice?

No. Kieran would never feel sad—not over something I said.