CHAPTER 5

KAEL’S POV.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

The plan was simple: go to the mating ritual, hope to find my mate, and if I did, accept her and give her the full conditions. I’ve heard a lot about the ritual and how it goes, so I made three rules.

No drama. Don’t get attached or feel any pull. And definitely no strings.

First, there was drama. There was the pull. And there was the fucking kiss, which I still can’t get out of my head.

“One more word, Aire, and there will be no run this week,” I growled at my wolf, who immediately whined and quieted down.

The door opened, and my gaze snapped up, finding Carius entering with the grin he has been wearing since we left the mating ritual. I knew what it meant, and I wished I could stomp his fucking head and zip his mouth shut before the words came out.

He walked to the table, picked up an apple, and bit into it immediately. He didn’t say anything for half a minute, and I was already growing impatient.

“Get on with it, Carius. Don’t waste my time,” I snapped, irritated.

“Oh, it’s nothing, your highness,” he started, attempting to act serious. “Just here to take some clothes for the lady.”

I frowned, more irritated by his tone. “And why my room? Isn’t there a woman’s wardrobe for that?”

He shrugged. “I just thought since you’re giving her your clothes—the ones you never share with anyone—you might as well start sharing a wardrobe.”

I clenched my jaw, a scowl settling on my face. “She was wet.”

“I was wet at the stream, and you had two shirts, but you didn’t give me one. Of course, I should have known it’s because I’m not a woman.”

“And what happened to no drama? Going in and getting out?” he added with a chuckle. “One more word and I’ll have you demoted to rogues? Do not test me. I am not merciful.”

He burst into laughter, coughing through it, and my irritation only deepened. If he wasn’t my beta—and my best friend—I would have demoted him already.

“They were bullying her. Did you expect me not to warn them?”

“Of course,” he said, stalking toward me. “And were they bullying her for you to also kiss her?” he added, his gaze taunting.

My cheeks flushed instantly, every memory of that kiss flooding back.

“You held her throat in front of everyone, went down to her chest. If you had gotten your way, I’m sure you would have fucked her right there.”

“Don’t be a prude, you idiot.”

“Well, I’m not the one who almost fucked a girl in front of every werewolf.”

I clenched my jaw, bitterness rising at the truth in his words. I had lost control in that kiss—and control was the one thing I never lost. The moment I kissed her, everything vanished. The ache in my mind quieted. It was just her. A force I couldn’t fight, and all my wolf and I wanted was to sink into her and never stop.

“She’s very pretty,” I said flatly.

“That she is,” Carius replied.

I cocked a brow at him, something unfamiliar settling in my chest.

“Relax! I’m not taking her from you.”

I scoffed, annoyed at myself. Why was I reacting like this? I had nothing to do with her. I had a plan—one I needed to follow. Why did it bother me that Carius called her pretty?

Her image rose in my mind.

She wasn’t just pretty. There was something more.

Before I even felt the pull, she was the first person I noticed from the car. Curly brown hair. Sapphire eyes that looked like they were searching for somewhere to belong.

And those curves.

Not too slender. Not too big.

And her breasts.

My wolf purred.

So did my body, a bulge forming instantly.

“And not to mention she’s your mate. There’s no way you won’t feel attracted,” Carius added.

But it wasn’t just that.

“It’s not only that. I felt something else when I kissed her…”

“Of course you did. With that kiss, there’s no way you’d feel nothing.”

I shot him a glare that shut him up immediately. He grabbed another apple, biting into it to keep himself quiet.

“There was something more than the mate pull,” I continued, my tone serious. “When I looked into her eyes, I felt something… different. Like she’s part of me. Like I’ve known her forever. Was that how you felt with Nerissa?”

Carius paused, his expression shifting as he actually thought about it.

“I don’t think so,” he said slowly. “But it might still be the mate bond. You might be overthinking it.”

He stood and walked toward my wardrobe. “Well, I should pick something for her until the maids get back. Then we’ll find proper clothes for her.”

He had just opened it when something inside me twisted sharply, and I stopped him.

She’s my mate.

If anyone was going to pick something for her, it should be me.

“I’ll pick something. Just wait.”

I remembered how she looked in my white shirt while she slept—the slight opening at the buttons, the glimpse of skin, the way her hair fell around her face.

I grabbed one of my longer shirts.

This should do.

I had just turned back to Carius when something sharp slammed into me. My wolf howled, anger ripping through me.

“What’s wrong? Is it happening again?” Carius was beside me instantly, worry clear on his face.

I shook my head, snarling as I felt my eyes shift.

“It’s Ilyana. Something is wrong with her.”

“But… I left her—”

“She’s in danger!” I barked, already shifting into my wolf as I bolted out of the room.