The Cardinal Alpha's Human Obsession

Azura's POV The gasps around us only grew louder, rippling through the hallway. I could feel hundreds of eyes fixed on me, some curious, some jealous, others simply stunned, but none of it seemed to exist. My whole world had narrowed down to the man standing in front of me. His arm was still wrapped securely around my waist, keeping me upright after I'd nearly crashed into the stone pavement. The warmth of his hand seeped through the thin fabric of my uniform, spreading slowly across my skin before settling somewhere deep inside my chest. I had come to Luanareth Academy for one reason and one reason only, finding the truth behind my foster father's death. That was all that mattered. So why was my heart reacting like this? I hated that my body refused to match the anger I had carried for five long years. His arm was still around my waist. Why wasn't I pulling away? Any sane person would have. He was everything I had spent five years learning to distrust, a stranger with more power

Azura's POV"Speak!"His voice came out as a growl, low and dangerous, vibrating through the air between us.Kael's hand stayed locked around my throat, pinning me to the cold stone wall while his sharp green eyes raked over my face, searching for something, a lie, a secret, I couldn't tell. I struggled to breathe, my fingers clawing instinctively at his wrist. And yet, even through the fear, something strange stirred beneath it.The moment our eyes truly met, his expression cracked. The anger flickered, and for the briefest second it was replaced by confusion, as if he were fighting something inside himself. His grip loosened. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He looked completely caught off guard.At the same moment, an unfamiliar warmth bloomed in my chest. It was the same feeling I'd had earlier, when Zayn caught me before I fell, a sweet, calming pull that spread through my body despite the fact that this man was practically choking the life out of me. It made no sense.What's wrong wi