chapter 2: Forbidden Connection

The days following Aria’s encounter with Kian felt like an endless loop of tension and longing. The weight of her father’s expectations, her looming engagement to Cedric, and her role as the Alpha’s daughter consumed her, but in the back of her mind, there was always the memory of that strange meeting in the forest. The scent of pine and rain, the electric feeling when Kian’s eyes met hers—it all lingered in her thoughts.

Her life had always been predictable. She had always known her place in the pack, known what was expected of her. But Kian had disrupted that, bringing with him a rawness, a freedom she couldn’t ignore. He was nothing like the polished, calculating wolves who made up her father’s circle. He was untamed, free. And there was something about him—something she didn’t fully understand—that made her heart race whenever she thought about him.

It was early evening when the pull was too strong to ignore. The pack was gathered for another training session, and Cedric was already eyeing her from across the courtyard, his cold smile never far from his face. Aria’s stomach churned at the thought of him. She was supposed to be preparing for a future with him, but the idea of it made her feel suffocated, like she was being forced into a life she never asked for.

That’s when she made up her mind. She would leave for a while. Just a few hours to clear her head. She would shift, run, and maybe—just maybe—find some peace away from the expectations of her father and the ever-watchful eyes of the pack.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange, Aria made her way into the woods. She slipped past the guards and into the dense trees, feeling the tension in her muscles slowly ease as she ran. She moved with purpose, her wolf eager to stretch its legs in the wilds beyond the pack’s control.

But tonight, there was something different in the air. A chill had settled, and the scent she had been trying to forget—Kian’s scent—was unmistakable. It was faint at first, but as she followed it, it grew stronger, mingling with the familiar smells of the forest. Her pulse quickened, and before she even realized it, her feet were carrying her deeper into the woods.

The clearing where they had met was ahead, and her heart pounded in her chest. There was a feeling inside her that she couldn’t explain—a pull, an urge, an almost magnetic force drawing her in. She stopped at the edge of the clearing, unsure of what to do next. Her mind screamed at her to turn back. But something, perhaps the wolf inside her, urged her forward.

When she stepped into the clearing, there he was—Kian. He was leaning against a tree, his back slightly turned, but when he heard her approach, he straightened. His gaze met hers, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause.

“Well, well,” Kian said, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

Aria’s breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to remain composed. She could feel her wolf stirring beneath the surface, reacting to his presence, her instincts pushing her to get closer, to understand this connection that was so confusing and overwhelming.

“I told you,” Aria said, her voice firmer than she felt, “you shouldn’t be here.” Her eyes scanned the area, half-expecting her father’s patrols to show up at any moment. But there was no sign of them.

“I never said I was staying,” Kian replied casually, pushing off the tree and stepping toward her. “But you came back. That says something, don’t you think?”

Aria stiffened, feeling a wave of irritation flood through her. “I didn’t come for you. I came to be alone.”

Kian raised an eyebrow, his grin only widening. “You say that like I’m the last thing you want, but here you are. I think you’re more curious than you care to admit.”

“I’m not curious,” Aria snapped, though the words tasted hollow even as she said them. “I don’t have time for games.”

Kian’s expression shifted, something more serious in his eyes now. He took another step closer, closing the distance between them. Aria’s heart raced in her chest, but she couldn’t pull away. The tension between them was undeniable, like a storm waiting to break.

“You’re not the only one who feels trapped,” Kian said softly. “You think I don’t understand what it’s like to be stuck in a life you didn’t choose? To have your future planned out before you even get a say?”

Aria felt her breath catch in her throat. She could see the rawness in his eyes—no pretenses, no masks. Just a wolf who understood the weight of being forced into a role that wasn’t his choice. The words struck a chord deep within her, and for a moment, the walls she had so carefully built around her emotions began to crack.

“I’m not stuck,” she said, though it came out more as a lie than anything else.

Kian stepped closer, his voice low. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Aria. I know what it’s like to feel suffocated by expectations. I know what it’s like to wish for something—anything—that feels like it’s your choice.”

His words hung in the air, and Aria’s wolf growled softly in her chest. The pull between them was stronger than she cared to admit. It felt like something ancient, something that had been waiting to be acknowledged.

But she couldn’t. Not now. Not here.

“You don’t know anything about me,” she said, her voice harder this time as she backed away.

“I know more than you think,” Kian replied, his voice steady and serious. “But I’m not here to force anything. I just want you to know that you’re not alone. You don’t have to carry it all.”

The sincerity in his eyes caught her off guard. Her wolf stirred again, the bond between them undeniable. But she couldn’t let it consume her—not now, not with everything at stake. She had too much to lose.

“I don’t have time for this,” Aria said, her voice tight with emotion. “I have a duty. A future I can’t escape.”

“Maybe,” Kian said, his voice quieter now, “but that doesn’t mean you have to lose yourself in the process.”

Without another word, Aria turned and ran, her heart pounding as she pushed herself faster through the trees, away from him. Away from the pull that was beginning to feel like a temptation she could no longer resist.

As she disappeared into the shadows of the night, one thought echoed in her mind: He was right. But she couldn’t let herself be tempted.