The kiss

Alicia's POV

I hesitated for only a moment before following him out into the palace gardens.

The garden was nothing like I expected.

It had marble walkways and flowerbeds perfectly with a fountain standing at the center, its water as clear as crystal. The air smelled of roses and daisies, fresh and cool.

I kept a careful distance as we walked, my eyes fixed on the ground. Why did he bring me here? Was this where he would tell me what my fate was?

He said nothing for a while, the silence felt heavy enough to crush me.

Finally, he glanced down at me.

“You think I took you from your pack to punish you,” he said, his tone calm but cutting through me like a blade.

My stomach twisted. “…Didn’t you?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, his gaze softened. 

“You were humiliated in front of your entire pack,” he said. “I could have left you there to be torn apart by their anger. But I didn’t.”

I blinked at him, unsure whether to feel grateful or insulted.

“Why?” I asked before I could stop myself.

His lips curved with a faint smile. 

“That is what you’ll find out here. But first, you’re going to stop walking around as if you’re already defeated.”

My heart pounded, but I couldn’t look away.

He tilted his head slightly, observing me as if I were a puzzle only he could solve. 

“You may be wolfless, Alicia, but something tells me there’s more to you than you know.”

His words sent a strange shiver down my spine. I became suddenly aware of how close he was, how the garden seemed to hold its breath around us. His golden eyes didn’t waver, pinning me in place, and for a heartbeat I forgot how to breathe.

His hand touched my waist, steady and sure, pulling me just a little closer until there was barely an inch of space between us. My lips parted without me thinking, each nerve in my body came alive.

He leaned closer, close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek. His eyes dropped briefly to my lips before meeting mine again, and for a moment, the world went still. 

No wind, no sound, just him.

“Your Majesty.”

The voice shattered the moment like glass.

We pulled away like a spell had just been broken. I turned quickly, my face burning. 

A tall, strong woman with bright red hair stood at the edge of the garden and bowed low.

The King’s hand dropped from my waist, though his expression stayed unreadable. 

“Nadia,” he said, his voice clipped.

“My King,” she said, glancing at me with curiosity before standing tall.  

“You sent for me.”

Sent for her? My brows furrowed, confusion mixing with the heat still in my cheeks.

He gave her a nod, his golden eyes flicking back to me. “ You will begin training today.”

“Training?” I asked, still breathless, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “If you are to survive in my world, Alicia, you will learn to fight.”

Before I could say anything, another voice cut in from behind.

“Alpha Supreme.”

Kylian stepped into the garden, his calm eyes moving from me to Nadia, then to the king. “The elders have arrived. They’re waiting for you.”

The King gave a short nod, his jaw flexed for just a second before he looked at me. 

“Go with Nadia. Do what she tells you.”

I glanced at him for reassurance, but his golden gaze made it clear this wasn’t a request.

Nadia turned on her heel and walked away, not even checking if I followed her. 

I pressed my lips together and took one last look at the King, but he was already strides away with Kylian, his focus elsewhere.

The training ground was an open huge yard with rows of weapon racks and practice dummies. The stone floor was worn out from years of practice. Wolves trained in pairs, their moves fast and harsh.

“This is where you’ll spend your mornings and evenings” Nadia said bluntly. “I don’t care if you’ve never fought before, you will learn. You’ll train until you stop flinching every time someone stares at you.”

“I’m not a fighter,” I mumbled.

“Not yet,” she said, tossing me a wooden staff. I almost dropped it, which made her smirk. “Good. At least you know you’re weak. That’s the first step.”

Nadia’s sharp gaze lingered on me after the training ended. “Be here at dawn tomorrow,” she ordered, her voice like steel. “And don’t be late, I won’t go easy on you if you waste my time.”

I wiped sweat from my brow, breathing hard, but her next words hit harder than the training stick had.

“And one more thing,” she said, stepping closer, her green eyes narrowing. “Whatever you think you’re doing with his Majesty. Stop! Stay in your lane.”

My head snapped up, heat rushing to my cheeks. “I’m not…”

“I know what I saw,” Nadia cut me off, her tone icy. “He might find you… interesting, but that doesn’t mean you’re untouchable. If you’re smart, you’ll keep your head down and stay out of his way. Because if you don’t…”

Her lips curved into a small, cold smile. 

“Trust me, you won’t survive the consequences.”

My heart squeezed as her words sank in. I wanted to tell her she was wrong, but the warning in her eyes kept my mouth shut.

She turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my hands were trembling around the wooden staff. I stayed frozen for a moment, staring after her, fear churning in my stomach until I forced myself to move.

I didn’t want to believe her but her warning rang in my head long after she was gone.

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I lay curled on the huge bed, staring at the ceiling as Nadia’s words replayed over and over. 

“Stay in your lane. Avoid the King.”

Each time I closed my eyes, I saw his golden eyes, the way it had looked at me in the garden, the way his hand had felt on my waist before Nadia interrupted.

My chest ached with a strange mix of fear and something I couldn’t name, something dangerously close to longing.

What if Nadia was right? What if I really was stepping somewhere I shouldn’t?

I turned onto my side, clutching the blanket tight around me as though it could shield me from my own thoughts. 

I hated that my hands still trembled, hated that I couldn’t stop thinking about the King’s words, about the way his presence had made me feel seen for the first time in my life.

And yet, Nadia’s warning had carved something sharp into my chest. If getting too close to him could destroy me, maybe I had to stay away, no matter how much a tiny part of me wanted him to look at me again.

When sleep finally came, I dreamed of a moon so huge it filled the entire sky, its silver light bathing me in a glow so bright it almost burned. 

A wolf’s snarl echoed behind me, and I saw Clara wearing a cruel smile, her white gown stained red. She reached for Derrick, who stood beside her, but his face turned into that of a monster. 

Together, they laughed at me as the ground opened beneath me, about to swallow me.

Somewhere in the chaos, a wolf howled, loud and powerful, stepping into the moonlight that seemed to bend around him. 

The Lycan King.

When I tried to speak, no sound came out.

The King clasped his fingers in mine, pulling me away before the ground swallowed me.

I jolted awake, my heart beating fast, my breath coming in short gasps.

The dream felt so real as the blanket in my fists. My hand tingled where his Majesty held it as though it had actually happened.

Maybe Nadia was right. Maybe getting too close to him was dangerous.

But a thought haunted me as I woke up, breathless, even in my dreams, he was there, saving me.

I didn’t know if that dream was a warning or a promise… but either way, I couldn’t escape him.