Dawn broke over the forest, painting the snow in gold and silver. Lyria stood at the edge of the clearing, her breath visible in the icy morning air. Her heart ached, heavy with longing and frustration. Kael had stayed with her through the night, molten desire and unspoken promises lingering between them, but now reality pressed in like a storm.
Her pack had called the elders, her family, demanding obedience. The wolf code was clear: the alpha's daughter must honor the pack, maintain alliances, and avoid forbidden ties. And Kael? He was a Vampire King, untouchable, dangerous, and forbidden.
"You must leave," her father's voice echoed in her memory, stern and unyielding. "The pack cannot tolerate this… this madness. You will go to your aunt in Iceland until the storm settles."
Her wolf growled low in her throat, fury and frustration mingling with sorrow. Her heart wanted Kael, her body longed for him, but her pack demanded sacrifice. She glanced at Kael, golden eyes smoldering, molten fire restrained by a thin veneer of control.
"You're not leaving me," he said, voice low, possessive, dangerous. "I won't let you go. You belong here, with me. I've waited… I've hunted… and now I will claim what is mine."
Lyria shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "I can't stay, Kael. Not now. The pack… my family… they'll destroy everything if I don't obey. I have no choice."
His jaw clenched, golden eyes darkening, molten with jealousy and rage. "You always have a choice. You always have me. I'm not begging… I'm claiming. Do you understand? No one touches you. No one owns you but me."
Her hands trembled as she pressed them to his chest, feeling the impossible heat, the pulsing power beneath his coat. She wanted to stay, wanted to surrender, but duty clawed at her conscience.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking. "I have to go. For now… for them, for you… for me."
Kael's hands gripped her shoulders, hard enough to leave bruises, yet tender with desperate longing. "Five years," he growled, golden eyes burning into hers. "Five years I'll spend waiting, hunting, until you're back. You cannot hide from me forever, Lyria. Do you hear me?"
She nodded, tears falling freely, mingling with the snowflakes that clung to her lashes. "I hear you," she whispered. "I promise… I'll come back. One day… you'll see."
With that, she turned, wolf instincts screaming, heart breaking, and stepped into the forest's edge, each step carrying her further from the only love she had ever known. Kael watched, molten desire and fury roiling, as the wind swallowed her form.
For five long years, they would be apart. Five years of longing, fire, and obsession building in silence. Kael would become harsher, more ruthless, the Vampire King consumed by thoughts of her. And Lyria… she would carry a secret deep within her a secret that would change both their worlds forever.