10
~Elara's POV
I stepped back slightly, my hand brushing against the counter behind me. "You should put on a shirt," I muttered, my cheeks burning.
He chuckled, low and deep. "Why? You seemed comfortable enough holding me a moment ago."
"I wasn't holding you!" I protested quickly. "I was… I was scared!"
He leaned closer, his voice teasing. "Scared enough to hug me that tightly?"
"I didn't hug you!"
"Yes, you did."
I gasped, glaring up at him, but the corner of his lips curved again, and I realized he was enjoying this too much.
"Stop teasing me," I said quietly.
He tilted his head, eyes softening. "You're easy to tease."
The air between us felt thick. I tried to step away again, but he moved with me, his hand brushing against mine.
"Darlon…" I began, but he interrupted softly.
"You still haven't called me by my name once without sounding afraid," he said.
"I'm not afraid," I whispered.
He smiled faintly. "Good."
His hand came up slowly, touching a loose strand of hair near my face. My breath hitched.
"What are you doing?" I asked quietly.
He didn't answer right away. His gaze was locked on me, deep, intent, unreadable.
Then, before I could say another word, he leaned down and kissed me.
It wasn't a soft, polite kiss like at the ceremony. This one was different. Warm. Firm. Possessive.
My breath caught in my throat as his lips moved against mine, slow at first, then deeper. My hands instinctively went to his chest, meaning to push him away, but instead, I just stayed there, feeling the steady beat of his heart under my palms.
His hand moved to the back of my neck, his thumb brushing my skin gently, guiding me closer.
The world spun a little.
When he finally pulled back, I was breathless. My eyes opened slowly to find him looking at me, his gaze dark and unreadable.
I didn't know what to say. My heart was racing wildly.
He smiled faintly.
I swallowed hard. "You..."
I looked away, my cheeks flaming. "You're impossible."
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "You shouldn't look at me like that, Elara."
"Like what?" I whispered back.
"Like you don't know what I might do next again."
And before I could reply, he leaned down and kissed me again.
My hands, which had been hanging awkwardly at my sides, rose on their own and rested on his chest. I could feel his heartbeat against my palms, strong and steady, while mine was racing wildly again.
He tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss. I froze for a second, not knowing what to do. My hands hovered awkwardly in the air, my mind spinning so fast I could barely breathe.
He noticed immediately. Pulling back just a little, his breath brushed my lips as he whispered, "Relax. Don't think too much."
"I… I don't know how," I said softly, my voice trembling, my face burning with embarrassment.
He smiled, that slow, patient kind of smile that somehow made everything worse and better at once. "Then let me show you."
Before I could say anything, he leaned in again. His lips met mine gently this time, no rush, no force, just quiet insistence. His warmth melted into me, and for a second, the world outside disappeared. My thoughts went blank. It was just him, his scent, his breath, his heartbeat, steady and close.
He moved his lips against mine, guiding me carefully, almost teasingly. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it. I didn't know how to respond, what to do with my hands, or how to breathe right. But he didn't seem to mind. He just kept kissing me softly, patiently, like he wanted me to learn.
At first, I was stiff, completely lost. My lips barely moved, and I probably looked ridiculous. But then, something shifted. I started to understand the rhythm, the way he tilted his head, the light pressure, the warmth spreading through me.
I hesitated, then followed his lead, awkwardly at first, clumsy and unsure. He chuckled softly against my lips, and somehow that tiny sound made me bolder. My fingers brushed against his chest without thinking, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my palm.
He pulled me closer by the waist, his hand resting lightly against my back. The warmth of his touch made me shiver.
Then he stopped abruptly and I watched as he jerked off to his room without saying a word.
"This is crazy," I whispered to myself. "Completely crazy."
No warning, no word, just turned and walked off, his steps heavy and fast until he disappeared into his room, leaving me standing there in the dim kitchen light, completely frozen.
My lips still tingled, my heart still raced… and then everything just sank.
"What… just happened?" I whispered, my voice barely there.
He didn't even look back. Not once. He just walked away.
I felt stupid…. so stupid. My chest ached like someone had squeezed the air out of me. I swallowed hard, blinking fast, but the tears came anyway.
Maybe he didn't like the kiss. Maybe I did it wrong.
Maybe he regretted it.
Maybe he didn't even want me at all.
The thoughts spun in my head like a cruel storm that wouldn't stop. I bit my lip hard, trying to stop the shaking in my hands. "Of course," I muttered bitterly. "Why would he? He's the great Alpha Darlon. I'm just… me."
The words stung more than I expected. I wasn't beautiful like Lira, or graceful like the other Lunas I'd seen. I wasn't even confident, just a plump, awkward girl who still flinched when someone raised their voice. Why would a man like him ever want someone like me?
The words stung so deeply I could almost feel them echo inside me.
I walked slowly back to my room, every step heavier than the last. My chest felt tight, like something was pressing against it. When I reached my door, I shut it quietly and locked it. The silence that followed was deafening, it made the ache inside me grow louder.
I dragged myself toward the mirror and sat down in front of it. The girl staring back at me didn't even look like me anymore. My eyes were red and tired, my lips still a little swollen, my hair messy from his hands. I looked broken… foolish.
"What were you even thinking, Elara?" I whispered, my voice small and shaky. "That he kissed you because he wanted to? Because he actually felt something?"
I let out a weak laugh, one that cracked halfway through. It wasn't funny, but it was all I could do to stop myself from crying. "You're such an idiot," I muttered, shaking my head. "You always are."
I traced my fingers along my lips, remembering how warm his had been. It hurt to think about it. It hurt even more knowing it probably meant nothing to him, but everything to me.
I lay down after a while, hoping that maybe if I closed my eyes long enough, everything would fade, the kiss, his sudden coldness, the way he walked away without saying a word.
But it didn't.
I tossed on the bed, turning from one side to the other. The sheets felt too soft, the pillow too warm. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, the way he looked at me before he kissed me, the sound of his voice when he whispered relax.
My heart wouldn't stop racing, even though I wanted it to. I pulled the blanket over my head, trying to block everything out, but the thoughts kept coming.