Chapter 6: The First Kiss

'Lyra… Save me.'

Lyra gasped as she woke up from a nightmare. She took a deep breath, trying to control herself. At first, she was confused about where she was. Then she remembered that she was in the new room that Alpha Kael had given her. 

"I'm still here," she whispered. 

Lyra touched her chest and slowly laid again. She remembered her dream. 

She was running in the dark forest like when the hunters were chasing her. She was rushing away while hearing a familiar yet unfamiliar voice. It felt too near but too far. Lyra couldn't understand it. 

Lyra stood up when she couldn't get her sleep back. She checked the pitcher that Gina had left for her earlier, but it was already empty. So, she decided to get her robe and went outside of her room. 

The Alpha's house was not that big. It was a three-storey house with a lot of rooms. The top floor was were her room and the Alpha's room were located. The second floor was the Beta and his families room. There were some guest room too. And at the first floor was for the living room, kitchen, and servants room. It was a simple house but surely an Alpha would live. 

Lyra went straight to the kitchen to get a glass of water. 

She had just poured herself a glass of water when she felt it—a presence behind her. The fine hairs on her neck stood up. Instinctively, she turned, raising the glass as a makeshift weapon.

A hand shot out, catching her wrist.

"You're fast," Alpha Kael said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lyra's heart skipped a beat as she realized how close he was. "You startled me!" she snapped, pulling her wrist free.

"I didn't mean to," Kael said, his tone calm but his eyes alight with something she couldn't place. "But I'm impressed. You reacted like a true warrior."

"I'm not a warrior," Lyra said, turning away and taking a sip of her water to steady herself. "I'm just… careful."

Lyra looked away. Alpha Kael's face was too near to her, and it was making her awkward. 

"I… Can you let me go?" She tried to push him. But Alpha Kael just hugged her tightly. 

"You keep on implying that you're weak. But that doesn't what I see." Alpha Kael pulled his face nearly to Lyra. She could feel his breathing on her cheeks. "Why are you so hesitant, Lyra?" 

Lyra took a deep breath. She tried to push him again. But that didn't help her that much. She gasped when she saw that their lips were almost inches away from hers. 

Then, something suddenly drew her to Kael's gaze. Maybe it was the way he stared at her. Or maybe it was because of his breathing. Lyra doesn't know. But she was slowly feeling the heat in her body. She gulped. 

"I-I'm going back to my room, please," she whispered. 

Alpha Kael smirked. "You don't want our bond. Yet you are aching for it." 

"Y-You…" Lyra tried to push him away. "Just let me–" 

Lyra's eyes widened again as Alpha Kael's lips pushed through hers. She froze and didn't think immediately. 

He was kissing her!

Kael growled low in his throat, his grip on her waist firm but not painful. The intensity of his kiss made Lyra's knees weak, and she clutched at his shoulders to steady herself. The warmth of his lips, the faint spice of his scent—it was overwhelming. For a moment, she let herself get lost in it.

She kissed back. 

But then reality hit her like a cold splash of water.

She pulled back abruptly, her breathing ragged. "Stop!" she gasped, pushing against his chest with all her strength.

Kael let her go immediately, his dark eyes studying her carefully. "Lyra…"

"No!" she shook her head, stepping away from him. "You can't just—just kiss me like that!"

His brow furrowed. "Why not? We're mates, Lyra. This is natural."

Lyra clenched her fists, her cheeks flushed with both anger and embarrassment. "I didn't ask for this! You don't get to decide what's natural for me."

Kael's expression hardened. "And what about the bond? You can't deny it forever."

"I can try," she snapped. "I didn't choose to be your mate. I didn't choose any of this."

She turned and fled the kitchen, her chest tight with conflicting emotions. By the time she reached her room, her hands were trembling. Lyra closed the door behind her and leaned against it, trying to steady her breathing.

The kiss replayed in her mind, unbidden. She could still feel the warmth of his lips, the way his touch had sent shivers through her. It scared her how much she had wanted it, even if only for a moment.