I need to keep her away from me

Lyra's breathing grew heavy, her eyelids fluttering as the onset of her heat cycle took hold.

Damn it. She cursed under her breath, the sudden wave of need catching her off guard. Desperation clawed at her, and she reached for the buttons of her shirt, her fingers trembling.

"Lyra, don't."

Casian's voice was sharp, his command cutting through the thick haze of her pheromones. He sprinted toward the bed, reaching for her wrist to stop her. But the intoxicating scent she released betrayed his resolve, seeping into his lungs and clouding his mind.

He wanted—no, needed—to stay in control. Yet, with the way Lyra's body swayed toward him, her eyes pleading, her scent wrapping around him like a siren's call, he felt his defenses crumbling.

"Casian, please," she whispered, her voice laced with desperation. "Touch me."

His grip on her loosened, and in that split second of weakness, Lyra took her chance. With a swift movement, she flipped him onto the bed, her body pressing against his as she straddled him.

Her lips crashed against his, needy and unpracticed, her desperation bleeding into every sloppy kiss. The feverish heat radiating from her body sent a shudder down Casian's spine, breaking through the last of his restraint.

A deep growl rumbled in his chest as his wolf stirred beneath the surface.

My mate.

Hunter's voice echoed in his mind, rough with certainty. The wolf had been lurking in the background, held at bay by Casian's iron will. But now, with Lyra's touch igniting something primal within him, that control threatened to snap.

Casian had spent years mastering his emotions, refusing to let them dictate his actions. But against her? Against the pull of their bond?

He was losing.

"Lyra, we can't do this," Casian said, his voice strained as he tried to stop her.

But she was too lost in the haze of her heat, her body trembling with need, her scent thick with desperation. She refused to stop.

Casian clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on her arms. He wasn't ready for this bond. He couldn't betray the love he had devoted his life to. And Lyra—he knew she didn't want this either, not truly. But her vulnerability left her desperate, pushing them toward a mistake they would both regret.

'Casian, don't hesitate. She is our mate, and she needs us.'

"Shut up, Hunter," Casian snapped, his frustration bleeding into his tone. "You're not helping."

His wolf growled in protest. 'How can you say that, Casian? We waited for years after Lilith died, and now that the Moon Goddess has finally shown us mercy, you're rejecting her?'

"I didn't ask for this," Casian bit out, his heart pounding. "Neither did you. You were willing to stay like this forever. Why change your mind now?"

'Because we didn't know we had a chance,' Hunter growled. 'Casian, don't fight this. Lyra is the one.'

"No." Casian's voice was final, his resolve unshaken. "I won't take advantage of her. She isn't ready, Hunter. She isn't ready…"

With a forceful shove, he silenced his wolf, shutting him out.

His gaze dropped to Lyra. Her breathing was ragged, her body restless, caught in the throes of something beyond her control. His chest ached at the sight of her like this, vulnerable and lost in the heat of a bond neither of them had chosen.

But he wouldn't do this.

Not when she had no idea what it would mean.

Not when, no matter what happened, he knew deep down—he could never open his heart to her.

With a firm grip on her wrist, Casian hoisted Lyra over his shoulder and carried her toward the bathing room. She squirmed weakly in his hold, her body burning with feverish heat, but he didn't stop.

Without hesitation, he lowered her into the filled bathtub. The moment her body met the icy water, she gasped, shuddering violently at the sudden cold.

Casian didn't give her a chance to protest. He slid in beside her, pulling her into his embrace, anchoring her against him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "But this is the only way to ease your heat."

His words wrapped around her like a lullaby, and slowly, the tension in her body melted away. She sagged against him, her rapid breathing evening out as the unbearable ache began to subside.

They had no idea how long they remained like that, submerged in the cool water, wrapped in silence.

But when Lyra's body finally stilled, her lashes fluttering closed in exhaustion, Casian knew it was over—at least for now.

Carefully, he lifted her from the tub, cradling her against his chest as he carried her back to bed.After making sure Lyra was settled, Casian left the chamber, only to find Darius already waiting outside.

"Inform Penny about Lyra's condition," Casian ordered, his voice clipped with urgency. "And have her bring the herbal tea to suppress her heat."

He didn't wait for Darius's response. Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode back to his room.

The moment he stepped inside, the dam of his restraint finally cracked. A harsh curse left his lips as he yanked off his shirt, his body burning from the lingering effects of her scent.

His breathing was ragged, his muscles tense with the strain of control. He barely made it to the bathing room before he turned on the cold water, stepping beneath the freezing stream in a desperate attempt to regain control.

The overwhelming pull of their bond, the intoxicating effect of her pheromones—it was too much. He had resisted as long as he could, but his body still ached with need.

Fisting his hands against the tiled wall, Casian let the water run over him, his chest rising and falling heavily.

"I need to keep her away from me," he muttered under his breath.

His eyes, darkened with an undeniable emotion, locked onto his reflection.

And for the first time, he feared—he was losing control.