Kieran's POVI stood rooted to my spot, hoping he would just go away. It was silly, but anything would do at this point. I had specifically found Sabrina, just so I wouldn't have to bump into him, and yet, look at what had happened. “What's going on here?” His voice had echoed all around the living room. The deep baritone of his voice was more than enough to cut through my explanation. “Sabrina? Kieran?”Time seemed to slow to a halt as I refused to acknowledge his presence. In my mind, I was in my world, with his voice nothing but a distant distraction. But even with all of my imagination, it still wasn't enough. I was really aware of the man behind me and every part of my body felt it. A couple of inches was the only thing separating us both, but I could still feel him all around me.His signature scent wafted through my nostrils and I found myself taking him all in, even against my wishes. Like I hadn't gone through enough, he just had to call out to me, and even that did wonders
Kieran's POV “Wait, what?!” Xander exclaimed and I rolled my eyes.“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked and I almost groaned out loud. Of course he would deny it. What else was I expecting? I have had zero experience with men. The only man I've known my whole life was Lucas. If not because I met someone like Carlos, Lucas' beta, I would have no reason to believe men weren't all the same. It made me give Xander a chance and it was worth it but now, I wasn't sure what to think anymore. I hated generalizing or being stereotypical, but at that moment, I couldn't think of anything else other than my betrayed heart. Perhaps I just expected too much. I wouldn't say I knew a lot about Xander, but with the little I knew, I thought I knew him to a fair extent. Turns out I didn't know him all too well. I felt like I had foolishly deceived myself into believing that he was different, and all it took was a sunset picnic and a couple of stolen kisses here and there in the palace.
Kieran's POVThe sound of footsteps scurrying past my door roused me awake as my eyes flew open. The noise had been so loud, I had even heard it in my sleep. I could have sworn a stampede was going on somewhere around. Even while I slept, I knew the last thing I wanted was to get trampled upon, whether in a dream world or real life. A small groan slid past my lips as I rubbed at my eyes. After my blurry eyes had cleared a bit, I raised my eyes to the clock high up on the wall. A small gasp slid past my lips when I realized what the time was. “Half past noon?” I mumbled. How the hell did time fly by so quickly? “Exactly how long was I asleep for?”Honestly, I had no idea. All I remember was crashing into bed and waking up now that I did. I didn't expect to sleep for this long. Another groan slid past my lips as I got up to stretch. I wondered why Sabrina hadn't come up to wake me. She usually did that anytime I overslept. Or maybe she did. I dashed into my bathroom and took a bath.
Xander's POVI sucked in a deep breath, before exhaling again. One would think that I was exaggerating, but with what was coming, you would know that I needed all the peace and quiet I could get, before the storm started. And by the storm, it was nothing short of a nickname for the woman who meant the world to me; my mother.“Xander dear, won't you welcome me?” her voice rang out into the living room. Honestly, I didn't need to hear her voice to know it was her. I'd been expecting her for the past hour or two, that was why I headed down into the living room in the first place. Even after mentally preparing myself for her arrival days before, it still did nothing to help. I cursed under my breath. I loved my mother but she was the most dramatic person I knew. “Xander!” She exclaimed loudly, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Did you not hear me?”“Mother.” I grinned, finally deciding to meet with her gaze. As expected she had a small frown on her face, but that did nothing to hide the
Xander's POVI took the stairs two at a time, making sure not to miss my step or anything. I wasn't exactly in a hurry but I would rather get to the dining before her. She had barely arrived and yet she was already giving ultimatums? I could already feel a storm brewing. Don't get me wrong, I loved my mother, but if there was something I didn't love, it was her overbearing attitude. She had barely settled down, and the entire mansion was already getting lit up by her little tantrums. It would only be a matter of time before it would blow up into literal flames. Hopefully, this time would be different and she would tone down on her attitude and tactics. I knew how she could be. Especially to Kieran. My mind wandered back to when my mother arrived. Kieran had been so surprised. It was obvious nobody told her my mother was coming but it couldn't have been me. We weren't exactly on talking terms and I had thought Sabrina would have done that. What I didn't expect was the instant vilen
Kieran's POVI pressed my back against the door, the moment I shut it behind me. I'd slammed the door so loud it rattled in its hinges. I was sure the loud noise it had made could be heard throughout the halls and probably down at the dining room, but I wasn't sure I cared. My heart thundered in my chest and every effort at trying to calm it down failed. The more I tried not to think about it, the more the thoughts swarmed in my mind. Beads of sweat lined the top of my forehead, and I could feel its slimy residue snaking down my face. As it cascaded down, it mixed with the salty tears that slipped from my eyes. I was crying and I didn't even know. It must have been somewhere in between my escape from the dining room to my bedroom. My hand flew to my chest as if I could touch the pain I felt as I slid down the door. My heart raced almost as much as it hurt. I pressed my eyes shut as her words rang in my head again. I thought I had grown past the threshold of being affected by mere w
Kieran's POV I couldn't believe my ears. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I hadn't just heard what I had, it still didn't work. But somehow, even after hearing it, and clearly too, I still refused to believe it. I couldn't. There was no way I could. Why would I in the first place? Because it didn't sound like her, at all. It didn't sound like Sabrina at all. Perhaps my mind was playing a trick on me. I'd been stressed, mentally especially, and it would be no surprise if it had gotten to the point where I was hearing things and making up scenarios in my head.That was probably what just happened. Because I knew Sabrina, and there was no way she would have said that. Right? The more I asked myself that question, the more anxiety swirled in the pit of my belly. I couldn't help but feel like I already knew the answer, but for some strange reason, I just couldn't bring myself to answer it. I pressed my eyes shut as I allowed the words to echo over and over in my head.
Kieran's POV My mind buzzed with a million thoughts. The moment I slammed the door to my bedroom shut, no, scratch that, my former bedroom, I fled. Walking the halls was something I actually didn't think about till I was in the hallway. What if someone saw me leaving? Yes, the mansion was pretty big but I wasn't that daft to expect that everywhere would be free for me, just so I could waltz through. What if I bumped into someone? Or worse, what if I bumped into Xander? My heart did a little somersault at the sound of his name. The mere thought of him was more than enough to procure emotions that were beyond me.Without any warning, flashbacks of the last half hour replayed itself in my head. Before I dashed out, one thing I had done, although unwillingly, was to glance at all of their faces. Xander's mother had this haughty look, like she was proud of Sabrina and how things had turned out. I'm sure if we were still in preschool, she would have gladly given her a golden medal of some
“Mother, for the umpteenth time, she is my mate! Isn't that what you've always wanted?” I asked her as I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. “It's impossible that the moon goddess would send such riffraff your way after waiting for so long. She's a witch!” She argued and my jaw ticked in response. “I am not having this conversation with you any longer. She is my mate and you will respect that, mother.” I said. I was beginning to lose control and my wolf was tearing at the surface. She took a stubborn step forward. “And I am your mother, you will respect that. I know when something is not right for you. Sabrina is so perfect and she even proposed to you! Accept it.” she said. A growl slipped from me and she took a solid step backwards. “Kieran is my mate, not a witch or anything of the sort. She is my mate and the future Luna of this pack. I don't want to hear any other thing” I said as I glanced at the door. Her lips parted in shock. “Are you sending me out?” She as
How dare she? I had never felt this level of anger towards her before, I never even thought I would see the day.It took the grace of the moon goddess herself to stop me from having her head. We were close. Yes. But even she knew the gravity of what she did. Interrupting my announcement? I almost lost my shit but I somehow managed to control it. And then she goes ahead to what? Propose to me? I could feel the tension coming off Kieran in waves. I knew how everything must have made her feel and the thought of her even feeling any negative thing pissed me off even more. No matter what, I was going to make sure the pack gave her the respect she deserved. We stayed a little longer before I decided it was time for us to leave. I leaned closer to her and told her we should leave. The relief that flood her face made something shift in my chest. The fact that she felt so uncomfortable where she was supposed to be the most comfortable. It was her goddess given duty to be the Luna of the pa
Kieran's POVMy entire body shook with rage. I rarely ever lost my temper, I could safely say that I have never felt this type of anger. The closest thing I have ever felt to this was the way I felt when Lucas killed everyone I ever loved. But still, that anger was different, it stemmed from pain. This one stemmed from irritation and envy. I hated the feeling so much. But still, somewhere deep down, there was that constant fear. Fear that he would actually accept her and leave me cold and alone. Just like magic, that thought alone sent chills down my spine and I fought the urge to shiver. When Sabrina boldly interrupted Xander at the risk of her neck, I did not know what to expect. I knew it would be something crazy but I definitely did not see this level of crazy coming.I looked around and my heart ached as I watched everyone happily clapping, with sounds of support. I was never going to win with these people. They wanted her, not me. And even if I had a chance, she quite literall
Sabrina's POV I've been called a lot of things growing up. Nice, kind, beautiful, caring, rude, even sly. I have never tried to dispute or prove them wrong, because at one point, it was only obvious that I would prove someone's fears and conclusions right, but that wasn't even what I was trying to say. The point was the fact that, no matter how much they tried, no one could exactly say I was a coward. I was never against putting up a fight when the need be and when push came to shove, I always came out victorious. It was a given for me. I don't lose. Even if I felt a little defeated, all I needed was the tiniest push, and I would be back on track again. Just like the push Alice had given me.We didn't really see eye to eye, I avoided her as much as I could, but tonight, she has definitely helped the flames of our friendship burn brighter. I blinked out of my thoughts, just to take a good look at my surroundings. The crowd was silent now, and I felt each and every one of their eye
Kieran's POV Breathe Kieran, breathe. I tried to calm myself and loosen my airway. But it wasn't working. I couldn't breathe. No matter how hard I tried, I struggled. My palms felt clammy and I felt hot all over. Were my clothes too tight? Was it just me or was it hot in here? I suddenly felt like the fabric of my dress had become three times heavier. If that were true, then it would make sense why I was suddenly feeling so heavy and on the verge of passing out. Breathe. I chanted the word in my head over and over again, but one look at the crowd was all it took to take away the little relief I had managed to get a hold of. A million and one eyes stared at me, each one of them judging, their mouths whispering. It was easy to tell what they were thinking though, they all wanted to know who I was. Who was this “Luna”? I wasn't royalty myself, but I had served under them long enough to know how they functioned. At functions like this, the only reason why they were so eager to fi
Sabrina's POVThe sound of my heels clicking against the floors was faint, but it didn't exactly matter. The steady hum of loud music that was coming from the live band was all the sound I needed to hear. Not only was it melodious, it signaled the fact that what I had been looking up to for quite the longest time, was going to be coming into fruition today, and I couldn't wait. I was so excited, it made me wonder how I hadn't burst into my mini victory dance yet. As I walked, I caught a fleeting glance of myself on a glass surface and I couldn't help the huge smile that made its way to my lips. I was clad in a silver dress that hugged my torso firmly, before flowing down from my waist and settling on the tip of my toes. My heels elevated me a bit, giving the dress a kind of floating effect. The dress' edges were hemmed with a white flowery lace that matched the flower pastels scattered around my dress. To top it all off, the dress had a flattering neckline that left nothing to the i
Kieran’s POV I wriggled in my seat as the brush swept around my cheeks. The up down movement of the brush sent tickles spreading throughout my face, but I fought the urge to laugh out loud. If I did, I was sure I was going to ruin all of the artists' entire three hours of work, and if that happened, there was no way she was going to be pleased with it. Of course, she wouldn't dare voice it out, because she was there under the command of Xander, her King. But still, there was no way I would feel good after ruining it all, even if it was a little smudge. That and the fact that if I shifted too much, she was going to have to start all over again and I definitely didn't have the patience to sit here for three more hours. I wrung my fingers together, trying desperately to ignore the knots tying and unfurling in the pit of my stomach. No matter what I did or how many breathing exercises I did, it did nothing to help. Instead, the more I tried, the more my anxiety levels went up the roof.
Xander's POV She had to be joking. I was currently in front of my mother's study in the palace and she quite literally just closed the door in my face and told me to wait until she was done with the person inside. In her free time, she liked to tend to the personal problems of the people. As demeaning or rude she seemed, she was a big problem solver. But right now, I didn't care about any of that. I clenched my jaw in frustration. If it were just any other person, I would have their head. But it was my mother. I breathed to steady myself. Relax, Xander. A few maids passed, busy with the preparations. They stopped to greet me, snapping me out of my calming session, before they went about their day. It made me wonder the kind of thoughts that must have run through their minds. They would think their King was mad, especially since I was muttering to myself. Shit. I let out an exasperated breath, before pinching the bridge of my nose. I glanced at the door in front of me. It was a hug
Kieran's POV“Is that what you thought we were? Why would you ever think that?!” she asked and I was so lost. All those months… that wasn't friendship?“But-”“We're not friends, Kieran.” She cut me off yet again. “Never were, and never will be. You were helpless and I stepped in. I gave you food, shelter and everything you ever needed, and what did I get? You try to steal Xander from me?” She said and I was taken aback. “I didn't steal him. He was never yours!” I exclaimed and she raised her hand to slap me but I swatted it sway. She looked surprised. “If you hated me in the first place, why did you take me in?” I asked and she huffed. Her face was so red by now, I thought she was going to burst. “Because I didn't think you would overstay your welcome. Do you not have any shame?!” she said and I felt so offended. “You told me I could stay. Every single time I wanted to leave, you wanted me to stay” I said, confusion clouding my features. I thought mere words couldn't hurt me an