Chapter Five

Kazia

Restlessness gnawed at my insides as I sat next to Murad, trying to keep my gaze trained on the ground. My mind kept wandering back to Kavan, my newly discovered mate who I still couldn’t believe existed.

 The fact that I had found my mate and confirmed that I had a mate was still very shocking for me because it was the last I’d have ever expected.

After years of being Murad’s prisoner, and now his pet, I never thought that I would be lucky enough to ever meet my soulmate. I had always just thought I wasn’t destined to have one and that even if I did, I’d never get to meet him but the fact I did and that he was a Lycan king was even more shocking to me.

 My eyes darted around the room, my heart racing as I caught another glimpse of Kavan. I wanted to take another look at him, to see him up close and personal, but I couldn't risk the wrath of Murad.

Being in the company of Murad was unbearable and suffocating. I knew he was watching me closely, and I couldn't help but feel his unwavering grip on me.

 My wolf had immediately started to yearn for Kavan and for a split second, I almost allowed myself to think that maybe, just maybe he could end up being the one person who could make the darkness inside me disappear and finally save me from this life of enslavement.

I felt desperate to speak to him, to find out if he was feeling the same connection that I was feeling. But Murad's presence kept me locked in my mental prison. I couldn't move, speak or even make eye contact with Kavan.

I had never felt this way before - desperate to look at someone, desperate to see what he looked like properly and find out if he was feeling just as restless and uncomfortable as I was feeling.

But Murad was too close and too cautious for whatever reason and I knew I had to contain myself. One inkling of suspicion from him, and my life would be over. That was the life of a pet, and I knew it all too well.

Kavan sat across the table from us, his eyes darting around the room. I could feel the bond between us growing stronger with each passing moment. It was like a magnetic force pulling me towards him, a feeling I couldn't shake off even if I wanted to.

There was no silence in the room as some of the lycan kings chatted away nonstop and I couldn't help but feel even more restless with the noise.

 I knew that the rules of being a pet prohibited me from speaking to Kavan and I could only speak with anyone else if my master permitted me to do so. I wasn't even allowed to wander off on my own without informing Murad and keeping to the assigned time he would set for me.

I turned to Murad, hoping to ask for permission to go to the bathroom as an excuse to get away from him, but the look on his face stopped me in my tracks. His grip on the table was tight, his eyes fixed on Kavan.

"What do you think you're doing?" he spat out, his voice barely above a whisper.

I immediately knew he had caught me looking and I felt the panic rise in me as I tried to come up with an excuse, but my mind was blank.

"I-I was just looking around," I muttered, trying to keep my voice calm. "I didn't do anything wrong,"

Murad's eyes were blazing now, and I knew I had crossed a line. "Do you know what the consequence of that sole act is? Do you know what I could do to you for staring without my permission?" he questioned and I felt a sudden drop in my stomach.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and I struggled to keep my breathing in check. "I apologize, master. It won't happen again," I blurted out.

But even as I said the words, I knew that wasn't true. I couldn't help the way I felt, the way my heart raced at the sight of Kavan.

I stole a quick glance at him, our eyes meeting for only a second. He looked just as restless as I felt, his gaze focused on me and with that alone, I was able to confirm to an extent that he had also felt the bond between us.

My eyes remained glued to the ground as I did my best to contain my restlessness and keep an expressionless look on my face. The meeting was nothing but a snooze fest, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

I wasn’t too sure I’d get a chance to speak to Kavan and introduce myself to him but I decided to comfort myself with the knowledge that I had a mate and that he was a king.

Murad and I were seated quietly until suddenly, a strange man appeared beside him. I could immediately tell that he wasn't a Lycan King but judging by his aura, he didn’t seem like a nobody either.

 The strange man bowed to Murad and they exchanged pleasantries like friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. I could feel my heart race at the sight of him but I couldn’t tell why.

Soon enough, Murad proudly introduced me to the man as his newest pet and I felt like an object rather than a living being, but I knew that I had to keep my feelings in check cause anger was only going to get me killed in the worst way possible.

The man introduced himself as Lord Isaac, Beta to Lycan King Mario, and I bowed without saying a word as per the pet rule.

I had checked Murad’s face to see if I could speak to his friend but seeing how his expression didn’t change, I took it as a clue that I wasn’t allowed to speak.

Lord Isaac suddenly told Murad that he needed to speak with him privately, and I mentally celebrated. This was my chance to meet and speak to Kavan and I didn’t intend on losing such a God-given opportunity.

Before Murad left, he instructed me to stay put, but I quickly asked for permission to use the bathroom, promising that I would be back as quickly as I could.

I could feel Murad's reluctance to let me go, but I begged him to permit me, and he finally agreed but not before warning me that I mustn't be back late, or else I would be gravely punished.

I stood up, feeling grateful for this chance to be free even if it was just for a few minutes. As I walked toward the bathroom, I felt my heart race at the thought of seeing Kavan and also how I could get his attention and get him to speak to me.

I walked down the hallway, my eyes scanning the area desperately for any sign of Kavan. Had he followed me out of the room? Was he here somewhere, watching me from the shadows and waiting for the right time to approach me?

But as I looked around, hope gave way to disappointment. There was no sign of him anywhere.

With a heavy heart, I trudged on, my shoulders slumped in defeat. Why did I even bother trying to speak to him? The pet rule was strict, and Kavan was surely too busy with his duties as a Lycan King to bother with someone like me.

Maybe he didn't care about a mere pet like me. Maybe he didn't want to risk his position by talking to me knowing very well that I’d be a ticking time bomb to him and vice-versa.

I sighed and made my way toward the direction of the bathroom.

After a while, I finally found the bathroom and quickly stepped inside, eager to compose myself before Murad returned. It was then that I felt a hand grab me from behind the door, and I let out a small scream of surprise.

Turning quickly, I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I saw Kavan's face.

He was here, he had followed me after all.

"Sir K-Kavan," I stuttered, my heart pounding in my chest.

He stared at me intently, his eyes scanning my face. I could feel my cheeks flushing under his gaze. Our eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed irrelevant as we both stared at each other with longing.

Oh, the man was beautiful, much more beautiful than I would have ever imagined and I couldn’t such a man was destined as my mate. My mate.

Finally, Kavan broke the silence. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, mate," he said softly, his voice sending chills down my spine.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. Kavan was here, speaking to me, and calling me his mate. It felt like a dream and I most certainly didn’t want to wake up from it.

"It's... it's nice to meet you too, my king," I said softly, my heart beating faster than ever.

“Oh please beautiful, call me Kavan,” he instructed calmly, and hearing him call me beautiful made my head spin.

"I can’t stay for too long, beautiful," Kavan stated, his voice smooth and confident. "But I had to meet you. You know, to finally talk to you as your mate and get to know your name at the very least,"

For one of the first times in my life, I felt a shiver run down my spine. The way Kavan looked at me, his intense gaze locked with my own, caused me to melt just a bit.

"My name is Kazia," I whispered, still a bit nervous and jittery. "And it's really nice to meet you, Kavan," I replied, unable to mask my happiness.

"The pleasure is mine, Kazia," Kavan replied with a smile and my heart leaped with desire as my name rolled off his tongue perfectly.

We stood there for a few more seconds, taking each other in before Kavan spoke again. "As much as it hurts me to say this, I have to leave now, but we will see each other again, Kazia. I promise," he said and the realization that I would have to go back to Murad in a few minutes hit me like a terrible wave.

As Kavan turned to leave, I felt a sudden rush of desire. He was my mate, and the thought of him leaving without doing anything about it just seemed wrong.

Without warning, I stood up on my toes and gave Kavan a chaste kiss on the lips.

At that moment, it felt like everything was at stake. There was nothing else around me, except Kavan's warmth and the feel of his body against mine.

For a moment, he seemed taken aback. But then, he leaned in, deepening the kiss. Our lips were magic, connected in a way that felt almost too perfect to be true.

But all too soon, the kiss was over. Kavan pulled away, his eyes piercing mine.

"We will see each other again, Kazia," he said softly. "And then, we will have all the time in the world to get to know each other. I won’t abandon you," he assured.

And with that, Kavan was out the door and I was left standing there, feeling spent and pulsing with the heat of passion.

As I walked back into the meeting room, I couldn't help but feel like something had changed. Kavan was more than just a dream or a fantasy now. He was real, and I had experienced him in a way that I would never forget.