After dinner, I came in with Alpha Kane. I found something suspicious about him.

Those dark, sleek locks of Alpha Kane’s hair partially hid his sable eyes, which seemed to pierce my defenses.

Alpha Kane didn’t move or speak for several irritatingly long seconds before wrapping his powerful, muscular arms around me, pressing me tighter against his flat, hard chest.

It felt like the air had completely left my lungs as his head lowered and his soft lips brushed my temple.

Alpha Kane’s feverish breath fanned my face, sending shivers down my spine. The wolfish cologne mingled with the scent of cigarette smoke, and that didn’t help either.

I nodded stupidly, but I couldn’t relax. That bastard

Alpha was making me nervous.

Alpha Kane’s hands stroked my back in a warming rhythm, and this time he said, "Relax!"

Did Alpha Kane sense the tension in my body?

But I followed his advice and took a deep breath, filling my lungs with oxygen and exhaling slowly. To ease the awkwardness I was feeling.

He continued to look down at me, his lips slightly raised.

I boldly cupped his stern face in my hands.

The Alpha stepped back, ran his right hand through his dark hair, brushing it out of his eyes, and then brought his hand closer to my face. His rough knuckles brushed against my cheek, which was burning and reddening with each passing second.

For such a stern wolf, his touch was gentle. It didn’t feel foreign, and I wondered how I could avoid awkwardness later.

"Let’s stay like this for a while, and then we’ll go inside." "We’ll have to share a room today."

Another warm tingle washed over me, and I could only nod.

Nova was happy with Griss. I’m grateful our wolves like each other, too.

Instead of looking at him, I focused on the wild blue rose vines that twined around the bamboo poles of the pergola. A white butterfly fluttered on it, feeding on the rich nectar of these wild roses.

And then both Alpha Kane’s hands slid to my waist, and he rubbed them painfully slowly, as if exploring my curves.

"Zara!" Alpha called hoarsely, drawing my attention back to him.

Our gazes met again, and there was an urgency, a hunger in his gaze. His upturned eyelashes blinked, and I saw a web of red veins on his sclera.

So close, Alpha was so close to me. "I’m going to kiss you," the Alpha said slowly, his dark, hypnotic gaze falling on my lips.

The Alpha waited for my answer.

I swallowed at his words, the pain in my lower abdomen intensifying, and it wasn’t just the cramping.

Alpha Kane was still waiting, giving me a chance to decide. But I wondered if this was what our wolves wanted.

"It’s just a kiss, Zara," Nova told me.

"It doesn’t mean anything," I replied to Nova.

"You kissed Alpha Marcus. It’s a harmless kiss," Nova rolled her eyes.

"It won’t matter," I reminded myself, and felt my head bob up and down.

Like prey closing in on me, the Alpha seemed to be waiting for his grip on my waist to tighten and for his trembling lips to descend on mine.

I should have known, I should have been ready, but I wasn’t.

Not for how smoothly Alpha Kane took me.

Alpha Kane savored my lips like a precious delicacy, slowly and sensually.

"The wolf knew how to kiss," Nova rejoiced.

"It was like flowers bloomed in my stomach. Has spring really come?" Nova asked happily.

"Why do I feel so warm?" I wondered.

I should have just acted, but my hands stroked the sharp edges of his face, and I leaned into his kiss, letting his soft caresses arouse me. Letting his hands press me against his slender body, feeling the hollows and valleys created by the Alpha’s muscles.

Letting our breaths mingle, letting the tip of the Alpha’s tongue penetrate me.

Alpha Kane tasted of tobacco, but at that moment, I didn’t care; all I wanted was for his lips to remain on mine, for his hands to feel my flesh. His heat penetrated my dress and left a mark on me; his lips claimed mine, his tongue searching for what lay in my mouth.

So surreal, I never imagined Alpha Kane would kiss so tenderly, his personality so dominant. This kiss was the complete opposite of what he was.

Alpha Kane dominated me, devouring me as if there would never be a tomorrow for us. His kiss felt like an explosion of pleasure and flavor.

Alpha Kane was like evening turning to night, slowly and steadily sucking the daylight from the world. The feel of his lips was like velvety flower petals gliding across my eager mouth.

My heart tensed, my hands clutched his face, but he didn’t pick up the pace.

Feelings... so many feelings were in his embracing lips, as if he had all the time in the world to bring his beloved to ecstasy.

And how tenderly he began, Alpha Kane parted his lips... mine, leaving me in utter despair.

He pressed his forehead to mine. Closing his eyes, he...He simply held me there while we both caught our breath.

"I had to do it passionately. Did you enjoy it?" Alpha Kane whispered hoarsely, opening up his deep, seething, black pools of emotion. They stared at me with an intensity I couldn’t even comprehend.

"It’s... okay," I stammered.

Alpha Kane turned me around, and now, instead of leaning on the bamboo pole, he pressed me against it. His right arm left my waist and rose above my head.

I wondered what he was doing as he plucked a blue rose from the vine. He carefully pinned it to my hair just above my left ear and said quietly,

"You remind me of a blue rose, Zara."

A blue rose?

A blue rose symbolizes uniqueness, a way to demonstrate one’s exceptionalism and individuality, and courage.

Did Alpha see me like this, or was he just pretending?

Confused, before I could ask anything, his phone rang, breaking our stupor and distracting him.

Taking the phone out of his pocket, he glanced warily at the screen and furrowed his brow. He answered the call and walked away, swinging his long legs. Turning around, he placed his hand on the speaker and whispered to me silently:

"I’ll be back tonight. Get some rest." With these words, Alpha left, and I remained, covering my mouth with my hand, soaking up the aftertaste of his kiss. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’It’s true, Alpha is a good kisser.’ Nova is enjoying the kiss.

’Yeah, asshole, our Alpha. ’ I rolled my eyes.