~ RONAN ~

It’s hard to ignore the kiss Roselle gave me in the early hours of the morning. I can’t stop thinking about it. It was the most intoxicating thing I’ve ever experienced, her soft mouth against mine, fuck she tastes so fucking divine.

It was brief, yet a poignant moment. But it’s been replaying in my head on loop for the past six hours, disrupting my focus on every piece of pack business that crosses my desk.

The taste of her is still on my tongue.

I left her in Dr. Elias’s care while I attended to the administrative work that accumulates when an Alpha takes time away from their duties. Celeste has been instructed to bring her meals, comfortable clothes, and anything she needs. I’m giving her time to recover, not just physically, but emotionally. The trauma of what happened in those woods needs space to process.

When she’s ready, I’ll get her to tell me who helped her escape. Whoever managed to conceal their scent well enough to get past my guards is connected to those rogues. The conspiracy doesn’t end with two dead men in the forest. There’s a connection leading back to whoever orchestrated it all, and I intend to find it and burn it to the ground.

But that can wait. First, I need to stop thinking about her mouth and try to fucking concentrate.

The door to my office opens without a knock.

A lady steps inside, and I’d be a fool to pretend I don’t recognize the game she’s playing. She’s dressed in a short skirt that leaves her thighs exposed—nothing out of the ordinary. It’s the usual tactic: dress up nicely, put on a tempting display, and try to entice the Alpha.

I don’t bother looking at her face. My eyes return to my systems immediately, my disgust barely contained.

"Good morning, Alpha," she greets, her voice pitched to be alluring.

I respond without looking up from my screen. "Good morning."

There’s a pause, as though she’s waiting for me to acknowledge her properly, to appreciate the display. I don’t.

She continues anyway, undeterred. "I’m here as a potential match for—"

"The bride selection," I say flatly, finally glancing at her. She’s pretty enough, I suppose. Fit. Clearly groomed for this purpose. But there’s nothing behind her eyes except calculation. "The Council sent you."

"Yes, Alpha." She moves closer, leaning against my desk. "I’ve been trained in everything a Luna could need. I can manage your household, coordinate with the pack, and handle political functions. I’m fluent in three languages. I’ve studied combat strategy. I can—"

I hold up a hand. She stops mid-sentence, her expression faltering slightly.

"What makes you happy?" I ask.

She blinks. "I’m sorry?"

"What makes you happy?" I repeat, leaning back in my chair. "Not what you think will make me happy, or what you’ve been trained to do. What genuinely brings you joy?"

She stares at me, clearly unprepared for this question. "I... I enjoy serving the pack. I enjoy—"

"That’s not what I asked." I keep my tone calm. "I asked what makes you happy. What do you love? What do you want out of your life that has nothing to do with being a Luna or impressing an Alpha?"

Her mouth opens, closes, and then opens again, which implies that she genuinely doesn’t have an answer.

"That’s the problem," I say. "You’ve spent so much time learning to be what someone else wants that you’ve forgotten to figure out what you want." I stand, moving around the desk to face her directly. "My advice? Go figure that out. Do the things that make you happy. Pursue them relentlessly, and don’t spend your life trying to fit into someone else’s mold."

She looks genuinely stung. "But the —"

"Isn’t your life," I say simply. "You are. Live it for you, not for them."

I move back to my chair and sit, returning my attention to my screen, the clear signal that the conversation is over.

She stands there for another moment, clearly hoping I’ll change my mind, that I’ll suddenly appreciate her outfit or her training or her availability. My gaze never leaves the screen.

Finally, she leaves, closing the door quietly behind her.

I returned to my work, but my concentration was shot. All I could think about was Roselle’s kiss—the way her hands trembled as she reached up to touch my face, and how she’d fucking kissed me out of the blue. It was just a kiss, yet it felt like the biggest orgasm I’d had all year.

The door opens again.

Nikolai steps inside, and his expression immediately changes from professional to shocked. "You rejected her."

"Yes."

"The third one," he says, walking to stand in front of my desk. "You’ve now rejected three potential brides from my selection."

"Correct."

Nikolai’s jaw works. He’s trying to find the words. "Ronan, I specifically sent them with the Council aid specifically because—"

"How many more are coming?" I ask.

He blinks at the shift in conversation. "Three more. They’re arriving over the next week. The Council is trying to—"

"Send them back," I say flatly.

Nikolai stares at me. "I’m sorry?"

"Send them back," I repeat, my voice carrying the finality of an Alpha’s command. "All of them. I’m done with the selection process."

"Ronan," Nikolai’s voice rises slightly. "The Council needs you to choose. The pack needs an heir. You can’t keep rejecting—"

"I’m not rejecting them because I’m being difficult," I say, cutting him off. "I’m rejecting them because I can’t, Nikolai, and maybe I was indeed a fool for accepting, but what happens to Roselle when eventually I take one in?"

He ruffles his hands through his hair, taking an exasperated sigh. "How about we think this way... What happens to Roselle when you marry her or mark her? Is she going to die? She’s not your mate either... Ronan."

"I have to make her decide first... remember that’s what the Seer says, and that’s what the curse entails. I don’t know yet if she is..."

"And what if she’s not? Do you think you’re going to live with the guilt? Of having another memorial to attend? Fuck this, Ronan. You love that girl. I know you might not realize it yet, but this isn’t how you act with the others. I’ve never seen you defend someone the way you defend her. I’ve never seen your anger flare up so quickly."

He pauses, his words sinking through me.

"The other day, when Warren was here and you almost shifted before storming out, I saw you rushing to her. Do you think you’re going to be the same person when she dies? Hell, you’re not."

Nik’s words end up sinking through me all throughout the day, after work which was of course hard concentrating, I head to her room.

Kael of course keeps being Kael, but I had to remind myself that..., that he’s just a wolf that sinks on emotion and what he feels, and not his brain. That’s the difference between us.

I open the door to see her sitting up reading a book, I never knew she read, maybe it’s because I haven’t asked her about her hobby yet, or...

"Hey," I say, closing the door behind me, and then march towards her, she looks away, shyly, and then signs.

"Hi," she signs back, her cheeks flushing a deep red. The sight instantly drags me back to last night — that sudden kiss, the way her lips felt against mine. Fuck. Just being this close to her again is dangerous. All I can think about is pulling her in and tasting those lips once more.

I don’t say a word. I just stand there, staring straight into her face. My heart is hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat. The red in her cheeks deepens even more, and she quickly lifts the book, trying to hide behind it like she knows I’ve caught her blushing.

A grin tugs at my lips. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. In this moment, I finally get Kael... no wonder he always wants to stalk her. She’s the kind of girl you’d want to watch for hours, every little movement, every soft expression.

Fuck this, Nikolai might be right. I’m in love with Roselle. I don’t know when that happened or how it happened.

"You’re beautiful," I whisper, the words spilling out before I can stop them.

I watch her eyes widen in surprise, then soften as that familiar flush creeps back across her cheeks. Those hazel eyes zeroes into mine, compelling me to stare, not to break, drawing me into some sort of spell that doesn’t surround our world.

My gaze drifts from her eyes to her lips. Those soft pink lips are calling to me, tempting me, silently begging for a kiss. Lips so pink, so inviting.

Hell... I don’t care if this is a bad decision.

"Can I?" I take a slow step forward, then another, until I’m right beside the bed. I settle gently next to her, close enough to feel the warmth of her body. Leaning in, I gently brush the stray strands of hair away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. Her skin is so soft and warm under my fingers.

My voice drops even lower, barely above a breath. "Kiss you?"