Betrayed By Two Alphas:Bound By One Fate

Chapter 7

Aurora’s POV

His kiss deepened, his tongue gently seeking entrance. My heart slammed against my ribs. Panic flared hot in my chest, and before I could think, I shoved him away, squeezing my eyes shut.

Oh no. What did I just do?

When I dared to open them again, Lucian was sprawled on the sand, looking up at me with a lazy, boyish smile that made my stomach flip.

“I guess I must be a really terrible kisser,” he said, pushing himself up.

“No!” The word tumbled out too fast. Heat rushed to my face. “You’re not… it’s just that I—” I swallowed hard, my voice shrinking. “This… this was my first kiss.”

The confession hung between us like fragile glass.

Lucian’s eyebrows rose, genuine surprise flickering across his face. “Your first kiss?”

I couldn’t bear the way he was looking at me. I scrambled to my feet, mortified, desperate to disappear into the night. But his fingers caught my wrist—warm, gentle, impossible to ignore.

“Hey… I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t know.”

I forced a shaky half-smile, even as embarrassment burned through me. “You don’t have to apologize. I mean… I was married for three years.” My voice cracked a little. “How pathetic is that? Never even kissed my own husband.”

Lucian shook his head, his gaze softening in a way that made my pulse stutter. “It’s not pathetic.” A small, sincere smile curved his lips. “Actually… I think it’s really cute.”

My breath caught.

“Cute?” I repeated, barely above a whisper, searching his face for any sign he was teasing me.

“Yeah,” he murmured, eyes never leaving mine.

Before I could respond, he stepped closer. “And that wasn’t your first kiss,” he said, voice low and certain. “This is.”

His hands found my waist, steady and warm through the thin fabric of my clothes. My eyes widened as he leaned in slowly, giving me every chance to pull away. I didn’t.

The moment his lips met mine again, everything inside me melted.

This kiss was different—soft, patient, achingly intimate. His mouth moved against mine with such tenderness that my knees weakened. Hesitantly, I parted my lips. The taste of him flooded my senses, warm and addictive. A tiny, helpless sound escaped me as I kissed him back, shy at first, then slowly growing braver.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his breath mingling with mine. The hunger in his eyes made butterflies erupt wildly in my stomach. Without thinking, I leaned in again, chasing his lips. This time he met me halfway, pulling me flush against him.

The kiss deepened. Heat bloomed everywhere. My fingers curled into his shirt as desperation crept in—hungry, needy, almost overwhelming. A low moan rumbled from his throat into my mouth, sending sparks racing down my spine.

We sank onto the sand together, his body hovering over mine. The weight of him felt both terrifying and thrilling. Then my wolf’s voice cut through the haze:

Are you going to have s*x with him?

My eyes flew open. Reality crashed back in. I pushed at his chest, breathing hard.

“I’m not ready,” I blurted out, voice trembling.

Lucian immediately eased back, searching my face with gentle concern. A soft, understanding smile touched his lips. “Aurora, I wasn’t planning on having s*x with you. Not tonight. Not until you want it.”

“Oh…” The single syllable came out small and embarrassed. I scooted away quickly and stood, brushing sand from my clothes with shaky hands. “Thank you… for my proper first kiss. It was… really nice.”

He rose too, that warm, amused smile still playing on his face. “You know you’re really funny and cute,” he said, excitement coloring his tone as he stepped closer. He took my hand, his thumb brushing lightly over my knuckles. “And for someone who claims it was her first time… you’re actually really good at it.”

My cheeks burned. I bit my lip, trying—and failing—to hide the shy smile tugging at my mouth.

A deep rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.

“It’s about to rain,” he said, glancing up. “We should go.”

I could only nod, too flustered to speak. He kept my hand in his as we made our way back to the car. Sand clung to my skin and clothes, gritty and uncomfortable, but I barely noticed. All I could feel was the lingering warmth of his lips, the frantic fluttering in my chest, and the terrifying, wonderful realization that I wanted him to kiss me again.

When we reached the car, he handed me my clothes so I could change. I slipped inside, heart still racing, the ghost of his touch refusing to fade.

“Where do you live?” Lucian asked, his voice low and warm inside the quiet car.

“I’ll direct you,” I replied softly, barely trusting my own voice.

He nodded, and we pulled away from the beach. The whole ride, I couldn’t stop myself from stealing little glances at him. Every time my eyes landed on his side profile — the sharp line of his jaw, the way his fingers rested casually on the steering wheel — a fresh wave of butterflies erupted in my stomach. My wolf was practically bouncing inside me, her excitement mixing with mine until I had to bite my lip to hide the silly smile threatening to take over my face.

We had our first kiss… and it felt so good.

When we finally arrived at my apartment building, Lucian parked and turned to me.

“I guess this is your place.”

I nodded, suddenly feeling shy again. “Thank you for taking me home,” I said, a small, nervous smile playing on my lips.

“You’re welcome.” His eyes lingered on me for a second longer than necessary, making my cheeks warm.

Before I could overthink it, the words slipped out. “Before you leave… can I get your number?”

“Sure,” he replied easily, handing me his phone.

My fingers trembled slightly as I typed in my number and saved it. I gave the phone back, our fingertips brushing for a brief moment. That tiny touch sent another spark racing through me.

“Goodnight, Aurora.”

“Goodnight,” I whispered, nodding quickly before stepping out of the car.

I stood there on the sidewalk, watching his taillights disappear into the night. The moment his car was out of sight, a huge, uncontrollable smile broke across my face. My cheeks hurt from how wide it was, but I couldn’t stop. I pressed both hands to my face, giggling like an i***t as I practically floated up to my apartment.

The second I closed the door behind me, I collapsed onto my bed, heart racing. The memories flooded back instantly — the warmth of his lips, the way he pulled me closer, the soft moan he made when I kissed him back. I buried my face in my pillow and screamed into it, pure excitement bursting out of me.

I shot up from the bed, unable to stay still.

“I had my first kiss!” I squealed, spinning around my room. “I actually had my first kiss… and it was with him!”

My heart felt like it was going to burst. I hugged myself tightly, cheeks burning. A man like Lucian… kissed me. He looked like a demigod, and somehow he had chosen to kiss me — shy, inexperienced, broken little me.

Another delighted squeal escaped before I could stop it.

But just as quickly, the high began to fade. My smile slowly slipped away as doubt crept in, cold and heavy. I wrapped my arms around myself protectively, suddenly feeling small.

What if I mess this up?

“What if he doesn’t actually like me?” I whispered to the empty room. “We’ve only met twice… and we were already kissing. What if he just wants my body? What if he’s just using me?”

I sat on the edge of the bed, hugging my knees to my chest.

“You’re overthinking it, Aurora,” my wolf chimed in gently, her voice soothing. “You felt the spark. You felt the pull. He might be our second chance mate.”

The words made my breath catch.

A second chance mate…

I had felt something for Liam too, in the beginning. And look how that ended — with pain and humiliation.

“Don’t overthink it,” my wolf whispered again, warmer this time. “Let’s just enjoy this moment. We finally had our first kiss… and it was beautiful.”

Her words wrapped around me like a soft blanket. The tight knot of anxiety in my chest slowly loosened. I let out a long breath and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a small, hopeful smile.

Maybe… just maybe, my fate was about to change for the better.