Chapter 4: They Found You
1025 Words
My blood turned cold.
Kai stood in front of me like a wall, his body tense and ready. The growls coming from the trees grew louder, closer, more aggressive. My heart slammed against my ribs as I tried to look around his shoulder.
“Kai… what is that?”
He didn’t answer right away. His breathing was heavier than before, and when he spoke, his voice sounded deeper, almost distorted.
“Stay behind me. No matter what happens, do not run.”
Before I could ask anything else, three shadows stepped out from the trees near the school fence.
They were men… but not normal ones.
Their eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, and their movements were too smooth, too predatory. The one in front was taller than the others, with a cruel smile on his face as his gaze locked onto me.
“So this is her,” he said. “The future Alpha’s little secret.”
Kai growled.
The sound that came out of his throat didn’t belong to a human. It was low, dangerous, and filled with pure warning. The air around us suddenly felt heavier, like the pressure before a storm.
“Leave,” Kai ordered. “Now.”
The man laughed. “You know we can’t do that. The moment the mate bond activated, every pack in the area felt it. You really thought you could hide her?”
Mate bond.
The words hit me like a slap.
I stared at Kai’s back. “What is he talking about?”
Kai’s hands clenched into fists. His shoulders were rising and falling with every heavy breath. “Lila. Not now.”
The man tilted his head, eyes gleaming with interest as he looked at me. “She doesn’t even know? How sweet. The powerful Kai Draven found his fated mate… and she’s just a weak little human.”
Kai moved so fast I barely saw it.
One second he was in front of me, the next he was gripping the man by the throat and slamming him against the fence. The metal rattled violently from the impact.
“Talk about her again,” Kai snarled, “and I’ll rip your tongue out.”
The other two men immediately stepped forward, but Kai turned his head toward them, eyes glowing bright gold, and they froze.
I had never seen anything so terrifying… or so powerful.
“Kai!” I shouted.
His head snapped toward me. For a moment, he didn’t look like the cold, controlled guy from school. He looked wild. Dangerous. Barely human.
The man he was holding choked out a laugh even while struggling. “You’re already losing control over her. How long before the bond drives you crazy?”
Kai’s grip tightened.
I didn’t think. I just moved.
I grabbed his arm with both hands. “Kai, stop! Please!”
The moment I touched him, his body stiffened. A violent shiver ran through him, and he finally dropped the man to the ground. The stranger coughed and scrambled back toward the others.
Kai slowly turned to face me.
His eyes were still glowing.
Up close, they were even more intense — pure molten gold with thin black pupils. His breathing was uneven, and the veins in his neck stood out as if he was fighting something inside himself.
“You shouldn’t have touched me,” he said, his voice rough.
“You were going to kill him.”
“He deserved it.”
The three men were already retreating into the trees, but the leader looked back one last time with a dark smile.
“This isn’t over, Alpha. You can’t protect her forever.”
Then they disappeared into the darkness.
Silence fell over the parking lot.
Kai was still staring at me, glowing eyes locked onto mine like I was the only thing that existed. The pull between us was stronger than ever. It felt like an invisible chain had wrapped around my chest and connected itself to him.
I took a step back.
He immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t,” he warned.
“What are you?” I whispered.
Kai closed his eyes for a second, as if the question itself caused him pain. When he opened them again, the gold was slowly fading, but the intensity remained.
“I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
“Find out what?”
He lifted a hand and, this time, didn’t stop himself. His fingers brushed against my cheek, warm and slightly trembling. The contact sent a wave of heat through my entire body.
“You’re mine, Lila,” he said quietly. “Whether you’re ready for it or not.”
My breath caught.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Kai leaned closer, his forehead almost touching mine. His voice dropped into a low, possessive whisper.
“It will. Soon.”
Then, before I could push him away or demand more answers, he grabbed my wrist and started pulling me toward his car.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you home.” His tone left no room for argument. “You’re not safe out here anymore.”
I tried to pull my hand back, but his grip was firm without hurting me. “Kai, explain what just happened. Who were those people? Why did your eyes change? What is a mate bond?”
He opened the passenger door and looked at me, expression dark and serious.
“Get in the car, Lila.”
“Not until you answer me.”
For a moment, something almost like pain crossed his face. He lifted his free hand and gently gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his glowing eyes again.
“I’ll explain everything,” he said. “But once you know the truth… there’s no going back.”
His thumb brushed across my skin, and the pull between us tightened even more.
“Last chance,” Kai murmured. “Get in… or I carry you.”
The way he said it made it clear he wasn’t joking.
And deep down, a dangerous part of me wanted to know what would happen if I refused.
- Writer
