Chapter four:A Taste of fire
982 Words
The Reckless Kiss That Changed Everything
Lyia didn’t stop running.
Not even when she reached the edge of the forest, where the moonlight stretched long shadows across the earth. Not even when her pulse pounded in her throat, thick with something she refused to name.
What the hell was that?
The memory of Ronald’s lips on hers still burned—his taste, his heat, the way he had given in for just a second before shoving her away.
She should regret it.
She should feel guilty for wanting him, for kissing him in front of Evelyn, for needing to prove that she wasn’t the one being left behind.
But she didn’t.
Because the truth was, Ronald had kissed her back.
And she would be lying if she said that knowledge didn’t make something dark and wild stir inside rather.
The snap of a twig behind her made her whirl around, instincts sharp.
She barely had time to react before a strong hand wrapped around her wrist, shoving her back against the nearest tree.
Her breath hitched.
Ronald.
His body was flush against hers, his grip tight but not bruising. His stormy eyes burned like wildfire in the dark.
“What the hell was that?” His voice was low, dangerous.
Lyia smirked. “I don’t know, Alpha. You tell me.”
His jaw clenched. “You kissed me.”
“You kissed me back.”
His fingers flexed against her skin. That was the problem, wasn’t it?
He had.
He had let himself fall into her heat, her fire, her chaos.
And he hated himself for it.
Lyia leaned in, tilting her chin up. “Tell me, Ronald. Was she watching?”
A growl rumbled in his chest.
Lyia swallowed down the shiver that ran through her.
“I don’t care what game you think you’re playing,” he said, voice raw. “This isn’t a joke.”
She arched a brow. “Who said I was joking?”
His breath was uneven now. He was still holding her against the tree, his body way too close, and she could feel every inch of tension thrumming between them.
She wanted to push him.
To break that carefully held control of his.
To make him lose himself the way she had when his lips had crashed against hers.
So she shifted slightly, just enough for her chest to brush against his.
His fingers tightened.
And then, before she could blink—
He flipped her.
Lyia gasped as her back was suddenly pressed to the tree, her hands pinned above her head.
Ronald’s mouth was at her ear, his breath scalding.
“You want to play with fire, Lyia?” he murmured, voice like a growl against her skin. “You forget—I don’t burn. I destroy.”
Her stomach flipped.
Gods, she hated how much she liked this.
She wet her lips. “Maybe I want to be destroyed.”
A curse slipped from his lips. His grip tightened just for a second—just enough for her pulse to race—before he suddenly let go and took a step back as if she had burned him.
His breath was raggedy.
Lyia was dizzy.
For a second, they just stared at each other, the air between them charged and unbearably thick.
Then—
“I knew it.”
The voice cut through the night like a blade.
Lyia and Ronald snapped their heads toward the source.
Evelyn stood there, her face unreadable.
Her golden-and-blue eyes flickered between them, her fingers clenched at her sides.
Ronald took a step forward. “Evelyn—”
“Save it,” she interrupted, her voice surprisingly calm. “I’m not blind.”
Something twisted in Lyia’s chest.
Evelyn didn’t sound jealous.
She sounded resigned.
Like she had already accepted that whatever was between Lyia and Ronald—was inevitable.
Lyia suddenly hated that look in her eyes.
Evelyn exhaled and shook her head. “I don’t have time for this,” she muttered, turning on her heel.
For the first time in her life, Lyia felt the urge to stop someone from walking away.
But before she could, Ronald was already moving.
He caught Evelyn by the wrist, his touch much gentler than the way he had grabbed Lyia moments ago.
Lyia’s stomach turned.
"Evelyn," Ronald said, his voice softer now.
Evelyn didn’t meet his eyes. “It’s fine, Ronald.”
“No, it’s not.”
Lyia hated the way his voice sounded then—like he cared.
Because he did, didn’t he?
Evelyn was the one who could ease his pain.
She was the one he had looked at with something like relief when he had kissed her wrist, and his curse had faded.
And Lyia—
Lyia was just the fire that burned him.
Her throat tightened.
Ronan exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “Evelyn, I don’t—”
But Evelyn finally looked up, and the raw emotion in her eyes shut him up.
“I know, Ronald,” she whispered.
Lyia watched, heart hammering, as Evelyn gently pulled away from his grasp.
And this time, he let her go.
A silence stretched between them.
Then Evelyn turned to Lyia, her gaze piercing. “You think this is a game?”
Lyia blinked at the question.
Evelyn took a slow step forward, lowering her voice. “You think that if you push him hard enough, he’ll break and prove that he wants you?”
Lyia’s breath caught.
Evelyn shook her head. “You don’t understand, do you?”
A chilling smile touched her lips.
“Ronald isn’t afraid of wanting you, Lyia. He’s afraid that if he does, he won’t be able to stop.”
The words slammed into Lyia’s chest.
She opened her mouth, but Evelyn was already walking away.
And this time, neither of them tried to stop her.
- Writer
