Alric’s Pov
I hated myself.
I hated fate.
And I hated this cursed wolf inside me.
For nine years, I’d kept the beast caged. Buried. Starved. But under the full moon, the cracks always showed. Tonight was no different.
I had promised myself—I wouldn’t lose control. Not here. Not in front of her.
And yet… those eyes of mine betrayed me. Red, burning, inhuman. She saw. She saw too much.
I should’ve pushed her away. I should’ve silenced her with words, or threats, or anything else.
But the footsteps were getting closer. Whoever it was—it wasn’t human. My wolf knew it instantly, the way every hair on my body bristled. Too dangerous to fight here. Too risky to reveal myself.
So I did the only thing that made sense.
I crushed my mouth against hers.
Her lips were warm, trembling, her he
