Mine
1120 Words
For one terrifying second, nobody moved.
Rain poured through the trees around us while Kael’s hand remained locked around my wrist, his body positioned slightly in front of mine like he’d kill anyone who came too close.
The stranger across from us looked amused.
Which honestly felt psychotic considering the murderous look on Kael’s face.
“You’re scaring her,” the stranger said casually.
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“She shouldn’t be here.”
“No,” the stranger agreed slowly, eyes dragging over me again, “she really shouldn’t.”
The way he looked at me made my skin crawl.
Like he was smelling me instead of seeing me.
Instinctively, I stepped closer to Kael.
Big mistake.
Because the second my body brushed his arm, something in him snapped tight.
His fingers flexed around my wrist.
A low sound rumbled deep in his chest again.
The stranger noticed immediately.
And smiled.
“Oh, this is bad.”
“What is happening?” I demanded.
Neither answered me.
Typical.
Lightning split across the sky overhead.
For one brief second, I saw the stranger’s eyes flash gold.
My stomach dropped violently.
No.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
I yanked my wrist backward instinctively.
Kael let go immediately.
Too immediately.
Like he was forcing himself to.
I stumbled back half a step, breathing unevenly.
“What are you?” I whispered.
Silence.
Heavy silence.
The stranger tilted his head slightly before speaking.
“You really haven’t figured it out yet?”
“Shut up, Ronan,” Kael warned.
Ronan.
Great.
Now the psychopath had a name.
Ronan ignored him completely.
“You smell like one of us,” he said softly.
My blood went cold.
“I’m not—”
“You are,” Ronan interrupted. “Or at least your body thinks you are.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Kael suddenly moved between us again.
Fast.
Violently fast.
“Enough.”
The growl in his voice made the trees around us feel smaller somehow.
Ronan lifted both hands mockingly.
“Relax. I’m not touching her.”
Kael’s expression darkened even further.
“Don’t even look at her.”
Excuse me?
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Okay, no. You don’t get to stand here acting insane without explaining anything.”
Kael finally looked at me fully again.
And for the first time…
I saw conflict in his face.
Real conflict.
Like part of him wanted to tell me everything.
And another part wanted to drag me as far away from this place as possible.
“You need to go back to your dorm,” he said quietly.
I laughed once in disbelief.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Amara.”
The way he said my name—
Low.
Controlled.
Dangerously gentle.
It did something embarrassing to my body.
And judging by the flicker in his eyes…
He noticed that too.
Ronan made a disgusted sound.
“You two are already doing this?” he muttered.
Kael ignored him.
“Go back,” he repeated.
“And if I say no?”
His gaze darkened instantly.
Then he stepped closer again.
Close enough to make thinking difficult.
Rainwater slid slowly down the side of his throat while his eyes held mine with terrifying intensity.
“You keep putting yourself in dangerous situations.”
“You keep appearing in them.”
Something almost like amusement flickered briefly across his face.
Then disappeared.
“You don’t understand this world.”
“Then explain it.”
His jaw tightened.
“I can’t.”
“Or you won’t?”
Silence.
That was answer enough.
Anger flared inside me suddenly.
I was tired of cryptic warnings and silver eyes and people acting like I was some kind of walking disaster.
“You know what?” I snapped. “Forget it.”
I turned sharply to leave.
And immediately heard growling behind me.
Not from Kael.
From the woods.
Plural.
My body froze.
Branches shifted violently nearby.
Then another pair of glowing eyes appeared between the trees.
Then another.
Then another.
Oh my God.
Fear slammed into me so hard my knees almost weakened.
Wolves.
Huge wolves.
Watching us from the darkness.
My breathing turned shallow instantly.
Kael moved in front of me again so fast it barely looked human.
The wolves stopped immediately.
Every single one lowered slightly in submission.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Kael’s voice came out cold as ice.
“Leave.”
None of them moved.
Ronan sighed dramatically.
“Well,” he muttered, “that’s definitely not a good sign.”
One wolf stepped forward slightly.
Its eyes fixed directly on me.
And then—
It growled.
Kael snapped.
The sound that tore from him wasn’t human anymore.
It was pure Alpha.
Power slammed through the clearing so violently the wolves instantly backed down.
Even Ronan went still.
My pulse exploded.
Kael’s eyes burned silver as he stared the wolves down with terrifying dominance.
“Mine,” he growled.
The word hit me like physical impact.
Every wolf immediately lowered its head.
And the second they did—
Kael seemed to realize what he’d just said.
Silence crashed into the clearing.
My heart pounded painfully hard against my ribs.
Did he just—
Ronan looked delighted.
“Oh, this is going to be catastrophic.”
Kael looked furious now.
Not at the wolves.
At himself.
Rain poured harder around us while tension wrapped tightly through the air.
Then slowly—
Painfully slowly—
Kael turned toward me.
And the look in his eyes almost stole the breath from my lungs.
Because it wasn’t just possession anymore.
It was need.
Raw.
Violent.
Barely controlled.
Like something inside him had already chosen me before his mind could stop it.
My pulse fluttered unevenly.
And suddenly—
Very suddenly—
I became aware of how alone we were.
How dark the woods had become.
How massive he looked standing this close to me.
How intensely he was staring at my mouth.
The air between us shifted.
Changed.
His voice dropped lower.
Rougher.
“Amara…”
The way he said my name sounded dangerous now.
Like a warning to both of us.
Then his hand lifted slowly toward my face.
I should’ve stepped back.
I didn’t.
His knuckles brushed my cheek softly.
The touch sent heat rushing through me instantly.
Kael inhaled sharply.
Like touching me made things worse.
His eyes darkened further.
And then—
His gaze dropped to my lips again.
Oh.
Oh no.
That look?
That look was not controlled.
My stomach tightened hard.
Kael leaned closer slightly.
Close enough that I could feel his breath now.
My pulse became chaotic.
And somewhere behind us, Ronan muttered:
“Yeah… they’re screwed.”
- Writer
