Chapter 12: An Accidental Kiss

[POV: CONNOR]

That damn wolf was to blame. How could he defy my command? How could he risk getting me exiled from the pack?

I knew this was a dangerous game for both of us, and yet, I couldn’t seem to avoid stumbling into one problem after another. I couldn’t control him or make him relinquish command back to me.

Khan has always been a sucker for the ladies. His alpha instincts are usually spot-on, but they seemed to falter in Elaine’s presence.

I understood the confusion. I felt it too when she shifted. Her alpha hormones stirred up anger in us, made us see her as a threat to our objectives.

It’s normal for an alpha to feel threatened by another of the same rank. But a woman? That was enough to send Khan over the edge.

My eyes trailed Elaine’s form as we made our way back to the castle. The crunch of leaves underfoot drew my gaze to her pale legs.

I swallowed hard, shaking my head and searching for any distraction that wasn’t her.

“Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone,” Elaine warned.

“Why would I? It’s my reputation on the line,” I retorted. Elaine scoffed over her shoulder, annoyance clear in her expression, while I looked away.

I was at a loss for words. This was my mess. But now I was worried. What would Khan do when we shifted and introduced ourselves to everyone?

~“Khan,”~ I called out, but was met with silence. ~“Khan, quit messing around.”~

Still, silence. With a heavy sigh, I continued walking until we reached the castle garden.

The patrol was on duty at the castle. They looked surprised at our sudden appearance. I nodded in acknowledgment and continued trailing Elaine in silence.

“Alphas,” my father’s beta greeted, surprise evident in his voice. “This is unexpected. I thought you’d both be asleep by now.”

“We were out for a run,” Elaine replied, “patrolling the border.”

“Oh.” My father’s beta frowned. I nodded again and continued up the stairs.

“Why did you lie?” I asked her, curious.

“Well, it might work. Or not. Haven’t you seen yourself?” Elaine pointed out. “We’re both half-naked and soaked. What do you think they’d assume?”

I glanced down at the odd cargo shorts I was wearing. Elaine was right. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but my hair was wet, I was shirtless, and she was in the same state.

But how did I end up in the river?

I closed the door as Elaine settled onto our bed.

“You threw me into the river?” I asked, puzzled.

“Throw you? No, you jumped in yourself,” Elaine chuckled. “Even though your lycan wanted to kill me, Ashina and I have our ways of avoiding death.”

“Ashina?” I echoed the name.

Elaine sat up and smiled. “That’s my lycan’s name.”

I nodded and headed for the closet. I felt Elaine close behind me, a slow burn spreading on my wrist due to our proximity.

“You know we can’t live a normal life with this bond restricting us,” Elaine grumbled as I undressed. “Oh, my. Cover up. Goddess!”

I glanced over my shoulder to see Elaine with her back turned to me. A small smile tugged at my lips as I approached her, completely bare.

“You must have seen me naked in the river, right?” I whispered, invading her personal space. Elaine jumped in surprise as I grinned at her. “You seem nervous.”

“It’s not that!” Elaine protested, blushing. She looked away, embarrassed, as I closed the distance between us again.

“Really? Then what?” I asked, a playful tone in my voice.

I moved closer, cornering her. I didn’t know where this sudden urge to flirt was coming from, but oddly enough, I wanted to see her flustered.

“Hmm?” I hummed, my lips near her neck. She tried to escape, but my hand moved faster, preventing her from taking another step.

“Connor,” Elaine warned, but that only made me smile, eager to see her flustered.

“Feeling shy?” I asked. Elaine tried to escape again, but she tripped over her own feet and fell back.

Instinctively, I reached out to catch her before she could get hurt. My arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her fall just in time.

Using my other hand to brace our fall, I looked down into Elaine’s wide blue eyes, filled with shock.

“You,” I whispered, our lips mere centimeters apart.

She was staring back at me, dazed. I glanced sideways to see her hands gripping my arm tightly. I looked back at her, letting out a sigh of relief as I pulled us upright.

Elaine slid her hands down my biceps, causing me to swallow hard. That same magnetic pull was there again, making my heart pound.

Blinking, Elaine took several deep breaths before her icy blue eyes met mine again, inviting me in.

I took a step, pushing our bodies against the closet door. Elaine’s breath tickled my neck as I moved my hand to her cheek.

It was flushed red. As I gently touched it, she closed her eyes, leaning into my touch. I couldn’t resist the urge to be close to her, so I moved my face closer, taking in her scent.

My body reacted. Her intoxicating smell was driving Khan wild in my mind.

Noticing the same reaction in her, I heard a soft purr escape from her chest. That was all it took for me to press my warm body against hers, causing her to moan.

Our foreheads touched so gently that I let out a satisfied growl. Holding back from what my thoughts were urging me to do, I closed my eyes and tried to calm down.

It was a foolish move, but I could tell she wanted it too.

A soft touch had me lazily opening my eyes again. Elaine had a tender look on her face as her hand traced my jawline.

I clenched my jaw to suppress a growl.

Feeling her thumb trace my lip, pressing it gently, the growl slipped out. I pressed my body harder against hers, sliding my knee between her legs.

A soft whimper slipped from Elaine’s lips as she squirmed. I was on the edge, teetering dangerously. My thoughts began to blur as I bridged the distance between us, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. It was a fleeting, tender moment.

Elaine didn’t push me away, but she didn’t return the kiss either.

Aware that she wouldn’t respond, I snapped out of the daze I was in and pulled myself away from her. I quickly turned my back, hiding my face in a mix of confusion and embarrassment.

Muttering a curse, I retreated to the closet, leaving her in a state of longing.

Once I was out of her sight, I hid my flushed face in my hands and swore softly to myself.

What the hell just made me act so recklessly?