Kael's POV
I stepped into my office, my heart was hammering in a way that wasn't entirely normal. My wolf was already awake, twitching under my skin like a caged animal, and I had no idea why. Everything about today felt… off.
The moment Lina stepped in her heels clicking softly, her posture stiff like she was prepared for a fight, the wolf inside me jolted. Something in my chest twisted. My skin prickled. My ears heated.
She didn't even look at me. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, avoiding mine with the precision of a cat trying not to make noise.
I swallowed. Hard. "Lina," I said, voice lower than normal, carrying a weight I didn't intend.
She froze, stiff as a statue. I could feel the tension rolling off her in waves, and for a second, all I wanted to do was drag her to me and shake her until she looked at me. My wolf hissed at me, clawing at my ribs. Keep her close.
I blinked. I shook my head. What the hell is wrong with me?
She lifted her eyes just a fraction, glancing at me like she was weighing whether to run. I could see the calculation in them; the same stubborn, clever calculation I'd seen on her first day. Only now, it wasn't about office work or surviving my wrath. It was about me.
I stepped closer, slowly. My wolf trembled in my chest. I could feel it coiling, needing, and insisting.
"Kael…" she started, voice small.
I stopped. My stomach tightened. That voice, so familiar, so human, so hers did something to me I couldn't name. I wanted to warn her.
But my wolf was faster.
She's ours.
I shook it off or tried. "I… we need to talk," I said, but I could feel the words failing me. My hands fisted at my sides.
She lifted an eyebrow. "About what?" Her voice was careful. And that only made the fire inside me flare.
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I tried again. "You… have been avoiding me."
She smirked, small, almost amused. "I've been… busy."
"Busy," I repeated. "With…?"
Her eyes darted to the side, and I could smell it. The faint, clean scent of another man. My wolf growled. Not a sound I made, but a sound vibrating inside me.
I cursed under my breath. I tried to hide it. But this time, it wasn't just control. My wolf was awake, insisting, demanding, pushing through every ounce of restraint.
Claim her.
I shook again. My hands gripped the edge of the desk. My eyes… glowed, just slightly. I didn't realize it until she flinched.
"I…" I started, voice strangled. "Who were you with?"
She raised an eyebrow, blinking. "Excuse me?"
I cursed. Internally. My wolf was on fire now, thrashing under my skin like it wanted to rip me apart.
I clamped my jaw. "No one," she said. "I've been… at my desk. Working."
I stepped closer. Her body stiffened, instinctive. I could see the tension, feel the air thickening between us. Every part of me wanted to reach out and demand her attention.
And my wolf whispered. Go for it.
I froze. My throat went dry. My pulse skyrocketed. I could feel it, every instinct in my body screaming, urging me.
She caught my hesitation, eyes narrowing. "Kael, what…"
I broke.
But I stepped the last inch between us. I could feel her heat radiating. Her scent. It was intoxicating. I wanted to crush every second of distance between us. My hands itched to touch her, my jaw itched to close over her mouth, and I could feel my wolf coiling, twisting and being impatient.
I gasped at how loud it felt, how commanding, how impossibly right. I had no idea what I was doing, only that it was impossible to stop. My wolf was acting before I could.
Her eyes widened. She took a tiny step back, but it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. I could see the flicker of panic, of understanding, that she sensed something. I could almost read her mind: Why is he like this? What's happening?
I swallowed hard. My hands lifted, almost without my permission, fingers brushing the edge of her arm. She flinched, a sharp intake of breath.
"I…" I started. Stupid. Weak. "Lina."
She blinked, stepping back again, shaking her head. "Kael… what… are you doing?"
I looked at her; at her lips, at her eyes, at the faint tremor in her jaw and something broke inside me. My wolf took over.
I knew I had to stop. I knew I had to. But it was too late.
She gasped. Her eyes went wide. "Kael… stop."
I froze. My wolf roared inside me. Insistent. Demanding.
I stepped impossibly closer. My chest nearly pressed against hers. Her hair tickled my nose. My hands were trembling. My mind screamed at me, at my wolf, at everything.
Her voice cracked. "Kael, I swear…"
I swallowed. My lips were a hair away from hers. My pulse hammered. My wolf's need vibrated through me, shaking my bones.
And then… I went for it.