Lyra's POV
The crowd didn't cheer the way they normally did after a victory. Instead, a strange silence lingered around us.I could feel it… curious eyes watching, whispers spreading, tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. My hand still tingled from where I had touched his.
Mine.
The word echoed in my head long after our hands separated.
I froze.
No.
That wasn't possible. My wolf had never heard anything before. Not clearly like that. Not a voice that sounded so certain… so possessive. And definitely not about him.
"Why did I hear that?" I whispered under my breath.
The question repeated in my mind over and over, refusing to fade. Why did his touch affect me like that? Why did it feel like something inside me had suddenly woken up? I stepped away from the center of the grounds, needing distance…needing air… needing time to think.
Around me, the festival continued as if nothing unusual had happened. Music resumed. Laughter returned. Lanterns flickered overhead. But everything felt distant.
Muted.
Unreal.
Because my thoughts were still trapped in that moment.
That touch.
That word.
Mine.
I pressed my fingers against my temple, trying to steady my racing thoughts. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it was just the excitement of the festival.
Maybe—
"Lyra."
Kiera's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
She hurried toward me, her expression filled with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked. Her eyes searched my face carefully. "You've been acting strange ever since the challenge ended."
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to brush it off. Pretend nothing had happened. But the words slipped out before I could stop them.
"That… that's Kael." The name felt heavy on my tongue. The person I had tried so hard to avoid. But somehow, I had already encountered him too many times in a single day. And none of those encounters had ended peacefully.
Kiera blinked in surprise.
"Wait—that's Kael?" she repeated. Then, to my disbelief, her eyes lit up slightly. "Well… that explains the attitude," she said. "And the rumors." I shot her an annoyed look.
"This isn't funny," I muttered.
"I'm not laughing," she replied, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "I'm just surprised." She studied me again, her expression turning thoughtful. "What happened back there?" she asked quietly. I opened my mouth. Then closed it again. How could I explain something I barely understood myself? Before I could respond…. Movement behind her caught my attention. My breath stalled.
Kael.
He was walking straight toward me. His stride was steady.
Purposeful.
Unavoidable.
Even from a distance, there was something intimidating about him, something powerful simmering just beneath the surface. His gaze locked onto mine instantly.
Sharp.
Intense.
Unrelenting.
My heart tightened. "He's coming here," Kiera whispered.
Her voice dropped to a nervous hush. Then, without another word, she stepped aside. Just like that… She left me alone.
Traitor.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay still. Maybe if I walked away now, before I could take a single step…. A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.
My body stiffened.
Kael.
I had been trying to avoid him all day, and now he was standing right in front of me again. "I've had enough for one day," I snapped, trying to pull free.
"Let go of me." But he didn't release me. Not this time.
Ignoring the curious stares around us, he pulled me toward a quieter corner, away from the noise and the crowd. "Leave me alone!" I protested. Still, he didn't stop.
Within seconds, my back hit the wall behind me.
The breath rushed from my lungs. He stood dangerously close now. Too close. His dark eyes burned with intensity, studying my face as if searching for answers. For a moment, I saw something wild flash inside them.
His wolf.
And suddenly… Fear crept into my chest.
"You felt it," he said quietly. My heart skipped. "What are you talking about?" I shot back, forcing my voice to sound steady. But the tremor in my chest betrayed me. His gaze didn't waver. Not even slightly.
It stayed locked on mine, sharp and relentless. My wolf stirred uneasily. The restless movement inside me made my chest tighten. Panic slowly crept into my veins. Because the longer I stood here… The harder it became to deny what had happened earlier.
That strange pull, that overwhelming awareness of him, that impossible voice inside my head.
And for the first time… A terrifying realization settled into my mind.
He might actually be my mate.