(Kael's pov)
I should have forgotten her by now.
One conversation.
One irritating little werecat.
Yet every thought I had somehow ended with her. The way she looked up at me, her perfect plump lips…
I shook my head, snapping myself out of it.
The door slammed shut behind me hard enough to shake the window frame.
My dorm was dim, lit only by a thin line of moonlight spilling through the tall window.
I paced the length of the room.
My jaw tightened as the same image replayed in my mind.
Her.
Dark hair cascading down her back. Fire in her eyes—defiance in every inch of her posture.
"Kitty."
The name lodged itself beneath my skin like a splinter.
Annoying.
Sharp.
Impossible to ignore.
Every time I tried to drag her from my thoughts, the nickname returned.
And now I couldn't get it out.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. I dragged a hand through my hair as I continued to pace around my room.
I ripped my jacket off, inhaling her sweet scent. It seemed to help cause I began to calm down. Angrily, I tossed it onto the chair, stalking toward the dresser.
Clothes came off in a quick, impatient motion. I grabbed a clean pair of sweats and pulled them on, determined to erase the night from my mind.
It had been one encounter.
One irritating encounter, somehow, made things worse.
I dropped onto the mattress and stared into the darkness.
Sleep should have come easily.
It didn't.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw brown eyes flashing with defiance.
Every time I forced the image away, it returned stronger.
Minutes passed.
Sleep didn't come.
Instead—
Her face surfaced again.
The way her breath had caught when I pinned her against that alley wall.
The heat in her eyes.
The way her pulse had fluttered beneath my hand.
A loud pounding shattered the silence.
My eyes snapped open.
The knock came again—harder this time, rattling the door.
My patience evaporated instantly.
"Are you serious right now?" I muttered, swinging my legs off the bed.
I stormed across the room, hand already curling into a fist.
The knocking came again.
I yanked the door open.
And barely had time to react before a body stumbled forward.
"Seraphina."
She fell straight into my arms.
The sharp scent of alcohol hit me immediately.
"Oh—there you are," she slurred, blinking up at me with glassy eyes. "Why did you leave the party without me?"
I steadied her automatically before she pushed herself away, swaying dramatically as she walked into the room, as she owned it.
She flopped down onto my bed with a laugh.
"You're rude, you know that?" she said, kicking one heel off.
I closed the door slowly, rubbing my temples.
"Why didn't you go to your own room instead of coming here?" I asked flatly.
Seraphina giggled.
"Because," she said, sliding the other shoe off, "I wanted you."
She stood up suddenly.
Then reached behind her back and tugged the zipper of her dress down.
The fabric slipped from her shoulders and pooled at her feet.
My gaze flickered over her instinctively.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
Seraphina slowly stepped out of the dress.
Then she walked toward me.
Her arms lifted, sliding around my neck as she pulled me down into a kiss.
I kissed her back. Not because I wanted her but because I wanted silence.
And for one reckless moment, I thought she could give it to me.
Frustration poured into the kiss as hours of tension snapped loose.
She gasped softly as I pushed her backwards.
We fell onto the mattress, my weight pressing her down as her fingers tangled in my hair.
Her lips moved against mine desperately, breath warm and demanding.
For a moment—
It worked.
The anger faded.
The noise in my head quieted until the wrong face appeared.
The image slammed into my mind without warning.
My body froze.
Seraphina continued kissing down my jaw, unaware, but the moment was gone. Completely.
I pushed away from her abruptly and stood.
"What the hell?" she groaned.
Seraphina sat up, grabbing a pillow and holding it against herself as she stared at me.
"Seriously?" she snapped. "You start something and then just stop?"
"Leave," I said flatly.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Oh, I see," she said slowly. "You're sleeping with someone else."
I didn't answer.
Her expression darkened.
"If there's another girl," she said softly,
"I hope she enjoys breathing while she still can."
My jaw tightened.
"Seraphina," I said, voice low with warning.
But she kept going.
"You're mine," she said sharply. "If not mine, then no one's."
"You promised that I was the only one you would ever choose. You promised me that I am enough," she continued, tears starting to flow down her face.
I exhaled slowly.
I wasn't in the mood for this fight.
Without responding, I stood up and walked toward the bathroom.
I splashed some cold water onto my face, trying to calm myself down. I leaned against the sink, hands resting onto the cold tile as I stared at myself in the mirror, wondering why me.
Twenty minutes had passed.
By the time I stepped back into the bedroom, the room had fallen quiet.
I checked the corner of my bed to see that Seraphina had fallen asleep.
Somehow, she'd found one of my old high school hoodies and pulled it over herself, the sleeves swallowing her hands as she curled against the pillows.
I stared at her for a moment, guessing if I should wake her up and kick her out.
I then decided to walk around to the other side of the bed. I lay down carefully, leaving space between us.
I stared at the ceiling again, hoping this time to catch some sleep.
The ceiling stared back at me in silence.
And once again—
My thoughts drifted to Kitty.
I closed my eyes, forcing the image away.
Sleep eventually claimed me.
———————
I was woken by a rustling sound, stretching my arms and yawning. I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright morning light filtering through the window.
"Good morning," Seraphina said lightly, "you're finally awake."
I blinked toward the sound.
She stood near the mirror, adjusting her hair. She still wore my hoodie.
"Are you going to take that off?" I asked
She glanced over her shoulder.
"I'm heading back to my room to change for class," she said, ignoring my question. "I'll meet you at school."
Before I could respond, she walked over and leaned down.
I turned my head slightly, avoiding the kiss.
But she grabbed my chin firmly. Her lips pressed against mine briefly before she released me and straightened.
Then she walked out of the room without another word.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Groaning, I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
———————
I walked across the academy grounds with my hands shoved into my pockets, expression neutral, stride unhurried. Students moved around me in clusters—laughing, whispering, watching.
But today, I ignored it.
Ignored everything.
Because no matter how much I tried to focus on anything else—
My mind kept circling back to her.
Kitty.
It should've irritated me.
It did irritate me.
So why the hell was I still thinking about her?
I exhaled sharply, dragging my gaze away from the passing crowd.
"Kael!"
I didn't stop walking.
Darien caught up easily, falling into step beside me like he always did.
Behind him, a group of girls lingered, whispering and giggling, clearly disappointed he'd walked away from them.
He flashed them one last charming smile over his shoulder before turning back to me.
"Where did you disappear to last night?" he asked casually.
"Back to my room," I said flatly. "I was tired."
Darien let out a low, disbelieving chuckle. "You? Tired from partying? That's new."
I didn't respond.
He studied me for a second longer, then smirked. "Or was it something else?"
"Drop it."
"Alright, alright," he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "I'll let you pretend you're suddenly responsible."
We walked in silence for a few steps before he spoke again.
"So," he said, tone shifting, "you and my sister finally done playing whatever game that was?"
My jaw tightened slightly.
"No."
Darien raised a brow. "No, as in no you're not done, or no as in no you're not together?"
"We're not together."
He let out a soft whistle. "That's not what it looked like this morning."
I shot him a glance.
"She walked into class wearing your high school hoodie," he continued. "You've never let anyone wear that before. So yeah… people are talking."
"People will always talk," I said. "It doesn't change anything."
Darien's smirk faded slightly.
"You should probably make that clear to her," he said. "Because from where I'm standing, she doesn't seem to think it's over."
I stopped walking.
He stopped with me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I turned slightly, meeting his gaze.
"It is over." The words came out calm.
Darien studied me carefully, then sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Then don't drag it out," he added. "If you're done, be done. Don't give her reasons to think otherwise."
Darien's expression hardened.
"She's my sister, Kael."
"And if you break her, I'll stop being your friend long before I stop being her brother."
My expression didn't change. "I won't."
Darien held my gaze for a second longer before nodding.
"Good."
We continued walking.
Classes passed in a blur.
By the time lunch came, my patience was already thin.
I stepped out of the classroom, rolling my shoulders slightly as I moved through the crowded halls. Conversations overlapped around me as students created a pathway for me. Some nodded respectfully while others avoided my gaze.
We walked through the courtyard, but I stopped in my tracks.
Darien was saying something beside me, but I wasn't listening.
Because then—
I saw her.
Akilah.
She stood near the center of the courtyard, sunlight catching against her skin, her dark hair falling effortlessly past her shoulders.
And she was laughing.
Taylor, who I now realize was standing beside her, said something that made her laugh.
Then she touched his arm.
Just a brief touch.
Yet something vicious twisted inside my chest.
My wolf surged forward instantly.
Mine.
The growl hit so hard I nearly stopped walking.
I buried it immediately.
Disgust curled through me.
She wasn't mine.
She would never be mine.
So why did seeing another male, worst of all, Taylor touching her make me want to break something?
My jaw tightened.
I watched the way Taylor leaned slightly closer.
The way her lips curved again, softer this time.
Something ugly stirred beneath my skin.
Anger.
The realization hit hard.
And I hated it.
Hated how easily it surfaced.Hated that it existed at all.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my expression back into indifference.
This wasn't my problem.
She wasn't my problem.
Her laughter stopped.
Like something had snapped.
Her head turned.
And her eyes found mine.
The shift was immediate.
The warmth vanished from her expression, replaced by something sharp.
Anger.
Her posture straightened, and without breaking eye contact, she started walking toward me.
My lips pressed into a thin line. I didn't move.
I watched her approach, every step controlled, deliberate, her gaze locked onto mine like she was already preparing for a fight.
The courtyard was flooded with students, but she kept marching towards me.
Just as she was about to reach me, a hand grabbed my shoulder.
"Come on," Darien said, pulling me slightly to the side. "If we don't go now, we're not getting food."
I didn't react immediately.
For a split second, I considered shaking him off.
Letting her reach me.
Seeing what she'd say.
What she'd do.
But then—
I smirked.
And turned away.
Just like that.
Like she hadn't been walking toward me at all.
Completely humiliating her.
Darien kept talking as he dragged me toward the cafeteria, completely unaware of the tension he'd just cut through.
But I felt it.
Even without looking back, I felt her anger, and it was focused entirely on me.
A smile appeared on my lips as I thought, maybe she wasn't as weak as I thought she was.