Kael's POV
I shouldn't have let her walk away. The thought repeated itself relentlessly as I watched Lyra disappear into the crowd with her friend. Her figure vanished among the lantern lights, but the tension she left behind refused to fade. Every instinct inside me screamed to go after her. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin.
Agitated.
Impatient.
Possessive.
Mine.
The word echoed again inside my head, stubborn and unyielding. I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair as I forced myself to stay where I was. Chasing her in the middle of the festival would only attract attention. And there had already been too many curious eyes watching us tonight. Still… the memory of our conversation replayed in my mind.
Her denial. Her stubborn refusal to acknowledge what had happened between us. I clenched my jaw. She heard it. I knew she did. The way she froze when my wolf claimed her. The way her heartbeat raced when I confronted her. She knew.
And yet she had looked me straight in the eye and lied. The realization irritated me more than I expected. Who rejects their mate? Especially when that mate was an Alpha. My wolf growled low in my chest. Mine. "Yes," I muttered under my breath. "I know." Unfortunately, knowing didn't solve anything.
If Lyra truly believed what she said… if she really didn't believe in mate bond, then this situation was going to be far more complicated than I had anticipated.
"Talking to yourself now?" Austin's voice cut through my thoughts. I glanced over to see him approaching from the stands, his usual relaxed expression firmly in place. But his eyes were sharp, observant, calculating. Nothing escaped Austin's notice.
"You disappeared pretty quickly," he continued casually. "Care to explain?" I said nothing. Austin followed my gaze toward the crowd, scanning the direction Lyra had gone. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ah."
That single sound told me he had already figured it out. "You went after Lyra." I didn't confirm it. But I didn't deny it either. Austin chuckled softly. "I was wondering how long it would take." My head snapped toward him. "What's that supposed to mean?" He shrugged.
"I saw the way you reacted earlier." Annoyance flickered through me. "Everyone keeps saying that." "Well," Austin replied calmly, "everyone saw it." I crossed my arms.
"There's nothing to see." Austin gave me a look that clearly said he didn't believe a word of that. "You've fought rogues twice your size without breaking a sweat," he said. "Yet somehow one girl manages to distract you during a simple competition." I remained silent. Because arguing would only make it worse.
Austin studied me carefully before speaking again. "So," he said thoughtfully, "is she the one?" The question hit harder than I expected. My wolf stirred immediately. Mine. I looked away. "I'm not sure." Austin raised an eyebrow. "You're not sure?"
"That's what I said." He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "That's interesting." "Why?" "Because from where I was standing," he said calmly, "It looked like your wolf had already made the decision." I didn't respond. Because he wasn't wrong. The moment I touched Lyra, my wolf had recognized her instantly. There had been no hesitation. No doubt. Only certainty.
Mine.
The problem wasn't the bond. The problem was her. Austin seemed to sense my thoughts. "Let me guess," he said, "she didn't react the way you expected." I scoffed. "That's one way of putting it." Austin let out a short laugh. "She rejected you, didn't she?"
My glare was enough to silence him immediately. But the smirk on his face didn't disappear. "That's new," he admitted. "I didn't ask for your commentary." "Relax," he said lightly. "I'm not judging." He paused before adding,
"I'm just curious how you plan to handle it." That was a good question. One I didn't have an answer to yet. Because rejecting a mate bond didn't make it disappear. If anything… It made it stronger. Especially for an Alpha. And my wolf had no intention of letting Lyra walk away so easily.
"She won't be able to ignore it forever," I said finally. Austin tilted his head slightly. "You sound very confident." "I am." Because whether Lyra liked it or not, the bond between us already existed. She could deny it. Pretend it didn't matter. But eventually, her wolf would force her to face the truth.
Before Austin could respond, a sudden commotion erupted near the center of the festival grounds. Shouts spread through the crowd. People began moving aside, whispering as a group of elders stepped forward.
My eyes narrowed. Something was happening. And judging by the way the crowd suddenly grew quiet… It wasn't part of the celebration. One of the elders raised his hand.
"Attention!"
The music stopped. The laughter faded. The entire festival fell silent. A strange tension settled over the grounds. My wolf stirred uneasily. Because for some reason… My instincts told me this announcement had something to do with Lyra. And whatever the elder was about to say, was going to change everything.