Chapter 39

Isla POV

The dam inside me cracked and burst into tiny pieces. My eyes burned, tears spilling over as I let out a shaky laugh. “You shouldn’t say things like that to me, Kieran.”

“Why not?” His thumb swept away the tear that I didn't know had spilled over on my cheek. “Because you’re supposed to belong to him?”

My silence was answer enough.

Even him being this and saying all these things to me…it was wrong.

He leaned closer, the scent of pine and smoke wrapping around me, different from Tristan’s cedar and steel. Softer. Safer.

My wolf stirred, confused, the bond snarling against the pull of something else entirely…..something that felt dangerously like desire.

“You’re fighting it,” he murmured, his lips so close I could feel the heat of them ghosting my skin.

“Of course I’m fighting it,” I whispered back, my hands fisting against his chest, not to push him away but to hold myself steady. “Because this isn’t fair. To you. To me. To him.”

I felt him go still against me. “Tristan doesn’t even want you,” Kieran snapped, not cruel but raw, his frustration bleeding through. “He wants her. Viviana. And you’re here, breaking yourself in half to fit into a place he won’t let you have. The moment she's back, he'll toss you aside like trash without a second thought.”

His words struck like lightning.

The truth of them burned. I opened my mouth to deny it, but nothing came out.

He's right.

No matter how much I try to prove myself to his family, the elders, the staff…. I'm never going to fit in here because this life was never designed for me.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Kieran said fiercely, his hand sliding to the back of my neck, gentle but firm. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t feel this. That you don’t feel me.”

The bond inside me roared, screaming Tristan’s name, clawing at my chest.

My lips parted as I tried to deny it but no words came out from my throat.

My head told me this was wrong.

But my heart… my heart was beating itself bloody against the cage, begging for release.

Begging for him.

Tristan would never see me or love me the way I wanted, and neither would Richard.

But Kieran…now he's a different story.

“I shouldn’t,” I whispered. “But I do.”

Those words were all it took.

Kieran let himself loose against the invisible strings that held him apart.

Moving so quickly, His lips crashed against mine, and the world tilted.

The kiss was fire and desperation, nothing like the cool indifference Tristan had given me.

Kieran kissed me like I was oxygen, like he’d been holding his breath his entire life and finally found air.

That's pure need, that raw desire was my undoing.

Because I- goddess help me- I kissed him back.

My fingers that were tangled in his shirt pulled him closer, needing the weight of him to anchor me against the sweeping tide that was this all-consuming feeling and desire raging within me. His hands framed my face, then slid down to my waist, pressing me against him as if he could keep me there forever.

And oh, how I wanted him to… for that brief moment anyway.

The mate bond screamed, sharp and angry as I was with someone who wasn't Tristan but I shoved it down, drowning in the sweetness of his mouth, the warmth of his touch.

For the first time in weeks, maybe months, I didn’t feel like a placeholder. I felt wanted.

We broke apart only when breath demanded it, foreheads pressed together, both of us trembling.

Both how we feel and the repercussions of our actions are starting to sink in.

“This is dangerous,” I whispered, my lips brushing his as they hovered mere inches away

“I don’t care,” Kieran breathed, his thumb stroking my jaw as his eyes caressed my face. “You’re worth it.”

And gods, hearing that nearly broke me.

Because for one reckless heartbeat, I believed him.

I was so caught up in Kieran that I didn't hear the door opening until it was too late.

Lily's shocked gasp shattered the moment like fine china.

I pulled away from Kieran instantly as though his touch had burned me, stumbling back against the banister.

My heart beat loudly, the sound echoing in my ear as my breathing went ragged, guilt crashing over me in waves.

Kieran didn’t move at first; his jaw only tightened, but his eyes stayed locked on mine, unwilling to let me go, even with an audience.

One that could ruin everything that we've both worked so hard to achieve with a single word.

Lily stood frozen in the doorway, wide-eyed, her hands clutching the edge of her apron.

For a moment, the silence was suffocating, no one moving.

I could hear every beat of my heart, every whisper of the bond screaming Tristan’s name.

But I didn't dare say anything.

Then, mercifully, Lily spoke. “My lady,” she said quickly, her voice steady though her cheeks were flushed as she averted her eyes to give us some semblance of privacy. “The staff… they were wondering if you’d be returning. Some of the guests have begun to leave.”

She had seen.

Lily had seen everything.

But she was giving me an out.

I nearly collapsed to the floor in relief.

Kieran finally stepped back from me reluctantly, his eyes stormy but his expression unreadable.

He didn’t argue, didn’t explain.

He simply gave me a look that said more than words could ever hold….longing, frustration, something dangerously close to promise…. brushing a hand over my cheek tenderly and then he walked past Lily, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.

I pressed my palms to my heated face, wishing I could scrub away the memory of his touch, his taste.

But it clung to me, stronger than the bond or anyone's touch ever had.

But before I could float into the dreaming, I remember that Lily was standing a couple of feet away, probably wondering what to say or do.

I opened my mouth, not exactly sure what I had planned to say. “Lily, I am…”

Thankfully, she stepped in.

“You don't need to explain anything to me, Luna.” Lily’s voice softened. “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”

My gaze snapped to her, temporarily speechless. She looked younger than her years just then, worried about me but loyal. “Lily, I can't ask you to do that.”

“You don't have to, Luna but I just have to say…” she peeks up at me from beneath her lashes.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Luna,” she whispered, glancing around to be sure we were alone. “But… I’m with you. Always.”

Her words should’ve soothed me, but instead they sank like heavy stones in my chest.

The last thing I wanted was to have her lie for me.

A secret shared was a secret that lived in the open air, always at risk of being overheard.

And that was the last thing I wanted, especially right now.