Chapter 49 Chapter 49

Chapter 49 Chapter 49
Kaelani POV

By the time the ride comes to an end, the tension between us has loosened. I'm still mad at Zaire, but it doesn't feel as heavy anymore. At least now he understands why I'm upset, and I don't have to keep pretending I want him completely out of my space when I clearly don't.
Kaia is standing just outside the ride grinning when she sees me. One look at her face tells me she's dying to know what happened in that car.
“So, how did it go?” she asks, hooking her arm through mine as we walk.
“Don't start,” I warn, which only makes her grin wider.
Before she can interrogate me, my phone buzzes inside my bag. I pull it out and see a text from my father.
Daddy: Training tonight. Don't be late.
I look at the time.
7:00 p.m.
Shit.
Where the hell did the day go?
Between the tournament, Mitzy's, and Liam bringing us here, I completely lost track of time.
I turn toward the group. “Hey, I have to go. I have something to do at home.”
Everyone raises a brow.
“Secret mission?” Caelum asks.
I snort. “I wish. That would probably be less brutal.”
“What could you possibly have to do at home that's brutal?” Kieran asks.
“Training.”
“Training?” Sebastian asks. “At night? I thought most packs trained in the mornings.”
“We do. This is a private session with my dad and maybe my brother. I'm not really sure what today will be.”
That earns me another round of confused looks as we continue toward the parking lot.
“Wait, it changes?” Caelum asks.
“Yeah. No day is ever really the same.”
“What kind of training is it?” Liam asks.
“Sometimes wolfsbane, sometimes silver. Weapons. It really depends on my dad's mood.”
Everybody goes quiet.
Not gradually either. One second we're all walking, and the next I realize I'm several steps ahead of everyone.
I turn around.
Everyone is staring at me with wide eyes except Kaia, who has heard enough about my training over the years that none of this is particularly shocking to her anymore.
“What?”
“Silver?” Canon asks.
“Yeah.” I look between them. “You guys don't do that? You're the future leadership.”
“Yeah, but that's not part of our training.” Kieran's brows pull together. “What is he training you for?”
There's something about the way he asks that makes me hesitate. I've never really thought about how strange my training might sound to someone outside my family. It's just something I've always done.
I shrug. “I don't know. My parents told me that when I was born, the Moon Goddess came to them and told them that after I got my wolf, I would be hunted. My father has been training me since I was old enough to walk.”
The silence somehow gets worse.
Liam whistles low. “Damn, Mama. I know you said you were a warrior, but this is on an entirely different level.”
I roll my eyes. “It's not that big of a deal.”
“You're always downplaying how good you are,” Kaia says, rolling her eyes.
“Because it's not something I like announcing to everyone. I prefer being under the radar,” I murmur.
Kaia looks me up and down before gesturing vaguely at me.
“Yeah, we know. Too late for that.”
I suck my teeth because unfortunately, she's right. A perfect score in front of the entire academy probably destroyed whatever was left of my ability to blend in.
My phone buzzes again.
I don't even have to look this time.
“I have to go.”
We finally reach my car, and Kaia climbs into the passenger seat while the rest of the guys start heading toward Kieran and Liam's cars. I expect the three of them to follow, but of course they don't.
I turn toward my three guys.
There I go again.
My three guys.
I really need to stop doing that.
Kaia rolls down the window.
“Okay, I can still see you, so no make-out sessions.”
I slap my hand over my face. “Will you shut up?”
Her laugh comes through the open window, and despite myself, I can't hide the smile pulling at my lips.
I lean against the car and glance at Liam. “Thank you again for today.”
“Always,” he says.
The simple answer makes me smile. No teasing. No making a big deal out of it. Just Liam being Liam.
“You took yourself out of the group chat,” Kieran says low as he steps closer.
My heart stutters at his closeness.
“I just didn't think I was ready for that,” I say quietly.
“And now?”
I glance between the three of them. Less than an hour ago, sitting inside that Ferris wheel car with them felt like the worst idea I'd had all day. Now leaving feels strangely abrupt.
“I can come back.”
He grins.
And Goddess, his smile is fucking beautiful.
Goddess help me.
Liam pulls out his phone, and a few seconds later mine goes off.
“I added you back,” he says before winking at me.
“You three are too much.” I smile, shaking my head.
“Tell us you don't like it,” Zaire says, his lips curling slightly.
My eyes flick toward him. He's testing the waters, and judging by the small smile he's fighting, he knows it.
“I literally tolerate all three of you. Liam is the most tolerable.”
Liam immediately straightens beside me like I've just handed him an award.
“That's all I needed to hear.”
Kieran sucks his teeth while Zaire shakes his head, and I finally laugh.
“Okay, I guess I like being around you guys more than I care to admit. It is definitely not good for my reputation, though.”
“Oh, you have one of those?” Liam asks, laughing.
“Yes. Nerdy, quiet tomboy, loner.”
“That is a horrible reputation,” Kieran says with a chuckle.
“I liked it,” I argue. “Nobody bothered me.”
“And now?” Zaire asks.
I look at all three of them. “Now apparently I can't go anywhere without an entourage.”
“Upgrade,” Liam says immediately.
I roll my eyes, but my smile gives me away.
“Okay, I seriously have to go.”
I push away from the car, expecting that to finally end the conversation, but Kieran moves before I can even take a step.
He closes the distance between us.
“What are you doing?” I ask quietly, my heart immediately picking up speed.
His lips curl, and his eyes flick down to my lips before returning to mine.
“Well, the guys and I agree that I deserve the next kiss.”
I raise a brow.
“Oh, really now?”
“I mean, it's only fair, especially since my kiss got interrupted by someone,” he says, glancing at Zaire, who just smirks.
“Don't drag me into this,” Zaire says, holding his hands up. “I'm already trying to stay out of trouble.”
“For once,” Liam adds.
Zaire cuts his eyes at him, and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
Before I even realize what's happening, Kieran cups my cheeks. The laughter dies in my throat as soon as his hands touch me.
“Tell me to stop,” he says quietly.
I should probably make him work harder for it. I'm still a little mad at him, and that smug look on his face definitely doesn't deserve to be rewarded. But with him standing this close, asking instead of assuming, I suddenly don't care about any of that.
Feeling brave, I close the distance myself.
The moment our lips touch, my entire body feels warm. Kieran freezes for half a second, like he wasn't expecting me to be the one to kiss him, but then his hands slide from my cheeks. He grabs my waist and pulls me closer, deepening the kiss.
My hands find his chest, and everything around us fades beneath the feeling of his mouth moving against mine. His lips are soft, but there is nothing hesitant about the way he kisses me once he realizes I'm not pulling away.
I let out a soft moan.
Liam and Zaire groan behind me.
“Come on,” Liam complains.
I smile against Kieran's lips, suddenly very aware that we have an audience.
Kieran finally pulls away, but his hands stay around my waist for another second as I try to catch my breath. The satisfied look spreading across his face immediately makes me narrow my eyes.
“Better than I thought,” he says.
I slap his chest.
“And you just ruined it.”
He laughs as I push him away.
“I'm going,” I say, ignoring the heat still sitting in my cheeks as I walk around to the driver's side.
“Drive safe,” Liam calls behind me.
“And don't let your dad kill you,” Zaire adds.
I look back at him. “Very comforting. Thanks.”
His grin widens, and I shake my head before reaching for the door.
Before I get in, the strange sensation hits me so suddenly that my hand stops on the handle.
It feels like someone is watching me.
Not the normal kind of attention I've been getting all day. Not students whispering about the tournament or people staring because I'm standing beside Kieran, Liam, and Zaire. This feels different.
I look around.
People are still leaving the carnival in small groups. A couple walks past carrying a giant stuffed bear. Someone laughs near the ticket booth, and farther back, families move between the rides like nothing is wrong.
I don't see anyone out of the ordinary.
“You okay, Mama?” Liam asks.
I glance back at him. All three of them are still standing near the car now, watching me.
I nod slowly. “Yeah, I'm good.”
Nyra shifts uneasily inside me, and that does absolutely nothing to make me feel better.
“You feel it too?” I ask.
She doesn't answer immediately.
“Something feels... off,” she finally says.
I scan the crowd one more time, but there's nothing there. Nobody watching too long. Nobody standing out.
Maybe today has just been too much.
I climb into the car, start the engine, and pull away. I glance into the rearview mirror once as we leave the parking lot, expecting to see something other than carnival lights and people behind us.
But that's exactly what I see.
But the feeling doesn't leave me as I drive out of the parking lot.
If anything, it only intensifies.