Chapter 18 My Lira
Kael
Lira.
She’s the only thing that had been on my mind since she left my office, teary-eyed and angry. Why did she have to be so stubborn? Why couldn’t she understand that I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing her spend the night with another man?
And even though I still didn’t understand what was going on with the both of them, I could still trust Rowan to protect her as his date.
My words were probably a bit too harsh, but she had to know that she couldn’t just disrespect me like that because she was my mate. I was still her Alpha.
“Kael,” Elena whispered to me as she tapped my shoulder. “You seem distant. Are you alright?”
I clenched my jaw as Lira flashed in my mind again, weaving into every thought, every breath. “Yeah. I am.” I replied and took her hand in mine. “You look ravishing.”
Elena blushed as I raised her hand to my lips and placed a kiss on it. To everyone else, we were dancing. A lovely couple, and I was immersed in the beauty of my Luna.
But no, my thoughts were filled with her daughter. As we danced, my eyes found her in the crowd. And my wolf began to howl and thrash inside me.
I couldn’t find the words to describe how ethereal she looked. She looked a lot more mature, and sexy in a different way. Jealousy filled me at the thought of the other men that had feasted on her beauty with their eyes before I got the chance to.
Lira. My Lira.
As we moved, my gaze kept finding hers, and all I could think about was tasting her. Tearing that devilishly sexy dress off her. Being inside her again, and my name on her lips.
But I could see the pain in her eyes as she watched me dance with someone who wasn’t her. Her mother. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she stormed off, and my body almost went with her.
“Relax, Kael. You are so tense right now,” Elena whispered again, concern in her voice this time. I offered her a smile and continued the dancing. The song was almost done. I’d go find Lira after.
I tried to relax and push her to the back on my mind, but it was futile. My wolf yearned for her, and my heart too. Even more because I had hurt her.
I shouldn’t have been that harsh. Shouldn’t have made her cry. My fingers itched to wipe the tear off her cheeks, to hug her, kiss her forehead and tell her I’m sorry. Tell her I didn’t mean what I said. That I was jealous, and my ego was the one talking.
The damage had been done, and even now, I was resisting the urge to leave Elena and go straight to Lira. I had duties to perform. To the pack and to her mother. Once again, she’d have to wait. She’d have to be put aside. I just hoped she’d understand.
The melody faded, and polite applause followed. I released Elena’s waist, ready to make an excuse to leave, when a sharp scream sliced through the night.
Every instinct in me went feral. My head snapped toward the sound, outdoors, behind the hall. The hairs on my neck bristled.
That was the direction Lira went.
Another cry came, and this time, I knew it was her.
I ran. I didn’t think. Didn’t care about the guests staring after me or Elena’s confused call. My wolf’s growl echoed in my chest, urging me forward. Every step felt like a lifetime.
When I burst through the backdoor, the cold air hit me, along with the sound of splashing water.
My heart stopped.
Lira’s head sank beneath the pool’s surface, her dress floating like a pale ghost in the water.
“LIRA!”
I didn’t hesitate. I dove in, the chill biting through my clothes instantly. I dimly registered Rowan shouting behind me and diving in too, but I was already halfway across.
My wolf roared in panic as I reached her. I caught her around the waist and kicked upward with everything in me. She was limp in my arms, her hair heavy, her lips pale blue.
We broke the surface, and I hauled her onto the pavement, lowering her gently to the ground. The world blurred around me, voices, footsteps, gasps. I didn’t care. All I saw was her motionless body.
“Lira, come on,” I muttered, tapping her cheek lightly. Her skin was cold. Too cold.
I tilted her head back, started chest compressions. One. Two. Three. “Breathe, dammit!”
My control cracked as I pressed again, the crowd’s whispers closing in around us. The fear clawing inside me wasn’t just mine, it was my wolf’s, raging, howling for his mate.
When she didn’t respond, I threw all caution aside. I leaned down and breathed into her, willing life back into her lungs.
Once. Twice.
The third time, she jerked. Coughing. Water spilled from her mouth as she gasped, trembling violently.
Relief hit me so hard my knees almost buckled. I gathered her into my arms, pressing her close as she fought to catch her breath.
“She’s alright,” someone said behind me, but I barely heard them. I was too busy listening to her heartbeat, weak but steadybeneath my fingers. She was alive. She was still with me.
But my relief quickly turned to anger. Seeing her so helpless almost blinded me with fury, the only reason I kept my cool was to avoid arousing suspicions. Of course I didn’t worry about the pack members, they would see it as me caring for my mate’s daughter.
It was Elena I was worried about, she was sharper than even the kitchen knives. Even as she stood there watching, in the midst of the crowd, I knew I had to be careful.
Lira wouldn’t have jumped in the pool. Not when she couldn’t swim. That meant someone pushed her. And I already had a good idea who.
I lifted my gaze, and there she was. Alicia, wrapped in a towel beside Rowan, wet and wide-eyed like some helpless victim.Rage pulsed through me. “How did this happen, Rowan?”
“I-I-I…” He stammered, eyes flicking nervously between me and Alicia.
“She is your date, isn’t she? So why was she in danger when you were supposed to be with her and protect her?”
“Dad, she’s safe now,” he said quickly, defensive. “And besides, she was the one that ran off.”
White-hot fury flashed through me. My wolf snarled beneath my skin, demanding retribution. I almost gave in, almost ordered him locked in the dungeon right then. But I couldn’t, not here, not in front of all these people. I forced my tone to sound calmer..
I turned to Alicia, who was dabbing at her fake tears. “How did this happen?”
She blinked, her voice trembling in practiced innocence. “I saw her alone, and I came to meet her to console her, and ask her why she was out here all by herself. She saw me and accused me of stealing Rowan from her for the night.”
She raised her hand, showing a thin scratch. “She was so angry that she started to fight me. The next thing I knew, she scratched me and pushed me into the pool. I guess she lost her footing and fell in too.”
Her voice dripped with false sweetness. I could smell the lie, sour and strong in the air. My jaw tightened. The wolf inside me growled, ready to tear through my restraint. Because I knew Lira. She wouldn’t start a fight. And I would find out exactly what happened.
And when I did Moon goddess help whoever touched her.