Chapter 15 CHAPTER 15
Rafael’s POV
I deepened the kiss before I could think better of it.
I did not plan this. I did not think it through. But the moment my lips touched hers, something inside me just snapped.
My wolf surged forward, howling with satisfaction, finally finally finally, and every instinct I had screamed at me to pull her closer, to claim her, to make sure everyone in this room knew she was mine.
So I did.
I tilted her head back slightly, my fingers threading through her hair, and kissed her deeper. Her lips were soft, hesitant at first, and I felt her hands push weakly against my chest as if she might pull away.
But then the sparks hit.
The same electric current from before, but a thousand times stronger. It raced through every point where our bodies touched. My hands on her face, her palms pressed against my chest, our lips moving together. It felt like lightning in my veins, hot and addictive and right.
A low sound escaped my throat, something between a groan and a growl that I could not have stopped if I tried.
Mine. Mine.
The sparks intensified, spreading through my entire body like wildfire. My wolf was practically purring, satisfied in a way he had not been in months. The curse that usually felt like poison in my blood had gone completely silent.
Vivienne gasped against my mouth, and I felt the exact moment she stopped resisting. Her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer instead of pushing away, and she kissed me back.
Actually kissed me back.
I pulled her tighter against me, one hand sliding to the small of her back, the other still cradling her face. She fit perfectly against me, like she was made to be there, and the bond between us hummed with approval.
The cafeteria exploded with noise, cheering, screaming, people losing their minds, but it all faded into background static. There was only her. Only this.
Only the way she trembled slightly in my arms, the way her heartbeat raced against my chest, the way the sparks kept building with every second our lips stayed connected.
I had never felt anything like this. Not with Jessica, not with anyone. This was different. This was—
"Dude. DUDE. GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF. You are in PUBLIC."
Mathias’s voice slammed into my head through the mind link, sharp and urgent.
"Snap out of it before you do something you cannot take back. Everyone is watching. EVERYONE."
Reality crashed back.
The cafeteria. The crowd. The phones recording everything.
Shit.
I pulled back abruptly, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. Vivienne’s eyes fluttered open, dazed and confused, her lips swollen from the kiss.
She looked beautiful. And terrified.
"I…" Her voice came out hoarse. "What just…"
My hands were still on her face. I dropped them quickly, taking a step back and trying to get my wolf under control. He was fighting me, demanding I pull her close again, demanding I finish what we started.
Not here. Not like this.
I leaned in close to Vivienne, my voice barely above a whisper. "Sorry."
She looked like she wanted to say something, but I was already turning away, back toward Jessica.
Jessica stood frozen where I had left her, mascara streaking down her face in dark rivers. Her expression was pure horror, mouth open, eyes wide, like she could not process what had just happened.
Good. Now she knew exactly how Vivienne felt yesterday.
"We are done," I said, my voice carrying across the silent cafeteria. "Completely done. I do not want to see you. I do not want to hear from you. Stay away from me, stay away from Vivienne, and stay out of my life."
"Rafael…" Her voice broke on my name.
"I mean it, Jessica." My tone was cold and detached. "You disgust me. What you did, who you are, all of it. I cannot believe I wasted over a year on someone as shallow and cruel as you."
Her face crumpled completely. "How can you say that? After everything we…"
"Everything we what? Had?" I let out a harsh laugh. "We did not have anything real. You were with me because I am captain of the hockey team and it looked good for your image. And I was with you because…" I stopped, realizing the truth. "Because I was too blind to see who you really were."
"That is not true! I loved you!"
"No, you did not." My voice went flat. "You loved what I represented. There is a difference."
She took a shaky step toward me, hands reaching out. "Please, Rafael, do not do this…"
"Get lost, Jessica." I said it quietly, but something in my tone made her stop cold. "Before I change my mind about keeping your secrets."
Her eyes went wide with panic. She knew exactly what I meant, all that evidence on my phone that could destroy her.
Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I hate you," she choked out. "I hate you so much."
"Good. We are even then."
She let out a sob that was almost a scream, then turned and ran for the exit, nearly knocking over a table in her rush to get out.
The cafeteria exploded with noise the second she was gone. Everyone was talking at once, voices overlapping, phones still recording.
I turned back to Vivienne. She was standing exactly where I had left her, looking shocked, her fingers pressed to her lips.
"Rafael!" Emma appeared at my side, grabbing my arm. "What the fuck was that? Did you just… did you actually…"
"Not now, Em."
"Not now? Are you insane? You just—"
"I said not now." I pulled my arm free and walked straight to Vivienne, ignoring the stares, the whispers, the hundred phones pointed at us.
She looked up at me with wide, confused eyes. "Rafael, I do not understand what is—"
"Come on." I grabbed her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. The sparks hit immediately, racing up my arm, but I pushed through it. "We are leaving."
"What? But class—"
"Forget class." I was already pulling her toward the exit. "We need to talk. Somewhere private."
"Rafael, wait…" She tried to pull back, but I held firm.
"Vivienne, please. Just trust me."
Emma called after us. "Rafael! Where are you going?"
"Cover for us!" I shouted back without stopping.
"Cover for… are you serious right now?"
But we were already through the doors, leaving the chaos of the cafeteria behind. The hallway was empty, everyone still at lunch, and I kept walking, pulling Vivienne along with me.
"Rafael, stop!" She dug her heels in, forcing me to halt. "What is happening? Why did you kiss me? Why did you break up with Jessica? I do not understand any of this!"
I turned to face her, still holding her hand. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing quick, and she looked absolutely terrified.
"I know," I said quietly. "I know you are confused. And I promise I will explain everything. But not here." I glanced around the empty hallway, knowing it would not stay empty for long. "Somewhere we can talk without the entire school watching."