Chapter 7 Garden
Kai smiled, stepping closer. “You didn’t wait long.”
“Long enough,” he replied, eyes scanning her face as if checking for something unsaid. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
She scoffed lightly, stopping just a step away—close enough that he could smell her perfume, familiar and comforting. “You know I always come when you call.”
That earned her a look—one filled with something dangerous. Something that had no place between them.
Christopher exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “You shouldn’t have done that back there.”
Kai tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Done what?”
“Look at me like that. Signal me.” His jaw tightened. “You know what it does.”
Her smile widened, satisfied. “I just wanted to talk. Is that so wrong?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Instead, his gaze dropped to her lips for half a second before he caught himself and looked away. “Selene noticed.”
Kai’s expression shifted—not guilt, but irritation. “She always notices everything now,” she muttered. “She’s not like before.”
Christopher frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She’s changed,” Kai said quietly, stepping closer still, lowering her voice. “And you feel it too. Don’t lie to me.”
His silence was answer enough.
Kai reached out, fingers brushing lightly against his arm—not holding, not clinging. Just enough contact to remind him she was there. Always had been.
“She’s different with you,” Kai continued, her tone soft, intimate. “But with me… she looks at me like she knows something. Like she’s watching me.”
Christopher swallowed. “You’re imagining it.”
“Am I?” Kai asked, eyes searching his. “Then why did you even come here if signaling you was such a bad idea?”
That hit.
He stiffened, then sighed. “I needed to clear my head.”
“And you came to me,” she said gently.
The words settled between them, heavy and undeniable.
Kai stepped into his space, her voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Chris. You never did.”
For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them—the quiet garden, the shared breaths, the familiarity that felt far too natural.
“She’s still my mate,” Christopher said at last, more like a reminder to himself than to her.
Kai smiled sadly. “I know.”
But her hand remained where it was.
“And yet,” she added softly, “you’re here.”
Christopher closed his eyes for a brief second.
That was all the answer she needed.
Christopher opened his eyes slowly, and when he looked at her again, there was something softer there—a vulnerability reserved only for Kai. He let his hand brush lightly against hers, fingers lingering a second longer than necessary. The touch wasn’t accidental. It was deliberate, a silent confession of need and possession.
Kai’s breath hitched slightly at the contact, her chest tightening in a mix of anticipation and guilt. Yet, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in just a little, letting the closeness speak for what words could not.
“You know,” she murmured, voice low and smooth, “I’ve waited for moments like this. When you’re not surrounded by everyone else, when it’s just… us.”
Christopher’s lips curved into a subtle, almost feral smile. “You shouldn’t,” he whispered, though his tone betrayed the exact opposite. “It’s… dangerous. For both of us.”
Kai tilted her head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know,” she said softly, letting her hand rest against his chest. “But I don’t care.”
His gaze dropped to her hand, lingering for a heartbeat before meeting her eyes again. There was a storm there—a mix of desire, longing, and the weight of secrecy. He leaned forward slightly, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him, the subtle tension in his body.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he said again, almost to himself, though the words barely left his lips.
Kai smiled, a small, knowing curve of her lips. “But you are,” she whispered, almost teasing, almost tender. “And I’m glad you are.”
Christopher’s jaw clenched, his wolf stirring at the warmth of her proximity, at the scent that had claimed him long before she even knew. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—deny the pull. His fingers tightened gently around hers, holding her in a quiet, possessive embrace.
For a long moment, they simply stood there, the world outside the garden fading, leaving just the two of them in that fragile, dangerous bubble where nothing else existed but their shared breath, their racing hearts, and the unspoken promise that this… this was theirs alone.
Then, reluctantly, Christopher exhaled, stepping back just enough to let her breathe. “We can’t stay long,” he murmured, his voice low but firm. “People are watching. Eyes are everywhere.”
Kai’s eyes sparkled with mischief and something softer beneath it. “Then we make the time we have… count,” she whispered, pressing a light, fleeting kiss to the side of his neck before pulling back.
Christopher closed his eyes at the sensation, letting out a quiet growl—part wolf, part human—as he exhaled through his nose, grounding himself. “Damn you,” he muttered, but the corners of his lips twitched upward.
Kai just smiled, the kind of smile that could unravel him completely if he let it. And he knew he would.
Before he could stop himself, the pull became irresistible. In one fluid motion, Christopher stepped closer, closing the distance between them, and gently—but firmly—pinned Kai against the edge of the garden wall. Her back met the cold stone, and for a heartbeat, she froze, caught between surprise and anticipation.
His hands found her waist, holding her close, the strength in his grip grounding both of them. His lips descended on hers with a force that was almost desperate, almost claiming, a kiss that left no room for doubt about whose presence dominated the moment.
Kai’s eyes fluttered shut, her hands instinctively gripping his shoulders as she melted into the intensity of it. The garden around them seemed to vanish—there was no one else, no chatter, no judgment. Just the press of his body, the heat of his lips, and the silent, intoxicating pull of two wolves recognizing the bond that had been simmering between them for so long.
When they finally parted, even slightly, their foreheads rested together, breaths mingling. Christopher’s eyes burned into hers, a mixture of desire, frustration, and a possessive tenderness that left her heart hammering.
“Gods, Kai…” he whispered, his voice hoarse, “you make it impossible to think straight.”
Kai’s lips curved into a sly, almost teasing smile, though her pulse still raced. “You’re the one who can’t resist me,” she murmured.
A low growl rumbled from deep in his chest, one part warning, one part claim. Christopher pressed his forehead to hers again, fingers tightening at her waist. “Not a chance,” he said, his voice firm, filled with ownership. “Not ever.”
Her fingers threaded through the back of his hair as she pressed her lips to his in a bold, fleeting kiss, one that spoke of intimacy, trust, and the dangerous bond they shared. Christopher’s hands cupped her face, grounding them both in the stolen moment, his wolf growling low beneath the surface, protective and eager.
But all of it—every heated glance, every secretive touch—was happening under the watchful eyes of someone who wasn’t supposed to notice.
Selene, seated at a distance, observed silently from the library doorway. Her eyes glimmered with amusement and intrigue, her notebook forgotten at her side. A slow, knowing smile curved her lips as she studied the pair, taking in every motion, every subtle flicker of emotion.
“So…” she murmured softly to herself, voice just above a whisper, carrying an edge of fascination and warning. “…this is what you are, my dear sister.”
And with that, she slipped back into the shadows of the library, leaving the scene burning in her mind, the tension unresolved, the game far from over.