Chapter 192: Important conversation

The kiss is slow, affectionate, and completely possessive. Gasps and murmurs echo through the hall, followed by excited clapping and cheering from some of the students. My brain completely melts from the friction, but the embarrassment forces me to break the kiss. I grab his wrist and violently pull him out of the hall, dragging him into the quieter, empty corridor nearby.

Kai flashed his white teeth in a grin as he follows me into the hallway without a single protest.

"Should I be offended that my girlfriend and fated mate is currently treating me like a dirty little secret, flower?" He teases, a wicked smirk playing on his lips as he traps me against the stone wall.

I roll my eyes, trying to ignore how fast my heart is beating at the word girlfriend. "I'm just incredibly surprised, Kai. Besides... what if your ex-girlfriend sees us like this? Princess Rina is also a royal, and if she catches you kissing me in public, she is going to cause a big problem for us."

Kai’s smirk vanishes, and his expression turns completely serious as he reaches out to gently hold both sides of my face in his large hands.

"Rina doesn't fucking matter, Lyra," he says in a firm tone as his thumbs brush over my cheeks. "Besides, the girl hasn't even shown her face at this academy in weeks. You are my only priority, baby. Do you understand me? Only you."

The anxiety leaves my chest immediately at his words. I smile up at him, nodding softly. "Okay."

"Good," Kai murmurs, his eyes darkening with hidden excitement. "Because for your official congratulations gift, I got you a brand-new apartment. A private one located inside the royal quarter."

My jaw literally drops in shock. "what?"

"Yep. I also had a private movie theater installed inside the main floor, since I know how much you love to watch those movies with your friends," he continues, chuckling softly as he watches my expression. "And then I built a reinforced training center in the basement, filled with machines and equipment that will help you safely train your fox without anyone bothering you."

My chest tightens with gratitude, overwhelmed by the kindness of his gesture as tears prick the corners of my eyes. I don't say a single word. I launch my body forward and jump straight into his arms, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist as I hug him.

"Thank you!" I cry into his neck, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you so much, Kai! I love you!"

Kai chuckles deeply and wraps his arms securely around my hips to hold my weight against the wall. He leans down, pressing a tender, lingering kiss on my forehead. "You have absolutely nothing to thank me for, flower. Everything I am and own belongs to you anyway."

I pull back just enough to look at his lips, a bright smile on my face as I press a quick kiss to his mouth. Then another. And a third one right after.

"Although..." Kai whispers darkly, his green eyes flashing with a sudden, familiar hunger as his hand slides down to firmly squeeze my thigh. "You could properly thank me right now by following me back to my apartment and letting me feast on your delicious pussy for the rest of the morning."

I let out a loud gasp and push against his broad chest, laughing as my feet return to the floor. "You are completely unbelievable Kai! The girls are literally in the next room waiting for mr!"

"But I've missed you so much, flower," he whines, pulling me back into his space and circling my waist until I feel the erection that is quickly growing downward. "I miss your skin, your face, your scent. Fuck, I’m obsessed with you, Lyra."

"You literally saw me this morning before the sun was up, didn't you?" I point out, a playful smile stretching across my lips.

"That was hours ago," Kai growls softly, his head already leaning down as his lips hover an inch away from mine, preparing to claim my mouth all over again.

“Ahem.”

We both freeze instantly. The playful atmosphere vanishes, and we look up toward the end of the hallway to see Prince Roman standing just a few feet away from us.

"Um…Roman, hi!" I blurt out, my eyes widening in surprise.

For the last two solid weeks, I have hardly seen Roman around the campus at all. He stopped showing up to our usual meeting spots, his seat in the arena and cafe was always empty, and he had stopped replying to any of my text messages. He looks remarkably thin, his face slightly pale, and his dark eyes look entirely exhausted. My heart tightens with worry as I silently wonder what’s happening with him.

Before I can even take a step forward to ask him how his recovery is going, Kai grabs my waist and pulls me behind his frame, completely shielding me from view.

"What the fuck do you want, cousin?" Kai asks in a hard voice, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as he glares at Roman.

Roman stands his ground, a cold, unreadable expression on his face as he looks at Kai.

"I... I just wanted to congratulate Lyra on passing her level exams," he says quietly, his voice slightly rough. He pauses for a second, his gaze shifting past Kai’s shoulder to land directly on me. "And I need to tell her something really important." He pauses, his jaw clenching. "In private."

"No fucking way," Kai snaps back instantly, his voice dropping into a dark, territorial snarl as he pulls me even further behind his back. "You said your congratulations. You can turn around and leave this hallway right now."

A slow smile suddenly touches Roman's lips as he stares at his cousin's aggressive stance. "That's not for you to decide, Kai. The choice belongs entirely to Lyra. You already have her bound to you as your fated mate... do you still need to treat her like a mindless slave who has absolutely no choice in anything she does?"

A low growl rumbles from deep within Kai’s chest, the sound is so powerful that it vibrates through my entire body. I can feel the murderous fury rolling off his skin in thick waves. His green eyes start to turn a red. Vlad is coming out to slaughter Roman any second from now.

Panic spikes in my chest and I immediately step to his side and place both of my hands on his chest, trying to push my energy into our bond to stop his beast from shifting.

"Kai, please," I whisper frantically, looking up into his dark face. "Just... chill out. Please don't do this here."

Kai looks down at me, his chest heaving up and down in rough, furious pants. I stay still, watching him fight his Lycan until the red haze slowly fades back, leaving his green eyes clear again.

I gently move my hand up, placing my palm against his sharp, tense cheek. "Let me talk to him, Kai. Just for a few minutes. I'll be right outside with you."

Kai’s hands fly to my shoulders, and he squeezes tightly and desperately. "No, flower. There is absolutely no reason for him to speak to you alone. I am not comfortable leaving you with—"

"Kai, you promised me that you would let me make my own choices two nights ago during dinner, remember?" I cut him off softly, giving him a firm, unyielding look.

A look of frustration crosses Kai's face as he realize he’s caught. He lets out a rough breath, his jaw clenching tightly. "I know what I said, Lyra, but..."

"You have to start trusting me. And it begins like this," I say quietly, my voice steady as I stare into his eyes. "Please, Kai. I’m going to be completely fine. Roman is my friend. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. Okay? Please."

Kai stays completely quiet for a long, agonizing moment. He turns his head slowly, his lethal gaze burning into Roman’s pale face like a death sentence. Finally, he lets out a heavy, defeated sigh. He turns back to me, wraps his large hand behind my neck, and pulls me into a deep and possessive kiss that leaves my knees shaking and my head completely swimming.

He pulls away, his eyes flashing a warning one last time as he turns to his cousin. "You better not touch her for any fucking reason, Roman. I am giving you exactly two minutes. If she isn't back by then, I'm coming back."

With that, Kai turns on his heel and walks away, I watch him stroll down the corridor until he disappears around the corner, leaving me completely alone with Roman in the quiet hallway.

I let out a breath, shifting the pink bouquet in my arms as I turn to face my friend.

"So... what is it you want to tell me, Roman?"