Isabella
It was my first time. I never thought I'd find myself in this position—kissing a boy.
When he first strangled me and pinned me against the tree, I was terrified. My body trembled as I squirmed and wriggled, desperate to escape his grasp. But then he spoke.
His voice. God, his voice turned me into jelly. You might think I'm an idiot, melting like that from just a question: "Who are you?" But no, it wasn't just the words. It was his power, his right, something willed by the Moon Goddess herself that made me react that way.
So yeah, I kissed a boy. But not just any boy—my mate.
Do you know how excited and happy I was to meet my mate, and in this place of all places? What were the chances? To meet the one destined for me, a bond forged by the Moon Goddess herself, in a place I'd only thought of as another prison—the one I'd escaped to after fleeing my old one.
But I was wrong. Captive as I was in his hold, I didn't mind.
The rough bark of the tree didn't register; all I felt was the tingling sensation when his lips brushed mine. I froze, caught between disbelief and exhilaration. Was I dreaming? I wanted to pinch myself to be sure. But then he gently pulled me closer, his hand settling on my waist.
I let go.
For a moment, nothing else mattered. Not the reason I came here, not the alliance, not the fact that I was supposed to be someone else's betrothed. None of it.
All that mattered was this moment, here in his arms, alive in a way I'd never felt before.
His lips teased mine, warm and electric, as he bit gently, coaxing heat from my cheeks. My knees threatened to give out beneath me, but I stayed upright, held together by the strength of his embrace. I was his, and the fire inside me burned brightly.
When he finally pulled back, I gasped for air, my face flushed with embarrassment. I wasn't the girly-girl type, but damn, he was a good kisser. Not that I'd know much about that—I only had secondhand experience from observing.
Back in Lucian's pack, I was the loner, the girl everyone bullied. Sofia, my tormentor, was also my reluctant educator. Thanks to her and her gang, I'd seen more hookups than I'd ever wanted to. Schoolyards, woods, even the chicken coop at my house weren't safe from their antics. I judged them for it, not because of the act itself but because they wasted it on people who weren't their mates.
That was the one thing I held sacred: my firsts would be for my mate. And now, here I was, beneath the moonlight, sharing my first kiss with him.
"Still not going to talk?" he asked, his voice pulling me back to the present.
I glanced away, heat rising to my cheeks again. "Why should I tell you my name when I don't even know yours?" I shot back, sounding far braver than I felt.
From the corner of my eye, I saw his smirk—a smirk so different from the cruel ones I was used to. This one wasn't taunting or cold. It was mischievous and charming, like it could melt an iceberg with a single flash. Hell, it had already melted me.
He chuckled. "Kai Crescent. Beta of the Crescent Pack."
Kai? The name echoed in my mind. And then his words hit me: Beta of the Crescent Pack.
My heart raced. My mate was also my betrothed?
I stammered, "B-Beta?"
"Yeah. What's yours?" His voice was smooth, sending my pulse racing like a runaway train.
I hesitated. What if he rejected me when he learned who I was? I'd spent countless nights imagining this exact moment, picturing him turning me away, just like everyone else had back in the North.
He won't, Natalie, my wolf, encouraged. He's our mate. Tell him.
I took a shaky breath and forced myself to meet his eyes.
"Isabella," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Then, louder, "Isabella Morgan."
The moment the words left my lips, the look in his eyes changed. And I hated what I saw. I wished right then I could revert time. Or at least take back my words.