The ground beneath her feet seemed to shift and move, as if the earth itself was trying to swallow her whole. She didn't know how long she had been running, but eventually, her legs gave out. She collapsed against a tree, breathing heavily, her body shaking from the cold and the pain.
She looked up at the sky, her eyes blurry from the tears she refused to shed. The stars looked so distant, so unreachable. Just like her happiness had felt only hours ago.
The wind howled through the trees, and Lucia hugged her arms around herself. She didn't know how long she could keep running, or if she even wanted to anymore. The darkness around her seemed to close in.
Suddenly, she heard it—a soft crunch of footsteps behind her. Lucia's heart skipped a beat, and she froze. She wasn't alone anymore. The pack had found her.
A voice cut through the silence, a low, menacing growl.
"Come with me, girl."
Lucia's blood ran cold as she turned her head slowly. The figure stepping toward her was tall, broad-shouldered, and his eyes glowed with an eerie light. It was one of Dante's men. They had caught her.
Her hands trembled as she pushed herself to her feet, but before she could react, another voice rang out, strong and full of fury.
"Stay away from her!"
Lucia's breath caught in her throat as she whipped around to see Kain standing there, his chest heaving, his eyes burning with anger. He was here. He had found her.
The wolves stopped in their tracks, confused, unsure of what to do. Kain stepped forward, his stance wide and commanding.
"She's mine," Kain growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Anyone who touches her, I will kill."
Lucia's heart skipped a beat. She had never heard Kain speak like this before. Never seen him so... fierce. The promise in his words made her stomach twist.
The wolves hesitated, their eyes flicking from Kain to Lucia, then to each other. Slowly, they backed away, retreating into the shadows of the forest. Kain didn't take his eyes off them until they were gone.
Lucia stood still, her mind spinning. She didn't know what to think, what to feel. Kain had just stood up to Dante's pack. For her. The words echoed in her mind: Anyone who touches her, I will kill.
Her breath was shaky as she looked at him, trying to process everything that had happened. Kain slowly walked toward her, his steps cautious but determined.
"You're safe now," he said softly, his voice gentle, though his eyes still burned with anger. "I won't let anyone take you from me. Not now, not ever."
Lucia just stood there, unable to speak. She had no words. She was angry, hurt, and confused. But there was a part of her that felt a flicker of something else—a sense of safety she hadn't realized she needed.
Kain reached out, his hand hovering near her face before gently brushing away a stray strand of hair. His touch was soft, but it sent a shiver down her spine.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything."
Lucia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Her chest tightened, and she didn't know what to say. Everything inside her was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, betrayal, confusion. But there was one thing she knew for sure: Kain hadn't given up on her. He had risked everything to come after her, to keep her safe.
She looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears. "Why?" she managed to whisper, her voice trembling.
Kain's eyes softened, and he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her gently. He didn't answer at first, just held her close, his warmth washing over her.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," he said finally, his voice rough. "I've been an idiot, Lucia. I never should've let you go. I'll fix this. I swear to you, I will."
For a moment, Lucia just let herself be held. She didn't know what to feel anymore. She had been so sure of everything before—so sure that Kain had betrayed her. But now, standing in his arms, hearing the sincerity in his voice, she wasn't so sure anymore.
The anger that had burned so fiercely inside of her began to cool, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope.
Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself believe in him again.
Kain's arms were still around her, and Lucia felt his heartbeat against her chest, steady and strong. His body was so close, his warmth seeping into hers, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. All she could hear was the rush of her own blood in her ears.
Her breath caught in her throat as she lifted her face to his. His gaze was intense, like he was searching for something in her, some answer. Her eyes flickered to his lips, and before she could stop herself, she was leaning in, just a fraction, and then—his lips were on hers.
The kiss was soft at first, tentative, like both of them were unsure if it was okay. But then, as if something snapped between them, the kiss deepened. His lips were hungry, his grip tightening on her waist, pulling her closer, and Lucia could feel her body responding, betraying the war of emotions inside her. She didn't think. She didn't want to think. All she knew was that she needed this—needed him—in a way she couldn't explain.
Her fingers clung to his chest, feeling the thudding of his heart, matching her own frantic pulse. It was as though they were both racing to keep up with each other, to make up for all the words they hadn't said, all the things they'd kept locked inside.
But then, just as quickly as it had started, the kiss ended. They pulled back, gasping for air, the sudden distance between them like a cold wind. Lucia's heart was still hammering in her chest, her mind spinning, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
She took a shaky breath and looked at him, not knowing what to say, feeling the heat still lingering on her lips. Kain was standing there, his chest rising and falling rapidly, eyes wide with disbelief, his expression blank.
"What was that?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kain ran a hand through his hair, his usual confidence replaced with something more fragile. He turned away, his back stiff, like he was trying to hide from whatever just passed between them.
"It doesn't mean anything," he muttered, his voice rough. He took a deep breath, as if trying to shake off the weight of the moment. "It's just... a moment. We're both a little confused right now."
Lucia nodded slowly, her fingers tightening into fists at her sides. She couldn't quite look at him. It felt like the ground had shifted under her, and she wasn't sure if she was falling or standing still.
"Right," she said, forcing the words out. "It was nothing. Just... a weakness. A moment I shouldn't have—"
She stopped herself, but the damage was already done. The tension between them thickened, and she could feel it pressing on her chest, heavy and suffocating.
Kain seemed to notice the change in her. He straightened up, his gaze hardening. He looked at her, and for the first time, there was something in his eyes that wasn't just the protective, distant alpha she had come to know. There was something more, something she couldn't name.
"Lucia," he said, his voice steady but colder now, "this marriage, this contract—it's for protection. Nothing else. I don't want you to think... that kiss... means anything. It was just a slip, a mistake. This is just business."
She felt a sharp pang in her chest at his words, the sting of something unspoken and raw. But she swallowed it down, nodding as if she was okay, even though everything inside her was twisted in knots.
"I understand," she replied, her voice tight, but she forced a smile. "It's just a contract. Nothing more."
She turned her gaze away, unable to meet his eyes. She didn't want him to see the vulnerability that had crept into her, the part of her that had started to believe maybe, just maybe, there could have been something real between them.
Kain stood there for a moment, watching her closely, as if waiting for her to say more. But when she didn't, he nodded and turned away, his shoulders tense.
"Good," he said, his tone final. "Because this won't last. We both know that."
The words hit her like a cold slap. They shouldn't have stung, but they did. She had known this, of course—this was just about protection, a deal, nothing more. And yet, hearing it out loud, hearing the finality in his voice, made something inside her ache.
As he led her back to the house, the silence between them was heavy. It wasn't just the cold air that made her shiver. It was the weight of the kiss they had shared, and the unspoken words that hung in the space between them, thick and suffocating.
Inside, Kain went about making sure everything was secure, his movements quick and efficient, but there was a coldness in the way he moved. The casual confidence he always had seemed gone, replaced by something that made the room feel small and distant.
Lucia sat on the couch, staring at the floor, trying to gather her thoughts. She had said it was nothing, but her mind kept replaying the kiss, over and over. Had it really meant nothing to her? No. She wasn't so sure anymore.
The door clicked shut, and Kain turned to face her, his expression unreadable. He stood there for a moment before speaking, his words almost too carefully chosen. "You don't have to worry about me, Lucia. We agreed on this, remember? It's not about us. It's just about keeping you safe. Nothing more."
Her throat tightened as she nodded. "Right. It's just... business."
But even as she said the words, a knot twisted deep in her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling that things had changed, that whatever had happened between them in that brief, heated moment wasn't something they could just forget.
"I won't let it happen again," she said quickly, forcing a chuckle, but it felt hollow. "Don't worry. I won't... have feelings for you. I know this is just a contract. I won't complicate things."
Kain nodded stiffly, his jaw tightening. "Good," he said, though his voice didn't sound convincing.
They both stood there, neither of them able to look the other in the eye, as if the unspoken words hung heavy between them, waiting for someone to acknowledge them. But neither of them did.
That night, as they both lay in their separate beds, the silence seemed louder than ever. The kiss, the words they had shared, the confusion—they all sat in the space between them, unanswered and unaddressed.
And though they both tried to convince themselves that nothing had changed, something deep inside them whispered the truth: What if it wasn't nothing at all?