I stay silent, careful not to break the fragile cocoon that lets him open up.
“He said it was weakness,” Kai continues, voice thick with something like anger. “That soldiers don’t have time for sentiment. That I was dishonouring their memory by grieving instead of getting stronger for them.” His hand clenches involuntarily. “He took my sketchbook, tore it up and told me to stop being a child.”
My heart aches.
I reach out, resting my hand gently on his arm. Kai meets my eyes, raw and open, and it takes everything in me not to hold him.
“He said I needed to be stronger, that emotions were a luxury I don’t deserve.” He swallows hard, voice dropping to a rasp. “And then… he made sure I understood. Taught me a lesson I couldn’t forget.” He lifts his hands, and for a moment, they tremble. “That was the day I learned what it meant to be his son. And I never cried again.”
The scars on his palms are brutal. Deep, uneven gouges that cut through flesh like torn earth. The wounds never healed right, the skin twisted and ridged. For a lycan, healing is instinctive, effortless. But these wounds were different. Forced to stay open, again and again, as if someone was fighting nature itself.
“Since that day, I don’t leave any sharp tools near my art supplies.” The silence that follows is heavy, thick with the unspoken understanding between us.
Kai reaches up, lifting my chin so our eyes lock. He studies me for a moment, but I don’t pull away. If anything, I want to nestle into his palm, to soak in that quiet warmth, and show him that he doesn’t have to hide, not from me.
“But the moment that smart mouth of yours fired back and put me in my place… The weight felt a little less crushing.” Kai holds my gaze, then takes a slow, steady breath. “You feel like home. Like a forgotten peace, around you, I can finally breathe.” He leans in, resting on his left arm, while his right hand slides to my thigh. Anchoring me here, in this moment, not lost in some forgotten whisper. “That’s why I am helping, Princess.”
At last, he finally answers my question.
“Thank you for your shattered pieces,” I say softly.
The quiet stretches between us, warm and comfortable. His hand lingers on my leg, burning gently through the fabric, branding I don’t want to fade.
“What do you think we were to each other?” I ask the question slipping out before I can stop it.
Kai shrugs. “No clue. I know you were Wyll’s little sister’s best friend, and your brother was my brother’s best mate. Looks like we ran in the same circles.” His blue gaze holds my stare warm, the pupil dilating.
“You feel like home too,” I whisper and something shifts, my words shattering any barriers.
“Fuck it,” Kai growls.
In a flash, he’s on me. His hand slides beneath my knee, pulling me firmly onto his lap. I settle against him, straddling his hips, my heart pounding as a war drum. Kai’s rough grip is on my ass, possessive. The other hand is tangled in my curls, holding me tight. A low growl rumbles from his chest as he drags my face toward his. And our mouths crash together.
No hesitation.
No softness, just raw, starvinghunger.
Kai’s hold tightens; a whimper slips out of me. He doesn’t waste a second and slips his tongue inside, claiming me.
Swallowing my cries.
Moving in a fierce, tangled dance of lips and teeth, leaving me breathless, drunk on the sharp mix of mint, tobacco, citrus, and something coppery. My hand tugs roughly at his hair, while my tongue trails along his neck, leaving goosebumps behind. Hips rolling instinctively, meeting his hardness, and craving more.
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Vi,” Kai murmurs against my lips.
He lets go of my hair and grabs me with both hands, pulling me closer. Rolling his hips, sending a scorching friction through my leggings, doing nothing to slow me down. I moan, loud and unashamed, lost in the fire he’s lighting inside me.
“You’re fucking beautiful, Princess, especially when you sound like that for me.” His lips trail down my neck, biting harshly at my jugular before marking a path to my chest. I shyly explore him, while Kai devours me, greedily, desperate for anything I’ll offer. Without warning, he rips my shirt apart, exposing me in my lacy black bra.
“Kai!” I protest, indignantly.
“That’s right, Vi. Scream my name.” His mouth clamps down on my nipple, sucking hard through the sheer fabric.
And I obey, my protests lost in the heat. The contrast of his warm tongue on the sheer fabric and the cool night air sends me spiralling. Kai alternates between my breasts before pulling the material down, leaving me bare-chested under his fierce gaze. His hips move slowly and deep, and we’re drowning in lust.
“I think I am,” I breathe, throwing my head back as Kai keeps his rhythm, thumb joining in, pushing just right over my pants. It makes me gasp as the pressure builds. The sharp sting to my nipple is quickly replaced by a grip that steals my breath.
“Be a good girl and come for me, Vi,” he growls, tightening his hold on my throat. “Just for me.” His grip cuts through every thought, fear, doubt, and control, leaving me weightless. Until a storm of pleasure hits me, the spark shooting down my spine. Gasping, Kai crashes his lips onto mine, grounding me with the taste of salt and fire.
