CHAPTER 5:The Alpha’s Desire

The forest had grown painfully quiet, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath. Shadows danced around us, the night pressing in from all sides. I could hear the soft rustle of leaves, the creak of branches swaying in the cool breeze, but everything else had stilled. All I could focus on was him.

Lucian stood before me, his chest heaving with each ragged breath. Blood seeped from the claw marks etched into his side, staining his skin and clothes. Yet, he looked like he didn’t feel any pain. His eyes, a burning mix of anger and something else I couldn’t place, stayed locked on me, making me feel exposed and restless.

“You’re hurt,” I said, my voice shaky but steady enough to show I wasn’t afraid. At least, not of him.

“I’ll survive,” he replied harshly, his tone clipped. His eyes flickered over my body, searching for injuries. His gaze softened only a fraction when his fingers traced the ripped fabric where the rogue’s claws had scraped my shoulder. His touch was so gentle, a strange contrast to his usual roughness.

“I’m fine,” I lied. The sting on my shoulder was nothing compared to the look he was giving me. Like I was both his salvation and his greatest mistake. “I can handle myself.”

His jaw tightened, frustration creasing his forehead. “You almost died, Aria. Do you understand that?”

“But I didn’t,” I snapped back. “Because I fought. Because I didn’t just sit around waiting to be rescued.”

He ran a hand through his messy hair, his chest still rising and falling too fast. “You don’t get it. You’re reckless and stubborn, and you keep putting yourself in danger for no reason.”

“For no reason?” I echoed, my voice rising. “You were dying out there, Lucian. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

His eyes narrowed, the golden hue of his wolf still flickering in their depths. “That’s the problem Lucian ,you think you have to save everyone. Even when it means throwing yourself into the fire.”

“You think I should have just stayed hidden and watched you die?”

“Yes!” he roared, the sudden fury in his voice startling me. “Because it’s better than losing you.”

The words hung between us, heavy and raw. I couldn’t breathe. For a moment, I wondered if I’d heard him wrong. But the tortured look on his face told me I hadn’t.

“I…” My voice trailed off, my chest tight. I didn’t know what to say.

He shook his head, his fists clenched. “You shouldn’t matter to me, Aria. You’re human. Weak. Fragile. I should see you as nothing more than a burden. But every damn time you put yourself in danger, it drives me insane.”

“Maybe you’re just angry you can’t control me,” I whispered, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

His gaze hardened. “Maybe. But that’s not it.”

I swallowed, my heart racing. “Then what is it?”

He took a step closer, the air between us thickening. “You should be terrified of me, Aria. I’m a monster,the king of the wolves.Everything about me should make you run and never look back.”

“But I’m still here,” I shot back. “I’m still standing in front of you. Why do you think that is?”

“Because you’re reckless.” His fingers brushed my arm again, his touch lingering. “And stubborn. And impossible to control.”

“And maybe you’re just afraid,” I challenged.

“Afraid of what?” he growled.

“Afraid of feeling something you shouldn’t. Afraid of wanting something you shouldn’t have.”

His eyes blazed with something that looked like fury and desire twisted together. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” I whispered, daring to step closer. The air between us was hot, my pulse racing as I looked up at him. “Maybe I understand more than you think.”

His hands trembled as they reached for me, his fingers brushing my cheek so gently it sent shivers down my spine. I leaned into his touch before I could stop myself, my skin tingling where his fingers traced along my jaw.

“Why can’t I stop wanting you?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion. “Why can’t I push you away like I should have right from the onset?”

The pain and confusion in his gaze made something inside me ache. This was the same man who had trained me like a soldier,But right now, it was nothing but raw, vulnerable need.

“Maybe because you don’t want to,” I said, my voice trembling. “Maybe you’re tired of fighting it.”

His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck, his grip gentle but firm. He pulled me closer, his breath warm against my skin.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his voice rough and desperate. “Tell me to stay away from you.”

But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.

Instead, my fingers curled into his shirt, holding on like he was the only solid thing in a world that kept crumbling around me.

“Don’t stop,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Don’t walk away.”

Something snapped in him then. His mouth crashed against mine, his kiss fierce and consuming. It was like he was trying to pour all his frustration, all his anger, all his desire into that one moment.

I melted against him, my body pressed tightly to his as his arms wrapped around me, holding me like I was something precious. Like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go.

His lips were hot and demanding, but I met him with the same hunger, the same desperate need. Every doubt, every fear, every harsh word he’d thrown at me vanished, replaced by the electric pull between us.

When we finally broke apart, our breaths tangled and our hearts racing, his eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them.

“This doesn’t change anything,” he said, his voice thick and strained. “You’re still reckless. Still stubborn. And you’re still going to drive me insane.”

“Good,” I replied, my lips curving into a small, defiant smile. “Maybe you deserve it.”

He let out a low growl, the sound rolling over my skin like a challenge. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re obsessed,” I shot back, my own boldness surprising me.

He chuckled, a rough, broken sound. “Maybe I am.”

But even as he said it, his hand remained tangled in my hair, his gaze still fixed on me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

And for the first time, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, I mattered to him too.