Chapter 50
A few days later p>
Lily POV
When I woke up, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Consciousness returned to me slowly, like waves lapping at the shore of my mind. The room was dim, the curtain drawn to keep out the harsh afternoon light. My body ached from lingering exhaustion that seemed to come from my bones.
For a moment, I was disoriented trying to remember what had happened and why I was in bed again when Nala – my wolf’s voice filtered into my mind.
“You’re back!” Nala sounded relieved “You went into another coma because of exhaustion,” she added. “You pushed yourself too hard. Your body needed rest and I was helping you heal p>
I sighed, sinking back into the pillows, my mind was still foggy but it was slowly clearing. Snippets of everything that happened before the second coma slowly came to me. “My mate I began “Is it true? Is the Alpha really our mate p>
My wolf was silent for a minute as if it was considering my question. “How do you feel about him? What do you feel about Alpha Kai?” her voice was a mix of curiosity and caution.
I frowned. I didn’t know. Alpha Kai was undeniably attractive., His presence always moved something deep within me, an unexplainable emotion, a pull I couldn’t fully explain. But there was also fear there.
“I I paused considering the question again. “I think I may like him but it’s impossible not to. He has a very… unique… eye-catching personality,” It’s all so confusing to me and I thought… I thought Lucas was everything to me. I felt like I couldn’t get over him and I still feel that way,” I sighed.
My wolf hesitated and I could sense it unease. A few minutes later, it finally spoke. “I can feel both bonds – the one with Lucas and the one with Alpha Kai. But I trailed off.
My heart raced with anticipation and dread “But what p>
“The bond with Kai is stronger… much stronger and certainly undeniable p>
My eyes widened in shock. “Both bonds? How is that even possible? Everything I’ve heard and been taught about mate bonds – admittedly, not much – but I have never heard of such a thing before. How is it possible to feel connected to two mates at once?” I questioned.
“I have no idea!” Nala sighed.
Just then, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Celeste – Kai’s sister peeked in, but when she saw me sitting on my bed, a warm smile flitted across her face.
“Lily, you’re awake. Thank goodness,” she said as she stepped inside and hurried to my bedside. “We’ve all been so worried p>
I forced a small smile, though my mind was still racing with Nala’s revelation… “I’m okay now. Just… tired. I’m also sorry for making everyone worry. It wasn’t my intention p>
Celeste squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Please don’t apologize. It’s okay alright? You’ve been through a lot. Take your time to process everything and I should tell Kai too p>
My heart leapt at her words as I looked up at her, trying not to feel guilty. “W-Why?” I stuttered.
“Don’t be silly, Lily,” she chuckled “He has been beside himself with worry. You were out for seven days – c’mon… it’s only right that I inform him. Just give me a moment!” she said. Still holding my hand, her gaze dimmed as she sent a mindlink. After a few minutes, a small smile tugged at her lips as her pupils came back to normal.
“He was happy, even though he didn’t show it, I’m sure he’s happy and he would be joining us for dinner p>
“Oh!” my lips rounded in surprise as I tried to protest but that would be childish. So, I just nodded. I needed to face him – my mate – now more than ever. As much as I feared the unknown, I couldn’t run from it forever.
Besides, the thought of food made my stomach growl, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days.
Dinner time was a cold affair.
It felt nothing like the ones I was used to – when it was just me, Celeste and her grandparents. It was livelier, filled with laughter and jokes – there were no table manners but this… it was quieter and more serious. The air was thick as if everyone was afraid to talk.
Despite all the attempts from Celeste and her grandparents to make Kai talk, he grunted monosyllabic words and then paid too much more than was necessary attention to his food. He didn’t even look at me or talk to me. I was angry but I pushed it back down.
Maybe he didn’t want me, or he regretted having me as a mate and preferred, Briella. I played with the food on the plate, losing my appetite, also not being able to ignore Kai seated opposite me. Finally, when dinner ended, I shot to my feet and made an excuse about being tired and wanting to rest.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Kai looking at me but I ignored him and bounded up the staircase with both Celeste and her grandmother calling after me to take it easy.
Almost thirty minutes later, I heard footsteps coming towards my door, followed by a short knock. I knew it was Kai. Steeling myself, I walked to the door and opened it, trying to be as stern as possible.
“Hey!” he greeted “It’s good to see you up and about p>
Not what I was expecting but I decided to go with the flow. “I’m glad too p>
We stood there, for almost a minute before he cleared his throat “I was hoping we might have a chance to talk privately. There’s much we need to discuss p>
I didn’t say anything, I simply nodded and then stood to one corner of my door, a silent sign that he could come in. Once the door closed behind us, we stood there in silence, tension filling the room before Kai moved, crossing the room to where I stood.
He reached out and cupped my cheeks, gently brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Are you afraid of me?” he asked quietly, his voice holding a softness I hadn’t expected.
I swallowed hard, meeting his eyes “I…I don’t know p>
His gaze darkened but not with anger. “You’re my mate,” he said slowly “You belong to me and you p>
Before I could respond, he leaned in, capturing my lips in a tender kiss. The force of it stole my breath, his lips moved against mine in an intensity that left no room for doubt. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close and I felt the heat of his body searing into my skin.
“I’ve been so worried about you,” he murmured taking his lips off mine for a second as his thumb traced the curve of my cheekbone. “When you collapsed… I thought I might lose you before I ever really had the chance to know you p>
My breath caught in my throat at the raw emotion in his voice. I tried to relax into his touch to let myself feel the connection, Nala insisted was there, but Kai leaned in again, his lips meeting mine in a gentle kiss, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was wrong.
His kisses were deeper this time. His hands roamed over my back and down my hips… his kiss became more possessive as a soft sigh escaped his throat when I wound my hand around his waist. He paused for a minute, pressing open-mouth kisses all over my face, my neck… stopping briefly to suck at a sensitive part of my neck.
I moaned with pleasure but I was still tense and jumpy. His hands moved past my waist and cupped my butt cheeks… I groaned at the shock of pleasure that pooled at my lower abdomen.
“goddess! Lily!” he groaned taking my lips again “You’re perfect p>
I felt my heart jump with fear at his word but my body responded to him instinctively. But Kai wasn’t fooled. He pulled back suddenly, his brow furrowed with concern. “Lily,” he said, his eyes were still dark with desire and his voice was husky. “What’s wrong? I can feel your hesitation.