Forbidden Flames
The storm outside the academy was relentless, sheets of rain battering against the stone walls while lightning illuminated the darkened halls. Lyra lingered by one of the arched windows, her reflection ghostly in the glass. The storm mirrored the chaos brewing within her—the secrets, the lies, and the ever-present danger of discovery.
She didn’t hear Adrian approach, but the intensity of his voice was unmistakable.
“We need to talk,” he said, his words cutting through the quiet like a blade.
Lyra turned, her silver eyes narrowing as she tried to mask her unease. “I have nothing to say to you.”
Adrian’s expression was cold, but his crimson eyes betrayed the frustration simmering beneath the surface. “You’re lying to me, Lyra. I can feel it every time I look at you.”
Lyra’s wolf stirred uneasily at the accusation, its instincts warning her to run, to hide. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice tight.
Adrian stepped closer, his presence overwhelming in the dimly lit hall. “Don’t insult me. I’ve been watching you, Lyra—watching the way you move, the way you avoid rituals, the way you’re always on edge. I don’t know what you’re hiding, but I know it’s something big.”
Lyra’s breath hitched, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. “Why can’t you just leave it alone?”
Adrian’s jaw clenched, his frustration spilling over. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you!”
The confession hung in the air, crackling like the storm outside. Adrian took another step closer, his voice softer now but no less intense. “You’re tearing me apart, Lyra. Every time I’m near you, it’s like I’m drowning in something I can’t understand.”
Lyra’s chest tightened, her wolf growling faintly beneath her skin. She knew the danger of letting this conversation continue, but the raw vulnerability in Adrian’s eyes made it impossible to turn away.
“This can’t happen,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Adrian’s gaze didn’t waver. “It already has.”
Before Lyra could respond, Adrian closed the distance between them, his hand cupping her face as he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was fierce and consuming, a storm of its own that left her breathless. For a moment, Lyra gave in, her wolf howling with both longing and protest.
But the weight of reality crashed down on her, and she pulled away, her chest heaving. “This is a mistake,” she said, her voice breaking.
Adrian’s expression hardened, though the vulnerability in his eyes remained. “Maybe,” he said softly. “But it doesn’t change anything.”
Before Lyra could respond, a faint sound caught her attention. She turned sharply, her wolf instincts flaring.
In the shadows at the end of the hall stood Misery, her crimson eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
“Well,” Misery said, her voice smooth and laced with mockery. “Isn’t this… interesting?”
