A Forbidden Kiss
The moon loomed over Nightshade Academy, its silvery glow streaming through the tall, arched windows of the empty corridor. Lyra leaned against the cold stone wall, her heart racing after another close encounter during combat class. Misery’s accusations, Dorian’s suspicions, and the Vampire King’s chilling gaze weighed heavily on her mind.
She needed a moment to breathe, to calm the wolf clawing beneath her skin.
“You always seem to find the shadows.”
The voice sent a shiver through her, and Lyra turned sharply. Adrian stepped out from the gloom, his movements deliberate and graceful, his crimson eyes glinting like smoldering embers in the dim light.
“I could say the same about you,” Lyra replied, forcing a calm she didn’t feel.
Adrian smirked, his gaze unrelenting as he closed the distance between them. “What are you running from this time?”
Lyra tensed, her fingers curling into fists. “I’m not running from anything.”
Adrian tilted his head, studying her with unnerving intensity. “You’re always so careful, so controlled. But when you fight, there’s something wild about you. Something raw.”
Lyra’s pulse quickened. “I’ve told you before, Adrian. You’re imagining things.”
“Am I?” Adrian stepped closer, his presence overwhelming.
Lyra pressed her back against the wall, her heart hammering as his gaze searched hers. Every instinct told her to push him away, to leave before her wolf betrayed her, but she couldn’t move. Adrian’s closeness was suffocating and magnetic all at once.
“You’re not like the others,” he murmured, his voice soft but charged.
Lyra’s breath hitched as Adrian reached up, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered, cold against her skin but sparking something dangerous within her.
“Adrian,” she whispered, a warning she didn’t even believe herself.
His lips quirked into a faint smile. “Tell me your secret.”
Before she could respond, Adrian leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss that stole the air from her lungs. The world seemed to fall away, the weight of their secrets vanishing in the electric pull between them.
Lyra’s wolf surged to the surface, her senses sharpening. She tasted his blood-tinged breath, felt the controlled strength in his touch, and a low growl built in her throat.
Adrian pulled back suddenly, his gaze sharp and searching. “There it is,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lyra froze, fear flooding her as she realized what had just happened.
Adrian’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. “You’re not like the others,” he said again, his tone softer but no less intense.
