Heart Bound

A Mate’s Kiss

Kyrie's POV

After cutting another slice of cake and laughing over every embarrassing story Gina and Channing could dig up about me, the night started winding down, but my friends weren’t going anywhere. They’d both brought sleeping bags, and we spread them out across my bedroom floor, creating a makeshift camp in the dim light.

As the clock ticked toward midnight, we found ourselves talking about the Silver Moon, the rare lunar event that just so happened to fall on my birthday. Channing was the first to bring it up, glancing over with a curious glint in his eye.

“So… Silver Moon tonight,” he said, his tone casual but filled with something that felt almost like anticipation. “Supposed to be big, especially for supernaturals. They say it can change things.”

Gina nodded, leaning back against her pillow. “In the fae world, it’s considered one of the most powerful nights of the year. Magic practically hums through the air. It’s like the moon unlocks something hidden in everyone.” She gave me a small smile. “Even humans can feel it sometimes.”

I shrugged, trying to laugh it off, but something inside me felt restless, like a quiet vibration was building, an anticipation I couldn’t explain. “Well, here’s hoping I at least get some of that legendary Silver Moon luck.”

We laughed, but the tension in the room felt charged, as if we all sensed that tonight was different, even if none of us could say why. My mom knocked on the door, poking her head in with that same overly cheery smile from earlier.

“Hey, kiddos,” she said, her gaze lingering a little too long on me. “Make sure you get some rest, okay? And Kyrie… don’t go wandering around tonight. I’d feel better if you stayed inside.”

I frowned, feeling an odd twist of resistance in my chest. “Yeah, Mom. Of course.”

She lingered a moment longer, her gaze filled with something unreadable, before finally nodding and closing the door.

The three of us lay there, talking softly until our voices grew quiet, and one by one, we drifted off to sleep. But as midnight approached, something pulled me from sleep, an invisible force that seemed to wrap around my chest and tug me toward the window. I sat up, glancing at Gina and Channing, who were both sound asleep, before slipping out of bed and moving silently through the house.

The clock chimed twelve as I tiptoed past my mom’s room, then the stairs, until I was at the door, slipping outside into the cool night air. My feet carried me forward, each step feeling more certain, more inevitable. There was a pull in the air, a quiet hum that drew me down the street, past the familiar houses and trees, until I reached the dead end at the end of my street.

There, bathed in the silvery light of the moon, stood Cal.

He looked up as I approached, his dark eyes catching the light, a quiet intensity in his gaze. We didn’t say anything; words felt unnecessary, almost impossible. It was as if something had taken hold of us both, something neither of us could deny.

Without thinking, I stepped closer, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from him, close enough to see the faint gold flecks in his eyes. He lifted a hand, brushing his fingers softly against my cheek, sending a rush of warmth and tingling energy through my skin.

“Kyrie…” he whispered, his voice rough, like he was fighting against something, yet completely surrendered to it at the same time. “I don’t know why I feel this way, but… I can’t stop myself.”

I nodded, feeling the exact same way. It was as if the moon, the night, and everything around us were pushing us together, closing the gap between us. I took a shaky breath, and before I knew it, our lips met.

The moment our lips touched, it was like a floodgate opening. A surge of energy raced through me, raw and powerful, wrapping around every nerve, every heartbeat. My body trembled under the intensity, a sensation that was both overwhelming and utterly right, like I’d been waiting for this moment my whole life. His hands moved to my waist, steadying me as the kiss deepened, and I felt a tingling warmth spread from my lips to every inch of my skin.

Then, all at once, something inside me snapped awake. My senses exploded, sharper, more alive. I could smell him, a scent that was warm and earthy, like pine and fresh rain, mixed with something uniquely his—something that felt like home. His touch sent waves of tingling warmth through me, each one amplifying the electric pull between us. My heart raced as I felt the presence of something else within me, something ancient and fierce.

*Mate.*

The word echoed in my mind, as if it had always been there, waiting for this exact moment. I pulled back slightly, staring up at Cal as the realization settled over me. He was looking at me with the same intense recognition, his eyes darkening as he searched my face.

“You’re… a wolf,” he murmured, his voice filled with awe and surprise. “Kyrie… you’re like me.”

I blinked, the shock of his words sinking in. *A wolf?* I’d grown up thinking I was just a human, ordinary in every way, but now… now I could feel it—the presence of my wolf, stirring beneath the surface, fierce and powerful, just like the dream.

I took a shaky breath, feeling the bond between us deepen, thrumming with an energy I couldn’t ignore. My feelings for him, the ones I’d tried to push down and deny, blossomed into something undeniable, something overwhelming. His touch sent shivers down my spine, tingling warmth spreading through my skin wherever his fingers brushed.

“Mate,” I whispered, the word slipping from my lips like it had been there all along, waiting for him.

Cal’s face softened, a small, almost reverent smile crossing his lips as he brushed his fingers along my jaw. “Mate,” he echoed, his gaze filled with a fierce protectiveness that made my heart race.

Everything about him felt intensified—the pull, the connection, the way his scent made my head spin. I could feel every inch of him, every steady beat of his heart, and each breath he took seemed to sync with my own. His hands slid down to my waist, and I felt that strange electric pulse radiate between us, as if we were two halves of a whole finally finding each other.

I leaned in again, breathing in his scent, letting it wrap around me. The world around us faded into the background, leaving only the two of us standing there, caught in a moment I knew I’d never forget. This wasn’t just a kiss—it was a bond, a promise, something ancient and binding that neither of us could break.

As I pulled back, still caught in his gaze, reality slowly seeped back in. I realized, with a rush of clarity, that everything was different now. The ordinary life I’d always known was gone, replaced by a truth I couldn’t ignore.

“Kyrie…” Cal whispered, his voice a soft murmur. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this… for you.”

My heart swelled at his words, a warmth blossoming in my chest as I looked up at him. But before I could respond, the quiet of the night was broken by a distant, chilling howl. We both froze, the spell of the moment shattered as the sound echoed through the stillness, a reminder that we weren’t alone, that something—or someone—was watching.

“We should go,” Cal murmured, his eyes flickering with concern as he glanced back toward the end of the street. “I don’t know what that was, but it’s not safe here.”

I nodded, still shaken, but as I looked into his eyes, I felt a surge of strength, a certainty that, no matter what came next, we were in this together.

Taking his hand, I whispered, “Let’s go.” And as we turned, running side by side into the shadows, I knew my life had irrevocably changed—and that this was only the beginning.