A bite from an Alpha King

Book 2 Chapter 9: A Kiss

-Lily-

Why him? Out of everyone who could have found me, why did it have to be him? My heart was racing, and my stomach hurt—not in a bad way, but in that fluttery, excited way that only he seemed to inspire. I couldn’t believe it was one of my patient’s sons who was giving me butterflies. It wasn’t right, these thoughts I was having about him. As soon as he returned with the water, I’d make sure he left me alone.

He won’t want you anyway, a voice said.

Exactly, I thought. I was just an ordinary person—nothing special to notice as you walked down the street.

“Here.” A deep, dark voice above me made me shiver and snapped me out of my reverie. My eyes slowly travelled up his tall, strong frame clad in black jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a black jacket. The t-shirt clung to his body, revealing his defined abs. Damn, I was practically devouring him with my eyes!

I quickly reached for the water he was handing me, trying to distract myself from how I had been ogling him just moments before. But as I took the water, our hands brushed lightly against each other, and I fumbled, dropping the glass.

In a reflex so swift it seemed straight out of a science fiction movie, he caught the glass just before it hit the floor. How did he do that? I wondered, as he once again came to my eye level, our gazes locking.

“Careful,” he said in his low, deep voice.

All I could manage was a nod as he guided my hand back to the glass, his touch firm yet gentle. “Drink,” he instructed.

I blinked, momentarily confused, realizing I had been sitting there, glass in hand, staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes.

“Y-Yes, of course,” I stammered, taking a long, grateful drink before setting the glass on a small table beside the couch. When I looked at him again, his intense yet soft eyes were fixed on me, almost as if he were searching for any signs of injury. I knew he must be wondering why I had nearly fainted in the hallway.

Part of me wanted to tell him the truth—not just because I was so captivated by his presence, but because fighting this battle alone was exhausting. I wanted to share my pain, to make it easier to bear, but I couldn’t.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

He didn’t respond or take my ‘thank you’ as a cue to leave. Instead, his eyes softened further, and his hand gently caressed my cheek. I was so startled by his touch that I gasped slightly, feeling the warmth of his hand against my cold skin. It was absolutely incredible, and I wished his hand would do more than just brush my cheek.

No, no, no, Lily! Get a grip! My mind screamed at me, knowing this was wrong. I forced myself to turn away, feeling even colder as his warm hand left my skin. I couldn’t help but notice a flicker of pain in his eyes before it was quickly masked. Did my pulling away hurt him? No, that couldn’t be true.

“This was very kind of you, but I’m sure you need to get back to your mother,” I said, keeping my eyes down. But he didn’t move away, and the atmosphere grew tenser. Why wasn’t he leaving?

“Lily—”

“Really, I promise, I’m fine. The water helped,” I interrupted, trying to dismiss him.

Go away, I thought, but he remained. I knew I had to take action and get up, but my legs felt like lead. My body was pleading to stay still, but I couldn’t remain here with him. What if someone came by and saw?

“Lily. Look at me,” his deep, commanding voice said, compelling me to obey.

Reluctantly, I lifted my gaze from the floor and met his intense, ocean-blue ones. As soon as our eyes locked, I felt like I was drowning, realizing I had made a mistake by looking into them.

“Please. I need to get back to work,” I whispered, though I remained rooted to my spot.

I was captivated by his powerful presence, unable to move even if I wanted to. Everything about him was intoxicating—his looks, his piercing eyes, and his strong, refreshing scent.

Each breath I took seemed to make my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be touched by him in more intimate ways. My thoughts turned darker, imagining more than just his hand on my cheek.

You need to stop yourself!

No, don’t stop! Kiss him. He’s so close!

Stop yourself!

No, don’t!

Yes, stop!

My heart and head waged a fierce battle. My head told me to leave, but my heart wanted something entirely different. I knew the rational choice was to listen to my head.

So I tried to quiet my heart and prepared to rise, but before I could even move, two strong hands cupped my face, pulling me towards warm lips that hungrily yet gently claimed mine.