Chapter 6 FIVE

[NYRA'S POV]

My pulse quickens as I stare at Keiran, his shadow covering me like a cloak. Every instinct in me screams out to take his hand again just to feel and confirm what I just heard.

“Mate!" Lyric whispers again, louder this time.

My fingers itch to pull him close, to kiss him like my life depends on it. Without thinking further about it, I rise to my knees, reach for his collar, pull him towards me and crash my lips against his.

I half expect him to push me away, but he does the exact opposite. He grabs my waist and pulls me flush against his chest, all the while deepening the kiss.

I am not a prude.

I have kissed several men growing up. Hell, I've f****d a lot of them as well. But none of them come close to this.

To Keiran's lips on mine, devouring it like a starved prisoner. His grip tightens around my waist and I slide my hands around his neck.

F**k, he tastes good! A moan escapes my lips and it only serves to ignite the burning fire between us.

He pulls me even closer, if that's even possible, sucking, biting and nibbling on my bottom lip while his tongue strokes mine, doing wonders to my insides.

The man kisses like a pro.

Then all of he sudden, as if hit by an invisible force, he pulls away. “Fuck!" He curses, running his hand through his hair.

Lyric whimpers inside my head but I am too focused on the heat between my legs to bother about her whining.

I open my mouth to speak, but Keiran walks away without so much as a word. Asshole!

“We have two super hot mates!" Lyric screams and I shake my head.

“How does that even sound to you, Lyric?" I ask her mentally as I walk back to the pack house. Everyone had dispersed already and I have the feeling it was during the mind-blowing kiss with Keiran.

God! Thinking about it sets my body on fire. What the hell has gotten into me?

“He's our mate," Lyric says. “ Nothing has gotten into you. Stop acting like a wolfless prude for fuck's sake, Ny." I can imagine her rolling her eyes, and the thought alone makes me chuckle. " Besides, I haven't seen much of Riven.”

She's right. Ever since yesterday, I haven't set eyes on him. Where could he be?

I step into the pack house and head to my room, following the path we used earlier this morning. I decide to take a bath before heading out to find Zoya. But by the time I head back into my room, Zoya is already seated on my bed with a dress laid beside her.

“Come dress up! We're going shopping." She tells me.

“Shopping?" I asked, to make sure I heard clearly. “But I don't have any money."

She laughs like I just said the dumbest thing she's ever heard. “Money? Keiran's the one paying for everything. He gave me his black Amex and no limits."

I shake my head, struggling to understand. “Why would the Alpha give you his card to take me shopping?”

She stares at me like I have grown two heads. " You don't get it, do you?”

" Get what?” I ask, taking off the robe I found in the bathroom.

" Look, I don't know what you did to Keiran in the past twelve hours, but my brother is crazy about you. Everyone could see that earlier outside.”

" Please tell me no one saw that,” I whispered.

" I'm sorry love, but everyone did.” I groan, she giggles. " What I'm trying to say here is, I've been trying to get my brother to give me his black Amex for years, but to avail. You just pop up and boom.”

I shake my head and turn around to put on my dress. The gown Zoya got feels a little too tight, especially around the boobs. But I guess I'll have to manage.

By the time I turn back around, Zoya is staring at me with wide eyes. Her expression is like one who just saw a ghost.

“You…you…” she tries to speak but for some reason keeps stuttering. She clears her throat and shakes her head. " Your back, the mark.”

I freeze.

Oh, fuck. It completely skipped my mind. I force a smile. " It's no big deal. I've had it since I was a child.”

" And you don't know what it is?” She asks and I shake my head.

It's not actually a lie. I have heard of the goddess and her stupid ass prophecy. I also know that the mark means I am the one she has chosen. I knew that years ago, when my mother had bagged her to let me be.

Anything else, I really don't know.

She stares at me for a while then shakes her head, then stands up. “We'll have that shopping trip later. For now we must find Keiran "

Keiran.

My pulse instantly becomes alive at the mention of his name. Heat surges through my veins and it feels like my blood is on fire.

Zoya takes hold of my hand and leads me to his study. She knocks on the door twice and waits.

“Come in." His deep husky voice says from within the office. Zoya pushes the door open and we step inside.

My eyes land on Keiran and I can't take them off. Every inch of his body is captivating. His lips are set in a firm line, and for some reason I can't help but imagine those lips wrecking havoc to my insides. I imagine his huge veiny hangs wrapped around my throat while he fucks me on his desk senseless.

Oh, Christ! What the hell is Lyric doing to my head?

“You are the one imaging things, silly,” she shot back.

" Nyra!” Keiran's sharp tone has me coming back to reality. "Did you get my question?”

" N…no, Alpha. My apologies.”

" Leave us, Zoya.” His voice comes out as an order, and Zoya doesn't spare me a second glance as she steps out of the office.

Keiran’s gaze locks on the glowing mark on my back. “Since when did you get the mark?”

“When I was still a child, on the day of the last eclipse

“Fuck,” he murmurs, voice barely audible. “It hasn’t been spoken of since…” He trails off, eyes widening as though he’s seen a ghost.

“Since when?” I press.

He meets my eyes, fear and fury swirling in his. “Since the night the moon first died, hundreds of years ago.”

The air in the room shifts – heavy, cold. The mark burns hotter, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath my skin.

And then… a voice, ancient and feminine, echoes inside my head. “The dark moon rises again.”