Chapter 101 The first kiss 2

Chapter 101: Chapter 101 The first kiss 2

Talia’s POV

The torch above us flickered, casting shadows across his face. I could see the conflict in his eyes, and the war between confusion, shock, wanting to pull away and wanting to stay.

I understood the feeling, because I felt it too.

My heart stopped, and my breath caught in my throat, because his face was inches from mine. I could see the flecks of gold in his gray eyes, and the slight part of his lips.

"I... I am sorry," I stammered. "I d-did not mean to..."

My voice cracked, and the words came out in pieces. I sounded like a fool. A blundering, clumsy fool.

"I was not... I did not... I was trying to thank you and then my lips..." I stopped, because I knew that I was making it worse. But I was so confused on how to explain that it was not intentional.

Heat flooded my face, and I wanted to disappear into the shadows.

"I am sorry," I said again. "I should have been watching where I was going. I should not have..."

He did not let go of me, or look away as I struggled to find the right words to say. But instead, he made me freeze over for a second time.

Because he kissed me.

The world tilted again. But this time, I was not falling. I was flying. His lips were soft, warmer than I expected, and softer than I imagined.

I had dreamed about this, the day I saw him shirtless.

Also, in the dark of the storage room, and in the quiet moments before sleep, I had imagined what it would be like to be kissed. But the dreams, and my imagination did not compare to this moment. This was real, this was him, and this was everything.

It was soft, gentle, and tentative at first. Like he was asking permission.

Not demanding, and not taking. It was as if he was asking. No one had ever asked me for anything before. They just took. Vivienne took my childhood, Celeste took my peace, and Cresswood took my hope.

His lips were warm, and they moved against mine with a gentleness I had not expected from him.

He was not rough, and he was not demanding. He was asking, he was waiting, and he gave me a choice. And I chose him, I chose this, and I chose us. Even if I did not know what ’us’ meant yet.

My hands trembled at my sides, and I did not know what to do with them, where to put them, or how to move.

Then his hand slid from my waist to the small of my back, and he pulled me closer.

My fingers curled into his shirt on their own instantly, and I kissed him back.

The world disappeared, and there was only him, only us, and only this moment.

I did not want it to end. I wanted to stay there forever. In that stairwell, and in his arms, with his lips on mine.

But nothing lasted forever, and I knew that.

I had learned that lesson the night my mother walked into the fire, but I held on anyway. I held on like he was the only thing keeping me from drowning. And maybe he was.

I did not know how long the kiss lasted, whether it was seconds, minutes, or hours.

The soft kiss continued, then it changed.

The kiss deepened, and his hand slid from my back to the small of my waist again, pulling me closer. My fingers curled tighter into his shirt, and I kissed him back.

His heart was pounding against my chest, or maybe it was mine, but I could not tell the difference anymore. His scent surrounded me, pine and cold air and something else that I could not name, that was just him.

I had never been this close to anyone before. Not like this, and not where I could feel every breath he took, and every beat of his heart.

My wolf stirred inside me, pressing against my skin, and wanting more. She was not jealous or angry. Instead, she was happy, content, and at peace.

For the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

His lips were warm, his breath was quick, and my heart was pounding so hard I thought he could hear it.

When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathing hard, and our foreheads rested together.

Neither of us spoke. He just took my hand and led me to the room.

That night, we lay in bed together. The fire burned low, and the shadows danced on the walls.

Kaelen was beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Neither of us slept.

We just lay there, holding hands, staring at the ceiling, and I was thinking about the kiss.

I watched the shadows crawl across the ceiling. The fire crackled, and the room was warm, and Kaelen’s thumb traced slow circles on the back of my hand.

I did not know what he was thinking, and I did not know if he regretted what happened. But he had not let go of my hand, so that had to mean something.

I touched my lips where I could still feel his.

I did not know what would happen tomorrow, and I did not know what the trial would bring.

But I knew one thing.

Something greater had changed between us tonight, and I did not want it to go back.

I turned my head to look at him.

His eyes were closed now, but he was not asleep. I could tell by the way his thumb still moved on my hand, slow, and steady. I wanted to say something, like to thank him, or to tell him what that kiss meant to me. But the words would not come.

So I just lay there, holding his hand, and letting myself hope that this was not a dream.