Chapter 21
Chapter 21
His mouth found mine like he’d been waiting years.
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There was no hesitation–just heat, sharp and immediate. Richard kissed me like he couldn’t stop, like he didn’t want to. His hands gripped my waist and pulled me flush against him, anchoring me to him with a need that felt just as dangerous as it did electric.
I didn’t even try to hold back. I kissed him like I’d been dying to, like I had something that I wasn’t afraid of this, of him, of us.
to
prove. Because I did. I wanted him to feel it—
When his lips slid to my jaw, then lower, to the hollow beneath my ear, my breath stuttered. One of his hands threaded into my hair while the other settled on the small of my back, hot through the fabric of my shirt.
He backed me into the wall with a quiet, guttural sound, his mouth devouring mine again, more urgent this time. My legs went weak. My fingers curled into the hem of his shirt like I was anchoring myself.
I could feel every taut line of his body against mine–his heat, his restraint. He kissed like he was trying not to lose control, but the cracks were already showing. His teeth caught my bottom lip, gentle and reverent, and when I gasped, he groaned and kissed me harder. I arched into him, desperate for more–of his mouth, of his hands, of the fire roaring in my chest.
Then he stopped.
The shift was instant, violent. One second he was all heat and hunger, the next he was gone, like I’d dreamed the whole thing. He tore himself away from me, breathing hard, and I watched in silence as he stumbled back a full step.
You should go,” he said.
His voice was low, rough, shredded by effort. But his face was carved from stone. Eyes shuttered, jaw clenched. As if none of it had happened. As if he hadn’t just kissed me like I was the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth.
My throat tightened painfully, but I managed a stiff nod. Words lodged themselves deep in my chest, unable to find their way out. Turning away from him felt like tearing away a part of myself, each step heavier and more agonizing than the last. When the door clicked shut behind me, the sound echoed in my bones, final and damning.
I moved numbly down the hallway, the palace corridors feeling impossibly long and empty. I pressed my fingertips to my lips, still tender from Richard’s touch, my heart aching at the memory of his closeness–his breath on my skin, his hands so sure and possessive. How had it all changed so quickly?
In my room, sleep eluded me entirely. Instead, I stared at the ceiling, replaying the moment again and again–his sudden withdrawal, the way he refused to meet my eyes afterward.
By the time morning arrived, exhaustion had sunk into my bones, but I welcomed it. If I kept myself busy enough, perhaps I’d outrun the painful confusion that swirled relentlessly through my mind.
Determined to push past the ache in my chest, I threw myself fully into work. I signed up for night shifts and volunteered immediately when an email went around asking for extra help with the last–minute summit logistics.
During team meetings, I felt Richard’s gaze flicker toward me more than once, but we carefully avoided direct interaction, never letting our eyes meet for more than a fleeting, guarded second.
Nathan caught me between tasks later that afternoon, his face carefully neutral but eyes revealing genuine concern. “You’re taking on a lot, Amelia. You sure you’re alright?”
1 forced a smile, trying not to let any hint of my anxiety slip through. “I’m fine, really. Just trying to keep busy. It helps.”
His brows knitted briefly, as if he wanted to press further, but he finally nodded and stepped back. “Just don’t burn yourself out, alright? We need you sharp for the summit.”
Til manage, I assured him, though I wasn’t entirely sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.
Later, sitting alone at my desk, I pulled out a sheet of paper and started to write, “Richard” but my pen stilled, hovering uncertainly How could I explain something I didn’t fully understand myself? Frustrated. I crumpled the paper and tossed it away, leaning back and shutting my eyes, trying to suppress the flood of emotions that threatened to take me
Emma found me hunched over briefing packets late that evening, the summit materials spread across the table between us like
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Chapter 21
scattered puzzle pieces.
“You okay?” she asked softly, nudging my shoulder as she passed me another stack of documents.
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“Why wouldn’t I be?” I replied a bit too quickly, eyes fixed on the papers, unwilling to let her see the truth in my expression.
She snorted lightly, clearly unconvinced. “You’ve been here since sunrise and haven’t stopped once. You’re either very dedicated or running from something.”
I sighed, rubbing my temples. Emma was sharp, and hiding things from her felt almost pointless. “Maybe both,” I admitted quietly.
She squeezed my shoulder gently, understanding without needing further explanation. We finished our work quietly, the gentle rustling of paper filling the spaces left by unsaid words. When we finally wrapped up for the night, exhaustion weighed heavily on me, mingling uncomfortably with the loneliness that had settled in my chest. As we prepared for the summit’s opening the next day, I felt capable- strong even–but more isolated than ever.
Richard
1 paced the length of my study, each step echoing harshly against the polished floors. My skin felt unbearably tight, my wolf snarling and restless beneath the surface. Every breath I took was a reminder of Amelia–the scent of her still lingering stubbornly, wrapped around me like a vice.
She’d kissed me back. Every bit of doubt I’d carried had burned away the second her fingers fisted in my shirt. Her mouth had been eager, soft, and alive under mine. And for one dizzying moment, I let myself believe it could happen–really happen.
But then instinct slammed into me, hard and cold. The memory of my failures. Of what this could cost her. What it could cost me.
“She’s ours,” Storm growled, the voice thick with frustration and accusation. “You had no right to push her away.”
I pressed a hand to my chest, the ache there sharp and unrelenting. “We talked about this,” I muttered, frustration coloring my words. You know we can’t. Not now. Not ever.”
Storm surged forward within me, a deep, guttural snarl echoed in my chest. “You disgust me,” he hissed, voice laced with venom. “You’d rather bury us in fear than claim what’s ours. She’s our mate, and you’re too weak to take her.”
Im choosing to protect her,” I snapped, voice low and edged with anger. “She deserves more than being dragged into this mess. If anyone found out-”
“If anyone found out, you’d finally be honest with yourself,” Storm snarled, his voice like a blade dragged across stone. “But you won’t, will you? You’ll keep hiding, keep pretending you’re in control. Coward. You’re not protecting her–you’re damning her. And us.”
1 slammed my fist against the desk, pain radiating sharply through my knuckles. The physical sting did nothing to dull the ache inside my chest. “Enough,” I growled aloud, but Storm’s voice echoed relentlessly in my mind, refusing to quiet.
I closed my eyes, leaning heavily against the desk. Instantly, Amelia’s face rose in my memory, her eyes wide and vulnerable, her lips parted in confusion and hurt. It haunted me–the pain I’d caused, the way I’d pushed her away when every instinct had screamed at me to hold her ughter.
The night wore on slowly, each minute feeling longer than the last as I fought desperately to regain control. Sleep eventually found me, but it was restless and thin, riddled with dreams of Amelia–visions of what could have been, tainted by the harsh reality of what was.
When dawn finally crept through the windows, I rose, exhaustion settling deep into my bones. I showered quickly, trying to scrub away the memories of her skin against mine, but it was pointless. I got dressed and walked toward the meeting room, bracing myself for the day ahead
In the crowded conference hall, my eyes immediately found her. Amelia sat among the rest of the team, her posture rigid but determined, eyes fixed resolutely on the papers before her.
She looked exhausted, shadows smudged beneath her eyes from lack of sleep, but she still radiated a quiet strength that tugged painfully at my heart
She glanced up unexpectedly, our gazes colliding across the crowded room. For a moment, the entire room seemed to fade away. I saw the hurt clearly in her eyes, mixed with lingering confusion and the slightest flicker of hope she couldn’t quite hide.
Storm growled softly within me, frustrated and pleading. “Don’t do this to us. Don’t do this to her.”
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I forced myself to look away, my jaw clenching tightly as I turned toward the assembled delegates. As the meeting ended, my voice remained strong, my commands clear and steady, showing nothing of the internal chaos I felt
But beneath it all, my wolf continued to claw at me, and Amelia’s presence lingered at the edges of my senses, impossible to ignore.
I knew one thing for certain now: pushing her away might protect her, but it would break us both.
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