The Cost of Love

Chapter 22

I chuckled. "Yeah, we can be done." Her cry of happiness made me smile as she pumped her fist in the air. "Let's not get cocky," I raised an eyebrow mischievously. "I was distracted." 

She shrugged. "Whatever. Still beat you!" she sang. 

I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to me, loving the feel of my hands on the sliver of exposed skin on her stomach. "You're doing so well," I breathed into her ear as I kissed the side of her head. Her grey eyes fluttered. 

She leaned up to me and pressed her lips to my mouth, making me growl in the back of my throat. I could usually suppress the animalistic qualities in me, but Kiara made it an impossible effort. It was like every time she was near my wolf wanted to be out, and I had little control of that side of me. So I embraced it, cupping her face in my hands and returning the kiss with as much passion as I could possibly conjure. 

Kissing her was a drug, the best high I could ever have. Having her in my arms, and in my arms only, was downright addicting. But you know what they say about addictions:

The more you start the harder it is to stop. And I was incapable of stopping now. 

Kiara POV

Kissing Connor felt like a dream, really. Like, I should not be this happy. Little Kiara, the protected Alpha's daughter, the pack's own angel, shielded at all times, had the most perfect mate in the world. 

I made a note to myself to thank the people up there one day for pairing us together. 

When I pulled away, I tugged at my hair to loosen a small twig tangled in there. How it got in my hair, I had no idea. The damn thing tangles if I so much as touch it the wrong way. 

"Let's go get some breakfast," I told Connor. "I'm starving." 

He smiled down at me and interlaced his fingers with mine. "Pancakes?" 

"How'd you know?" 

He gave me a knowing smirk. "I guess I've known you for a while now. Enough to know your favorite breakfast, at least." 

Our feet crunched on the icy ground as we walked to the pack house, filling the comfortable silence. It was nice to just take a walk with my mate, without any prying eyes or bodyguards around. As much as I loved Chase, sometimes I just wanted to get away from being looked after. And as much as I dreaded these early morning training sessions, it was one of the only times of the day I could be truly alone with Connor. 

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream, coming from the pack house. 

I looked at Connor in alarm. Could it be hunters? I noticed his face went completely pale, and I pulled at his hand to get him to run with me.