apter 30


    “I can’t wait any longer,” I growled, one hand cupping the back of her neck while the other settled possessively on her hip. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want this.”


    Her pulse fluttered wildly at her throat<b>, </b>but she didn’t pull away. Instead, her hands came to rest tentatively on my shoulders, her gaze dropping to my lips.


    That was all the permission I needed.


    I imed her mouth with mine, swallowing her surprised moan as her body melted against me. She tasted sweeter than I’d imagined–like summer berries and promises. My wolf howled in triumph.


    She shifted on my <bp</b>, creating a delicious friction that made me groan into her mouth. I tightened my grip on her hip, guiding her movements as I deepened the kiss.


    <b>“</b>I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you at the Airport,” I confessed against her lips, my voice barely recognizable through the haze of desire.


    Her fingers threaded through my hair, tugging slightly as she pulled back to look at me. Her lips were swollen from my kiss, her cheeks flushed with color. “I never thought-”


    “Never thought what?” I prompted<b>, </b>trailing kisses along her jawline to the sensitive spot beneath her ear.


    She shivered, tilting her head to give me better ess. “That you would still want me… after everything Alpha Foster did.”


    I pulled back, framing her face with my hands. “Listen to me, Summer. Nothing Alpha Foster did changes how I see you.


    Nothing.”


    Tears gathered in her eyes, but before she could respond, I captured her lips again, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the kiss. My hands roamed her body, memorizing every curve as her breathing became more ragged.


    She whimpered when my fingers slipped beneath the hem of her blouse, tracing patterns on the soft skin of her lower back. The <b>sound </b>drove me wild, making me pull her closer until there was no space left between us.


    My mouth traveled down her throat to the edge of her corbone, and I reveled in the way she arched against me<b>, </b>seeking more


    contact.


    “Alpha-<b>” </b>


    For a moment, I thought it was Summer who had spoken<b>, </b>but the distinctly male voice in my mind made me <b>freeze</b>.


    [Alpha, you need toe <b>to </b>the main gate<b>. </b>Your sister just arrived.]


    I blinked. “Lyra?”


    (Yes, sir. She’s alone. No warning<b>, </b><b>no </b>escort. She says she needs to speak with you–urgently.]


    Hleaned back slightly, my mind still catching up. I hadn’t seen my sister in almost two years–not since she left the ckwood territory under strained circumstances. She’d cut ties with everyone, even me.


    And now she was back?


    I groaned, pressing my forehead against Summer’s shoulder. “Ethan’s timing is impable as always,” I muttered.


    She pulled back just enough to look at me. “What happened?”


    I met her gaze. “My sister. Lyra. She just showed up at the front gate.”


    Surprise flickered in her eyes. “Is she alright?”


    “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But if she’s back after all this time, something’s wrong.


    Summer hesitated for only a second before quietly saying, “Then let’s go.


    I looked at her, a part of me wanting to shield her from any moreplications–but another part already knowing she wouldn’t be left behind. Not now. Not when we’d just started standing side by side.


    “Alright,” I said, offering her my hand. “We’ll go together.”


    She took it without hesitation.


    As we left the room and headed toward the gate, a strange feeling settled in my chest–a mixture of unease, curiosity, and something else I couldn’t name yet.


    Whatever brought Lyra back… it wouldn’t be simple.


    But this time, I wasn’t facing it alone.