Free Web NovelChapter 48: Chapter 48
Kyra’s POV
The morning sun filtered through the greenhouse windows of my flower shop, calm and bright. I was arranging bouquets when the door chime made a soft noise.
"Alpha scent," my wolf, Sylvia, alerted me. I prepared a sweet smile and was about to greet our first customer of the day when I realized who it was.
Kieran Carver, Alpha of the Raven Shadow Pack—my stepbrother, who I hadn’t seen for days—suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Kieran entered with a straight face.
The black tee stretched taut across his broad shoulders, the thin fabric clinging to every ridge of muscle.
And his face—all sharp angles and rough edges. A strong jaw shadowed with stubble, lips set in a firm line, and those eyes—ice-blue, intense, burning right through me like he could see every secret I’d ever kept.
He moved with the effortless confidence of an Alpha. And then he was right in front of me, close enough that I caught the faint scent of cedar and musk. Close enough that I could see the faint scar cutting through his eyebrow, the way his throat worked as he swallowed.
He looked so handsome in his casual attire. I even saw a woman enter the shop after him, staring at him shamelessly, pretending to be interested in flowers.
After all this time apart, I couldn’t explain why my heart pounded so hard just seeing him again. But I still felt awkward around him because of our argument.
I gave him a welcoming smile. "Good morning. Are you looking for a particular flower?"
He let his eyes roam around, scanning the shop before landing on me. At 6’4", he towered over my 5’7" frame, forcing me to tilt my head back. The submissive posture made Sylvia bristle.
"What flower symbolizes a sincere apology?"
An apology? He must’ve upset Emily and he’s trying to coax her. I could just give him a flower.
I smiled again. "The perfect flower for that is white roses."
"Arrange them for me," he commanded softly—an Alpha request, not an order.
"Yeah, sure."
I started picking the white roses while he watched me. I couldn’t help but feel anxious because he didn’t take his eyes off me.
When I handed him the bouquet, he did something unexpected. Instead of taking it, he pressed the flowers back into my hands, his calloused fingers brushing mine. "I’m sorry," he murmured, low enough that only my wolf-sharp hearing could catch. "I’m sorry for raising my voice. I’m sorry for trying to control your life. I’m sorry for making you feel suffocated. I never intended to hurt you, Kyra. It was just... I don’t know how to deal with our situation. I was wrong. Can you still forgive me?"
’The rogue Alpha apologizing?’ Sylvia scoffed, but even she couldn’t deny the sincerity in his eyes.
He was looking at me with regret and care. Who was I to reject his apology? He was just trying to protect me, and I understood that part. He was worried and had the right because he’s my stepbrother and I had been kidnapped twice. It’s natural for him to be so uptight for my sake.
"I owe you an apology as well. Can you forgive me?" I asked back.
The smile that broke across his face—rare and unguarded—sent my pulse racing.
I didn’t know why, but seeing him smile like that now made my chest ache. I’d been wrong about him again. He wasn’t a monster. Just someone who’d been hurt so badly that he’d armored himself in coldness. Behind that dangerous mask was still the man I’d once learned to trust.
"I guess this is the start?" he said and slowly tucked my hair behind my ear.
My smile slowly faded as I felt my heart skip a beat. What was this?
"You can tell me everything you don’t like. I will try to change myself so we won’t argue anymore. It was scary, Kyra. I don’t want us to fight like that again," he said, his Alpha timbre softening into something painfully vulnerable. "I’ll change. I can’t lose you again."
The bouquet trembled in my grip. I swallowed hard and chewed my bottom lip. That skipped heartbeat? The way my wolf perked up at his nearness?
What was happening to me? Was I really attracted to my stepbrother?
"Oh Moon Goddess," Sylvia whispered. "We’re in trouble." freēwēbnovel.com
Kieran wet his lip and moved a little closer as he gazed around. "How’s your business going?"
I hugged the bouquet of white roses tighter, their scent mixing with the cedar and musk aroma that always clung to his skin.
"The shop’s doing well," I said. "We’ve had packs from three territories placing regular orders, and I’m enjoying arranging flowers."
He chuckled, warm and unexpectedly intimate. "I’m glad you’re happy."
"How about you? The company?"
He shrugged his shoulders and took one rose from my bouquet, gently putting it between my hair and ear. My lips parted because of what he did. I stared at his face. I could only see the sincerity in his eyes.
"There’s a charity gala held by The Moonlight Foundation next week," he said abruptly. "Would you mind coming with me and being my date?"
A charity gala? I chuckled, thinking the event was too uncommon for him to attend. The Moonlight Foundation was the werewolf world’s most prestigious charity, and Kieran Carver—notorious for avoiding pack politics—wanted to attend?
"I didn’t take you for the black-tie type," I teased before catching myself. "I didn’t know someone like you would be interested in a charity gala. It’s too... uncommon."
His expression darkened, and I immediately straightened, my wolf instincts recognizing the subtle shift in Alpha energy. He stared at my face and my smile slowly faded. I felt like I had offended him, so I immediately stood straight and looked away.
"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have... said that."
He sighed and his fingers gently tilted my chin up. He made me look at him again and stared into my eyes. "I said you were the only blooming flower in my paradise, and I intend to keep you blooming like that by giving myself a chance in life, Kyra. If you can bloom beautifully even in darkness, I want to be the sun to give you light. I want to equal you and be deserving of your trust and forgiveness. Let me prove I’m worthy of standing beside you."
"Kieran..."
"I’ve been living in darkness, Kyra. I’ve been trying to find hope to live and then I realize I have you. I want to be a better person so you can finally fully trust me. I don’t want to put you in danger again just because I’m reckless and self-centered..."
I was lost for words. I couldn’t utter a single word while he was looking straight into my eyes. The emotions in his dark eyes were drowning me. I never imagined him saying those words to me, but he was. I couldn’t help but think about his confession to me. His feelings I failed to notice before.
"I’ve been lost in the dark since you walked away," he admitted, his thumb brushing my cheek in a gesture so tender it made my wolf whimper. "Give me another chance to prove to you that you can trust me. I will never waste that chance ever again."
"Say yes," Sylvia urged, to my shock.
The plea in his voice—an Alpha begging, not commanding—undid me. His words had reached my soul. His sincerity had touched my heart. He was my stepbrother and had been doing everything to protect me. I only wanted my freedom and he gave it to me. So there was no reason to refuse his apology.
Smiling, I twirled the rose between my fingers. "I want to shop for the dress I’m going to wear at that charity gala. Are you free later?"
