New Beginnings

Lilac

Lilac gripped her stomach.

An uncomfortable mix of nerves and excitement churned inside her.

~I won’t ask again.~

She paused, unsure if she had imagined Kyril speaking or if he had really said those words. Either way, they had ended up in her head somehow.

She heard the door creak as her mate leaned his bulk against it.

Lilac’s hand wandered to the latch and slowly turned it.

~Click.~

Opening the door, she came face-to-face with Kyril. His eyes were pulsing between black and a deep blue as the lycan and man in him fought for control.

“What did you do to my brother?” Lilac demanded.

“Nothing that the boy didn’t deserve.”

“I’m all right,” called Ales from the bottom of the staircase.

Lilac looked down and saw her mother, father, and brother looking up at her with helpless eyes.

They knew that their objections would only cause more conflict and that there was nothing they could do or say to stop Kyril from taking Lilac from them.

Kyril held out his rough hand, a sweet look coming to his face.

“It’s time we start our life together, my mate.”

Lilac was petrified. Her mind was screaming to stay put, but her body was fighting back, yearning to reach out and touch the powerful lycan.

She glanced once more at her family.

Lilac locked eyes with her mother. She so wished she could have her comfort or counsel right now.

This had all happened suddenly. Becoming mated was a major transition in a young she-wolf’s life, even for girls who dated and were no stranger to a man’s touch.

And Lilac was neither of those.

Lilac’s mother nodded reluctantly from the bottom of the steps, as if to tell Lilac it was okay to go with him.

Placing her hand in Kyril’s, Lilac followed her mate as he led her down the staircase.

“When will we see her again?” Legion asked, blocking their path.

“Now that you are on the council, Alpha Achilles, we will see one another in session. If I feel like it, I will bring Lilac along so you can see for yourself if she is well enough.”

Lilac’s father nodded in resignation.

Kyril then turned his attention to Ales. “And don’t you dare threaten me again, or else I won’t be as lenient in my next response.”

“You have no right to come into our home and speak to us like this,” Ales shouted.

Mila grabbed her son and held him back. “Ales, please,” she begged.

Kyril breathed out heavily—for a second, Lilac wondered if he would strike her brash brother again.

Instead, he squeezed her hand tighter. His eyes softened as she looked up at him.

“Lilac,” he whispered, “the lycan in me cannot be held back much longer. We need to leave.”

She knew he could not control his true nature, the side she had caught only a glimpse of earlier that night.

Dangerous, primal instincts would soon take over if they waited any longer.

Lilac squeezed his hand back in understanding.

Turning to her family, she was finally ready to say her goodbyes. Mila hugged her daughter and wiped away her tears, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

Ales then embraced his sister in a tight hug.

Turning her attention to her father, she froze. The look on Legion’s face was too heartbreaking for her to linger.

He smiled sadly at her.

“My little miracle...what will I do without you?” he said gently, embracing her. A single tear ran down his face. “My Lilac is to begin a new life now.”

She now felt Kyril’s large hand pulling her away from her family.

Turning to look at them, she watched as her father’s eyes watered. She waved at him, and he offered a mournful wave in return.

Stepping outside of her home, they walked toward the carriage that awaited them.

“I will send a second carriage for her things,” said Kyril, before continuing on with his mate.

A smartly dressed coachman stood outside the carriage, holding the door open for Lilac as she stepped inside.

Sitting as comfortably as she could on the stiff leather seats, she stared out the car window, peering into the beautiful night.

She tried to make a mental picture of the moonlit landscape. She had no idea the next time she would see its haunting majesty and hear its soothing sounds.

“Mate,” Kyril uttered.

Lilac then felt his hand come to rest on her thigh, signaling for her to turn.

His gaze was soft, putting her at ease but doing little to console her sadness.

“Lilac, please don’t be sad,” he coaxed.

Her name on his lips sounded so strange, but she liked it. Her lips trembled as he gently pulled her toward him.

“I promise to give you all the comforts in the world,” he said, cupping her cheek.

“Please, don’t be scared.”

“I’ll do my best,” she sniffled. She had no other option but to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The next few minutes passed in silence.

Lilac fixed her eyes ahead, staring at the illuminated mountain road twisting and bending along the mountainside.

As the fear and adrenaline began to drain from her body, exhaustion set in and her eyelids began to droop.

Her head became too much for her neck to hold.

Feeling the onset of slumber, Lilac rested against her mate’s warm chest, and in no time at all, she drifted off into a deep sleep.

KYRIL

Kyril pulled open the drawer of a sleek dresser and began to neatly place Lilac’s garments inside.

He was in their walk-in closet, which had always sat half-empty, waiting to be filled with the wardrobe of his mate.

Lilac had still been asleep when her bags arrived, so Kyril took it upon himself to unpack for her. A nice gesture, he thought.

Though she had plenty of fine clothing already, he was still adamant on taking her shopping in the next day or two.

Spoiling his little flower was something he looked forward to. Besides, she was a Luna now, and that demanded a different style than what was popular with most women her age.

Kyril had waited so long for this moment he could barely believe it was happening.

After he tucked Lilac into bed, he had returned every hour to make sure she was still there, that she was real.

All those years searching, craving his mate’s presence...and now she was finally here.

Being a lycan meant he could become immortal, but it required him to find and mark his mate.

Only when the two halves were joined would Selene bless a couple with the gift of everlasting life.

The prospect of spending eternity with his mate filled Kyril with an insatiable excitement.

Upon hearing Lilac’s feeble yawn, he smiled softly to himself and walked back into the bedroom.

Lilac looked confused as she tiredly rubbed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, making his way to the edge of the bed.

Lilac briefly scanned her surroundings before turning her attention back to him. “W-where are we?” she stammered.

“We’re in your new home. This is our room. I was unpacking your belongings just a moment ago. I hope you’re well rested. We have some pack duties to attend to later.”

Lilac

“Pack duties?”

This was new to Lilac. Usually, her parents would handle all the administrative responsibilities of running the pack.

The only time she would get involved was when she was forced to make appearances, like the one last night.

“It’s crucial that I introduce you to at least the staff and some of the high-ranking members of the pack. They have to know who you are in order to protect you. You’re our Luna now.”

She shuddered to think about how her new role as Luna would clash with her social anxiety.

It didn’t seem fair to her. Why couldn’t she just stay in her new house, in their room?

Lilac furrowed her brows, catching the meaning in Kyril’s earlier words.

“Wait, did you say ~our~ room? I’m not sleeping with you!” she gasped.

Kyril chuckled as if this was the funniest protestation in the world. Maybe, Lilac thought, because he assumed he would just get to have his way with her.

This incensed her even more, and she found herself frowning.

“We just met. You can’t possibly expect me to share a bed with you so soon.”

“You’re already in our bed, and from tonight onwards, you will sleep beside me, always.”

His words weren’t harsh, but they were final, leaving no room for discussion. She took a second to consider her surroundings.

So this would be her new bedroom, huh?

It certainly wasn't lacking in comfort, with the four-poster bed and the massive walk-in closet and the mirror covering the ceiling.

Even if the decorations felt a bit gothic and it wasn’t as homey as her childhood bedroom had been, at least it was pleasing to the eyes.

If only there were some more books. Lilac wondered if the home had a library.

“When do I get to see the rest of the house?” she asked, curious.

But Kyril shook his head. That wasn’t on the agenda quite yet, apparently.

“Please,” he said, patting his lap, “come here. I have something important to ask.”

At her slight hesitation, Kyril rolled his eyes and leaned over, gently picking her up and setting her down on his lap.

Lilac tensed. She was uncomfortable with how much power he had over her.

“What is it you want to know?” she whimpered.

Kyril ran his hand up her arm and over her shoulder, bringing his fingers to rest on the base of her neck.

His touch filled her with desire and apprehension. She held her breath as he leaned in close to her, his hot breath raising the hairs on her neck.

“Lilac, I want to mark you.”