Chapter 15 Rough Lips

Chapter 15 Rough Lips

ARDEN

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I didn’t know what I had been expecting from that moment. It wasn’t the exhrating fireworks I felt during my first kiss with Jaxon. My heart didn’t race faster, nor did fear consume my body. Instead, it felt… safe.

He didn’t pull away, but he also didn’t kiss me back. I closed my eyes tightly, anxiety swirling within me as I braced for his reaction. My palms rested on the sides of his face, drawing him impossibly closer. The thought that Kieran might recognize who I was loomed ominously in my bmind/b.

“Oh,” I heard my brother say, a chuckle escaping his lips. “I see that you’re busy. Anyway, I just came by to let you know that our mansion is throwing a party this weekend. All Alphas are invited. We hope to see you there.”

bWith /bthat, he turned and walked away, leaving me bin /bba /bstate of internal relief. I felt the urge to pull away, but before I could, Cade’s arms wrapped around bmy /bwaist.

My eyes widened as he pulled me even closer. Without any warning, he began moving his lips against mine.

At first, I didn’t know how to respond. His lips were the opposite of soft. They had a rough, full quality that, to my surprise. bore an unexpected bpain/bb. /bYet, it felt like I was under a spell, and I instinctively began to kiss him back.

He didn’t use any tongue or teeth, but the intensity of the kiss made it feel like he had. My mind slowed to a crawl, struggling to process what I was doing. All I was aware of was bthat /bthis kiss made me forget the chaotic situation I found myself in.

But bjust /bas abruptly as it had begun, he pulled away, bleaving /bbme /ba bewildered mess. I looked up at him, my eyes wide with unspoken questions, yet his expression remained unreadable. I noticed ba /bslight pulse in his jaw as he stepped back, shaking his head. Then, a small, teasing smirk appeared across his blips/b.

“Your words really do contradict your actions,” he murmured.

I didn’t want bto /bkiss him! It was because he left me with no bchoice/b!

?1 just—”

“Save it,” he interrupted, cutting me off. “I assume you already got bwhat /byou bwanted/b. bNice /btry, but even then, I won’t budge. You’re bnot /bgetting my points.”

“Desperation is not a bgood /blook,” he added, band /bwith bthat/b, he turned band /bwalked away, bleaving /bbme /bfrowning deeply. What on earth was he talking about? Did he really think I was btaking /bbadvantage /boKhimb? /b

“As if,” 1 muttered bunder /bmy bbreath/bb, /bbshaking /bmy head in frustration. With a heavy sigh of relief, I leaned back bagainst /bthe bwall/b, grateful bthat /bmy brother bhadn’t /bseen me. That spared me yet another awkward encounter.

“There byou /bare!”

I turned to see Tessa making her way btoward /bme, relief washing over her features. I was looking for you.”

“Sorry,” I said sheepishly, casting a nce at the fountain. “I was just thirsty.”

bShe /blet out an exasperated sigh and took my arm. “Let’s go. I’m drained. Did you bknow /bthat girl we spoke to before ss approached me again?”

“Sienna?” I basked/b, frowning in response.

She nodded, her expression one of frustration. “Yeah. She warned me about you”

1 froze under her btouch/b, nervousness coursing through me. bSensing /bmy unease. Tessa quickly shook her head.

“Don’t worry,” she said, offering me a small, breassuring /bsmile. “I don’t believe her at all. She told me you weren’t what you sected band /bto steer clear before bit /bbwas /btoote. She’s foolish if she thinks I’m going to take her side.”

10:43 AM bch /b

Chapter 15 Rough Lips.

Guilt washed over me, and I pursed my lips. “Sorry. I dragged you into this mess.”

45 Free Cons

“Hey,” she nudged my shoulder yfully, her smile brightening my mood. “We all have our own stories. We’re bhere /bfor a new beginning. I have my past too, some parts I’m not proud of. But I won’t judge you based on what you’ve done before: I’ll judge you by how you treat me now.”

I smiled back at her, a warm sense of gratitude swelling within me.

Tessa and I finally arrived at our dorm, the familiarity of the journey to our room lingering in the air. The atmosphere was charged with energy, particrly because of the wolves in Hades‘ bdorm/b–each one possessing an insane libido that they were not shy about disying in the hallways.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to witnessing scenes like this,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief.

But then, the image of making out with Cade invaded my mind, causing my cheeks to redden. I buried bmy /bface with a pillow to get rid of such thoughts. There was no use thinking about a man like him!

Tessa nced over at me from her bed, amusement in her eyes as she chuckled softly. “You’d better get ustomed to it.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, propping myself up on the bedge /bof my bed. “I still don’t grasp itpletely.

“It’s moreplicated than it seems,” Tessa sighed, now bsitting /bup and leaning against the thin wall that separated our rooms.

“The point system has been in ce since the inception of Elite. Originally, it centered around academic merit. As you know, graduating from Elite is no easy feat”

I nodded in agreement, recalling my father’s struggles to graduate–stories I’d heard, well eavesdropped, from my oldest brother, Lucian.

“Yeah,” I said thoughtfully. “I heard that the standards have only gotten tougher over the years.”

“That’s primarily due to ba /bbquota/bb,/b” Tessa exinedb, /ba serious look crossing her face. This revtion piqued my interest. “The ultimate goal of graduating from Elite is to secure a position among the high–ranking officials in our respective packs. Being recruited into the United Factions–the governing body of our country, Fenra–represents an even higher aspiration.”

“But even then, the bavable /bseats are exceedingly limited. Elite aims to recruit only the best and brightest, and so they’ve established a cap on how many students can graduate.”

“Initially, it bwas /bchallenging to measure students‘ merits solely based on academic grades. That’s when Mr. Winters became the headmaster and implemented the point system, because in his words, it was bmore /btangible and it didn’t cage students within their academic capabilities.”

This is absolutely binsane/b.” I bsaid/b, feeling overwhelmed by the barrage of information.

They never covered this in the general assembly, did they?”

“Of course not,” Tessa replied bwith /ba knowing smirk. “They bdon’t /bopenly acknowledge it, but you can find all the details in the Echo, the schoul bpage /bI mentioned earlier. There, byou’ll /bsee the corresponding pointsid out. Just check byour /bphoneb” /b

I bit my lip nervously, turning slightly to the bside/b. “I don’t actually own a

phone?