Lyka
When we reached my street, I looked up at him. In the dim light, his profile seemed untouchable—strong jaw, calm expression, eyes sharp like nothing could slip past him.
My chest fluttered, and I wanted to stop walking, just to take him in.
As we neared the house, he slowed. We paused at the gate, shadows wrapping around us. The world was quiet. It felt like the night itself leaned closer to listen.
"Goodnight," I whispered, almost afraid to break the moment.
Parker's lips curved into that smirk that made my stomach flip. He leaned closer, his voice low, meant only for me. "You think I'm letting you go that easily?"
My pulse jumped. "You… have to," I whispered back, heat rushing to my cheeks. "Someone might hear."
"I don't care." His eyes held mine, dark and intent. Then, softer, almost teasing, he added, "Do you?"
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. "I… don't." The words slipped out before I could catch them.
His smirk softened, warmer and deeper this time. He leaned close enough that I felt his breath against my cheek. "Good. Because I meant what I said earlier. You're mine. And I don't plan on letting that change."
The words sank in, steadying me in ways I couldn't explain. My heart raced, my chest ached, and all I wanted was to stay here, in this quiet, in his gaze.
I nodded, whispering back with a shaky smile, "I'll survive that."
His hand squeezed mine one last time before he let go, reluctantly. The absence of his warmth left me feeling both lighter and emptier at once.
"Go inside," he murmured, voice low, almost commanding but gentle. "I'll watch until you do."
I smiled again, nervous and soft, before slipping through the gate and into the house.
Inside, Parker's presence still clung to me like a second skin, but another presence waited in the shadows.
Isa.
She was curled up on the couch, arms folded, pretending she hadn't been waiting. But her eyes snapped to me the second I stepped in, sharp and searching.
"You're late," she said casually, but the edge in her tone was enough to cut.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. "I just… went out for a walk."
Her eyebrow lifted, lips curling just slightly—not quite a smile. "A walk, huh? Must've been a long one. You look… flushed."
The way she said it wasn't sisterly teasing. There was something else in it. Something sour.
I swallowed, shifting under her stare. "It was nothing."
"Nothing," she repeated slowly, as if tasting the word. Her eyes narrowed, scanning me, almost like she was trying to catch Parker's scent. "Funny. You've never been the type to sneak off before."
I frowned, hugging my arms around myself. "I wasn't sneaking. I just… needed air."
Isa leaned back against the couch, but the fake casualness in her posture didn't fool me. Her words carried something sharp, something jealous. "Air, or company?" she asked quietly, tone light but eyes burning.
My chest tightened. She didn't know. Not fully. But she suspected.
I forced a shrug, steadying my voice. "Maybe both."
Her lips pressed into a thin smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Right. Well, just don't forget where you belong, Lyka. Some things… aren't meant to be shared."
Her words hung in the air, colder than the night outside.
I wanted to snap back, to defend Parker, to say out loud what I already knew—that he was mine, chosen by the Moon itself. But instead, I swallowed the words, heart pounding, and turned away.
"Goodnight, Isa," I murmured, retreating to my room.
Behind me, I could feel her gaze like claws against my back, heavy with jealousy.
I shut my door and leaned against it, breathing hard. Parker's goodbye still warmed me, but Isa's shadow pressed over it, heavy and suffocating.
I slid down the door and sank onto the floor, letting my back press against the wood. My fingers still tingled from the memory of Parker's hand—the heat, the strength, the way he'd claimed me without a word.
My chest tightened with a mix of longing and awe. I had never felt anything like this. Not with anyone. Not ever.
A soft sigh escaped me. The world seemed sharper now, every sound and faint breeze carrying him back to me. The night outside was still, but inside, my heart raced.
Parker—my mate—was real. And he had already taken a piece of me I could never get back. The thought drew a smile to my lips, small but sure.
And then, that warmth, that sharp, sour edge, settled behind my skin again—Isa.
Soft footsteps echoed from the living room, deliberate and careful, as if Isa was feeling out the room and me. I pulled my knees to my chest, caught between Parker's heat and Isa's cold tension. Her jealousy wasn't loud, it wasn't explosive—but it was there, pointed and watchful.
"Lyka," Isa's voice floated through the door, light, almost casual, but I caught it. Her tone carried that same thin edge, the one that pricked under my skin. "Don't take too long… You never know who might be waiting outside."
I froze, catching the underlying meaning, the implication, the jealousy in her words. My chest both tightened and fluttered. She didn't know I had been with Parker tonight, didn't know how close we had been, how quiet, how intimate. And yet… somehow, she suspected.
I whispered softly, almost to myself, letting the words hang in the empty room, "He's… mine."
The truth of it made my stomach flip. Not just mine in a casual sense, but destined, bonded, chosen by the Moon itself. Parker wasn't just someone I liked. He was meant. My mate. And it was a truth deeper than anything Isa—or anyone—could ever contest.
The house was quiet.
Except for the faint ticking of the clock.
I slid down the door, resting my back against it. My hand drifted over my knees, reaching for Parker's warmth through memory.
The gate replayed itself in my mind—his firm but gentle hold, the smirk, the protective glint in his eyes. Every detail burned into me.
And Isa… she was awake.
I could hear her moving softly in the living room, deliberate, as if testing the space—or testing me.
I hugged my knees tighter. Parker's warmth clashed with Isa's tension inside me. Her jealousy wasn't loud. It wasn't angry. But it was there. Sharp. Watching.
I thought of Parker's words again, low and confident: I'm yours. I don't plan on letting that change. The memory pulsed through me, steadying me, thrilling me. I let my heartbeat match the rhythm of his claim, grounding me, making me feel alive.
Still, I couldn't ignore Isa completely. Her presence pressed against me, a shadow of jealousy creeping at the edges of my thoughts. But tonight… tonight was mine. My heart had chosen. My mate had claimed me.
I leaned back, letting a quiet laugh escape, soft and low, almost swallowed by the room. Relief, joy, and something daring all tangled together. Parker had touched me in a way no one else ever could.
Even though Isa lingered somewhere out there, unaware of the truth, I knew this bond, this connection between Parker and me, was untouchable. Unbreakable. And it was only the beginning.
I closed my eyes, not to sleep, but to hold onto the memory of the night—his presence, his claim, the warmth I could still feel in my veins. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
But for now… I was his. And no one—not Isa, not anyone—could change that.