SERAPHINA'S POV
Nothing tastes sweeter than his lips right now.
Nothing feels as good as the way he holds me tightly, pressing me firmly to his chest, and kissing my lips lightly yet passionately.
He pours all the feelings he can't put into words into the kiss-feelings I also feel and reciprocate, even without saying them out loud.
I like you.
It's like a revelation I've denied time and time again, but it's too real, too intense, and too in-my-face to refute anymore.
I realize the subtle signs I've ignored have been pointing towards this, passing them off as anything else because all of this is new to me.
Wanting someone so badly that it actually hurts.
I like Artemis Sinclair, and maybe I like him a bit too much.
While I lose myself in him, drowning in the pleasures of being in his arms, her face pops up in my mind like an annoying wake-up call, forcing my daydreaming to come to an end.
Kamila.
She's the orchestrator of the scheme, solely to rekindle her bond with the boy I like, to reclaim the love she lost.
Suddenly, the kiss isn't so good anymore.
I fight the urge to puke from guilt, from being the homewrecker coming between two people fated to be together by the moon goddess herself.
I pull away from his lips, pushing at his chest with both hands, and breaking free from his grasp.
The sudden cold makes me miss his warmth, but I don't run back into his arms, knowing what it would mean.
His face turns confused, hurt, breaking my heart in return, but I fight it by looking away.
I'd rather starve my own desire than hurt someone else for my selfish wants, even if the person in question is Kamila.
"This isn't right," I mutter under my breath, shaking my head repeatedly.
He frowns.
"What are you saying? This is the only thing that's felt right in so long." His voice tinged with offense, shattered by my choice of words.
Instantly, I hate myself for phrasing it that way, for ruining the moment.
"That's not what I mean. Yes, being with you feels right, but not while you're still connected to Kamila, not while this spiritual cord links you two."
His lips part as if to speak, but no words come out.
Sighing, he looks distraught, running his hands through his messy hair before turning away from me.
He's deep in thought, processing all of this, and his sudden silence strikes me harder than the thought ever did-that all of this might be too good to be true.
I bite my lower lip, feeling the reality of the situation sear deeper into me with each passing second of silence.
Of course, the first boy I'd ever seriously consider would be completely unavailable.
I feel so foolish for rushing into this, for getting so engrossed without thinking it all through.
"Please tell me, Artemis, am I wasting my time here?" My words crack as they leave my lips, and I fight back tears.
It would be so pathetic if I cried.
"No!" He responds too quickly, too urgently.
Closing the distance between us, he takes my hand and intertwines our fingers, kissing each digit one by one as if to reassure me.
His touch is calming, and before I know it, I'm leaning into him again.
"The truth is, we haven't really been 'together' for a while now. It's complicated, but there's nothing between us, I swear."
I look at him, disbelief and confusion flooding my eyes.
I compare this to the description Olivia had given me about mates, about how they're obsessed with each other, how separating them could be a death sentence.
Yet he describes it like an entanglement.
"She's your mate," I murmur.
"She is, but it's never felt real, never felt as good as it does with you. I can't put it into words, but I feel it." He places my hand over his chest, letting me feel the rapid pulse of his heart when I touch him, showing me just how much I affect him.
And, for a moment, I lose my breath again.
"I want you, I need you. I've never craved anyone or anything the way I crave you. You're more than I ever could have wanted, and my wolf knows it too. It's you," he says, draining the last bit of air from my lungs.
He's never looked so kissable.
For a moment, I'm lost in the fantasy of kissing him again, for hours, perhaps.
But then he shocks me out of it.
"I will break the bond with Kamila."
My eyes widen, and I shake my head frantically. I can already see the headlines on every news outlet: 'Future Alpha Rejects His Mate for a Human Girl.'
"Artemis, no," I plead, gripping his hand tighter, but he seems resolute.
A sad smile forms on his lips as he looks down at our intertwined hands.
"This isn't about you, Sera. Even before I met you, I'd been considering this. Kamila has always found a way to tether me to her, and I always gave in. But now..." He looks up, locking eyes with me, "now I have a reason to break free. It's you. I want to be with you."
His words thaw my heart. I melt, turning into an emotional putty right there in his arms.
Is this all too good to be true?
Here I am, with Artemis Sinclair-the bad boy, the ruthless Alpha prince-wanting him despite knowing everything that he is.
It's terrifying and nerve racking .
"I want you too," I murmur.
His smile reappears, brighter than ever.
He pulls me in for another kiss, and I respond eagerly, cupping his cheeks and kissing him like the world might end any second.
Just then, the door clicks open, and footsteps approach.
"So, are you guys dating now? Does that make Sera and me siblings?" Jasper appears in the doorway, grinning ear-to-ear, seemingly unsurprised.
I pull away, embarrassed by what he's probably overheard. Artemis frowns at the sudden distance and, more so, at Jasper's intrusion.
"What are you doing here?" he snaps, his tone turning hostile.
Jasper recoils. "Hey, I helped you win her over, so no frowny faces at me, okay?" he says, pretending to wipe away tears.
It takes all my self-control not to laugh. Artemis's frown deepens.
"Frowny faces?" he mutters, mostly to himself but loud enough for us to hear.
"I have feelings too, you know. Feelings you don't mind hurting," Jasper continues, faking another sob.
Playing along, I pat Jasper's back and rub his arm soothingly, shooting Artemis a look to treat his buddy with a little more kindness.
"Be nice to him, Artemis," I warn playfully, and he rolls his eyes, folding his arms stubbornly across his chest.
"Yeah, be nice to Jasper, you big meanie. You should be grateful. If it weren't for me, you'd still be brooding in your room, wasting away," Jasper chimes in.
He rests his head on my smaller shoulders, despite the apparent discomfort, and sticks his tongue out at Artemis.
"You guys are hilarious," Artemis retorts, his stare sarcastically icy.
Just then, the doors swing open again. This time it's Olivia, panting as if she's sprinted here.
I disentangle myself from Jasper and Artemis and rush to hug her. She returns the embrace with equal fervor before we pull back to look at each other.
"This was your plan all along, wasn't it? You didn't just send me out for a walk," I say, piecing it together.
She nods, a small, knowing smile on her face.
"I just wanted you to sort through your issues. They were eating at you more than you wanted to admit. Jasper suggested the idea, and I went along."
"Thank you," I say earnestly, taking her hand and squeezing it.
The moment is too precious, too full of people who mean so much to me right now.
"You don't have to thank me," Olivia says, her smile as wide as mine. "I just wanted you to be happy. You deserve it."
I smile back at her and then pull her into another hug, holding on as long as I need to.