Claimed by the Alpha I Hate – Episode 26
Daisy made it only a few steps before the bond pulled her attention backward. Nolan stood where she had left him, watching with a restraint that felt more intimate than pursuit. She stopped beside an empty classroom.
“You’re still following me,” she said. The accusation lacked conviction. No guards were visible now, and Nolan had kept the distance she demanded.
“You’re still waiting for me to.” He approached slowly, giving her time to continue toward class. Daisy remained in place.
The hallway had emptied between lessons. Sunlight crossed the lockers in long bands, and distant voices softened behind closed doors. For once, no pack council, frightened crowd, or investigation stood immediately between them.
“This doesn’t change anything,” Daisy warned. She was not sure whether she meant the shared dream, their unfinished kiss, or the relief she felt whenever Nolan appeared.
“You say that often.” Nolan stopped close enough for their scents to mingle. “Things keep changing anyway.”
Daisy looked toward his mouth and hated herself for the instinct. He noticed. The mate bond carried his answering desire before his expression did.
“Tell me to leave,” Nolan said. It was the same choice he had offered in the office. This time, no ringing phone rescued either of them from the answer.
“You never listen when I tell you anything.” Daisy set her books on the window ledge because her hands had begun to tremble.
“Try me.” Nolan braced one hand against the locker beside her rather than touching her body. The position surrounded Daisy without trapping her; she could step away in either direction.
She should have said go. Instead, she caught the front of his shirt and pulled him the final distance. Nolan’s control broke only after her choice became unmistakable.
His mouth met hers with all the force their interrupted moment had contained. Daisy kissed him back, no longer able to blame the moon or an awakening bond. This desire belonged to her.
Nolan’s hand settled at her waist, holding without pressing. The kiss deepened, carrying frustration, suspicion, and the strange tenderness neither had managed in conversation.
The sound of a classroom door opening broke through them. Daisy released Nolan’s shirt at once. He stepped back just as several students entered the hallway.
They turned toward the window with absurd speed, pretending to study the grounds outside. Daisy picked up her books and smoothed her hair while her pulse raced.
The passing students greeted Nolan nervously and hurried away. One looked back, clearly unconvinced by the innocent distance between the Alpha and his flushed companion.
“Very natural,” Daisy muttered after they disappeared. Nolan’s mouth twitched. The almost-smile made the situation worse by tempting her to laugh.
“We were discussing security,” he said. His voice remained rough from the kiss. “A complex subject.”
Daisy finally laughed, then covered the sound as if it were another confession. For a heartbeat, they were not enemies divided by death and blood. They were simply two people caught doing something they both wanted.
The bell rang. Daisy hurried toward class without denying what had happened. Behind her, Nolan touched his lips and watched her go, knowing the bond was no longer the only reason she kept returning to him.