Chapter Thirteen— kiss
Kaelen leaned against the stone wall outside the training hall, arms crossed. He watched Killian approach with that usual confident stride.
"So," Kaelen said, his fox eyes gleaming with amusement. "Want to tell me why you've suddenly taken an interest in the human?"
Killian stopped beside him and shrugged. "She's interesting."
"Interesting." Kaelen repeated the word like he was tasting it. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"You cornered her in a training room. You and me both. That's more than just 'interesting.'" Kaelen tilted his head. "What's really going on?"
Killian was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "She's got something most people here don't have. Fire. Real fire. Not the magical kind. The kind that keeps you going when everything else says you should quit."
"Poetic." Kaelen smirked. "But you know you're already betrothed, right? To that wolf clan girl from the northern territories."
"I know."
"And you don't care?"
"I don't care." Killian's voice was flat. Final.
Kaelen whistled low. "Your father's going to lose his mind."
"My father can deal with it." Killian pushed off the wall. "I'm not marrying someone I've never even met just because it's politically convenient."
"Fair enough." Kaelen straightened up as he noticed someone approaching. "Speaking of betrothals..."
Saela walked past them, her head held high. But her scales were showing slightly along her neck. Blue and shimmering. A sign she was barely holding her composure.
Killian didn't miss the opportunity.
"Hey, Saela," he called out. "How's that betrothal treating you?"
Saela stopped. Her jaw tightened.
"I heard Ryuu didn't even acknowledge it," Kaelen added, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "That must sting."
"Imagine being promised to someone and they just... don't care," Killian said. "Embarrassing."
Saela's scales darkened. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
But she didn't say anything. Didn't fight back.
Because she couldn't. Killian was Alpha Ray's son. Kaelen was from one of the highest fox therian bloodlines. Both of them outranked her, and she knew it.
"Nothing to say?" Killian taunted. "That's not like you."
Saela's eyes flashed with fury. But she forced herself to keep walking, her footsteps quick and sharp against the stone floor.
Kaelen laughed once she was out of earshot. "You're cruel."
"She deserves it. She's been making Nyrah's life hell since Ryuu made their arrangement public."
"Defending the human now?" Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "You really do like her."
"Shut up." But Killian didn't deny it.
They headed toward the dining hall for lunch. The place was already packed with students, the noise level rising as conversations overlapped.
Killian's eyes immediately found Nyrah. She was sitting at Ryuu's table. Right next to him. Ryuu was talking to someone else, but his hand rested casually on the back of Nyrah's chair.
Killian's jaw tightened.
"They're definitely pretending," he muttered.
Kaelen followed his gaze. "You think so?"
"I know so. Look at them. There's no real chemistry. No actual connection. It's all for show."
"Maybe. Or maybe you just want it to be pretend."
Killian didn't respond. He walked over to their table, Kaelen following.
"Nyrah," Killian said as he approached.
She looked up, and her expression immediately became guarded. "Killian."
"Having a nice lunch?"
"I was."
"Good, good." Killian pulled out a chair and sat down across from her, uninvited. Kaelen leaned against the table beside him. "I've been thinking about something."
"Please don't," Nyrah said flatly.
"You and Ryuu." Killian gestured between them. "This whole thing. It's fake, isn't it?"
"That's none of your business," Nyrah said.
Ryuu still hadn't looked at them. He continued his conversation like Killian wasn't even there.
"I think it is my business," Killian said. "Because I don't like being lied to. And this whole relationship feels like a lie."
"Then stop paying attention to it," Nyrah shot back.
"Can't do that." Killian leaned forward. "How about you prove it's real?"
Nyrah's eyes narrowed. "Prove it?"
"Yeah. Kiss him."
Nyrah's eyes widened. "What?"
"You heard me. Kiss Ryuu. Right now. Prove that this isn't just some arrangement."
The nearby students had started paying attention. The conversations around them died down as people turned to watch.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" someone started chanting. Others joined in.
The dining hall was getting louder. More people were watching now.
Nyrah's face flushed. She glanced at Ryuu, who still hadn't reacted. His expression was completely blank.
"Killian, this is stupid," Nyrah said, her voice tight.
"Then it should be easy." Killian smiled. "Just one kiss. That's all."
The chanting was getting louder. More insistent.
Nyrah's heart was pounding. She looked at Ryuu again. He finally turned to look at her, his eyes meeting hers.
She didn't know what to do. If she refused, everyone would know it was fake. But if she agreed...
She leaned toward Ryuu. Slowly. Her heart hammering in her chest.
He didn't move. Didn't pull away. Just watched her with those cold, calculating eyes.
Nyrah got closer. Close enough that their breath mingled. Close enough that she could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes.
Her lips were inches from his.
Then Ryuu spoke.
"She must be tired from our night together," he said loudly, his voice carrying across the dining hall. "Even a single kiss right now would get me wrecked by her."
He said it with a smirk. Taunting. Like he was sharing an inside joke.
The dining hall exploded with laughter and whistles.
Nyrah pulled back, her face burning red.
Killian's smile had disappeared. "You're full of shit."
"Am I?" Ryuu finally looked at him. "Or are you just upset that she's not available for you?"
"I could take her from you in a heartbeat."
"Then why haven't you?" Ryuu's voice was cold. "Go ahead. Try."
The tension at the table was thick enough to cut. Students around them had gone quiet, sensing that something was about to happen.
Kaelen put a hand on Killian's shoulder. "Not worth it, man."
But Killian didn't move. He stared at Ryuu with barely contained fury.
"You don't deserve her," Killian said quietly.
"Probably not," Ryuu agreed. "But she's with me anyway. So either challenge me properly, or get away from my table."
Challenge. The word hung in the air like a threat.
If Killian challenged Ryuu, it would be an official duel. Sanctioned by the Academy. And if Killian won, he could claim anything he wanted from Ryuu. Including Nyrah.
But if he lost, he'd be humiliated in front of everyone.
Nyrah held her breath. She looked between the two of them, waiting to see what Killian would do.
Killian's hands were clenched into fists on the table. His jaw was tight. Every muscle in his body screamed that he wanted to fight.
But finally, he stood up.
"This isn't over," he said.
"It never is," Ryuu replied calmly.
Killian turned and walked away. Kaelen followed, throwing one last look at Nyrah before they disappeared into the crowd.
The dining hall slowly returned to normal. Conversations picked back up. The tension faded.
Nyrah let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
"Thank you," she said quietly to Ryuu.
He didn't look at her. Just picked up his fork and went back to eating. "Don't thank me. I was protecting my investment."
Right. Investment. That's all this was.
Nyrah tried to ignore the weird feeling in her chest. The one that had appeared when she'd been so close to him. Close enough to feel his breath on her lips.
It didn't mean anything. It was just adrenaline from the confrontation.
She picked up her own fork and focused on her food, trying to pretend her hands weren't shaking.
Across the dining hall, she could feel eyes on her. Lots of them. People were definitely talking about what just happened.
Great. More rumors. More attention.
Exactly what she didn't need.
"Ignore them," Ryuu said, like he could read her thoughts.
"Easy for you to say."
"It is easy for me to say. Because I don't care what they think." He finally looked at her. "And neither should you."
"I'm not like you. I can't just not care."
"Then learn." His voice was matter-of-fact. "Because caring what they think will get you killed here. The moment you start making decisions based on their opinions instead of your survival, you're done."
Nyrah knew he was right. But knowing something and doing it were two different things.
"Why did you really say that?" she asked. "About us... spending the night together."
"Because Killian was trying to expose us. And the best way to deflect is to lean into it. Make it so outrageous that people either believe it completely or think it's too ridiculous to be fake."
"So you were just... strategizing."
"Always." Ryuu took a drink from his cup. "Don't read into it."
Nyrah nodded. Of course he was strategizing. Everything with Ryuu was calculated.
She finished her lunch in silence, hyperaware of his presence beside her. Of his hand still resting on the back of her chair. Of the way other students kept glancing at them.
This arrangement was supposed to make her life easier. Safer.
But right now, it felt more complicated than ever.
When lunch ended, Ryuu stood. "Walk with me."
It wasn't a question.
Nyrah followed him out of the dining hall. They walked through the corridors, away from the crowds. Away from the noise.
Finally, Ryuu stopped in a quiet hallway near the library.
"Killian's going to be a problem," he said.
"I noticed."
"He's not going to let this go. And neither is Kaelen." Ryuu turned to face her. "You need to be careful."
"I thought that's what you were for. Protection."
"I can't protect you from everything. Especially not if they decide to come after you when I'm not around."
Nyrah's stomach tightened. "So what do I do?"
"Get stronger. Fast." Ryuu's eyes were serious. "Because eventually, they're going to force a confrontation. And when that happens, you need to be ready."
"Ready how? I can't beat either of them in a fight."
"Not in a straight fight, no. But there are other ways to win." He studied her face. "You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. Use that."
"Use my brain to fight a wolf alpha's son and a high fae. Great plan."
"It's the only plan you have." Ryuu's voice softened slightly. "Unless you want to break our arrangement and take one of them up on their offer instead."
Nyrah looked at him. Really looked at him. Trying to figure out if he actually cared or if this was just more strategy.
"No," she said. "I'm staying with you."
"Why?"
Good question. Why was she staying with Ryuu when Killian and Kaelen both seemed genuinely interested? When they might actually protect her because they wanted to, not because it was entertaining?
"Because I'd rather deal with someone honest about using me than someone pretending they're not."
Ryuu smiled. Actually smiled. It was small and fleeting, but it was real.
"Smart girl," he said.