Donna knew what the light was before she even got to the temple.
She grinned as everyone else at the meeting screamed and gasped. She ran along with everyone else to confirm what she saw.
It took a great effort not to break out into a grin as she saw Lira sitting on the floor near the wreckage. The child was shaken up but fine.
She heard some people murmuring about how out of control and dangerous the Moonborne was.
It was perfect.
The donations she had were enough to rebuild the damaged part of the temple.
Even if they weren't, the pack members had something new to fear; Lira, and by extension, the temple.
Donna helped her get up. "What happened here?" she repeated.
"I didn't mean to." Lira breathed out.
"I know you didn't. What happened?" Donna placed her hands on Lira's shoulders.
"There was a Zombie. You have to believe me, I don't know where it came from-" Lira started to hyperventilate.
"I believe you", Donna nodded. She knew exactly where it came from.
It was Gerald Hale, but she wouldn't tell her that. She'll probably realize it on her own later on. Lira's head then snapped to the left.
Suddenly, Kyren broke through the crowd.
It would be more accurate to say that the pack members made way and parted like the red sea.
"Perfect timing." Donna sighed. She looked up at Kyren as he bounded over to them.
"Take her home."
He nodded and led her away.
At home, Lira was in his room instead of the guest room.
"That was dangerous." Kyren growled. "Why did you even go there? You've been training all day."
"You don't understand. I have to be stronger."
The last few events had left Lira feeling totally useless. After lighting up the big dolmen, she had planned to go to Silverstone where she could finally do something good.
"You think that's not strong enough?" He pointed at the ruined temple through his window.
Lira gasped when she saw how it looked from afar. She looked down at her hands and muttered, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
Kyren shifted closer to her and Lira felt the air around them thicken. His scent filled her nose again just like it did at the temple.
It was warm, familiar and unsettlingly right. Lira ran her sweaty palms through her jeans and felt a bump. The letter!
"Kyren, please can you ask someone to run me a bath?"
"Of course" he nodded and got up, gliding to the door.
"Cold water please."
He closed the distance between them in an instant and touched her left ear which was red. She shivered. His touch was like a jolt of electricity in her veins.
"You're freezing." He remarked. "You're shaking too."
She hadn't even noticed. Her hands were trembling.
She backed up a step and he followed.
"Stop looking at me like that," she whispered.
"Like what?" His voice was gentle. In an instant he took her hands in his.
She gazed into his deep obsidian eyes and felt something flutter in her chest.
There was something in his eyes that seemed to knock the air out of her, something that wasn't there before.
She felt her wolf perk up inside of her. The realization hit her with a force that almost made her knees buckle.
She backed away swiftly and turned to the window. "Run a bath for me now."
Kyren silently left and closed the door.
With a heavy sigh, Lira flopped onto his bed. Of all people!
Lira had always wondered who her fated mate would be, if she ever had one.
Normally, werewolves found their mates at the age of eighteen or in some rare cases, a few years after.
Ever since the Moonstone broke, the timing for finding a fated mate had been all out of sorts. Some wolves even never found theirs.
And her mate just had to be Kyren.
It seemed like fate was trying its best to make her miserable.
Lira considered running away that night but the decision had stopped being so simple. Things had changed. She decided wait until Kyren returned.
After her warm shower, she didn't sleep in the guest room; she went over to Kyren's room.
"You felt it," she declared once he opened the door.
"I did." He replied.
She pushed past him and entered his room. "Your father still isn't back?"
"You did cause quite an incident."
She nodded absentmindedly and took a step closer, while staring at his obsidian orbs.
Her chest tightened as her pulse accelerated. She already knew Kyren could faintly hear it, soon he'd hear it more clearly
Kyren's breath hitched as Lira's fingertips met his chest.
"Lira…" he tried to warn but it sounded more like a plea.
Her hands gently glided up his chest and she interlaced her fingers behind his neck. Lira did all this red-faced and without breaking eye contact.
Kyren had his fists balled by his sides. The tips of his ears had started to turn red too.
His father wasn't there so why was he holding back? Even if the Alpha was in his house, no punishment would be meted out to either of them.
"Kyren, touch me." Lira whispered.
Kyren took a sharp intake of breath and squeezed his eyes shut. "Lira-" he said through gritted teeth.
"That's an order, Alpha." Lira said with fake arrogance.
Kyren placed his hands on her waist and forcefully pulled her closer. Lira gasped as she felt him against her thigh. Her pulse quickened as she thought about what she was going to do.
It's now or never!
Lira stood on her toes and pulled Kyren's neck closer to her. Kyren gently pulled her hands away from his neck and left them on his chest.
He lifted her chin with his forefinger and thumb and slowly brought their lips together.
Lira's breath hitched once their lips made contact.
Kyren's hand slid to the back of her neck, steadying her as the warmth of his mouth deepened.
His other hand tightened on her waist. All of Lira's awkward thoughts scattered away and there was only Kyren.
She reached up to his neck and pulled him closer deepening the kiss.
When they finally pulled back, they found themselves staring at each other in quiet shock.