Glowing
"Can I kiss you?" Alice asked, the moonlight shining upon them.
He didn't know why, but he felt off today, as if he wanted to be kissed and enjoy it with all his heart.
Knowing she wouldn't agree at all, he realised this would be his own delusion, which she would soon shatter.
But at least he wanted to ask, to escape the truth running through his mind. He couldn't pinpoint what else to do to numb the pain in his heart and head.
Never in his life had he imagined experiencing such heartache, yet here he was, dying from that exact pain.
Perhaps this was the magic of falling for Alisha; when it came to her, he couldn't help but feel it all.
Alisha's face turned red. His request for a kiss always felt like an arrow; she never knew when it would strike her.
She couldn't understand what made him so eager to kiss her; it was quite perplexing.
When he kissed her before, she felt butterflies, but she didn't regularly experience this desire to kiss him.
Sometimes she even found kissing disgusting, and most of their kisses were forceful. She couldn't fathom why he was so obsessed with it.
'Let him kiss you,' the voice in her head commanded.
Her eyes started glowing; they were already red, but the glow made them shine brightly.
"Is this your wolf?" Alice asked, a bit shocked.
He now recognized the signs, having learned she was a werewolf. He could easily process what was happening.
"What do you think?" Her changed voice startled Alice.
He still wasn't used to this bold and fierce personality- it's been so long, when he encountered it.
"I don't think I should kiss you when you're not in control," Alice sighed. He didn't want to take advantage of her.
Before, he had enjoyed her boldness, but knowing that her wolf and her true self were different personalities gave him pause.
"That's wrong, because I deserve you too. If I want to kiss you, there's no stopping me, not even your so-called denial," her wolf agitatedly replied.
Alice took a step back, unsure how to respond. He was torn between his feelings and the unsettling presence of Alisha's wolf. The intensity in her eyes, the way her voice had shifted—he wasn't prepared for this confrontation.
"It's Alisha," he said softly, trying to reach through the layers of her transformation, "I want to kiss, but not like this. I want it to be real, not driven by something she is not fully in control of."
Her wolf's expression hardened. "Bad to be you, isn't it?"
He shook his head. "If it's my Angel, I can wait my whole life. Nothing can be bad."
"Even when you're trying to hide things from her?"
Alice's eyes widened. "What?"
"She is dumb, not me. I may not be in full control because of the curse, but I know exactly what is happening. The key, your father, your meeting with Aman—you think it can all be hidden forever?"
Alice was speechless. How did she know about all this? This was beyond anything he could have imagined.
"How?," he stammered, searching for words that wouldn’t come. The moonlight seemed colder now, shadows deepening around them.
"You can't keep secrets from me," she continued, her voice unwavering. "Especially not now.”
"I never wanted to deceive anyone," Alice said, desperation creeping into his voice. "I just... I wanted to protect Alisha ."
"Protect her from what?" she challenged, stepping closer. "From the truth? You should know better."
He sighed heavily, the weight of his secrets pressing down on him. "It's… how?”
“I am not a normal wolf," she said. "I inherited powers from Alisha's mother's bloodline, which had witch blood. I can see into your mind without doing anything. I can read your thoughts."
Alice's head started throbbing. He had wanted to bury this truth deep, knowing neither he nor Alisha deserved this burden.
Their relationship had its struggles, but the truth ending it would be the worst of all. He could endure anything, but losing Alisha would be like having his heart ripped out.
"So, what do you think? Will you take my help now? Or maybe lose her?" Alisha's wolf challenged. "I am part of her, and I won't lose you. Even if I have to push her soul back and take full control of this body, I won't hesitate."
"You are insane! How can you do something like that?" Alice gasped, horrified at the thought of the wolf making Alisha disappear to take control.
He wanted to be wanted by Alisha, but not this way. It wasn't her wolf he fell for; it was Alisha, his Angel.
The wolf's eyes narrowed, and her expression hardened. "You don't understand, Alice. I am her strength, her protector. Without me, she would be vulnerable. I do what needs to be done. You are my mate, so if she doesn't want you, that's not happening. I want you, and that's what matters.”
"No," Alice said firmly, shaking his head. "You don't get to make that decision. It's Alisha I love, not you. I fell for her kindness, her spirit, her everything. If you push her away, you'll lose me too."
For a moment, the wolf seemed to falter, a flicker of doubt crossing her fierce features. "You think she can handle this on her own?"
"I believe in her," Alice replied, his voice steady. "Even if she won't, there is no way I want to be with you.”
There was a long pause, the tension thick in the air. Then, slowly, the glow in Alisha's eyes began to fade. Her posture softened, and the fierce determination of the wolf gave way to the familiar warmth of Alisha.
"Alice?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
He stepped forward, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "I'm here, Alisha. Always."
“What happened? Did I zone out again? Did my wolf take over?” Alisha asked, trembling. She used to lose consciousness after her wolf took over, but now she was regaining it without any issue.
“It’s fine. This is nothing, it’s totally fine,” he reassured her, gently cradling her head.
His own heart was racing with Alisha’s wolf’s warning and the way she knew the truth. It wouldn’t take long before Alisha figured it out, and he didn’t want to think about that at all.