Alpha's Hidden Precious Luna-Chapter 196

Kai POV

I felt my throat constrict with tears at the thought of speaking with Lily.

Even my thousand pleas had fallen to the ground with Celeste and my grandparents. All I asked for was to convince, Lily to drive past the main pack house building and just stay in the car. She didn’t need to know I was there, I just wanted to see her.

But everyone keeps telling me, that staying away and not talking to her was the best option.

"You would do that?" I asked Liam.

"You’re my Alpha," he said simply. "But more than that, you’re my friend. I can see what this separation is doing to you."

“If my mother...”

“I would take responsibility,” he said with a small smile. “And we all know Luna Helen is all talk and threat at first, the action comes like five or six times after the threat. It would be fine and I have another phone too which is secure. I’m 100% sure it’s not tapped.”

I looked at him with genuine appreciation, nodding as I accepted the phone he offered. "Thank you so much, Liam. You’re a real one.”

"I’ll be back in a few minutes," He said, heading for the door. "Try not to do anything that will get us both in trouble with your mother."

As soon as the door closed behind him, I stared down at the phone in my hands. Lily’s number was burned into my memory, digits I could recite in my sleep. But actually calling her felt like crossing a line my mother had explicitly drawn in blood.

The rational part of my mind knew this was a bad idea. Every interaction between us seemed to strengthen the curse, and hearing her voice would only make the separation harder to bear. But the desperate, love-sick part of me that missed her with every fiber of my being didn’t care about consequences.

Before I could lose my nerve, I dialed her number.

The phone rang once, twice, three times. With each tone, my heart hammered harder against my ribs. What if she didn’t answer? What if she was angry with me for what had happened? What if hearing my voice brought back memories of fear and violence instead of love?

On the fourth ring, her voice filled my ear, and every worry disappeared in the face of overwhelming relief.

"Hello?"

She sounded tired, maybe a little wary—probably because she didn’t recognize Liam’s number. But she was there, she was real, and she was safe. The mate bond I’d been suppressing flared to life at the sound of her voice, flooding me with emotions I’d been trying to keep locked away.

"Lily," I breathed, her name escaping like a prayer. "It’s me."

There was a moment of silence, then I heard her sharp intake of breath. "Kai? How are you calling me? I thought—"

"I’m using Liam’s phone," I explained quickly. "My mother... she’s taken certain precautions to ensure I stay away from you."

"Oh." Her voice was small, uncertain. "How are you? Are you... are you okay?"

The simple question nearly undid me. How could I explain that I was drowning in guilt and longing? That every moment without her felt like slow torture? That I woke up every night reliving the moment I’d put my hands around her throat?

"I’m managing," I lied. "How are you? Are you healing properly? Did I... did I hurt you badly?"

"I’m fine," she said quickly, but I could hear the tremor in her voice. "The bruises are almost gone. We are werewolves and we heal fast, you know. I’m fine and it’s not as bad as you think it is, okay?"

We fell into silence, both of us apparently struggling with what to say. There was so much I wanted to tell her, so many apologies I needed to make, but the words felt inadequate.

"Kai," she said finally, her voice soft but determined. "What happened by the lake... that wasn’t you. I know that. The curse—"

"Please don’t," I interrupted, unable to bear her forgiveness when I didn’t deserve it. "Don’t make excuses for me. I put my hands on you. I could have killed you."

"But you didn’t," she insisted. "You fought it off. You came back to me."

"This time," I said bitterly. "But what about next time? What if I’m not strong enough to stop myself?"

"Then we’ll figure it out together," she replied with a certainty that both comforted and terrified me. "We’ll find a way to break the curse, and until then—"

"Until then, I stay away from you," I finished. "It’s the only way to keep you safe."

"Is it?" she challenged. "Because staying away isn’t breaking the curse either. It’s just... existing in limbo."

Her words hit too close to home. That’s exactly what this felt like—a suspended animation where neither of us could move forward or back.

"I love you," I said suddenly, the words torn from somewhere deep in my chest. "I need you to know that. No matter what the curse makes me do, no matter how this ends, I love you more than anything in this world."

"I love you too," she whispered, and I could hear tears in her voice. "That’s why we can’t give up. That’s why we have to keep fighting."

Before I could respond, I heard Liam’s footsteps in the hallway outside my office. Our time was up.

"I have to go," I said reluctantly. "But Lily... be careful. Stay safe. And know that every moment away from you is agony."

"Kai—"

"I love you," I repeated, then ended the call just as Liam knocked on my door.

As I handed him back his phone, I felt both better and worse than I had moments before. Hearing her voice had been a balm to my wounded soul, but it had also reminded me of everything I was missing, everything the curse was stealing from us.

"Feel better?" Liam asked, studying my expression.

I considered the question seriously. "Yes and no. But thank you. I needed to hear her voice."

"What did she say?"

"That she loves me," I replied, and despite everything, I managed a real smile. "That’s enough for now."

It had to be enough, because it was all I had.