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Chapter 95
~Valerie’s POV~
"One more match," Kai challenged.
I blinked several times. "What?"
Was Kai crazy, or was he eager to exhibit his hard-on for me? His voice broke through my train of thoughts. "One more. You and me," he repeated.
I cocked a brow. "What, eager to go full nude for me?" I tilted my head, biting down a grin.
His smirk sharpened into something dangerous. "No, sweetheart, not that it would be a bad idea, but no. You’re the one who’s going to lose this time."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and this round’s got a new wager."
"Oh?" I folded my arms, ignoring the fire licking at my skin from how well those boxers fit. "Do tell."
"Winner gets a wish."
I didn’t hesitate. "You’re on."
We circled again, slower this time. He was watching me—not just my body, but my stance, my breath, the way I shifted my weight.
It felt like he was reading my movements before I even made them. I had never seen him this serious in a match, especially with me, until now.
I guess he had more to lose than I did because he was taking down those boxers.
I launched first, feinting high before cutting low with a sweeping kick — and missed.
Missed entirely!
Kai was gone from that spot in a blur. I barely saw the move — just felt the rush of air as he appeared behind me, fingers brushing my shoulder a split second before he spun me around and blocked my counter-blow effortlessly.
My breath caught. He wasn’t going easy anymore.
Before, he’d matched my speed. Now, he was showing me what he was really capable of.
Every strike, every dodge, was precise and lightning-fast. His power came off him in waves — not wild like Dristan’s quiet storm, or playful like Xade’s cool air— but something unrelenting.
I struck at him again, faster this time, driving every move I had into it.
Still, it was not enough.
Only now I truly understood what my cousin, Storm meant by I should avoid them.
He parried my hits like I was a sparring dummy. Not because I was weak, but because he was finally fighting like the North Alpha Heir he truly was.
I tried to call on my energy, my control over Earth as the Southern Heiress— to use my aura, my wolf’s strength and subtly use it in my match with him — but nothing surged.
Astra was there, purring like an amused drunken entertainer.
"No powers," she said. "This one you fight with your body alone."
"Astra." I grit my teeth and lunged again, but Kai caught me mid-air.
In one fluid motion, he spun, twisted, and slammed me into the mat—not painfully, just hard enough that I couldn’t move for a moment—which was fucking painful in case he wasn’t aware.
His arm pressed lightly across my chest, just above my breasts, pinning me.
I exhaled, my cheeks burning. "You win," I muttered, breathless.
Kai’s chest rose and fell above me as he smirked down, barely winded. "Of course."
I laughed, even though my ribs ached. "So, what’s your wish? That I strip down to match you?"
His eyes darkened, but he shook his head. Before he could answer, I moved.
Quick as a whip, I twisted my legs around his hips, caught him off guard, and flipped us. I straddled him, hands on his shoulders, hair spilling down around us like a curtain.
"The more you deny the bond, the worse it gets. You want him. You want them all. You’ll keep breaking if you don’t give in, and it will be hard not to want them, your mates."
"Shut up," I snapped.
But the heat between us was dangerous—his body pressed to mine, his arousal unmistakable. If I kissed him now, if I crossed that line... I wasn’t sure where it would end.
And that terrified me because I could feel my resolve weakening against the bond.
Kai’s nose brushed mine. His lips hovered just above mine — so close I could feel the tremble in his restraint. I shut my eyes as he did his, parting my lips slightly.
My heart thundered in my chest as I waited for the inevitable. And then... nothing.
I opened my eyes in time to see him pull back. Kai wasn’t smiling now.
He looked like he was at war with himself.
"I’m sorry," he muttered.
"What?" I whispered, confusion clouding my eyes and senses even as I remained breathless.
Kai sat up, running a hand through his black hair, his entire chest rising and falling like he was holding something in.
"I want you so much," he confessed, in a hoarse voice, a side of him I had never seen. "And I can’t guarantee I’ll hold myself back from claiming you if I kiss you now."
The words slammed into me like a wave. He looked up at me again, and in his eyes, I didn’t just see lust, I saw longing, control snapping—a rare kind of fear.
"I want you to want me, Valerie," he said quietly. "Want me... like I want you."
I sat up slowly, stunned into silence.
Kai grabbed his shirt and started dressing, his jaw tight, his hands quick and rough.
And before I could form a reply, he turned and walked away — barefoot, shirt half on, power rolling off him like smoke and leaving me there.
Aching, wanting, waiting, but thankful.
And wondering how I could win the fight — and still feel like I’d just lost.
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