WebNovels

Chapter 14 - Keiran’s Fury

The headmistress's study smelled faintly of parchment, ink, and burning cedar. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, their spines glinting under the soft golden glow of candlelight. The air was warm but heavy, as though it pressed down with the weight of everything unsaid.

I stood just inside the doorway, hands clasped tightly before her. The wood floor beneath her bare feet creaked faintly when she shifted her weight.

Behind her, the sound of the door closing was final—too final.

"Sit," Headmistress Celene ordered, her voice like polished steel.

I obeyed, sinking into the high-backed chair that faced the heavy oak desk. The seat was too large for her; her feet barely touched the floor.

Kieran didn't sit. He positioned himself slightly behind and to the side of her chair, his stance rigid, arms folded across his broad chest. His presence loomed, not suffocating, but fiercely protective—like a wall that dared anyone to try to breach it.

Celene's pale eyes flicked between them before settling on Aria. 

"What you did in the arena today… Do you know what it was?"

I shook her head slowly.

The headmistress's gaze narrowed, as though weighing the truth of that answer. 

"That light—"

"It wasn't dangerous," Kieran cut in sharply. 

His voice was low but carried an edge that drew Celene's attention instantly.

"You presume to know?" the headmistress replied, one brow lifting in a faint challenge.

"I know it saved her life," he said, jaw tight. 

"And I know that without it, she'd be lying in the arena bleeding out right now."

Celene's lips curved—not into a smile, but into something cool and unreadable.

 "Perhaps. Or perhaps it's the kind of magic that draws the wrong kind of attention to the academy. To me."

Her gaze sharpened, shifting back to Aria.

 "You will not speak of this to anyone. Do you understand?"

Aria nodded once.

"And you," Celene turned to Kieran, "will make certain she follows that instruction. 

"You're her instructor—you're responsible for her now."

Kieran's shoulders tensed, the golden flecks in his eyes darkening. "She doesn't need a leash."

"She needs discipline," Celene countered.

The tension between them crackled in the air, hot enough that Aria's skin prickled. She glanced between them, feeling caught between two forces far larger than herself.

Then a loud knock shattered the standoff.

A guard burst into the room without waiting for permission, chest heaving as though he'd run here. 

"Headmistress—there's been another breach. North courtyard. Same scent as the rogue from the arena."

Aria's blood chilled.

Celene was already rising from her seat. "Get every patrol unit there—now."

Kieran's head snapped toward the guard. "How close?"

The man hesitated. "Too close. It—"

The sound of a distant howl cut through the air, deep and predatory. It was close enough to make Aria's bones vibrate.

Kieran's control snapped. In one smooth movement, he was at the door. 

"Stay here," he ordered Aria, his voice a growl.

But the words had barely left his mouth before the scent hit him—sharp, metallic, and familiar. 

The rogue wasn't just back. He was hunting.

Kieran's golden eyes burned. "No," he snarled, "he's here for her."

Celene's gaze flicked to Aria, calculating. "Then perhaps we should give him what he's—"

"You will not use her as bait," Kieran bit out, voice low and dangerous.

The headmistress tilted her head, but Kieran didn't wait for her answer.

 He was already moving, his body shifting mid-stride into the massive black wolf Aria had glimpsed before.

The transformation was seamless—fluid, terrifyingly beautiful. 

His paws struck the ground with heavy force, claws clicking against the floor as he shot through the doorway.

My chest tightened. She couldn't just stay here. Every instinct screamed for her to follow, to see, to know.

Against her better judgment, she slipped out after him, keeping to the shadows of the hallway.

By the time she reached the north courtyard, chaos had erupted. Students had been herded back inside, but the scent of fear hung thick in the air.

Kieran stood in the center of the courtyard, no longer in wolf form but fully human—barefoot, shirt torn from the shift. His body was a coil of tension as he faced the rogue wolf.

The rogue was massive, its fur matted with dried blood. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and the way it paced was unnatural—erratic, as though driven by something other than instinct.

Aria pressed herself against a pillar, heart hammering. She could feel the connection between the two males like static in the air, heavy and electric.

"This is your only warning," Kieran said, voice carrying across the courtyard. "Leave. Now."

The rogue snarled, lips peeling back to reveal jagged teeth.

Kieran's control broke. 

He lunged, shifting mid-air into his wolf form with a snarl that shook the walls. 

The two wolves collided in a violent blur of fur and claws.

 The sound of their clash was raw—snapping jaws, the wet thud of bodies hitting stone, the metallic scent of blood blooming in the air.

Aria's nails dug into the pillar as she watched, every muscle in her body wound tight. 

Kieran fought like something primal had taken over, every strike precise, every movement fueled by fury.

The rogue swiped at him, claws catching Kieran's shoulder, but Kieran didn't falter. 

He slammed into the rogue, forcing it back toward the courtyard gates.

With one final, bone-shaking growl, Kieran drove the rogue into the ground, his jaws clamping around its throat. 

He didn't kill it—not yet—but held it there, a silent promise of what would happen if it moved again.

The guards surged forward, chains in hand.

Kieran shifted back slowly, still crouched over the rogue, chest heaving. 

His eyes found Aria instantly, locking onto her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

"You're safe," he said, voice low, raw. "As long as I'm here… no one touches you."

The rogue was dragged away, snarling and thrashing. 

Kieran didn't look away from her until the last echo of its growl faded into the distance.

And then, without a word, he turned and walked toward her, each step slow, deliberate.

Aria's throat tightened. 

His fury wasn't just for the rogue—it was for the threat against her.

But under that rage, there was something else in his eyes. Something that made her chest ache and her knees weak.

Possession.

The headmistress's study smelled faintly of parchment, ink, and burning cedar. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, their spines glinting under the soft golden glow of candlelight. The air was warm but heavy, as though it pressed down with the weight of everything unsaid.

I stood just inside the doorway, hands clasped tightly before her. The wood floor beneath her bare feet creaked faintly when she shifted her weight.

Behind her, the sound of the door closing was final—too final.

"Sit," Headmistress Celene ordered, her voice like polished steel.

I obeyed, sinking into the high-backed chair that faced the heavy oak desk. The seat was too large for her; her feet barely touched the floor.

Kieran didn't sit. He positioned himself slightly behind and to the side of her chair, his stance rigid, arms folded across his broad chest. His presence loomed, not suffocating, but fiercely protective—like a wall that dared anyone to try to breach it.

Celene's pale eyes flicked between them before settling on Aria. 

"What you did in the arena today… Do you know what it was?"

I shook her head slowly.

The headmistress's gaze narrowed, as though weighing the truth of that answer. 

"That light—"

"It wasn't dangerous," Kieran cut in sharply. 

His voice was low but carried an edge that drew Celene's attention instantly.

"You presume to know?" the headmistress replied, one brow lifting in a faint challenge.

"I know it saved her life," he said, jaw tight. 

"And I know that without it, she'd be lying in the arena bleeding out right now."

Celene's lips curved—not into a smile, but into something cool and unreadable.

 "Perhaps. Or perhaps it's the kind of magic that draws the wrong kind of attention to the academy. To me."

Her gaze sharpened, shifting back to Aria.

 "You will not speak of this to anyone. Do you understand?"

Aria nodded once.

"And you," Celene turned to Kieran, "will make certain she follows that instruction. 

"You're her instructor—you're responsible for her now."

Kieran's shoulders tensed, the golden flecks in his eyes darkening. "She doesn't need a leash."

"She needs discipline," Celene countered.

The tension between them crackled in the air, hot enough that Aria's skin prickled. She glanced between them, feeling caught between two forces far larger than herself.

Then a loud knock shattered the standoff.

A guard burst into the room without waiting for permission, chest heaving as though he'd run here. 

"Headmistress—there's been another breach. North courtyard. Same scent as the rogue from the arena."

Aria's blood chilled.

Celene was already rising from her seat. "Get every patrol unit there—now."

Kieran's head snapped toward the guard. "How close?"

The man hesitated. "Too close. It—"

The sound of a distant howl cut through the air, deep and predatory. It was close enough to make Aria's bones vibrate.

Kieran's control snapped. In one smooth movement, he was at the door. 

"Stay here," he ordered Aria, his voice a growl.

But the words had barely left his mouth before the scent hit him—sharp, metallic, and familiar. 

The rogue wasn't just back. He was hunting.

Kieran's golden eyes burned. "No," he snarled, "he's here for her."

Celene's gaze flicked to Aria, calculating. "Then perhaps we should give him what he's—"

"You will not use her as bait," Kieran bit out, voice low and dangerous.

The headmistress tilted her head, but Kieran didn't wait for her answer.

 He was already moving, his body shifting mid-stride into the massive black wolf Aria had glimpsed before.

The transformation was seamless—fluid, terrifyingly beautiful. 

His paws struck the ground with heavy force, claws clicking against the floor as he shot through the doorway.

My chest tightened. She couldn't just stay here. Every instinct screamed for her to follow, to see, to know.

Against her better judgment, she slipped out after him, keeping to the shadows of the hallway.

By the time she reached the north courtyard, chaos had erupted. Students had been herded back inside, but the scent of fear hung thick in the air.

Kieran stood in the center of the courtyard, no longer in wolf form but fully human—barefoot, shirt torn from the shift. His body was a coil of tension as he faced the rogue wolf.

The rogue was massive, its fur matted with dried blood. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and the way it paced was unnatural—erratic, as though driven by something other than instinct.

Aria pressed herself against a pillar, heart hammering. She could feel the connection between the two males like static in the air, heavy and electric.

"This is your only warning," Kieran said, voice carrying across the courtyard. "Leave. Now."

The rogue snarled, lips peeling back to reveal jagged teeth.

Kieran's control broke. 

He lunged, shifting mid-air into his wolf form with a snarl that shook the walls. 

The two wolves collided in a violent blur of fur and claws.

 The sound of their clash was raw—snapping jaws, the wet thud of bodies hitting stone, the metallic scent of blood blooming in the air.

Aria's nails dug into the pillar as she watched, every muscle in her body wound tight. 

Kieran fought like something primal had taken over, every strike precise, every movement fueled by fury.

The rogue swiped at him, claws catching Kieran's shoulder, but Kieran didn't falter. 

He slammed into the rogue, forcing it back toward the courtyard gates.

With one final, bone-shaking growl, Kieran drove the rogue into the ground, his jaws clamping around its throat. 

He didn't kill it—not yet—but held it there, a silent promise of what would happen if it moved again.

The guards surged forward, chains in hand.

Kieran shifted back slowly, still crouched over the rogue, chest heaving. 

His eyes found Aria instantly, locking onto her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

"You're safe," he said, voice low, raw. "As long as I'm here… no one touches you."

The rogue was dragged away, snarling and thrashing. 

Kieran didn't look away from her until the last echo of its growl faded into the distance.

And then, without a word, he turned and walked toward her, each step slow, deliberate.

Aria's throat tightened. 

His fury wasn't just for the rogue—it was for the threat against her.

But under that rage, there was something else in his eyes. Something that made her chest ache and her knees weak.

Possession.

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