Chasing His Scentless Mate

Chapter 391 Illusions

Ava’s POV

"Whoa there," Kenneth’s voice came from beside me, his strong arm wrapping around my waist. "I think someone’s had a bit too much excitement for tonight."

"I don’t—" I blinked hard, trying to focus on his face.

Kenneth’s features softened with concern. "Let’s get you back to the house. You need to rest."

He guided me away from the festival, his grip firm around my waist as we walked toward the pack house. With each step, my legs felt heavier, my thoughts more scattered.

By the time we reached the main building, I could barely put one foot in front of the other. The hallway stretched endlessly before us, the walls seeming to ripple like water.

"Can’t walk anymore," I murmured.

Kenneth sighed. Without warning, he swept me into his arms, one hand still holding my abandoned high heels.

The sudden movement made my head spin. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing against him for stability.

"You’re so cold," I whispered, nuzzling closer. My skin felt like it was burning, while his seemed refreshingly cool. "Why are you so cold when I’m so hot?"

He didn’t answer, just tightened his grip as he carried me down the hallway toward my room.

Inside, he laid me gently on the bed. The room was dim, just a small bedside lamp casting long shadows across the walls.

I blinked up at Kenneth’s silhouette, but in my altered state, his features seemed to shift and change.

Thick hair. Strong jaw. Intense eyes that could pierce straight to my soul.

"Joseph?" I whispered, my heart racing suddenly.

The figure stilled above me. "What did you say?"

But I wasn’t listening anymore. All I could see was Joseph leaning over me, all I could feel was the ache of missing him that I’d been suppressing for weeks.

"I’ve missed you so much," I murmured, reaching up to touch his face. "Why did you let me go?"

Before he could answer, I pulled him down and pressed my lips against his.

For a moment, he froze in surprise. Then, with a groan, he began to kiss me back.

My head pounded like a jackhammer as consciousness dragged me back to reality. Every tiny movement sent waves of pain crashing through my skull.

I groaned, Something warm pressed against my back.

My eyes flew open in panic.

I froze, hardly daring to breathe as I became acutely aware of several disturbing facts: I was completely naked under the sheets, and whoever was sharing my bed was equally undressed.

Slowly, I turned my head, praying I was wrong.

I wasn’t.

Kenneth lay beside me, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of sleep. His strong arm was draped possessively across my waist.

"Oh my Goddess," I whispered, horror washing over me.

Leila stirred within me, equally confused. "What happened last night?" she whined. "Everything’s so fuzzy."

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to piece together fragments of memory. The Harvest Festival. Dancing. Drinking something sweet. Then... everything went blurry.

But one memory came back to me, sharp and clear: me pulling Kenneth down and kissing him, hard and desperate.

"No, no, no," I muttered, carefully lifting Kenneth’s arm and sliding away from him.

As I moved, the sheet slipped, revealing red marks across his neck and shoulders. Bite marks.

I looked down at myself and saw similar bruises scattered across my own skin.

Clutching the sheet to my chest, I eased myself toward the edge of the bed. If I could just get dressed and slip out before he woke up, maybe we could pretend this never happened.

"Going somewhere?"

Kenneth’s deep voice froze me in place. I turned slowly to find him watching me, his eyes sharp despite just waking up.

"I was just... bathroom," I stammered, unable to look him in the eyes.

"Ava," he said softly, sitting up. The sheet lay around his waist, showing a torso of hard muscle shaped by years of training. As his pack’s Alpha, Kenneth kept a warrior’s body.

I averted my eyes, cheeks burning with shame.

Kenneth stood, wrapping the sheet around his lower half before approaching me. He moved with deliberate slowness, like someone approaching a frightened animal. When he reached me, his large hands gently cupped my face, forcing me to look at him.

"After what happened between us last night," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "I need you to hear me out."

I swallowed hard. "Kenneth, about last night—"

"Let me finish," he interrupted, his thumbs gently stroking my cheeks. "Ava, the way you care for the pack, the strength you’ve shown... you’re everything a Luna should be."

My heart dropped into my stomach. "Luna?" I whispered.

Kenneth smiled. "Marry me, Ava. Be my Luna. The pack already adores you."

I jerked away from his touch. "What? No! Kenneth, I can’t—"

"Why not?" His expression hardened slightly. "Is it because of Joseph Garcia"

The mention of Joseph’s name sent a sharp pain through me. "This has nothing to do with Joseph."

"Doesn’t it?" Kenneth’s eyes held a deep sadness. "You called me by his name last night. When you kissed me."

Shame and guilt burned inside me. "I was drunk. I wasn’t thinking straight."

"So it was all a mistake?" His jaw tightened, and he looked hurt. "Being with me was just a drunken error?"

I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling a mix of guilt and panic I couldn’t explain. But I couldn’t lie to him. "I’m sorry, Kenneth. You’ve been so kind to me. You gave me a home when I needed one. But I don’t feel that way about you. You’re like family to me."

Kenneth’s expression shifted from sadness to something like loss. "Family? Is that what last night was to you? Family?"

I looked at this usually steady, mature Alpha now showing such pain. I felt like a terrible person. I knew too well what it felt like to love someone who was tangled up with someone else, to want someone you couldn’t have. Though I wasn’t sure if Kenneth felt love for me now or just a sense of duty.

"I wasn’t in my right mind," I insisted, hearing how cold my words sounded. "I’m truly sorry. I never would have started anything if I had been!"

"So now you regret it," Kenneth said. He was much taller than me, and I felt small standing in his shadow.