Chapter 128 Killan second confession

Chapter 128: Chapter 128 Killan second confession

On the other hand,back at the garden, where Noah and Killan were together.

The moment the words left Noah’s mouth, he saw Killian’s entire demeanor shift. It was like watching the sun break through clouds—slow at first, then all at once, flooding everything with warmth. Those impossible green eyes, always holding secrets and mischief in equal measure, softened into something Noah hadn’t seen before.

Vulnerability.

Killian—the playful, cocky, always-on his own Killian—was looking at Noah like he had just handed him the world on a silver platter.

"You mean that?" Killian’s voice was quieter than Noah had ever heard it. Almost fragile.

Noah took another bite of the apple, chewing slowly to give himself a moment to process the weight of what he’d just said. Because he did mean it. Every word. The dancing, the dates, the stupid romantic gestures that he’d always rolled his eyes at in movies and novels, He wanted all of it. With Killian.

"Yeah," Noah said, swallowing. "I mean it."

Killian took a step toward him, then another, until there was barely a breath of space between them. Noah could smell him now—something clean and woodsy, like pine trees after rain. His presence was overwhelming in the best way, wrapping around Noah like a comfort he hadn’t known he’d been craving.

"You have no idea," Killian murmured, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from Noah’s face, "how long I’ve waited to hear you say that."

Noah felt his cheeks warm under Killian’s touch. "How long?"

"Since the moment I saw you stumble into that academy courtyard looking like a lost puppy."

Noah snorted. "I did not look like a lost puppy."

"You absolutely did." Killian’s fingers trailed down to Noah’s chin, tilting his face up to meet his gaze. "Big eyes, messy hair, looking around like you had no idea where you were or how you got there. I took one look at you and thought, ’That one. That’s the one I’m going to ruin my life for.’"

Noah laughed despite himself. "Ruin your life?"

"Completely and utterly." Killian grinned, but there was something deeper beneath the playfulness. "And I’d do it again. Every single time."

Noah’s heart did something complicated in his chest. He’d spent so much time worrying about the Alphas as a group—their history with Ashton, their secrets, their dangerous edges. But standing here with Killian, none of that mattered. He wasn’t the Alpha who had hurt Ashton. He was just Killian. The man who made Noah laugh when everything else felt heavy. The man who looked at him like he was something precious.

"Killian..." Noah started, but he didn’t know how to finish.

Killian seemed to understand anyway. His thumb brushed across Noah’s jaw, feather-light.

"Can I kiss you?"

The question hung in the air between them, simple and direct. No games. No teasing. Just Killian, asking permission like Noah was something worth being careful with.

Noah nodded, not trusting his voice.

Killian leaned in slowly, giving him every chance to pull away. Noah didn’t. When his lips finally met Noah’s, it was soft at first—questioning, almost hesitant. Like Killian was still making sure this was real.

Then Noah kissed him back, and something shifted.

Killian’s hand slid into Noah’s hair, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. The apple dropped from Noah’s fingers, completely forgotten. He didn’t care. He couldn’t think about anything except the way Killian’s mouth moved against his, the way his other hand found Noah’s waist and pulled him closer.

It wasn’t like the kiss with Lysander, which had been desperate and consuming, like being pulled under by a riptide. This was different. This was warm and safe and felt like coming home after being lost for a very long time.

Killian made a soft sound against Noah’s lips, and Noah felt it travel through his entire body like electricity.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing a little unevenly.

"Okay," Killian said, his forehead resting against Noah’s. "That was definitely worth the wait."

Noah laughed, the sound a little breathless. "You’re insufferable."

"And yet you kissed me back."

"Unfortunately."

Killian pulled back just enough to look at him, his expression soft in a way that made Noah’s chest ache.

"I’m going to take care of you, Noah. I don’t care what happens with the others, or with Lysander, or with whatever chaos is waiting for us out there. When it’s just you and me, I’m going to make sure you never have to doubt how much you matter."

Noah opened his mouth to respond, but the words got stuck somewhere in his throat. He’d been carrying so much weight lately—Ashton’s past, Lysander’s secrets, the war, the danger. But in this moment, with Killian looking at him like he was the most important person in the world, some of that weight started to lift.

"I don’t know what I did to deserve you," Noah finally managed.

"Exist," Killian said simply. "That’s literally all you had to do."

Noah shook his head, smiling despite the tears he could feel threatening at the corners of his eyes. "You’re impossible."

"Impossibly charming, you mean."

"I mean impossibly annoying."

"Same thing, really."

Noah shoved his shoulder, but he was laughing, and Killian was laughing too, and for a moment everything felt light and easy and good.

Then Killian’s expression shifted to something more serious.

"Can I show you something?"

"Right now?"

"Right now." He took Noah’s hand, lacing their fingers together. "I’ve been waiting for the right moment, and I think this is it."

Noah looked at him, at the way his eyes had gone earnest and almost nervous. This was Killian. He was never nervous. That’s what made this so different.

"Okay," Noah said.

Killian led him away from the fountain, past the glowing marigolds, toward a part of the garden Noah hadn’t explored yet. The path curved through a small grove of trees, and when they emerged on the other side, Noah stopped in his tracks.

A small stone bench sat in a clearing, surrounded by flowers that seemed to glow in every color imaginable. Above them, the sky was a canvas of stars so bright it felt like Noah could reach up and touch them. The air smelled like honeysuckle and something else he couldn’t quite name.

"Killian, this is..."

"Beautiful, right?" Killian squeezed his hand. "I found it when I got out for a fresh air. I was wandering around, trying to figure out where I was supposed to go, and I stumbled into this place. I knew immediately that I wanted to share it with you."

Noah turned to look at him. "You’ve been planning this?"

"Since the moment we arrived." Killian laughed softly, almost self-consciously. "Is that stupid? Probably. But I wanted our first real moment to be somewhere special. Not in a hallway or a kitchen. Somewhere that felt like it was made for us."

Noah’s heart was doing that complicated thing again, expanding in his chest until he felt like he might burst.

"Killian..." he started, but Killian shook his head gently.

"Let me finish. Please. I need to say this while I have the courage."

Noah closed his mouth and nodded.

Killian took both of his hands, turning to face him fully. In the starlight, he looked almost ethereal—like something out of a dream Noah didn’t want to wake up from.

"I know everything is complicated right now. I know there are things about me, about all of us, that you’re still processing. And I know you have your own history, your own pain, that I can’t even begin to understand. But I need you to know that none of that changes how I feel about you."

Noah opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was grateful for that, because he wasn’t sure if he could speak without his voice breaking.

"When I said you were the one I’d ruin my life for," Killian continued, "I meant it. But I realized something else recently. You’re also the one I’d build a life for. A real one. The kind with quiet mornings and stupid arguments about what to eat for dinner. The kind where I get to watch you grow old and still look at you like you hung the moon."

A tear slipped down Noah’s cheek before he could stop it.

"I’m not trying to pressure you," Killian added quickly, his grip on Noah’s hands tightening. "I know you have bonds with the others too, and I’m not asking you to choose. I’m just asking you to let me be part of your life. However you want me. For as long as you want me."

Noah couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They spilled over, trailing down his cheeks, and he let them. Because somewhere in all of this madness—the war, the secrets, the looming disaster—he had found someone who looked at him and saw something worth protecting.

"You’re such a cutie" Noah whispered, but he was smiling through the tears.

"The biggest," Killian agreed.

Noah stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face against Killian’s chest. He smelled like pine needles and warmth, and his heart was beating so fast against Noah’s cheek.

"I want that," Noah said, his voice muffled against Killian’s shirt. "I want all of it. With you."

Killian’s arms came around him, holding him so tightly Noah could barely breathe.

"Say it again," Killian whispered.

"I want it. All of it. The dancing, the dates, the stupid mornings. Everything."

Killian pulled back just enough to look at him, and Noah had never seen him cry before. Not once. But there were tears in Killian’s eyes now, glistening in the starlight.

"I love you, Noah."

The words hit Noah like a wave, crashing over him and pulling him under. He knew it was fast. He knew they’d barely had time to know each other, not really, not in the ways that mattered. But standing there in that magical garden, with Killian’s hands holding his and his heart laid bare between them, none of that seemed to matter.

"I love you too."