Help! I unknowingly enrolled myself into a supernatural Academy-Chapter 78: First Kiss

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: First Kiss
​Aiden looked at Ryker’s earnest, intelligent face and realized this was the best, safest path forward.
​"I’ll listen to you then," Aiden confirmed, giving a firm nod. He was giving his consent, not just to the plan, but to their new reality as mates.
​Ryker’s face lit up instantly. A wave of pure, unadulterated happiness washed over him.
He leaned down and pressed a soft, warm kiss directly onto the top of Aiden’s head, a simple, tender gesture of approval and affection. Aiden’s heart soared, and all he could do in return was smile blissfully, basking in the sudden warmth of their commitment.
​After that moment of sweet intimacy, Ryker continued to hold Aiden’s gaze, the smile slowly fading from his lips. He simply looked at Aiden, a deep, searching intensity in his eyes. The casual air in the small room evaporated, replaced by a tangible, thickening tension. Aiden felt his nerves sharpen, his entire body becoming hyperaware of the proximity of his mate.
​Ryker’s gaze shifted, dropping from Aiden’s eyes to his mouth. Aiden, unable to resist the pull, found his own eyes drawn to Ryker’s perfect, full lips.
They were nearing each other, slowly, inexorably, drawn by a primal, irresistible force. Aiden held his breath, anticipating the culmination of the building pressure, the final, perfect resolution of the moment.
​Then, Ryker suddenly broke the tension. He took a sharp breath, drawing back just an inch.
​"I’m leaving now," Ryker announced, his voice sounding slightly rougher than before. "It’s late. I will leave you to get some sleep. I promise I’ll be here to wake you up tomorrow morning."
​He stood up immediately, the abruptness of the movement jarring, and started walking toward the squeaky door.
​Aiden’s excitement crashed into a wall of disappointment. He had been so utterly certain that a kiss was coming, that this intensely private moment would end with their lips meeting for the first time.
Seeing Ryker already halfway to the door, preparing to walk away, triggered a sudden, urgent panic. He had to stop him.
​"Ryker!" Aiden called out immediately, the name escaping his lips before he even registered the thought.
​Ryker stopped dead in his tracks and turned back instantly, his gaze questioning. "Yes?"
​Aiden was caught completely off guard. He had called Ryker’s name on pure impulse, desperately trying to prevent his departure.
Now that Ryker was looking at him, waiting, Aiden had absolutely no idea what to say. But he knew, with undeniable certainty, that he did not want to be alone right now. He needed his mate close.
​Gathering every ounce of courage he possessed, Aiden decided to be brave. He lowered his gaze, his cheeks flushing crimson, and spoke in a voice that was so shy and so soft that only Ryker’s superhuman, Alpha hearing could possibly catch it.
​"I’m scared to sleep alone," Aiden whispered. "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
​Ryker heard every single word. A warm, genuine smile spread across his face, reaching his eyes. The truth was, Ryker hadn’t wanted to leave either. His departure was a self-imposed boundary.
They had only just confirmed their permanent status as mates, and Aiden had been so vehemently against any display of affection due to Seraphina’s existence.
Although they had talked things through and decided to be in a secret relationship, Ryker was still unsure of how far Aiden would be willing to go, or what he would accept.
He didn’t want to push or make Aiden uncomfortable, which was why he had decided to leave and give them both space.
​But hearing the invitation, the request for closeness, from Aiden himself was all the assurance Ryker needed. He realized he had been overthinking the situation. He was instantly eager and utterly happy to stay.
​Ryker smiled wide, his eyes shining with affection. He closed the distance, walking back towards Aiden and the makeshift bed.
Seeing Ryker turn back, Aiden quickly lay down, pulling the covers up around himself. Ryker then lay down beside him, settling into the small space.
​Aiden turned his head, looking at his mate beside him. He couldn’t help but blush intensely at how incredibly handsome Ryker looked.
His heart was hammering a furious rhythm against his ribs, beating so fast and so hard that he thought it might actually jump right out of his chest.
He found himself unable to maintain eye contact. He kept stealing quick glances at Ryker, his shyness overwhelming him, forcing him to look away immediately after each peek.
​Ryker, too, was captivated. Lying down beside Aiden and staring at his face at such close quarters, Ryker found him to be breathtakingly beautiful.
He felt an intense wave of gratitude wash over him for the Mother Goddess, for arranging this perfect being to be his mate.
And the fact that Aiden’s entire face was flushed red and he was acting so adorably shy was not helping Ryker’s already elevated arousal. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this cute, shy demeanor was a deliberate, intoxicating form of seduction.
​When Ryker finally spoke, his voice was deep and raspy, strained by emotion.
​"You don’t have to keep stealing glances at me," he murmured, his voice heavy and manly. "You can look all you want. I’m yours anyway."
​Ryker didn’t think it was physically possible for a person to blush more, but immediately after his words left his mouth, Aiden’s flush deepened until his cheeks were almost painfully crimson.
And then, the most unexpected thing happened: Aiden’s golden eyes, usually clear and nervous, suddenly looked glazed over and undeniably seductive.
​This sudden transformation, this shift in the atmosphere, did something profound and instantaneous to Ryker’s lower body. A fierce, demanding ache shot through him.
​"Fuck," he breathed out loud. Control completely lost, he acted on pure, urgent need. He dragged Aiden tightly to his chest, closing the last remaining space between them. He lowered his head and instantly attacked Aiden’s lips.
​Though Aiden had never kissed anyone before (he refused to acknowledge Zane’s forceful, unwelcome mouth as a kiss), he threw himself into the moment. He tried to kiss Ryker back to the best of his very limited ability, his inexperience obvious but his enthusiasm undeniable.
​Ryker noticed Aiden’s fumbling but passionate effort and couldn’t help the slow, satisfied smirk that spread across his face, even as he was kissing him. Aiden was clearly unskilled, which strongly suggested that Ryker was indeed his first true kiss.
​Ryker deepened the embrace, pulling Aiden closer still. He gently used his tongue to probe and ask for entry into Aiden’s mouth.
Aiden, eager and compliant, gave him permission, opening his mouth fully. Ryker took control, gently sucking on Aiden’s tongue, mapping the unexplored territory of his mate’s mouth.
Ryker’s hand moved down, settling firmly on the curve of Aiden’s hip, then moving to cup his ass, pulling Aiden even further into his body, attempting to mold their forms together until there was no space between them at all.
​Aiden, completely consumed by the intensity of the kiss and trying his absolute best to respond to Ryker with equal enthusiasm, suddenly felt something hard and insistent poking at his thigh. He instantly knew what it was, and the realization sent a fresh wave of heat and blush flooding through him.
​Soon, Aiden’s lungs screamed in protest. He ran out of air completely. Ryker, recognizing the breathless panic of his inexperienced mate, decided to have mercy. He reluctantly pulled his mouth away just far enough for Aiden to gulp down a much needed breath.
​Ryker smiled happily, his eyes blazing. He scattered a dozen more soft, quick pecks over Aiden’s nose and forehead, savoring the moment.
​Then, he voiced the question that was now a triumphant assumption. "First kiss, right?"
​Ryker fully expected Aiden to nod his head shyly, confirming the wonderful news. But to his surprise, Aiden didn’t nod.
​A flicker of jealousy stirred within Ryker, a primal, unexpected feeling. He quickly suppressed it. It was completely normal for Aiden to have kissed someone before.
He himself had not only kissed several people but had been intimate with more than one. He was simply disappointed that he hadn’t been Aiden’s first. His certainty had come from Aiden’s inexperience, making him believe he held that special first-kiss status.
​For some reason he couldn’t articulate, driven perhaps by a need to stake his claim or simply to know his mate better, Ryker found himself opening his mouth and asking the next question. He asked Aiden to describe his first kiss to him.
​As Ryker watched, Aiden’s face instantly darkened. The crimson flush was replaced by an expression of deep, unsettling dislike. Ryker misinterpreted the look. He thought Aiden didn’t like him prying into his past.
Ryker was about to tell Aiden not to bother, that it truly didn’t matter who he had kissed first, because from this moment on, Ryker intended to be the only person to ever kiss Aiden again, and the last.
​But Aiden spoke first, his voice low and apologetic. "Then if I tell you, please don’t be angry."
​The warning struck Ryker as odd. He hadn’t expected Aiden to think he would get angry just because he had kissed someone else. If he got angry over that, wouldn’t he be a complete hypocrite? Ryker forced a soft smile, trying to reassure him. "Don’t worry, I won’t be angry."
​Having received Ryker’s affirmation, Aiden took a deep breath and plunged into the difficult truth. "It was with Zane," he said quickly. "Earlier today. But Ryker, you have to listen to me. I did not want it to happen. Zane kissed me forcefully and... and..."
​Aiden couldn’t finish the sentence. Ryker, who had just solemnly promised not to be angry, looked like he was seconds away from committing murder. His face was a mask of incandescent rage, and the vein in his forehead was visibly popping
out.