~YULIA.
Issa’s voice held a soft warning as he looked down at me.
His dark eyes flickered with the faintest hint of disapproval. “You didn’t have to be rude to them,” he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. “Those students will be your classmates soon. Connections matter here, Yulia, especially if you’re linked to me.”
I crossed my arms, leaning against the smooth stone wall of the academy corridor, feeling the coolness seep through the fabric of my sleeve. “Friends? What for?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though a spark of defiance flickered within. “Whoever wants me dead isn’t going to spare anyone I get close to. They’ll just use them to get to me.”
Issa sighed, his gaze softening slightly as he studied me. “Yulia, it doesn’t have to be that way.” He took a step closer, close enough that I could feel his warmth, the energy radiating off him. His voice dropped, growing more intense. “I brought you here to keep you safe, and I want you to have allies-people you can rely on, even when I’m not around.”
I felt his words pull at something inside me, a strange longing for companionship, for safety. But I pushed it down. “I’ve been on my own for a long time, Issa. I don’t need anyone.”
His lips pressed together, and his jaw tightened, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he nodded, his hand brushing against my arm as he gestured toward a set of wide double doors at the end of the corridor. “Then come with me. There’s something I want to show you.”
Curiosity stirred within me, and I followed him as he led me into the academy’s heart. As we walked, I couldn’t ignore the way his presence seemed to command the very air around us. He carried an aura of power, danger, and an almost unbearable intensity. But I was getting used to it, even… drawn to it.
Issa pushed open the heavy doors, revealing the academy’s library, and I had to stop and catch my breath.
The room seemed to stretch on endlessly, a labyrinth of towering shelves lined with thousands of books, scrolls, and manuscripts. The scent of old parchment and rich leather filled the air, mingling with the faint hint of candle wax from the flickering chandeliers hanging above us. Shadows danced along the walls, creating an atmosphere of mystery that seemed to breathe, alive and ancient.
“This is…” I struggled for words, my eyes wide as I took it all in. “This is incredible.”
Issa’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Every book ever written on our kind, on magic, on the ancient world… it’s all here. Some of these manuscripts are lost to the outside world. They’re only preserved here because of the protections placed around this library.”
I moved forward, my fingers tracing the spines of the books closest to me, each title written in languages I didn’t recognize. It was strange and thrilling to think that within these pages were secrets of power, of the supernatural world I barely understood. My fingers tingled as I imagined the magic they held.
“This place,” I whispered, “it feels… alive.”
Issa nodded, his gaze following mine as I looked around. “It is. Knowledge has a life of its own here, Yulia. But be careful. Not all knowledge is safe. Some of these books… they don’t like to be disturbed.”
I shivered slightly at his words, feeling the weight of the library’s secrets pressing around me, thick and almost tangible. I opened my mouth to ask him more, but before I could speak, a familiar voice called my name.
“Yulia?”
I turned, my eyes widening as I saw Pete-tall, dark-haired, and with that boyish grin I once found charming-standing just a few feet away. I felt a mixture of surprise and dread as he approached. It had been ages since I’d seen him, and now, here he was, in the last place I’d expected.
Pete’s smile broadened, his gaze warm as it lingered on me. “It’s been a while,” he said, looking at me with a softness that made my heart flutter despite myself. “Didn’t think I’d run into you here.”
“Pete…” I managed to reply, my voice catching slightly. “I didn’t know you were attending Canis Academy.”
“Yeah, my dad finally pulled some strings to get me in,” he said, his gaze flicking briefly to Issa before focusing back on me. “But what about you? Didn’t think you’d be here either.”
Before I could answer, I felt Issa’s hand tighten around my wrist, his grip possessive and firm. The air between him and Pete grew taut, charged with a tension that was as palpable as it was unsettling.
“She’s with me now,” Issa’s voice was low, almost a growl, as he spoke to Pete, his eyes flashing a warning that sent a shiver down my spine. “So, whatever you had with her in the past… it’s over.”
Pete’s smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion and barely concealed irritation. “I don’t remember asking for your opinion, Frostwood.”
Issa’s grip tightened further, his fingers pressing into my skin, though I didn’t pull away. Something about his possessiveness, about the unspoken claim he seemed to have over me, stirred something inside me-a part of me I wasn’t sure I wanted to acknowledge.
“It’s not about opinion,” Issa replied, his voice dangerously calm. “It’s fact. Yulia is under my protection. And that means no one-no one-interferes with her. Do you understand?”
Pete’s eyes darkened, but he held his ground, glancing briefly at me before returning his gaze to Issa. “I don’t need your permission to talk to her. We have history, Issa. And last time I checked, you can’t just erase that.”
I felt a wave of anxiety rise within me as the two men stared each other down, the silent battle of wills playing out in the tense silence. Pete’s gaze was questioning, almost pleading, while Issa’s was pure, fierce possessiveness. I knew that if I didn’t intervene, this situation could quickly spiral out of control.
“Pete,” I said softly, stepping between them, my heart pounding. “I… appreciate you coming to say hi, but things have changed. I’m here with Issa now.”
Pete’s expression softened, a flicker of hurt crossing his face before he nodded, managing a strained smile. “I see. Well, I hope he’s… taking care of you.”
His words were simple, but they held a weight, a hint of something more that made my chest tighten. I forced a small smile, wishing I could say something to ease the tension, to erase the hurt that lingered between us. But words failed me.
After a long pause, Pete gave a final nod, his gaze lingering on me one last time before he turned and disappeared among the shelves. I exhaled slowly, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.
Issa’s grip on my wrist loosened, but his gaze remained fixed on me, intense and unreadable. “I don’t want you getting involved with him again, Yulia,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with a rare vulnerability. “I brought you here for a reason. And I don’t want anything-or anyone-distracting you.”
I looked up at him, trying to ignore the flutter of warmth in my chest. “Issa, he was just… saying hello. That’s all.”
His eyes narrowed, and he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I don’t care if it was just a hello. You belong to me now, Yulia. Don’t forget that.”
My breath caught, my heart racing as his words hung in the air between us, heavy and charged. I wanted to push him away, to argue, but the truth was, a part of me felt drawn to his possessive nature, to the intense protectiveness he had over me.
As I looked into his dark, stormy gaze, I knew that whatever lay ahead, this connection between us was only growing stronger-and more dangerous.
And that was what I feared the most… That I would lose control and surrender myself to the dangerous lust brewing between us.