I was startled by Kael’s sudden appearance. I had no idea when he had shown up in front of me. How had he found me? I thought I had hidden myself well behind this large tree. But then again, considering his special abilities, it wasn’t really that surprising that he had discovered me.
My heart began to race, and the ringing in my ears returned.
“Seraphina, I’m grateful that you came to watch my match,” Kael said, calling my name. His deep brown eyes were filled with what seemed like genuine delight. But I knew it was all an act.
I couldn’t help but take a few steps back, stopping only when I reached another tree.
“I was working,” I said.
“No, you were cheering for me!”
“Everyone was cheering for you, Vivienne included.” My chest ached at the mention of her name. I didn’t want to bring her up, but it was the only thing that kept me grounded.
“Seraphina, I can tell you were genuinely cheering for me. But why weren’t you at the party?” His tone was almost pleading, as if I had promised him something.
I could only tell myself it was all a facade. My heart pounded loudly in the silence, its rhythm like a drumbeat. There was no one around. Would he just grab me and turn me into his plaything?
“I’m going for a walk,” I said.
“We can go somewhere else. It’s too dangerous here.” He reached out to pull me closer.
“No!” I instinctively avoided his touch.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell, Seraphina?” His smile froze.
“I’m fine. I want to go home.”
“I’ll take you!”
“Stop!!!” I suddenly shouted.
He frowned, confusion in his eyes. “Are you avoiding me? Or are you afraid of me?”
“Because I don’t think you’re human,” I blurted out.
“What am I if not human?” Kael laughed, his expression unchanged. “Seraphina, what’s gotten into you?”
Oh no, what had I just said?
“Because… I saw you use some kind of special ability. In the locker room, you moved from one place to another in an instant.” I swallowed, my words stumbling. How stupid of me to tell someone I thought they weren’t human. I must have been influenced by Magnus.
Truthfully, I wasn’t afraid of Kael’s identity. I was afraid of his feelings. I even had the absurd thought that even if he weren’t human, he wouldn’t hurt me.
I stared at his handsome face, his deep, ocean-like eyes.
“You’re mistaken, Seraphina,” Kael said, stepping closer and stroking my hair.
At that moment, I saw a golden light flicker in his eyes. I swear I wasn’t imagining it!
I opened my mouth and wanted to say something, but suddenly my mind went blank. Before me, I seemed to see an endless sea or a vast oasis. My restless emotions calmed.
When I looked at Kael again, I felt unusually composed. But I hadn’t forgotten my question.
“Do you know about werewolves?” I asked, recalling what Evelyn and Magnus had told me.
Kael’s brow furrowed, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise. “Have you been listening to the town’s legends?”
It seemed I had done something that genuinely shocked him.
His hand reached for my head again, but this time I dodged his touch, moving away.
“I suspect you’re one of them.”
“Seraphina, if I were a werewolf, wouldn’t I be able to kill anyone I wanted? And why would I even need to train so hard to get some boxing champions?” Kael’s words made some sense, but I still doubted him.
Was everything before just my imagination? He seemed so normal. And if he were a werewolf, shouldn’t he evoke the same soul-crushing fear in me as the red-eyed one?
I only felt suspicion toward Kael’s oddities, hoping for answers, but I didn’t feel that deep, primal fear. My instincts weren’t dull-when the red-eyed werewolf was near, I couldn’t control the chill that ran through me.
But with Kael, it was different. My heart raced uncontrollably, and the ringing in my ears returned. It felt even more like… love.
No.
I should be questioning whether he was a werewolf or some other creature. That would keep me grounded, remind me we could never be together.
Yet, I wasn’t afraid. If anything, I wanted to be closer to him. My body reacted to him involuntarily. Like now, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. My mind kept replaying our previous, ambiguous intimacy.
I wanted Kael to touch me, to use his fingers…
No, no, no. I snapped out of it and tried to run.
But I had only taken two steps when Kael grabbed my arm.
“Hey, Seraphina, don’t think about running. Answer me. You came to watch the match because of me. You cheered for me.”
Kael pulled me closer, and with just a little force, I fell into his arms. The heavy scent of his cologne enveloped me, along with his firm, burning muscles that seemed to trap me. I struggled, but it was useless.
“I told you, I was just doing my job because Rebecca asked me to,” I said, pounding on Kael’s chest.
But instead of letting me go, he only tightened his grip. My hand hurt from hitting him. Was his body made of steel? It hurt so much!
“I don’t believe you, Seraphina. Do you even believe your own words?”
Before I could respond, Kael leaned down and kissed me. His tongue slipped into my mouth, bringing with it the taste of him. He sucked so hard and rubbed until my lips went numb, as if he wanted to steal every bit of air from me.
My consciousness began to blur. As expected, I couldn’t resist Kael’s advances. My pride vanished in that moment.
I wanted him to take me, to enter me forcefully. Kael’s hand moved to my butt, gripping it firmly. His other hand pressed against the back of my head, making it easier for his tongue to invade my mouth.
My body went limp, and I had to wrap my arms around his neck to keep from falling. He tasted like wine, intoxicating and addictive.
When his teeth nipped at my lip, I couldn’t help but moan. Kael pulled me tighter against him, and I could feel the bulge in his pants pressing against me.
God, this was a maddening night.