My phone vibrated in my palm.
Serie: Where are you? Are you coming or not?
Serie: …I'm going to my room.
I stared at the messages, unable to type.
The boy's eyes.
The woman's last breath.
Warren's tattoo.
They wouldn't leave me.
I wasn't thinking anymore.
My feet were already moving down the hall, across the courtyard, garden area,to the South Wing.
To her.
Her window was open.
Like she knew.
I stepped inside.
The room was dim, smelling faintly of books and jasmine soap.
Serie turned, her green eyes searching my face.
"What happened?"
Her voice was soft, but the question cut through me anyway.
I forced the words out. "Don't ask. I'm just… messed up."
She didn't push.
Didn't even blink.
She just stepped closer, as if she'd already read my mind.
"Let me help you," she said quietly.
She took my hand and guided me to sit on her bed.
I sat.
Like I had no will of my own left.
She noticed the blood on my shirt , not all mine.
Her fingers moved without hesitation, unbuttoning, peeling the fabric off, tossing it to the floor.
Cool air hit my skin.
Then she pushed, and my back sank into her mattress.
Soft. Warm. Human.
Something I didn't deserve.
She leaned over me, close enough for her hair to brush my chest.
Her hands slid down, found mine, and placed it gently against her.
Warm. Alive. Soft.
She kissed me once -- light, almost hesitant.
"Did you do something you didn't want to do?" she whispered.
I nodded. Couldn't speak.
Another kiss, deeper this time.
"Are you guilty for it?"
"Yes," I managed.
Another kiss. Slow, deliberate.
"Your head is full of questions, no answers?"
"Yes."
Another kiss.
It felt like she was washing something off me .... layer by layer.
And my mind stopped replaying screams.
Stopped seeing flames.
All I could see was her eyes, her lips, the tremble of her breath.
Desire crawled up from somewhere deeper than guilt.
I reached up, cupped her neck, and tugged her down.
This time, I kissed her back ... desperate, hungry, almost rough.
Like drowning, and she was the only air left.
Her lips didn't retreat.
She kissed me back, soft but steady, fingers threading into my hair as if she could hold me together.
Her mouth tasted like sin and warmth all at once.
Sweet and maddening.
Every breath she stole from me burned straight through what little restraint I had left.
Her fingers slid lower, searching, teasing, until the last thread of sanity snapped.
My breath hitched. My control went with it.
Her eyes fluttered, daring me to continue.
"Serie…"
Her name broke out of me like a growl, rough and low.
Her only answer was a trembling whisper against my ear.
"Then stop holding back."
And then--
her hand immediately moved down, seeking me out. The moment she touched me, I was lost...
I pressed my hand hard against her hip, pulling her into me.
She moaned, a deep, satisfied sound.
I tugged her sharply, reversing our positions until I was on top, holding her down. I didn't waste time. I tore her thin nightdress and unhooked her bra.
She let me do it. She was beautiful, hot, and completely ready.
My mouth covered her breast, and I felt her melting beneath me. She was trembling.
"Damn," she whispered, her voice raw. Then louder, she moaned my name.
"Kael....!!!"
I knew she wanted this as much as I did.
She suddenly grabbed my shoulders, her eyes locked on mine.
"You..!..kael... Don't play, just do it!"
I didn't hesitate. I ripped the thin, black fabric of her lower garment and pushed into her fast and hard.
Her moan was swallowed by my mouth as I kissed her fiercely.
She bit my lip hard, tasting the blood, and I already lost all control.
The only thing that mattered was the feel of her beneath me.
Our powers merged, dancing like wild flames refusing to die.
Somewhere in the blur of heat and breath, she whispered my name again ... not in fear, but in need ... and the world shattered into light.
The bond pulsed once.
Strong. Steady.
Alive.
And for that one moment, there was
Only her.
The weight in my chest finally loosened.
The nightmares, the blood, the guilt...all dimmed beneath the warmth she offered without asking anything in return.
When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"You don't have to say anything," she murmured.
"Just… stay. For a while."
And for the first time in years, I did.
Not because of the bond.
Not because of guilt.
But because, in her presence, even monsters like me could breathe....
I didn't leave that night.
Couldn't...
We ended up tangled together..her warmth against mine, her breath a soft rhythm that steadied my pulse.
Her presence quieted every scream in my head.
The scent of her skin, the faint hum of her power, the curve of her body pressed against me...it was all too human, too alive.
Her warmth was peace I didn't deserve.
At some point, I must've fallen asleep. For the first time in years, there were no nightmares.
No fire. No screams. No ghosts whispering my name.
Just silence.
Just her...
When dawn crept through the curtains,
I opened my eyes and found her still in my arms.
Her head on my chest, breath brushing against my skin, hair scattered across me like silk.
The blanket had slipped, baring her shoulder and the soft curve of her neck.
For a long time, I just watched.
Peace looked good on her.
Too good for someone like me.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
She stirred slightly, whispering in her sleep---
"I don't wanna die…"
Something twisted deep in my chest.
A crack I couldn't ignore.
I couldn't blame the thread anymore.
Whatever this was, it wasn't just magic.
It was something I didn't want to name.
So I lied to myself again.
Pretended I didn't care.
Pretended I was still here because of the bond.
But as I looked at her one last time...bare skin against the pale morning light...I knew I was already ruined.
I leaned down, kissed her softly, and left through the open window.
She half woke, eyes fluttering open, watching me leave without a word.
And I left carrying her scent,
and the ache that I couldn't shake.