Watching the gentle sway of Talia's breasts, barely contained by the tight red fabric, Marcus was completely hooked. A raw, wanting heat began to stir inside him.
His mind flashed back to college, comparing Talia and Willow Moran. Both had that mature, all-in vibe; the ultimate fantasy, the kind of woman who made you want to lose control. But they were different, too.
Willow had a cool, untouchable elegance to her, a kind of refined distance. Talia was the opposite. She was all warmth and invitation, putting her stunning beauty right out in the open for everyone to appreciate.
The two of them were the subject of countless dorm-room debates, especially one in particular: who had the more perfect, more tempting body? It was the question every guy at Crestwood wanted the answer to, but no one, not even Marcus who knew them both, could ever give a definitive verdict. It remained the school's greatest unsolved mystery.
"Really?" Talia's cool composure cracked for a second. 'Finally!' she screamed in her head. 'It's about damn time you noticed!'
"Mmm-hmm…"
Staring at Talia's incredible cleavage and the shy, hopeful look on her face, Marcus's brain short-circuited. He was running on pure instinct.
'She's a damn siren. She won't be happy until she's got me completely wrecked. How did I never see how incredible she was before? What a total idiot I've been.'
"Marcus, I have a surprise for you in a few days." Talia, now much happier and composed, said in a bright and playful voice.
"A surprise? What kind?" Marcus asked, his attention finally shifting from the distracting view.
"You'll find out in a few days."
"Come on, don't leave me hanging. Just a little hint?"
"Nope. But keep your phone on you, okay? And I mean it, wait for my call."
"You got it."
"Seriously, Marcus. Do not blow me off. You have to be available."
"No worries, beautiful. I'm all yours." The promise of a surprise had him genuinely intrigued now.
"Alright, I've gotta run. Things to do. Talk soon." Talia was reluctant to end the call, but the thought of seeing him again sent a thrill through her.
"Okay, catch you later."
As he hung up, Marcus let out a low whistle. Talia was something else. What guy wouldn't count himself lucky to be with her?
So, what was this big surprise? He turned it over in his mind, coming up blank. Muttering to himself, he finally made it home, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.
The living room felt… off. Someone had been moving things. Then he heard it; a sound from the bathroom.
'Lily? Or my sister? How'd they beat me back here?' He'd come straight home after leaving them, but running into Anya and Talia's call had slowed him down. Even then, they shouldn't have made a beeline for the place.
'An intruder!'
And not just any intruder. This one was fast, a trained fighter, and they were good.
A wave of chilling energy shot toward his back, aimed directly at his spine. For some reason, the attacker hadn't bothered to hide their presence, and Marcus's own heightened senses, his Human Rock technique, had picked up on it the second he walked in.
Ever since the technique had begun rewriting his own biology, unlocking abilities he'd thought were pure fiction, he knew it couldn't be a fluke. Such power doesn't just appear out of thin air. He'd become certain that the world was a mask, hiding other superhumans, secret societies, and entire layers of reality normal people never glimpsed.
And he had been desperately, sometimes impatiently, waiting to meet someone like him. Now, here they were. A surge of adrenaline, mixed with fierce anticipation, coursed through him. This was the proof he'd been searching for.
'Who the hell have I pissed off? And who sent someone this skilled after me?' It made no sense.
The attack was lightning-fast, about to connect. The assassin had the element of surprise, but Marcus's training wasn't just for show.
His Human Rock technique surged to life, a faint, golden energy flickering around him. He spun on his heel just in time to see the assassin's strike slice through the air where his back had been.
"Huh."
The assassin was visibly startled. This 'ordinary civilian' was not only a Superhuman but was quite skilled. Seeing the golden energy radiating from him, she realized his strength had already reached the early Innate stage.
She was a prodigy herself, having broken into the Innate stage just last year, and that was with the full support of her family and mentors.
But looking at Marcus now, his form was clumsy. His energy was potent, raw power, but he clearly lacked high-level combat skills and real-world experience. He was fighting on instinct, and that made him no real threat to her.
"Frost Veil Mirage."
Her form blurred. She easily sidestepped his clumsy counter. Her hands moved in a flurry, and suddenly five or six phantom palms materialized in front of Marcus, weaving like falling petals. He couldn't tell which was real. A series of dull thuds echoed as the strikes landed, sending him stumbling backward.
"Damn, that's cold!"
The assassin's palms hit him like blocks of dry ice. His Human Rock energy shield vibrated violently from the impact. A sharp, biting cold seeped through his defenses, flowing into his vessels and threatening to flash-freeze him from the inside out.
He forced the Human Rock technique to circulate faster, pushing his own energy to dissolve the invading chill. If he didn't, he'd be a popsicle. Thankfully, his technique was profoundly resilient; wherever his energy flowed, the ice melted, averting disaster.
'Thank God she's not using a blade.' If she'd had a knife in her hand, he'd be bleeding out on the carpet with several new holes in him.
"Who are you?" he demanded, putting more distance between them. "Why are you coming after me?" He used the moment to get a good look at his attacker.
"Jesus, you're cold…"
Looking at her, Marcus felt a fresh chill that had nothing to do with her energy. He hadn't expected someone so… icy.
The woman in front of him was stunning. Her face was exquisitely carved, flawless. A long, elegant neck led to slender shoulders, a toned torso, a narrow waist, and smooth legs, the complete package. A beauty indeed.
But more striking than her looks was her demeanor. She carried an air of untouchable, regal elegance, like a goddess who'd stepped out of a myth. And her face was a mask of cold, utterly expressionless. Her eyes were like frozen lakes, so cold it was hard to hold her gaze.
Just looking at her sent a fresh shiver down his spine. The icy energy he'd just expelled seemed to creep back into his veins. It even made Marcus, a man who never shied away from appreciating a beautiful woman, hesitate to openly admire her.
"Oh?"
"Are you Marcus Storm?"
The cold assassin studied him. Her freezing energy should have locked up his muscles, leaving him stiff and helpless for an easy capture.
She hadn't counted on his inner strength being so robust. Her energy only made him flinch for a second before he neutralized it. Her Frostheart Discipline had been completely ineffective. That never happened. It threw her off.
'Is this the right guy? The intel said Marcus Storm was a non-practitioner, a complete civilian. Could the information be wrong?' She had to confirm.
"Yeah, I'm Marcus Storm. We've never met. What's this about?"
Marcus was completely lost.
"Then I have the right person."
That was her only, frosty reply. Her form became a blur again, hands glowing with a pale, icy-blue energy as she aimed a strike directly at his head.
"Wait! Hold on! Is this a misunderstanding? What did I do?"
Seeing her launch another assault, Marcus was exasperated. He backpedaled, shouting over her onslaught.