DARK
The moment her lips met mine, something inside me snapped awake. I had kissed her before. Quite a few times. But this—this was different.
This time she wasn't fighting me.
Her lips pressed against mine with hesitation at first, soft and uncertain, like she wasn't sure what she was doing. But the moment she deepened the kiss, something wild surged through my veins.
Energy. Real energy. Not the weak fragments I had been forcing from her before. This was stronger. Warmer. Alive. A low sound rumbled in my chest before I could stop it. My hands moved instinctively, gripping her waist as I pulled her flush against me. Her body collided with mine, soft and warm, and the Anchor beneath my skin flared violently in response.
Red light pulsed through my chest.
Hungry.
I lifted her easily. She gasped softly when her feet left the ground, but before she could protest I carried her across the room. The bed dipped under our weight as I set her down. But I didn't stop kissing her. I couldn't.
Her lips parted beneath mine, and the moment they did, the Anchor surged again. Power trickled through my veins like molten fire, spreading slowly through every fractured piece of my being.
Oh, I had forgotten what it felt like to breathe properly.
My hands slid up her arms, then down again, pulling her closer while I deepened the kiss. She trembled beneath me but didn't push me away this time. Instead her fingers curled lightly against my shirt, gripping the fabric.
Cooperation.
Kaelthorn's voice echoed faintly in my memory. "...willingly."
I almost scoffed at the thought. But the difference was undeniable. When she fought me, the energy came like droplets.
Now it came like a river.
My mouth left hers slowly, trailing along the corner of her lips and down the curve of her jaw. Her breath caught when my lips brushed her neck. Warm. Soft. Human. I inhaled the faint scent of her skin and felt the Anchor pulse again. My lips pressed against her throat, and a quiet shiver ran through her body.
Interesting.
I kissed her again—slowly this time—savoring the warmth beneath my mouth. The energy surged stronger. My control… slipped. Not completely. But enough. Her hands slid up into my hair, fingers threading through the strands as she pulled me slightly closer. The motion sent another wave of energy crashing through my chest.
Oh, I didn't want to stop.
For the first time since the Anchor was torn apart… I felt almost whole. Not fully. But close enough to taste it. My lips moved along her neck again, lingering longer this time.
And then—
"Iryna? Darien?"
Her mother's voice echoed faintly from the living room. I groaned quietly in annoyance.
Irrelevant.
I ignored it and kissed her again. But Iryna froze. Then panic exploded through her body. She shoved against my chest, breaking the kiss as she pushed harder and harder until I was forced to lift myself away from her.
Her breathing came out fast and uneven as she stared up at me, eyes wide.
"Have you lost your mind?" she whispered harshly. "What if my mother walked in on us? That's enough!"
I leaned back slightly, completely unbothered.
"I don't care."
Her eyes widened even more.
"She already knows you're mine."
Iryna's expression hardened instantly. She shoved herself off the bed and stood up, glaring at me.
"I am not yours!" she snapped. "We are only trying to work together here. You don't get to think that."
I said nothing. Instead I frowned slightly. Because something was wrong. Yes, I felt stronger now. The weakness that had been clawing at my body earlier had eased slightly. But it still wasn't enough. The energy from earlier was fading already. Which meant something else was required.
Something… missing.
Iryna brushed a hand through her hair and exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go back to the living room. My mother had called us. She went to get you tea, remember?"
She turned to leave. I moved before she could take two steps. My hand caught her waist and pulled her backward into my chest. She gasped in shock and struggled immediately.
"Let me go! What's wrong with you?!"
I tightened my grip slightly.
"You will behave like a gentle human," I hissed quietly. "I am not as polite as you seem to believe, little mortal."
Her body went still. She frowned up at me. My hand lifted slowly, tilting her chin upward until her eyes met mine. Then my fingers slid into her hair, holding the back of her head as I pulled her closer. Too close. The urge returned instantly. Stronger than before.
Was it the Anchor? Was it forcing this? The need to kiss her again. To feel that energy again. To take more. Every instinct inside me screamed to drag her back to the bed and continue until the hollow inside my chest disappeared completely. I had never experienced anything this irritating before.
This dependency. This… need. It was infuriating.
My voice dropped.
"Kiss me, Iryna."
She blinked in shock. Then her cheeks turned red instantly.
"No," she said quickly. "I already kissed you. That should be enough."
I didn't move.
"No."
She frowned.
"No?"
"I mean kiss me," I said slowly. "Properly. Like you mean it. I want to check something."
Her blush deepened.
"You cannot use my lips as an experiment, Dark."
I stared at her.
"If I wanted to do that, I would kiss you regardless of what you say."
Her breathing slowed slightly.
"But instead," I continued quietly, "I'm asking you."
Silence stretched between us. Then I felt it. Her resistance softened. Just slightly. She looked at me for a long moment before finally leaning forward. Her lips touched mine again. Soft. Gentle. I didn't take control this time.
I let her.
Her kiss deepened slowly, cautiously, like she was testing something herself. Her fingers slid into my hair again and she pulled me closer. And when she did— The Anchor exploded. Power surged through my veins so violently I almost inhaled sharply. This was different. Completely different. Her arms wrapped around my back, pressing herself against me as the kiss deepened. My hands moved instinctively to her waist, holding her firmly while I returned the kiss just as intensely. Energy flooded my body. Not fragments. Not droplets. A wave. For a brief moment— A single beautiful moment— I felt exactly like I used to.
Whole. Unbroken. Alive.
Kaelthorn's words surfaced in my mind again. So this… was what he meant. Her cooperation wasn't just helpful. It was powerful. I kissed her deeply but carefully this time, savoring the warmth as the Anchor pulsed rhythmically between us.
Eventually she pulled back slowly. Her cheeks were flushed bright red. Her breathing uneven. She stared at me for a long second. Then suddenly— She turned and ran out of the room.
I blinked.
For a rare moment in my existence… I was genuinely confused.
______
When I stepped back into the living room, the scent of tea and something faintly sweet filled the air. Iryna was already seated on the couch opposite her mother.
Her posture was stiff. Too stiff.
Her hands rested tightly on her lap like she was afraid they might betray her if she moved them. The faint redness still lingering on her cheeks made my lips curl upward slightly.
Ah.
So she was trying to pretend she didn't kiss me like that was the only thing her body needed.
Interesting.
I let my gaze linger on her for a moment before I walked over to the couch beside her. The moment she noticed me approaching, she shifted. Subtly. But I saw it. She tried to slide away from the spot I was about to take. As if distance would save her.
Amusing.
I sat down anyway. And just as she attempted to move farther, my arm shot out. In one swift motion, I caught her by the waist and pulled her back against me. She let out a startled yelp. Her body collided with mine as I drew her closer, trapping her neatly beside me. Her head snapped toward me, eyes blazing with irritation. But I only smiled.
Across from us, her mother chuckled warmly.
"Oh, you two lovebirds," she said with an amused shake of her head. "What were you two doing in there?"
Iryna froze. Her cheeks instantly flushed a deep shade of red. My smile widened. Satisfaction curled warmly in my chest. Her mother raised both hands dramatically in mock surrender.
"Oh no, never mind!" she laughed. "Please do not tell me anymore."
Iryna groaned softly and rubbed her forehead.
"Mom," she muttered, clearly mortified. "We were… we were just talking."
Her mother simply shrugged.
"Well, whatever you two do is your business," she said casually. "You're adults."
I nodded politely.
"Thank you, Mrs. Grey."
Then I reached for the teacup she had placed on the small table beside the couch.
"And thank you for the tea."
She smiled warmly at me. Then her expression brightened as another thought crossed her mind.
"So," she said, leaning forward slightly, "have you two started the wedding preparations yet? Or would you like me to help?"
Iryna stiffened beside me. Her mother continued cheerfully.
"You wouldn't need to do anything at all," she added with a laugh. "All you'd have to do is say 'yes we like it' or 'no we don't.'"
She chuckled again.
"Iryna's friend, Ciara, would be more than happy to join me in the preparations."
I felt the sudden tension spike in Iryna's body. She opened her mouth. WsClearly ready to object.
But I spoke first.
"If that wouldn't be too much trouble for you," I said smoothly, "we wouldn't mind."
Iryna turned toward me in disbelief.
Her eyes widened.
I ignored it completely.
"I had planned on handling everything myself," I continued calmly. "Iryna needn't stress herself."
The look she gave me could have set the room on fire. And it only made my grin deepen. Across from us, her mother beamed with delight.
"Great!" she exclaimed happily. "Then we'll get the preparations going right away!"
I took a small sip of the tea before setting the cup down. Then I stood.
"I'd like to take my leave now, Mrs. Grey."
She pouted slightly.
"Aww, so soon? But we still have a lot to talk about."
I smiled politely.
"We will have enough time to talk about anything you wish, Mrs. Grey."
She considered that for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then," she said as she stood up. "I'll see you off."
I shook my head lightly.
"There's no need to trouble yourself."
Then I turned toward Iryna. She was already glaring at me. I bent down slightly, leaning close to her ear. Her body immediately stiffened.
A quiet chuckle escaped me.
"I make the perfect son-in-law, don't I… baby?"
She immediately tried to shove me away. But she stopped halfway. Her mother was still standing right there. My smile widened. Before she could react again, I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Brief. Gentle. But enough to make her freeze completely.
Then I murmured quietly against her mouth.
"Don't hold back if you feel pain." My voice dropped lower. "I'll take it away, little mortal."
I pulled back just enough to place a light kiss on her forehead. Then I straightened and turned toward Mrs. Grey with a pleasant smile.
"Goodnight."
She waved warmly.
"Goodnight, Darien!"
I stepped outside. The moment the door closed behind me, the pleasant smile vanished from my face. The night air was cool against my skin. Pretending to be a polite, gentle 'human' was definitely exhausting.
I lifted my hand slowly. Dark energy twisted around my fingers. A small tear opened in the air before me.
My gateway.
Without hesitation, I stepped through it. The portal sealed the moment I disappeared into the darkness beyond.