Tempting the Huntress

Chapter 7- Is it too good to be true?

Oh yes, Zane was definitely not making it easier for her.

If anything, he was making it impossible.

Lilith told herself she wouldn’t let her mind circle back to him after the café. She’d spent years shutting doors inside herself, bricking up windows, sealing cracks where light might creep in. And yet, somehow, Zane had found one.

Worse, he’d pried it open. She is trying very hard to shut it back.

And what was he doing? He was holding it wide, smiling like it was the easiest thing in the world.

It started small. Texts. Not just the morning invasions anymore, but little ones tucked throughout the day.

Zane: Don’t tell me you’re eating that sh*t again.

Zane: You’re going to burn out, dagger-girl. France has amazing food to offer. Let me take you to dinner.

Zane: Saw a little girl with a sword the same size as hers in a school drama. Thought of you.

That almost made her smile. Again.

She didn’t reply often. Obviously, she had discipline, control, and an entire Trial to prepare for. But the fact that she read every single one and replied here and there, and that lips sometimes betrayed her with the ghost of a smile, well, that was her own private failure.

And then came Ravenshore itself.

It was supposed to be her territory to map and understand, not his to guide her through. Yet somehow Zane had slipped into the role of… what, exactly? A local escort? A nuisance? A distraction wrapped in broad shoulders and mischievous eyes?

Nonetheless, he was proving to be a good ally. She definitely knew more of Ravenshore than any of her classmates, and this will prove beneficial in the future.

Ah, yes, a part of her, the academy was locked away from Zane. She can’t let him know about it. The hunter world, just like supernaturals, wasn’t for the commoners. She might be breaking many of her rules, but this even she wouldn’t dare.

–

But suddenly, he was everywhere, proving it difficult for her.

Oh yes, they have gone on dates. She did, in fact, let him take her out to dinner.

Of course, it wasn’t without incessant back and forth between them, but Zane managed to get her out more often than she would have liked.

Opening doors before she could push them herself. Sliding trays out of her hands before she had the chance to insist she didn’t need help. Guiding her across cobblestones with his palm hovering just at her lower back, never touching, never overstepping, just close enough that she could feel the warmth of it, like a tether.

Switching sides just before a crazed biker with loud music passes across her, almost touching her. Some parts of her enjoy these little touches. He never crossed any line, but he was enjoying these little touches too.

And the worst part? She let him.

For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel like a Rothwell or a weapon or a disappointment waiting to happen. For the first time, she felt, God help her, feminine.

It wasn’t weakness, not exactly. It was… softness. A side of herself she thought had been locked away with ribbons and laughter and the warmth of kitten fur.

Later, in the square, he bought roasted chestnuts from a vendor before she could protest. The bag was warm, the smell nutty and sweet.

When Zane handed her the paper bag of chestnuts, his fingers brushed hers for the briefest moment. Warm, calloused. It shouldn’t have mattered; skin against skin was nothing. But she felt the spark anyway, racing along her nerves. She yanked the bag back too quickly, as though it had burned.

She felt him do the same. That was first.

“You look like you haven’t eaten in days.”

“I don’t need you feeding me.”

“True. But you also didn’t throw them back at me. Which means you’re welcome.”

Her fingers rummaged through the bag, heat seeping into her palms, and she realized she wasn’t scowling.

What was happening to her?

It was an attraction… it has to be. How can it be anything more?

When he held the door for her this time, she didn’t snarl. She walked through, chin lifted. When he offered her a pastry he swore was “life-changing,” she rolled her eyes, but she took a bite.

–

“You’re staring again,” Zane murmured one afternoon, catching her in the reflection of a shop window. His grin was lopsided, teasing.

“I was not.”

“You were. Don’t worry, though, I get it. Hard to resist all this.” He gestured at himself with mock arrogance. “Maybe you can take a picture; it might last longer.” He winked and she rolled her eyes. He was also incredibly annoying, and that still didn’t repel her.

She made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, shoving past him. “Please. Your ego is insufferable.”

“And yet,” he said, falling into step beside her, “you keep showing up.”

She wanted to argue, to remind him that she was only here to see new places and try out this i********: cafe.

Yeah, sure, that reason was out of the window.

“Don’t worry, dagger-girl,” he said quietly. “I’ll wear you down.”

“You will get bored with it.”

The words came out sharper than she intended, a wall thrown up in defense. But then, without thinking, she ate a baguette with butter, and damn it, it was delicious. Her lips twitched before she smoothed them flat, betraying herself with that tiny, treacherous c***k of enjoyment.

“Never.”

The intensity with which he replied was shocking to her. Her pulse stuttered. And she hated how part of her hoped he would wear her down. And a part of her feared that he already had.

—

By the time evening fell, they were walking along the cliffs. Ravenshore’s sea spread wide and endless below, the sun dipping into waves that glowed like liquid gold. The sight stopped her in her tracks.

And Zane noticed. Of course, he noticed.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said, his voice softer now, stripped of teasing.

She kept her arms crossed, gaze fixed on the horizon. “It’s fine.” It was majestic.

“It’s more than fine.” His shoulder brushed hers, not accidental, not heavy. Just there. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel it. You’re too alive for that. At least with me, you don’t have to pretend.”

The word sank into her bones, startling in its accuracy. She had been so busy proving she was strong, unbreakable, disciplined, that she had forgotten what it meant to feel alive.

And standing there, shoulder to shoulder with him, she felt it.

Too much.

“Don’t get used to this,” she warned, her voice low. “You don’t know me at all to be saying such things.”

“I don’t need to,” he said, turning his head to look at her. The sunlight caught in his eyes, storm-gray rimmed with gold. “I just need one moment at a time.”

Something cracked in her chest then, something she didn’t have words for. She wanted to tell him to stop, to shut up, to leave her alone. But instead, she let herself stand there, watching the ocean, feeling the warmth of him at her side.

Just for a moment.

Just until she remembered who she was.

By the time they turned back toward the town, the world felt… shifted. He had done nothing but be himself, infuriatingly charming, endlessly patient, casually attentive, and yet, Lilith felt undone.

She didn’t want to admit it, but for the first time since she was fifteen, she wasn’t a hunter. For the first time, she felt like a girl.

A girl who might want more.

And that terrified her.

When he lifted his phone to snap the picture, a breeze caught a strand of hair across her cheek. Without hesitation, he reached out, brushing it back with the gentlest flick of his fingers.

She froze, stunned at how careful the touch was, more reverent than teasing. Then, infuriated at herself for freezing at all, she turned away sharply, and just then he snapped the picture.

Maybe she wanted more.

–

And just like that, a month slipped by, and Zane and Lilith fell into a routine.

It was subtle yet impossible to ignore. Their mornings began with her sharp retorts and his teasing smirk. They spent whatever time they had at cafés, narrow cobblestone streets, and hidden bookshops.

He learned all her favorites, gave her space, and made Ravenshore feel like home. She, in turn, found herself rolling her eyes less, laughing more, and occasionally, just occasionally, letting herself enjoy the quiet ease that his presence brought.

They fell into a rhythm neither had planned but both silently enjoyed.

A touch here, a word there, a glance that lingered longer than necessary.

Lilith’s sarcasm softened into humor. Zane’s teasing took on warmth instead of mere mischief.

Yet, despite all of this, a quiet unease lingered. They both had secrets to tell. But neither did.

As we know, nothing good ever lasts…