Asrai

Chapter 23: Not so hidden

The music dropped into a deeper groove, bass vibrating through the floor as the lights melted into a violet haze. The crowd moved like one living thing, bodies swaying, magic thrumming just beneath the surface. Bishop Briggs’s “River” surged through the speakers, and I turned to tell Vince how much I loved this track—only to find him thoroughly distracted. A petite, impossibly cute wolf had claimed his attention, and from the look on his face, she wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

I stepped deeper onto the dance floor, weaving through clusters of fae, witches, and Lycans .

I let the beat take over—hips swaying, arms fluid, the tension of the night dissolving with every pulse of sound. When I turned, Prince Kaelen’s blood-red eyes were locked onto me, unblinking, unreadable.

At that moment, my choices once again made themselves known. If I’m part of the ploy… should I play it? Should I seduce the monster?

The seconds seemed to move so slow as I contemplated .

What life would that be? A life full of turmoil.... of maybe sadistic control? Vince didn't know my past run ins with the Prince. He didn't know he was a monster. His perception of him was only through a loyal friend.

He moved slightly towards me and I made my decision. They will have to find another pig to s*******r. I won't sacarifce myself for him.. not anyone. not ever.

Then suddenly I felt it—a shift in the air a presence behind me.

I tore my gaze from Kaelen and turned my back to him. to that future. to that proposition.

There was suddenly a man . He moved like smoke—fluid, deliberate—towering above the crowd. His skin was a rich dark chocolate. Thick dark ebony locs stopped at his shoulders. He had to be at least 6’7 with a broad chest and wide shoulders. muscles coiled beneath a tailored jacket, He had a full and trimmed beard and full lips, His eyes met mine: violet, faintly glowing, like dusk trapped in crystal.

He didn’t say a word. Just extended a hand.

I hesitated, then placed my hand in his. I’d never seen him before—of that I was certain.

Yet we moved together like old echoes, our rhythm seamless and somehow instinctive. his hands met my waist. His presence wrapped around me, cool and ancient, like mist curling through moonlight. Eyes followed, especially the women—drawn in, held captive.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said at last, his voice low, melodic, threaded with something unreadable.

“I didn’t expect to be here,” I replied, watching him carefully.

He smiled, and something flickered behind his eyes. Recognition? Curiosity?

“You’re not what they say,” he murmured.

“And who are you?” I asked, sharper now. I’d never seen this man before. I would have remembered.

He laughed softly, spinning me once before pulling me close. My back was against his chest, he was tall enough to lean down and whisper in my ear sending a quiet chill

His breath brushed my ear, velvet-soft and cold like midnight fog.

“I’ve watched you,” he whispered. I stiffened slightly, heart thudding. His arms didn’t restrain, but they surrounded me like a cloak—warm and powerful.

“Who are you?” I asked again, softer this time, the question barely audible over the music.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he guided me deeper into the crowd, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm, the beat melting into the background like a forgotten dream. His presence was magnetic—undeniable, impossible to ignore.

Then, just as the lights pulsed a deep violet and the bass dropped, he turned me with effortless grace. I landed against his chest once more, breath catching as he leaned down, lips brushing the shell of my ear.

“My name you can have later,” he murmured, voice like thunder wrapped in silk. “For now, you may call me Ro.” He winked, and the air around us seemed to still. “And you, Asrai... are not what he deserves.” I turned quickly to him.

I didn’t know what he meant, but I was already lost in the trance of him. His violet eyes glowed against his all-black ensemble—tailored, regal, dangerous. I took in the full trim of his beard, the thick lashes framing his gaze, the bold arch of his brows. He was a mountain of a man.

When ICU BY Coco jones came on . My body responded to him like it had known him before, maybe in another life, another realm. His broad shoulders framed me perfectly, and his hands traced the edges of my form with reverent seduction. Never crude. Never rushed.

He moved like a storm cloaked in velvet—commanding, silent, and devastatingly smooth.

Each line blurred into the next, but I didn’t care. The crowd faded. The music became a pulse between us. His scent—honey and cedar—wrapped around me, grounding and ancient. His aura was wild, barely contained, like something that had once been chained and now danced free.

Every time he leaned close, I felt a chill brushing my skin. Not threatening. Intimate.

And I didn’t pull away.

I let myself be drawn in.

Because for the first time in this town , I felt seen—not as a dark blemish, not as a pawn, but as something sacred. Someone worth dancing with under the lights.

Ro’s hand slid up my spine, resting just below the nape of my neck. His breath grazed my ear, velvet and warning.

“Don’t look now,” he murmured, “but Prince Kaelen is staring like he wants to set me on fire.”

I stiffened, the name slicing through the haze like a blade. Ro chuckled low, the sound vibrating against my chest. “Possessive little monarch, isn’t he?”

I stole a glance around Ro’s shoulder. Kaelen stood at the edge of the dance floor, his witches forgotten, his posture rigid with fury. His jaw was clenched so tight it looked ready to shatter, and his eyes—burning red—were locked onto Ro like a predator denied its prey. Even from across the room, I could feel the heat of his rage radiating through the air.

“He’s actually looking at you,” I said with a soft giggle, keeping my voice low. “He’s not used to being ignored.”

Ro didn’t flinch. His gaze remained steady. “He’s used to owning,” he said quietly. “Not loving.”

I swallowed hard. “I wouldn’t know a thing about that.”

Ro tilted his head, studying me.“Is that what you’re after?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper. Protection wrapped in chains?”

Then, with a shift in tone, he offered, “Come on. Let’s get you a drink.”

I hesitated, the pull of the moment tugging against my better judgment. “I… I should probably get back to my group,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I meant it.

Ro leaned in, his breath grazing the curve of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “They’ll come for you,” he murmured, a dark chuckle curling around the words. “But I won’t let them take you.” he teased

I turned to face him fully, heart pounding like war drums in my chest. “And if I choose to go?” I asked, unsure whether I was playing his game—or already trapped inside it. His words were riddles, and I was losing my way in their twists.

His violet eyes deepened, shadows flickering like secrets behind glass. “Then I’ll let you,” he said, quiet and final.

I had to ask. I didn’t know what kind of enchantment clung to him, and if he was fae, even a whispered promise after dark could carry consequences far deeper than desire.

We drifted toward the bar, the crowd parting around him like water around stone. He ordered our drinks with a quiet confidence, and I slid onto the velvet stool beside him. My shadow—silver-eyed and ever-watchful—remained perched nearby, its gaze fixed on me..

I exhaled slowly, the breath barely reaching the surface.

Ro slid the drink across the bar to me—a deep violet cocktail that shimmered faintly under the club’s low lights.

“Figured something mysterious and intoxicating suited you,” he said, lips curling into a smirk. “Though I admit, I almost asked for something that matched your eyes. But then I realized... nothing quite does.”

I almost choked on my drink. amused. “Smooth. Do you rehearse these lines in the mirror, or do they just fall out of your mouth like silk?”

He leaned on the bar, elbow propped, chin tilted with mock thoughtfulness.

I laughed, the tension from earlier loosening in my chest. “So you’re dangerous and humble. What a combination.”

Ro tapped his glass against mine. “Only dangerous to those who deserve it. And humble enough to know when I’m outmatched.”

I took a slow sip, letting the cool burn trail down my throat. “Outmatched? By me?” I asked, arching a brow.

Ro nodded, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “The moment you walked in, my stock plummeted,” he teased, lips curving into a grin. “I heard the whispers—your name floating through the room —and I had to see what all the fuss was about.”

He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a playful murmur. “Turns out, the rumors didn’t do you justice.”

I blinked. He heard that? “Wait… you heard my name over this music?” I asked, minor suspicion creeping in. “What are you, exactly? I’ve never seen you before. And honestly, you probably wouldn’t be talking to me if you knew who I was.”

Ro’s grin faded into something quieter, more thoughtful. He tilted his head, studying me with that dusk-glow gaze. “You think I wouldn’t speak to you if I knew who you were?” He said it, voice low and steady: “I already do.”

My breath caught slightly. I arched a brow, letting the skepticism show. “Oh really?” I countered, tone cool and curious. “That’s impressive, considering we’ve never met.”

“I heard your name not just in whispers,” he continued, “but in the way the town shifted when you arrived. Magic listens. So do I.”

He leaned closer, not threatening—just present. “You’re not hidden here. Not anymore.”