009
1416 Words
RAVAYA
My rose-pink dress was so pretty, it flowed like a stream past my ankles. But I wasn't feeling right. My body was still itching, nausea rolling through me. I had showered twice, trying to scrub Evander's scent and touch out of my skin. But it didn't help. Especially since he was holding my hand at the moment, leading me into the garden where the party had already kicked off. And worse, the stupid collar was around my neck!
Who on earth does that?!
"Why do you still look pale?" Evander asked, and I was hit with the desperate urge to roll my eyes.
Was he truly oblivious, or was he outrightly dumb? Well, I wouldn't be surprised.
"I'm fine," I mumbled.
"Smile, Ravaya," he told me, and I plastered a wide smile on my face.
And that's when I saw him. Kael. Dressed in a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his veiny forearms, his tailored pants perfectly accentuated his height. Ugh, it should be illegal how good he...
No, wait.
I was swooning over the enemy? Me?
Kael's red eyes met mine, and I was instantly reminded of the deadline he'd given me as well.
Goddess, what did I ever do to deserve this?
His piercing gaze roamed over my face, darkening when it lingered on the collar around my neck.
Was that...jealousy?
"Doll, you have a pretty bad habit, you know?" Evander drawled, and I stiffened, quickly looking away from his brother.
Still, I could feel Kael's gaze burning a hole through my body. And my traitorous heart was pounding hard because of it.
"Mother."
I looked up when Evander spoke. A beautiful woman stood in front of me wearing a white silk dress with a furry shawl around her body. She looked quite young. Angelic too.
I couldn't help but wonder what Kael's mother looked like.
Evander kissed his mother on the cheeks, complimenting her dress and wishing her happy birthday.
But I was distracted by the sight of the banner in the garden, which said, "Happy 60th."
My eyes widened.
60th?!
No way.
The woman in front of me looked like she was in her early thirties.
"You must be Ravaya," Evander's mother said.
Her gaze was condescending in the worst way, it made me want to scream.
"You do not deserve my son, I hope you know that. Trash like you should be in the bin. But of course you wouldn't understand the value of what has been offered to you." She said.
I was tempted to call her out on her bullshit. Instead, I forced out a small, reaching over to hook my arm around hers with a timid smile on my face.
"Value? I'm deeply sorry for not recognizing how valuable your son is to me. Don't worry, Mother, I won't disappoint you. I have a lot to learn, you see? Please teach me everything I need to know," I said, and she rolled her eyes.
"Get your filthy hands off me." She tsked.
I released her, lowering my head in mock respect.
"Your dress is pretty. It must have cost a lot," I told her, and she hummed.
"Of course, it's a limited edition. You should come over sometime and learn how not to look like a beggar while you stand by my son's side."
Bitch.
She turned to look at Evander, reaching up to touch his jaw. "Wonderful choice you made there. The collar fits her perfectly," she said, and he beamed.
Now I understood why her son was a monster. A condom could've prevented their existence.
Ugh, if I could strangle them right there, I would.
Instead, I cleared my throat, still keeping my head lowered.
"Can I use the bathroom?" I asked, and Evander nodded before hooking his arm with his mother and strolling away with her. He clearly believed I wouldn't try to run.
He was right, though.
Not only did I become determined to establish my vengeance, but I also decided to become selfish for once in my life.
Nothing would stop me now.
The smile lingered on my face as I headed back into the mansion, my heels clicking on the marble.
I had less than three days now. Less than three days before the monsters staked their claim.
As I headed down the hallway, I sensed it. I was being followed. There were no footsteps, only the dark, intimidating aura of my stalker.
My lips curved.
Impatient much?
The instant I stepped into a random room. My stalker did too.
Only to halt when I held a blade to his jugular. It was the same blade I planned to castrate Evander with. The same one I'd spent the early hours attaching to my collar in a way no one would ever suspect. Perks of working with a blacksmith.
"As expected of you," my stalker finally said, inching closer to me, one hand shutting the door behind him.
The blade cut into his skin, blood sliding down to stain the collar of his white shirt.
Still, there was no trace of pain on his face.
"Kitten, retract your claws. I am not here to fight."
Ugh! That raspy voice.
"Why the heck were you stalking me, Mr. Steel?" I demanded, and he blinked, distracting me with the sight of his long eyelashes.
"Because I know that you're stubborn. You probably wouldn't ask for my help until it's too late," he droned, taking another step towards me.
"Ask for your help? Dream on," I hissed through gritted teeth. And he grabbed my wrist, keeping my hand stretched to the side, away from him.
Then he cupped my face gently, a burst of warmth shooting through me. I hadn't realized that I'd been freezing before now.
"He touched you, didn't he? Your body is making you pay for it," he told me, and I swallowed hard.
I gasped as he brought a hand to my side and pulled me flush against his body. My eyes went wide as my senses sharpened instantly. The headache and nausea that had been plaguing me vanished in an instant.
And his scent...
Holy s**t, I was practically high on it.
My pulse thundered in my ears, and I was suddenly incapable of thought.
How was this possible?
Kael nuzzled against my neck, and I gasped from the solid feel of him.
Goddess, I was losing it.
"Feel better?" His voice rumbled against my ear, and heat rushed up my neck.
"W-why are you doing this? You're just like him, your brother. So, why—"
His body tensed, a low growl vibrating from his chest.
"I am not like him." He sounded more than just pissed.
I shivered, my heart pounding faster.
"Then what is this? You stalked me and—"
He interrupted me, pulling away enough that our eyes met.
"Of course. I had to see how long you'd let him keep you on a leash." His blank eyes lingered on the collar, his jaw ticking subtly. "It doesn't suit you."
Annoyance simmered inside of me. "So what? You'll free me?"
Kael's gaze darkened. "I don't free what's mine," he rasped. "I take it."
The words sliced through me, making my knees tremble. He leaned forward, close enough that his breath ghosted across my lips, close enough that all I could see and feel was him.
"Tick, tick, tick," he whispered, his eyes locking on mine. "You've got less than three days, kitten. Choose wrong...and you won't survive him."
He was underestimating me. The bastard didn't know he was my number one target. If I couldn't kill him, I would make Evander do it.
So I smiled. "Did you forget that I have the upper hand?"
He blinked.
"You do?"
I leaned in, my lips brushing his.
"What do you think is going to happen if Evander opens that door and sees your lips on mine?" I asked.
He hummed softly.
"You intend to get rid of me using my brother, hmm?"
My smile widened, smug and triumphant. For half a second, I thought I'd won...until his hand slid from my jaw to the back of my neck, firm and unyielding.
His thumb pressed against my pulse, and my body betrayed me, shivering.
The space between us slowly evaporated, his scent drowning me. Every nerve of mine screamed for me to close the distance.
And suddenly, his lips were on mine, claiming me with an intensity that made my knees buckle.
- Writer
