005
1408 Words
RAVAYA
Kael appeared in front of me before I could even attempt to escape, his blade pressed against my throat. I held up my hands, and he narrowed his red eyes at me. "You heard everything, didn't you?" He asked.
I sighed, knowing that lying to him was of no use.
"What are you going to do about it? Kill me?" I drawled.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his brow deeply creased.
"She's indeed as feisty as you said, K. She's your perfect match," his blue-eyed companion said, his voice laced with amusement.
Did he already know that Kael was my mate? They had to be very close if Kael trusted him enough to tell him about his secret.
"Move that ugly thing away from me," I said to Mr Steel, and his eyes flew open, frustration flashing in them. I was curious to see how long he could hold out before he finally explodes. I bet it would be such an interesting sight.
"Ugly thing?" He demanded, and Mr Blue Eyes chuckled.
"She just called your baby an ugly thing," he said.
I raised a brow. 'Baby' as in his switchblade? Ha!
"Excuse me, Mr Steel. Forgive me if I insulted your baby. But you really should let go of me while I'm asking nicely," I told him.
His piercing gaze remained locked with mine. "Or what?"
I smirked. "I'll scream."
I arched a brow at him, and he released a sigh, pulling away from me.
"That's it? You're not going to threaten me to keep my mouth shut?" I asked, and he pocketed his knife.
"I believe you're smart enough not to incur my wrath," he deadpanned.
I frowned, unsure if he was subtly manipulating me or giving me a warning.
"Hand over the key card," he added, and I stiffened.
"I don't have—"
Before I could finish speaking, he grabbed my hand and lifted it to his line of vision, yanking the card out of my grip.
"Let's go, Elliott," he told his companion, and they both walked away, leaving me to gawk in disbelief.
...
"Remember what I said earlier, tonight is important to me. Do something stupid and you'll pay the price," Evander said to me as we descended from the stairs with our arms linked. I forced out a smile even though my insides were churning with unease. The hall shimmered under silver chandeliers, the air perfumed with wealth and power. Esteemed guests were already filling the place.
When we finally descended the stairs, I looked around and found Kael in the corner with a glass of red wine in his hand. His crimson gaze found mine, and I looked away, trying to ignore the way my stomach tightened. In desperate need of a distraction, I grabbed a glass of wine off a tray.
Beside me, Evander unlinked our arms and held my hand. "Smile, sweetheart," he murmured. "You're about to meet the most powerful man in this city."
I forced a smile as we approached an older man with greying dark hair and icy blue eyes. "This is Ravaya," Evander said smoothly. "My future bride."
The mafia don.
So, this was Kael's father. If what I'd heard earlier was true, Evander wasn't even related to this man.
The Don looked me over, like I was livestock at an auction. "A beauty," he said, lifting my hand and brushing his lips over my knuckles. "And she smells divine."
I nearly flinched but ended up flashing him a tight smile.
Despite myself, I glanced over the rim of the glass and found Kael across the room, leaning against a pillar, his intense gaze burning into mine.
Instead of looking away like I'd done earlier, I kept my head held high.
Evander pulled me onto the dance floor, and the orchestra swelled. I let him spin me and hold me close, but my eyes kept trailing back to Kael. Every time they did, his jaw tensed just a little more.
"You keep looking at my brother," Evander said, his tone laced with amusement and suspicion. "Something you want to tell me?"
"I just admire his stoicism," I lied with a slow smile. "He watches everything, doesn't he?"
Evander chuckled, but there was steel beneath it. "He knows his place. So should you."
I leaned into him, pressing against him with a flirtatious finesse. "Oh, I do. Don't you want your bride to be... obedient?"
Kael was still watching. Good.
"It's time for me to introduce you to everyone," Evander said and I nodded.
Suddenly, the sound of gunshots filled the air, and screams erupted. I flinched, lowering my head. Before I could figure out what was happening, Evander had left my side to rush over to the mafia don along with some uniformed guards.
Glass shattered, and I flinched, trying to find my way through the mess. A hand closed around my wrist, and I whirled around to see Kael.
He grabbed me, shielding my body with his own as chaos exploded around us. We ducked into a side room, the heavy oak door slamming shut behind us. Then he let out a sigh of exasperation.
He didn't look like we'd just escaped something so disastrous. I stared at him in disbelief. Just how was he still calm despite everything?
"What the hell is happening?!" I demanded, panting.
"I don't know yet," he muttered, pulling his blade free again. "Stay behind me."
But the moment he turned, his body went rigid. He spun around to look at me, his eyes dilated.
I knew right then that my heat had returned and it was stronger now. Just great.
It wasn't so bad, though. I could use it to my advantage now.
The muscles in his jaw ticked as he narrowed his eyes at me.
"I thought you were on suppressants," he rasped.
"I was," I whispered, stepping closer. "But they wore off."
I smirked.
He growled low in his throat, trying to back away. "Don't. Don't play games with me, Ravaya."
"I'm not playing," I said sweetly. "But maybe you are. You pretend you don't want me... but you're losing control, aren't you?"
His eyes blazed. He wanted to lose control.
I wanted him to, enough to get himself in trouble.
I leaned in, letting my scent coil around him. "Tell me, Kael, if I moaned your name right now, would you still pretend to be loyal to your brother?"
He slammed me against the wall, both of his hands braced on either side of my head.
I gasped, partly from the impact but mostly from the fierce look in his eyes.
If he wasn't my enemy, I would've gone weak in the knees right then.
"You're not thinking things through, Ravaya," he hissed, and I bit my lower lip, pressing my thighs together as my body betrayed me. The mere sound of his voice was enough to make my core throb with arousal. Well, s**t. I guess I wasn't really in control.
He let out a throaty groan, his eyes flashing with desire. Then suddenly, his head dipped over, and his full lips barely brushed mine—
The door burst open, and we jerked apart instantly. My heart was pounding so hard now. There was an unfamiliar man standing by the door. He had a buzz cut and bright green eyes, with a scar running across his lips.
"Cap, we've got to move," he said.
Kael didn't look at him. His glare stayed locked on me. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Ravaya, but you're his property now. A pretty little slave in a golden cage. Don't delude yourself, you're never getting out. And I sure as hell won't let you use me as your escape ticket."
The words slapped me harder than any hand could have.
Then they left. And I was alone.
Anger boiled in my blood. A slave?
I'd show him a slave.
As soon as the hallway was clear, I stripped off the heavy earrings, kicked off the heels, and slipped back through the secret corridor I'd memorized earlier.
I reached the window, pushed it open and jumped out of it, landing on the ground with a soft thud.
"Running off so soon?" came the drawl behind me.
I spun around, and there stood Evander, hands in his pockets, smiling like the devil himself.
"Tsk, tsk, Ravaya. You've been a bad girl...and bad girls get punished."
- Writer
