His Crode Clutches

Meow!

Author Pov

ᴛᴜᴇsᴅᴀʏ, 𝟿 ᴘᴍ, ғʀᴏsᴛʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ

Those doe-like eyes wandered around as her legs slowly stretched forward and her heart filled with peace. Her eyes shimmered with tiny sparkles.

Everything was silent.

Her favorite place.

Rosa clutched the small bag hanging near her waist, held by its thin belt crossed across her chest. Her soft amethyst eyes roamed around as she sighed.

Her lips curved into a gentle smile. The calm riverside always stirred something warm inside her. Since it was nighttime, the place was silent, no one usually comes here except her.

The quiet sound of the river’s flow reached her ears.

A lonely tear slipped down her cheek, confusing her, she didn’t even know why it fell.

But when her heart remembered, she knew why her eyes were crying.

Him. Again.

Her tears fell because of him. Her love.

Because her heart knew, her feelings for him were forbidden, pointless. Everything she felt for him could never come true.

But things grew harder when she couldn’t even find a reason for loving him like this—

So helplessly,

So pathetically!

Rosa’s eyes warmed again. Her vision blurred, and she could barely see the world in front of her. She gasped as the cold wind brushed against her skin, making her shiver. More tears gathered and rolled down.

“I can never-” her own hiccups cut her words. She wiped her tears quickly and stepped closer to the riverbank. The city lights reflected on the moving water, sparkling in shades of gold and blue.

Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t stop the sobs. Finally, she broke down. Her throat cracked and cries escaped her lips, she kept wiping her tears again and again.

She knew her feelings were never meant to come true.

The wind blew again, sharp and cold, making her cross her arms over her chest.

“Momma… I wi—” she tried to speak, but her hiccups silenced her again. She was alone, completely alone, living like a doll.

“Momma, I wish you were with me!” she cried out, her voice echoing weakly into the night.

Her whole being trembled with heartache. No one. No one in this world was there for her.

“Papa… papa, at least you could… you could stay for me.” she mumbled, eyes gazing at the vast, dark blue sky.

Her vision blurred once more, her lashes heavy with tears. She wished for something impossible but her heart wouldn’t listen.

Minutes passed, and Rosa still stood there. The riverside, the only place that ever brought her peace.

She sighed softly, wondering why no one was ever there for her… why God didn’t leave anyone for her?

If her parents were still alive, maybe she wouldn’t have to suffer Kevin’s bad touches. She would’ve been far away from him but God had left her no choice.

A sad smile touched her lips as she turned her head aside. But a small sound caught her attention, she looked down at her feet, and her eyes widened.

Slowly, she crouched down, careful not to startle the tiny creature that had come near her.

“Meow!”

“Oh my… kitty. Why are you alone, hm?”

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. The baby kitten stared at her with shiny, round eyes. It was so tiny, only a few days old.

Rosa’s lips curved into a smile immediately. Without hesitation, she scooped it up gently and held it against her chest.

“Meow~ meow~ miu!”

She stroked its fur with delicate fingers. It was a small, white ball of fluff.

“Where’s your mumma? Did you get lost, kitty?” she murmured and the little cat tried to climb up toward her neck. Smiling, Rosa lifted it higher, cupping its arm carefully in her palms.

Her eyes sparkled like starlight as she looked into the kitten’s round gray orbs.

“Cute!”

Rosa giggled, holding the kitten up in front of her face. Her laughter echoed lightly as the kitten tilted its head, staring at her curiously, as if wondering who she was.

“Where’s your mumma?”

“Meow! Meow! Meow! Meeooww!”

Rosa giggled again. But then, a thought crossed her mind, “I want to take you with me, kitty.” she whispered.

She looked around and no one was there.

“But… I don’t want to separate you from your mumma.” she murmured sadly, pressing the kitten gently against her chest. Her lips pouted and her eyes drifted toward the shimmering river.

She scanned the area again, hoping to see another cat but nothing appeared. Rosa walked back and forth, the kitten still warm in her arms.

“You could be my friend, kitty but I need to find your mummy.” she said softly.

The kitten looked up at her, stretching its tiny paws toward her chest, trying to climb but failing adorably.

Rosa’s eyes shifted toward a nearby bench beside the river, a spot for visitors. She walked over and sat down with the kitten resting on her lap.

She waited quietly.

“Kitty… why did you walk here without your mummy?” she asked, the kitten licked her fingers.

Her hand brushed through its soft fur while she stared at the rippling water ahead, peaceful, calm, and lonely.

But suddenly, a cold gust of wind made her gasp. She looked down to see the kitten playing on her lap.

“You’re such a good baby kitten… so obedient, not moving around much.”

“MEOW! MEOW!”

Rosa flinched at the loud meowing behind her. She turned around and saw a larger white cat approaching, mewing out loudly.

“Oh my!” Rosa gasped softly and immediately stood up. The mother cat meowed louder, alarmed by the sight of the kitten in Rosa’s arms, thinking she might harm its baby.

“Meow… meow..!” the tiny kitten meowed back, hearing its mother.

Rosa smiled gently and crouched down again. She loosened her hold, and the baby kitten happily jumped from her arms.

“MEOW… meow!” The mother cat called, and the baby ran straight to it, hiding under its mother. The big cat looked up at Rosa, still meowing, maybe as a thank you, or maybe just out of instinct.

Rosa smiled, watching the pair walk away. She stood there, her eyes followed them until they vanished from sight.

Her chest felt hollow again, an odd emptiness. The kitten was so sweet, so small. She would have loved it dearly, cared for it, protected it. But she couldn’t take it away from its mother.

Not when she knew what it felt like to be left alone.

Still, Rosa smiled, comforted by the thought that the kitten was safe, that its mother came back for it.

Her gaze dropped to her feet, then lifted again toward the calm river.

Meanwhile—

The dark pair of blue eyes stared at her from afar, deep, dark and dangerous.

The man’s gaze hadn’t left her since the moment she arrived. He had watched every movement, every sigh, every tear, every smile.

He turned his head toward the car’s mirror, his hand rested on the steering wheel. Then his eyes shifted back to her again, studying her from a distance.

Little did she know—

He was the very person her heart belonged to.

|| Another side ||

The surrounding was lightened with colors. Kevin sipped on the liquor for the tenth time.

“Kevin, don’t you think it’s too much? Why are you drinking so much?”

Kevin harshly put the tiny glass of liquor on the counter and asked for one more, then turned his head.

“Why do you care?” he asked his friend, his voice coming out drunk.

“Of course I care for my friend. Kevin, just tell me what’s wrong?” Sam asked, looking at his drunk friend.

“Sh-she! I want her, but she doesn’t!”

“Who? What are you talking about?”

Kevin looked around, took the glass of liquor again, and sipped from it. He shook his head, his eyes barely able to open.

“Rosa.”

Sam raised his eyebrows at his words. He looked around and pulled his chair closer to Kevin.

“You mean Rosa.. that cousin sister of yours?!” Sam asked in utter shock. He gasped even more when Kevin nodded, sipping on the liquor.

“I want her. I-I want. I don’t know why, she attracts me.”

Kevin muttered in his drunk voice. Sam’s eyes turned sharp, looking at his friend’s miserable state. He knew Kevin wasn’t a person to act like this. He’d had countless one-night stands with different girls, but he had never acted this way.

“Kevin, look at me.”

Sam rolled his seat nearer to Kevin.

“Listen to me carefully. Just do as I say if you want her for a night.” Kevin looked at him with half-open eyes and nodded.

“When we don’t get what we want, we need to claim it. And you know what I mean.”

“You are right. I just can’t wait anymore.

---

𝟷𝟸 ᴀᴍ, Sinclair mansion

Rosa pulled the duvet over her chest and crossed her arms over the cover. She looked at the ceiling.

Her cheeks had a crimson shade, her fair skin almost matching the white blanket. And the reason behind her blush was, him. Killian Salvatore.

She blinked her eyes slowly and steadily, her eyelashes flickering as she intensely stared at the ceiling.

“Why does he never look at me?” Rosa muttered under her breath, her eyes losing their sparkles.

She pulled the duvet up until it reached her collarbone, both palms fisting its edge. The weather was getting colder by the minute.

“I just—”

Rosa sighed, knowing she shouldn’t wish for something she could never have.

She slowly turned to her right side, holding her phone and searched for a specific name:

‘Mr.Thief ♡’

She stared at the contact number.

He told her to call that night, then why did he hang up without saying anything?

“I really don’t know why I feel like this,” she whispered to herself.

“I miss you, kitty... and I miss him too.”

She muttered, pouting her lips and pulling the duvet over her face, hiding herself.

Slowly, the moon hid behind the clouds, darkening the sky even more.