Shadows of Forbidden Desire

Chapter 3

Harlan POV

The glow of Luminara’s enchanted woods filtered through the mansion’s windows, casting fleeting shadows across the living room where Elara nestled against me. Her warmth pressed into my side, her hand curled around mine, fingers interlocking with a tenderness that stirred something dangerous in my chest. At forty-seven, I’d faced rogue spells and necrotic beasts, but nothing unnerved me like the way my adoptive daughter seventeen and radiant looked at me tonight. Her blue eyes, flecked with silver, held a spark that wasn’t just affection. It was on fire, and I was on tinder.

I shifted on the couch, trying to focus on the ether-lanterns flickering above, their light dancing like will-o’-wisps. Thorne had just left with Seraphina, their departure marked by Elara’s lingering hug, her body pressed too close to his. I’d seen it the way her hips moved, the way his hands hesitated. Jealousy stung, sharp and unfamiliar, but I wasn’t angry. Not exactly. The realization twisted my gut: I wasn’t just protective of Elara. I wanted her.

“Daddy, you’re quiet,” she said, her voice soft, teasing, as she leaned closer, her breath warm against my neck.

I forced a smile, squeezing her hand. “Just a long day, baby bird. Too many rituals, not enough rest.” My work as a healer-mage weighed heavy mending broken essences, balancing Luminara’s arcane flow but it was her presence that unbalanced me now.

She tilted her head, blonde hair spilling over her shoulder. “You should rest then. I’ll handle the kitchen.” Her offer was sweet, but the mischief in her eyes said she wasn’t thinking about dishes.

“You’re too good to me,” I said, kissing her forehead. Her skin was soft, scented with lunar essence from her bath. I pulled back quickly, afraid of lingering. “Go on, then. I’ll head up.”

She nodded, slipping off the couch with a grace that made my throat tighten. I watched her disappear into the kitchen, the sway of her hips a silent spell. Shaking my head, I climbed the stairs to my chamber, the mansion’s crystal-lined halls humming with latent magic. Sleep was what I needed to drown out the thoughts creeping in, the ones that painted Elara in ways no guardian should imagine.

I stripped to my undershirt and trousers, sliding into bed. The linens were cool, but my mind burned. I’d raised her since she was a babe, plucked from the wreckage of her mother’s cataclysm a mage lost to enchanted opiates. Elara wasn’t my blood, but she was my world. Yet tonight, the line between father and man blurred, and I hated myself for it.

The door creaked, and I opened my eyes to find Elara slipping in, her silhouette outlined by moonlight. She wore a thin nightgown, the fabric clinging to her curves. My breath caught as she crawled into bed, her slim body sliding close.

“You okay, baby bird?” I asked, voice rough. It’d been years since she’d done this, seeking comfort from childhood fears. But this felt different.

She faced me, eyes wide and luminous. “Can I sleep here tonight?” Her whisper was soft, vulnerable, but there was an edge to it, a challenge.

I couldn’t say no. “Anytime,” I said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Her smile was a spell, disarming me. She tucked herself under the covers, her body inches from mine.

We lay in silence, the forest’s whispers faint through the window. Then she spoke, her voice barely audible. “Do you think Thorne likes Seraphina?”

I tensed, caught off guard. She’d called him “uncle” as a child, but the way she said his name now carried weight. “Maybe. She’s… nice enough.” A lie. Seraphina was ambitious, her charm a calculated mask. I’d seen how she glared at Elara, sensing a rival.

Elara laughed, sharp and knowing. “Nice? She barely tolerated us. Probably another of his fleeting fancies.” Her tone was dismissive, but her eyes searched mine, probing.

I grunted, unsure how to navigate this. “Could be. Thorne’s never been one to settle.” My mind flashed to their hug at the door, the way his hands lingered. Has something happened? The thought tightened my chest.

She shifted closer, her leg brushing mine. “Can you hold me, Daddy?” Her voice was quiet, almost pleading.

I froze, then nodded. “Come here,” I said, lifting my arm. She pressed against me, her leg draping over mine, her hand fisting my shirt. Her face nestled into my neck, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tight. Her warmth seeped into me, and I fought the stirrings low in my gut. This was innocent, I told myself. A daughter seeking comfort. Nothing more.

But her breath against my skin, the way her body molded to mine wasn't just comfort. My hand rested on her back, and I felt the curve of her spine, the softness of her form. I closed my eyes, willing my thoughts to stay pure. I’d never felt this with anyone else, not even Mira, whose brief courtship had fizzled under the weight of my devotion to Elara and my work.

“Good night, Daddy,” she whispered, her lips grazing my jaw.

“Good night, baby bird,” I mumbled, kissing the top of her head. I tried to focus on the rhythm of her breathing, hoping it would lull me to sleep. But her hand tugged at my shirt, fingers brushing my chest, and I knew she wasn’t asleep either.

The air grew heavy, charged with something unspoken. I tightened my grip, telling myself it was just protection, just love. But as her leg shifted, brushing dangerously close, I felt my body betray me, a hardness I couldn’t ignore. I adjusted her leg, pulling it higher to avoid temptation, but the damage was done. My mind raced with images. I couldn't banish Elara’s eyes, her touch, the way she’d looked at Thorne.

What was happening to us? I’d seen the way she moved with him, the way he’d hesitated at the door. And now, here she was, in my bed, her body pressed to mine like a spell I couldn’t break. The mansion’s wards hummed, but I sensed a disturbance, a ripple in the ether, faint but ominous. Something was watching, waiting.

As I drifted toward sleep, a shadow flickered in my mind’s eye, a figure cloaked in darkness, eyes glowing red. A name surfaced, unbidden: Darius. The exiled necromancer, banished years ago. Was he tied to this? To Elara?

Her hand tightened in mine, and I pushed the thought away. But the unease lingered, a whisper of curses yet to come. What had we unleashed, and how far would it pull us under?