Chapter 003
934 Words
Chapter 003
My back pressed against the wall as I breathed unevenly.
Josh stepped closer.
His voice remained calm and gentle as he said he would not hurt me.
I stayed silent, my body tense.
"Can you talk?" he asked. "I just want to know your name."
I nodded, barely. My hope was that he would go before Margaret returned.
But he didn’t leave. He remained motionless before me as his deep brown eyes watched me intently.
"I'm Josh Hernandez. I am twenty-three," Josh Hernandez declared while maintaining a smooth and steady tone. "And you?"
"Eighteen," I whispered.
His brows lifted. "Wow. You have a beautiful voice," he said. "May I know your name too?"
I froze. I had no name to give.
His lips curled into a small smile. "Your name should match the beauty of your voice."
Something strange stirred in my chest. People had never addressed me in such a manner previously.
I smiled, just a little.
His warm eyes agreed with his words as he said, "Yes, that's what I want to see. Happiness, not sadness."
His words confused me. Margaret had never called me beautiful. Margaret always gazed at me with total disgust.
"Beautiful?" I asked, my voice uncertain.
"Yes," he said simply. "You embody the beauty of a red rose."
A blush crept up my cheeks. Never before had anyone referred to me in that manner.
My fingers traced my face as though I wanted to experience the beauty he perceived. Could it be true?
I felt warmth on my hand. I looked up.
Josh’s hand was on mine.
He raised his free hand and softly brushed his knuckles against my cheek.
"You are indeed beautiful," he murmured.
My breath hitched.
This was different.
He was different.
He didn’t call me names. He did not treat me as if I were insignificant.
He looked at me like I mattered.
His fingers released my skin yet his eyes remained fixed on mine.
"So," he said, tilting his head. "Beautiful, why don't you tell me your name?"
"Name?" I repeated.
I lowered my gaze.
I had no name. Only Girl.
I wanted to share something with him—I wanted to give him something—but I had nothing inside me to give him.
His voice softened. "Your voice sounds so sweet that I find myself wanting to kiss you."
"Kiss?" I repeated the word 'kiss,' which felt foreign as I spoke it.
His brows furrowed in surprise. "You don't know what a kiss is?"
I shook my head.
He let out a breath before running his fingers over his neck. "Really?"
I lowered my eyes again. Shame filled me.
"No, no," he said quickly. "I'm sorry. My intention was never to hurt your feelings. I just... I'm surprised. A beauty like you, never been kissed?"
I enjoyed his repeated compliments about my beauty.
"Aren't you going to tell me?" I asked, curiosity outweighing my fear.
After a brief pause, he formed a smile on his face.
"Showing you would be preferable to telling you," he stated.
He looked first toward the door and then returned his gaze to me.
My heart pounded.
"Can I show you?" His voice remained barely audible as he asked the question.
"Yes," I breathed.
He requested that I make a promise not to become afraid.
A nervous flutter filled my chest.
I wanted to take it back. I felt compelled to tell him to leave.
But the words wouldn’t come.
His face moved closer as he repeated, "Promise me."
His breath brushed against my lips as he leaned closer.
"Promise," I whispered.
"Close your eyes," he said.
I paused for a moment before gradually closing my eyes.
There was a moment of silence.
Then—warmth.
A soft sensation pressed against my lips as it moved with a gentle caress.
My entire body stilled.
The feeling was unfamiliar and unusual yet remained agreeable.
Warmth traveled through my body, sending tingly sensations along my spine.
The sensation disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
I opened my eyes.
Josh maintained his gaze on me while his lips remained slightly open.
He slowly moved his tongue across his lips in a deliberate manner.
My lips felt cold as I placed my trembling fingers on them.
He smiled gently as he described it, saying, "That is a kiss."
My fingertips held steady against my lips.
"So that is a kiss," I whispered more to myself than to him.
He chuckled. "Yeah."
I looked at him as a question started to build in my mind.
"But why do werewolves kiss?"
He tilted his head, considering.
"Lots of reasons," he said. "We kiss when we're in love. We kiss to greet each other. To say goodbye. And... sometimes, during mating."
"Mating?" I repeated, unfamiliar with the word.
His expression shifted. "Uh..."
His hand reached back to massage his neck once more. "I mean... making love."
I stared at him blankly.
He sighed. "You are unfamiliar with that concept too, right?"
I shook my head.
He exhaled sharply. "Alright. When you fall in love with someone, love will teach you about its meaning.
I thought for a moment. "Is it like a kiss?"
He smirked, shaking his head. "No. It’s... different. Its effect will move you to the core of your being. A kind of pleasure that—"
The door flew open and cut him off mid-sentence.
I jerked away from Josh, heart pounding.
Margaret stood in the doorway.
Margaret's eyes darted back and forth between us while her face grew shadowed with suspicion.
"What is happening here?" she demanded.
- Writer
