The Kiss Of Fate

3: The Kiss

Jhessail held her breath. Scared that the sound of her breathing might make the boy disappear.

The young man bridged the distance between them with three elephant steps. He inched closer to Jhessail, standing skin-to-skin with her.

Jhessail's breath hitched. She was temporarily blinded by the boy standing so close to her face. His hot breath hit her skin, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

His slender long fingers touched her chin. He lifted her head lightly and locked eyes with her. "I warned you," he spoke up.

His thin lips landed on her pink rosy lips. Jhessail's mind short-circuited. Her mind went blank. The kiss started as soft and light but intensified with the second. It became hot and passionate. He sucked greedily at her lips, taking shifts on her lower and upper lip.

Electric shivers traveled in Jhessail's body through her nerve endings. The boy's soft lips threatened to devour hers. A hot burning sensation was aroused by his movements. She froze.

She feels sparks going off between the two of them. It was unexpected and caught her off-guard.

The young boy broke the kiss and panted for breath. Jhessail felt light-headed. Her visage was clouded by the rising temperature of her body.

"Aldrin, something is wrong. I think a male wolf snacks at your party and releases an uncomfortable amount of pheromones," a young man in a tuxedo walked into the room. Aldrin jumped back and put distance between him and Jhessail. "It's making all the females dizzy. We can trace him using his scent, I've heard he smells of vanilla and roses..."

The man was shocked to find Jhessail in the room. His eyes darted from her to the boy seated on the edge of the bed. Stunned by the sight.

Aldrin's expression became ice cold. He controlled his emotions to avoid the vanilla scent being traced back to him. He hadn't realized he was discharging pheromones from his body until the man pointed it out. Jhessail affected him more than he cared for.

The man's presence helped Jhessail find her way back from Wonderland. She was able to stabilize her mind, body, and heart.

"Whose your friend?" the man asked about Jhessail.

"She got lost looking for the ballroom. Jian, would you be so kind as to show her the way," Aldrin made an excuse.

Jhessail glanced over to Jian. "Yes, I got l..lost," she weakly supported the boy's lie. Her mind was in chaos from the moment that seized her first kiss.

"Come with me, I'll get you to the ballroom," Jian called to her. Jhessail nodded. She pursed her lips and stole one last lingering glance at the boy on the bed. She took in a long, slow breath and let it out just as slowly.

"I love your lips," Aldrin mouthed to her. Blood rushed to her cheeks, turning them crimson. Jhessail looked away. Her breath grew heavy. Each step taking her away from the boy was energy-draining.

Part of her wanted to stay and get to know the perfect prince charming who stole her first kiss and set her heart on fire.

"This way," Jian ushered her out of the room. He locked it and shot Jhessail a suspicious look. He failed to believe that she missed her way to the ballroom and just happened to chance upon the room hosting the prince of Lavena.

He was well aware of the lengths the young girls would go to for the prince. He suspected Jhessail pretended to be lost in front of the prince as an excuse to spend time with him. 'Prince Aldrin is naive to believe you got lost,' Jian thought.

Jhessail walked down the corridor. Unaware of the thoughts going through Jian's head and the identity of the boy her heart flattered. She placed her right hand on her chest. To feel the rhythm of her heart.

Her heart pounded against her chest. Fragments of Aldrin lingered in her mind. Thoughts of him taking hold of her mind.

The encounter was unbelievably magical. Jhessail made it back to her table. She found Thea and Yoli getting acquainted with each other.

Jhessail took a seat next to Yoli. Her mind was lost in the thoughts of the prince she met in the room. His eyes, the sound of his voice, and the touch of his lips. She was in ecstasy. Jhessail caught a glimpse of the brightest star and she wasn't even looking up to the sky.

She was caught in his trance. "Where did you disappear to?" Yoli waved her hand in front of Jhessail to get her attention.

"My dad called, I went to talk to him," she replied. Omitting the magical part of stepping away for a moment.

"Are you alright? Your face is so red?" Thea raised a question.

"Y...Yeah, just a little overwhelmed by the party," Jhessail lied. She touched her face to hide the blush. "I wasn't expecting it to be so grand," she added.

"It is a royal party," Yoli sighed.

She had so much to eat that she was full and felt sleepy. She leaned her hands on the table and rested her head. Thea and Jhessail gave her suspicious looks.

Before they could question her, the royal family of Lavena made an appearance. Everyone got to their feet and bowed their heads to the crown.

King Edmond, Queen Adelaide, and Princess Sofia gracefully made their way to the high table reserved for the royals.

"You may all be seated," Queen Adelaide announced. The young ladies in the room came to their seats. The room went silent, you could hear a pin drop. The ladies held their breaths in anticipation of meeting the prince. Heir apparent to the crown of Lavena city.

"The crown prince of Lavena, Prince Aldrin De Novo," the page announced. The girls turned their eyes to the door. Jhessail, Thea, and Yoli raised their heads to catch a glimpse of the prince.

Jian stepped into the room, and a moment of silence passed before a slightly taller figure walked in behind him. Jhessail's jaw dropped. For the hundredth time that night. The scent of vanilla and roses hit her nostrils hard, without warning.

She opened her eyes wide. Prince Aldrin paused, dressed in a polished tuxedo, he glided down the catwalk with an athletic grace without missing a step.

Gasps echoed from every corner of the room. The girls were beguiled by his good looks and out-of-this-world temperament. He held a cold expression on his face, he looked aloof and indifferent. Like a prince from the pages of a beautiful fairytale.

His presence alone charmed the hearts of the teenagers in the room. Each of them wished for him to cast a gaze in their direction. Even those who merely honored the invitation not to offend the king, found themselves floored by the werewolf prince of Lavena.

Jhessail felt her heart fall. Of all the people the boy in the room could be, he had to be the one person she couldn't have. Her heart tightened and squeezed in pain.

The prince was lingering close to her heart. It felt like she had known him for so long even though they just met. Jhessail let out a sad deep breath.