18 - Misunderstanding
808 Words
Elise couldn’t stop staring at him.
Vael—formidable, untouchable, prideful—was curled up in her bed, cheeks flushed, sweat glistening at his temples. He looked human. Vulnerable. And sick.
“You’re really something…”
He didn’t respond, instead he tugged her down beside him, his arms wrapping around her waist tightly, protectively—almost possessively.
“I just want to stay with you,” he murmured against her neck. “All night.”
Elise stiffened for a second. The heat of his skin radiated through her shirt. His heartbeat pounded against her back, fast and unsteady. She exhaled slowly.
“You’re impossible,” she muttered.
But she didn’t pull away.
She didn’t want to.
As he buried his face in her shoulder, she felt the smallest tremble in his grip, like he’d been holding on for too long and finally let himself be weak—only here, only with her.
“You’re jealous of Soren, aren’t you?” she whispered into the dark.
“You held his hand,” he grumbled, voice rough and childish through the fever.
“I didn’t kiss his mouth,” she teased, and turned in his arms to face him.
Vael’s brows furrowed as if he didn’t appreciate the humor. His gold eyes searched hers—glowing faintly even in the dim light.
She cupped his flushed cheek, leaned in, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Gentle. Brief. It stole his breath nonetheless.
“You’re the only one I kiss, i***t,” she whispered. “Now get some rest.”
“But what if I die in my sleep from heartbreak?” he rasped, barely holding back a grin.
She rolled her eyes, exasperated but smiling. “You drama king. I still need you.”
“For what?” he asked, eyes narrowing playfully.
“To help me find out who murdered my parents,” she said, matter-of-fact.
“Ah,” he breathed, then pulled her closer. “Then I suppose you should use me however you want.”
His words were soaked in lazy amusement, but there was a deeper undercurrent—an invitation, a promise, a surrender.
Elise let her fingers stroke his hair until he finally drifted off to sleep.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting golden streaks across the bed.
Elise stirred, feeling warmth pressed against her side. Vael was still sleeping, his arm draped over her waist like an anchor. Peaceful. He looked younger like this.
She turned slowly and brushed a knuckle across his cheek.
“Vael,” she whispered. “Wake up.”
He groaned but opened one eye.
“Mm. Morning already?” he asked, voice raspy.
“I have to get ready. There’s a mission hunt scheduled in less than an hour.”
Vael’s hand shot out and caught her wrist before she could slide out of bed.
“Stay,” he murmured. “Just today. Don’t go.”
She hesitated.
There was a softness in his voice she rarely heard—a plea, not a demand.
“I’ll finish my mission early,” she offered gently. “We can talk tonight.”
But his jaw tightened. “So you’ll go… and hold his hand again.”
She blinked, sitting upright. “Vael—”
“Every morning, you hold Soren’s hand like it’s natural,” he snapped, sitting up with effort. “You let him touch you. Center you. I’m the only one who can touch you.”
“I don’t have a choice,” she bit back. “I can’t work if my power’s unstable. He’s helping me regulate until the specialist returns.”
“He looks at you like he wants you.”
“And I don’t look back,” she shot. “You think I want to hold someone else’s hand, Vael?”
The room crackled with tension.
He stared at her for a heartbeat longer—then vanished in a flash of light and shadows, using his teleportation without another word.
The bed was cold in an instant.
Elise sat there, stunned, the silence ringing louder than any argument.
“Why is he being so grumpy?” she muttered to herself, dragging a hand through her hair. “He kissed me. He slept beside me. And still…”
Her shoulders sagged.
The more he let her in, the more volatile he became when it came to her and Soren. And yet… she couldn’t forget the desperation in his grip when he’d pulled her down beside him. Or the way his voice broke when he asked her to stay.
She stood and began dressing for her mission, her mind tangled in silver eyes, burning skin, and the question she didn’t dare say aloud:
Is it alright for me to feel like this? We are just having an alliance yet, my heart was beating that there’s more…
- Writer
