Chapter 6: Breaking a Rule.
1295 Words
Chapter 6: Breaking a Rule.
Elara’s POV
I didn’t sleep.
Not really.
Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him...his presence, thick and suffocating, watching me from across the room.
Kian Blackthorne didn’t move much, but when he did, it was like thunder in the quiet. The way his sheets rustled. The low sound of his breathing. The occasional growl he let out in his sleep. It was all too much.
He slept with his back to me, but that didn’t make it better.
It made it worse.
He didn’t speak. Didn’t snore. Didn’t twitch. Just laid there like a loaded gun ready to put a bullet in my head if I dare make any silly move but what move can I possibly make?!
I stayed curled on my bed, barely moving, listening… counting the hours.
By the time light bled through the curtain slats, my body was stiff and cold with nerves.
I waited, thinking maybe I could sneak out and breathe before facing him again.
But when I sat up, I froze.
He was already awake.
And watching.
Shirtless, towering, broad shoulders relaxed against the headboard like a king surveying his kingdom. Dark tattoos coiled around his forearms like serpents. His piercing blue eyes locked on mine.
I swallowed hard.
He didn’t blink.
Didn’t flinch.
Just stared.
Then, he spoke...his voice rough and command rolled into one.
"Touch any of my stuff, and I’ll break your hands."
I blinked.
He sat forward slowly, elbows resting on his knees. The morning light kissed the sharp lines of his face, casting shadows under his jaw.
How can someone so good-looking be so dangerous and mean?
"Stop staring, creep." He mumbled and I immediately snapped my head away from him but as soon as he turned around, my eyes were on him again.
This Alpha dude is sin... what was I doing in this academy again?! I can't even sleep peacefully.
Kian rose from the bed without another word, dragging a towel off the chair as he made his way into the bathroom. The door shut with a heavy click, and the sound of running water followed almost immediately.
I exhaled shakily.
The moment he disappeared, my body sagged with relief but suddenly my stomach gave a loud, embarrassing growl.
Goddess, I was starving.
I crept toward the small kitchenette in the corner of the suite, half-expecting it to be bare, but the moment I opened one of the cupboards, my eyes widened.
Food.
Lots of it.
There was a whole spread...toast, cured meats, boiled eggs, fruit, some kind of bread rolls. It didn’t look like it was meant for a prisoner, or maybe Kian lived too well to care about rationing.
I hesitated... then grabbed a slice of bread and bit into it so fast it almost choked me. My body moved on instinct, devouring it like I hadn’t eaten well in days...because I hadn’t.
I reached for a second piece, then an apple. I stood there chewing like a wild animal, hands full, mind racing. Screw it. I’d deal with the consequences later.
Then I heard the bathroom door creak open.
I turned around, mouth full, crumbs stuck to my lips.
And I froze.
Kian stood at the threshold, steam curling out behind him.
Towel wrapped dangerously low on his hips.
His chest was bare. Wet. Carved out of sin.
But it was his eyes I saw first.
Burning.
Glowing.
Livid.
He didn’t speak.
He didn’t ask.
He moved.
One second he was there.
The next...his hand slammed into my throat, slamming me against the fridge with such force that the breath left my lungs.
My feet kicked off the floor.
Bread and apple pieces scattered to the ground.
His hand tightened.
“What. Is. Rule. Four?” he hissed, his voice low and venomous.
I clawed at his wrist, choking. My eyes watered instantly.
“I...I didn’t mean...” I gasped out, struggling to breathe.
“I said, what is rule four?” he growled again, his face inches from mine now, the heat from his body scorching mine even through the towel still hanging loosely on his hips.
My throat burned.
My lungs screamed.
“Don’t...break the other rules...” I wheezed.
His grip didn’t loosen. Not yet.
“You are wrong, you silly thing.” he spat. "Remember it or I swear, I'm gonna kill you and feed you to the beasts in the dungeon." He growled and I searched my brain for the right answer.
"It’s... you said I should not touch your stuff."
Kian’s snarl was a whisper in my ear. “Wrong again.”
His hand pressed tighter, and black spots dotted my vision. My toes barely grazed the floor.
“Say it properly,” he hissed. “Word for word.”
I choked on the air I couldn’t get.
His other hand slammed beside my head on the fridge, rattling the shelves.
I whimpered, digging my nails into his wrist. Nothing. His arm didn’t even flinch. I can't remember it properly.
“Rule Four,” he growled slowly, “is: Do. Not. Touch. My. Things. Do not touch me.”
Each word hit me and immediately registered in my brain.
“And what did you just do?” he whispered against my ear. “You touched. My. Food.”
His breath was hot. His voice wasn’t raised. That made it worse.
“Your first day, and you’re already breaking rules. That’s brave...or stupid.”
My vision blurred. My wolf whimpered inside me, but she didn’t rise. She knew better.
Kian’s eyes glowed brighter, flickering crimson.
My knees buckled. Just when I thought I was going to black out...he released me.
I dropped like a ragdoll, coughing and gasping, my hands clutching my neck. My chest burned as air rushed back into my lungs.
He stepped back, shaking the water from his hair like a beast, his gaze cold and sharp as steel.
“You’re lucky,” he said, voice flat. “If this wasn’t Academy property, I’d have ripped out your throat for that.”
I coughed again, struggling to my feet, refusing to let him see me cry.
“I was hungry...” I croaked.
His head tilted slightly.
“You’re not here to eat. You’re not here to talk. You’re not here to exist.” He stepped forward, crowding me again, and pointed towards the floor between our beds.
“That line?” he said. “Is your grave. Stay on your side. Breathe on your side. Or next time... I won’t stop.”
His expression didn’t waver. Not once.
He walked past me like I was nothing but dust in his path, snatching a protein bar off the counter and biting into it like nothing happened.
No guilt.
No emotion.
No care.
He didn’t even look at me again.
I stood there, trembling.
Not from cold.
From fear and bad memories because it seemed I just walked into another abusive man but was he really abusive...he did state his rules, I broke them and...
No. No. No.
A monster is always a monster... with or without rules.
I took in a deep breath before I sighed, I didn’t speak. I didn’t move. I just stared at the crumbs on the floor.
Rule Four.
Do not touch his things. Do not touch him.
Rule Five...
Never disobey the other rules.
I swallowed the knot in my throat, picked up the apple pieces with shaking hands, and quietly dumped them in the bin.
I wouldn’t forget again.
But deep down, as I looked at his back...
A single thought echoed in my head.
He’s dangerous.
And I’m stuck with him but how long will I survive such being when we're literally in the same space.
- Writer
