The Pull of the Forbidden 2
772 Words
The golden glow in Asher’s eyes didn’t fade. If anything, it pulsed—like a heartbeat, slow and unrelenting.
Lila couldn’t look away.
Something ancient stirred beneath her skin, like a memory half-forgotten. Like she’d known him before. Like she’d dreamed this moment, lived it a thousand times in a thousand other lifetimes.
The feeling terrified her.
“I don’t understand what’s happening to me,” she said, voice unsteady. “I’m not like you. I’m not… supernatural.”
His gaze softened. “Aren’t you?”
She blinked. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying the bond doesn’t just happen between a supernatural and a human. It’s rare, but when it does, it’s because that human isn’t fully… ordinary. Something inside you resonates with me. That’s not nothing, Lila.”
She laughed—bitter, confused. “What the hell is inside me then? Because I sure don’t feel magical.”
“Not yet. But something’s waking up. The dreams, the pull, the way you can feel me when I’m not there. You think that’s normal?”
Her mouth parted slightly.
He stepped closer.
“If I reached out right now,” he said, voice low, “and touched your hand, you’d feel the spark again. Wouldn’t you?”
She nodded once.
“And if I kissed you,” he murmured, “you’d forget every reason you told yourself to run.”
Her pulse quickened. Her lips parted. The air between them shifted, charged.
But then—
“Is that what you want?” she whispered. “For me to forget? For me to stop thinking and just fall into you?”
His eyes searched hers, and something vulnerable passed across his expression.
“No,” he said. “I want you to remember everything. And still choose me.”
Her heart thudded violently. The honesty in his voice undid something inside her.
But before she could respond, the vines along the wall rustled—violently, unnaturally.
Lila shot to her feet. “What was that?”
Asher’s hand caught her arm, steadying her.
“Don’t move.”
A low hum filled the air, almost like a whisper on the edge of hearing. The ivy curled in on itself, blackening at the edges. The temperature dropped.
And Lila knew, somehow, that they weren’t alone.
---
Asher stepped in front of her.
His entire body was tense, alert.
“They’re here,” he said.
“Who?”
“The Watchers.”
The word landed with cold weight in her stomach.
She grabbed his arm. “Why now? What do they want?”
He didn’t take his eyes off the blackening vines.
“You.”
A shadow passed over the cracked glass ceiling—inhuman, gliding.
Lila’s breath hitched.
Asher spoke without looking at her. “When the bond strengthens, they sense it. And they fear it. They fear what we could become together.”
The plants trembled again. The ground beneath their feet vibrated.
“I thought they only watched,” she said, voice shaking.
“They do,” he replied grimly. “Until they decide to act.”
Without warning, a sharp crack split the air—glass shattering above them. Lila ducked instinctively as shards rained down, but none touched her. Asher’s body had shielded hers entirely, arms wrapped around her like a cage.
When she opened her eyes, his cheek was inches from hers.
“You okay?”
She nodded breathlessly. “What was that?”
“A warning.”
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes.
“We need to seal the bond soon.”
She pulled away, breath hitching. “You said I had time.”
“I thought we did,” he said quietly. “But things are accelerating. You’re changing faster than expected.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the ruined ceiling. “So what does sealing the bond mean? Just... a kiss? Blood? s*x?”
His silence answered her.
“Oh.”
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“It’s not just about the physical. It’s about surrender. Will. Trust. You have to want it. It has to be real.”
She met his gaze. “And if I don’t?”
“You’ll start unraveling,” he said softly. “The bond needs to stabilize. If it doesn’t, you’ll break from the pressure of it. The connection will devour you.”
Her mouth went dry.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“I didn’t want to scare you,” he admitted. “But I think we’re past that now.”
---
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