Chapter 13: The Dance of Desire
The air in the room thickened, heavy with tension and unspoken desire. Kian's thoughts were still clouded by the drug, his mind in a haze, but there was one thing that stood clear: Seraphine. She stood before him, her presence commanding the space, her power radiating from every inch of her. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was more than that—it was the way she moved, the confidence in her posture, the unrelenting strength she projected without lifting a finger. She was a force, a queen in every sense, and Kian felt himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame, though he didn't understand why.
She didn't give him time to think. Without a word, she reached for him, her fingers curling around the back of his neck with a grip that was both gentle and possessive. The simple touch set his skin alight, sending a ripple of heat through his body. His breath hitched, his pulse quickening as he stared at her—her eyes dark, her lips slightly parted, her gaze unwavering.
"You don't belong here," Seraphine said quietly, her voice a sharp contrast to the soft hum of the distant party. "But I think you're here because you want to be."
Kian didn't know what she meant. He didn't know anything beyond the overwhelming sensation of her near him, the way her energy seemed to fill every corner of the room. He had never been in a situation like this, never been touched by a woman in this way. His experiences had been limited to the quiet, distant world of his mother's care—never with anyone like this. But Seraphine was different, unlike anyone he'd ever met.
Her lips were close to his now, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath. Without warning, she kissed him. There was no softness to it, no tenderness. It was sharp, demanding, and forceful. He froze for a moment, surprised by the intensity of it, by the complete lack of hesitation on her part. Her mouth moved over his with a hunger he couldn't understand, her lips hard against his, her hands pulling him closer. He had never kissed anyone before, had never thought he would. But now, with her—this woman, this stranger—his body responded before his mind could catch up.
Her kiss deepened, and instinctively, Kian found himself responding, though he didn't know why. His hands hovered awkwardly at his sides, unsure of where to touch or what to do. He felt out of place, clumsy, like he was fumbling through something he was supposed to understand. But with Seraphine—Eva—before him, it felt as though he had no choice but to follow her lead.
She pulled away from him just as quickly as she had kissed him, leaving him breathless, dizzy, and disoriented. His heart thudded in his chest, each beat louder than the last. He couldn't catch his breath.
Her fingers slid to his neck, her thumb tracing the line of his jaw as she held him in place. "Call me Eva," she ordered, her voice soft but firm, as though it was the most natural command in the world.
Kian's heart skipped a beat. Eva. The name tumbled from her lips like it belonged to her, like it was part of her. He didn't question it, didn't wonder why she wanted him to call her that, only that her words had power. Eva.
"Eva," he whispered hoarsely, his voice thick with the strange intensity that seemed to saturate the air between them.
A slow smile curved on her lips, and she kissed him again, but this time with a different intent. It wasn't merely possessive; it was deliberate. She bit down on his lower lip, a sharp sting that sent a jolt through his body. He gasped at the sudden sensation, but before he could recover, she pulled away, trailing kisses down his neck, her lips brushing against his skin with calculated slowness.
Kian shuddered, unsure of what was happening but feeling it all the same. Her lips moved lower, and with each kiss, each bite, she marked him—left a trail of small, consuming marks on his skin, love bites that would remain long after this moment. His body tensed with each contact, but she didn't stop. She moved with purpose, her teeth sinking into the soft flesh of his neck, his collarbone, and the sensitive skin at the base of his throat. The pain was sharp, but there was something intoxicating about it, something that made his pulse race and his breath catch.
"You're mine now," Seraphine said, her voice hushed as she moved to the other side of his neck, leaving another mark on his skin. "Don't forget it."
Kian didn't know what to say. His mind was spinning, his chest tight, the marks on his body a reminder of everything he couldn't control. Her hands roamed across his chest, and for a moment, he was lost in the sensation of her touch. She had taken him, claimed him, and he had no idea how to resist. But he didn't want to resist. His body betrayed him, and all he could do was allow himself to be consumed by her.
She moved against him again, her lips grazing his ear as she whispered, "Say it again."
"Eva," Kian gasped, his voice breathless, caught in the heady whirl of everything happening between them. He didn't know what else to say. There was nothing but her, nothing but her demands and the way she marked him, consumed him with each touch.
Seraphine bit him again, more firmly this time, her teeth sinking into his skin as she left another love bite on his shoulder. Kian couldn't help the quiet moan that escaped him, his body responding to her touch even though he didn't understand why.
The world outside this room, outside this moment, seemed to fade away. There was only her, only Eva, and only the growing marks on his body that would tell the story of this night long after it had passed.