Chapter 105: Chapter 105

Adelie

My heart was pounding like a drum. His lips curled into a smirk against my ear. His breath, warm and inviting, sent shivers down my spine. “You need to be quicker, Murrell.”

I found myself questioning my actions. Had I just willingly walked into Christopher’s trap? Was I so naive to have signed my own death warrant? But then, a realization dawned on me. If Christopher wanted to kill me, he would have done it already.

Now, I could feel his hands on me, but they weren’t causing any pain. I was slightly dizzy, like putty in his hands. His back was against mine, and I could feel his chest heaving with shaky breaths.

“Adelie, I could hurt you. You shouldn’t let me,” he warned, his voice laced with concern. Yet, his hand remained on my neck.

“Go ahead,” I dared him. “Give it your best shot, Garcia.”

He withdrew his hand from my neck, leaving a cold void. He didn’t respond to my taunt. He knew what I was implying.

He understood why I was provoking him. Because I knew he enjoyed it. His blood heated up every time I challenged him. He relished our confrontations.

And we both knew how it always ended. With a climax so exquisite, only we could make it feel so divine.

He turned me around to face him, his hands on either side of me. “I’m serious,” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“Adelie, you’re in his way. He wants you out of the picture,” he whispered. “If he gets a chance, he won’t hesitate.”

“I can take care of myself,” I assured him, “even from you.”

“I’m not so sure.” He released me and turned away, burying his face in his hands.

“You always assume I’ll do the right thing. You never question my actions. You believe that even after Christopher’s gone, I’ll still remember you.”

He was panicking. “When he’s in control, all I see is darkness, Adelie. I can’t save you then,” he confessed. “I can’t even see you,” he added, his voice barely a whisper.

He kept retreating until his back hit the wall. “Then I’ll save myself,” I declared. “You really don’t think I can.” I let out a bitter laugh.

“You still see me as the weak girl I used to be,” I accused him. He had never truly seen me as strong or independent.

“Adelie…” He sighed in frustration.

“No! You just don’t get it. What do I have to do to make you believe in me?” I yelled, but he drowned out my voice with his own.

“You must be heartless then. Absolutely ruthless,” he retorted, but I fell silent, taking in his words. “Because I couldn’t kill you that easily.

“I must still be under the influence of sedatives, because I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you wouldn’t find it agonizing to kill me. Because I know that killing you would be like dying a thousand times over!”

And with that, silence engulfed us.

But my blood was still boiling, my heart still racing, and my head throbbing. I didn’t want to, but I ~needed~ to let out my pent-up energy. I felt like I was about to explode. I didn’t want to do it now. But I couldn’t contain my anger.

I acted swiftly to maintain my balance. Massive roots from the trees erupted through the cracks in the stone, ensnaring Kairos and pinning him to the wall.

I tried to be as gentle as possible, but he grunted in discomfort. Yet, he didn’t even attempt to break free.

The roots had only caused minor cracks in the cement, but to an unknowing eye, it would appear as if a gigantic tree had been growing here for years.

Twisted and knotted, the roots held Kairos captive. His hands, legs, and torso were trapped against the wall.

My mind began to unwind, my heart finding its rhythm again. I used the key to unlock his handcuffs, leaving my power as the only thing holding him in place.

I positioned myself in front of him. He observed me, yet made no attempt to flee.

“Your temples always pulse when you do this,” he noted, his gaze softening. His voice was gentle, as if he hadn’t been yelling at me moments ago.

I took a step back. “Try to escape,” I urged him. He remained still. “Shift into your wolf form. I’ll show you that I can still restrain you.”

I needed him to trust me. I needed him to understand.

But he just shook his head.

“Why not?” I questioned. “Shift. Test me!”

“I can’t,” he muttered.

“Kairos… Christopher didn’t tamper with your wolf. You can still shift,” I reassured him, chuckling as I realized the obvious.

“You don’t believe I can. You won’t even give me a chance. Does my power mean so little to you?” I asked, feeling a sting of hurt.

“All those times you seemed amazed by my abilities…what was that about? What were you amazed by? Have you never had faith in me? Then prove to me that I can’t protect myself.

“Prove to me that Christopher can destroy me with ease and I’ll never question you again. Prove to me that I’m not as powerful as I believe I am.”

His doubt was making me question myself, and I despised it. That wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be the one who believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.

“Adelie…I can’t shift,” he whispered. “Not now.” His gaze dropped, filled with shame.

I gritted my teeth, my nostrils flaring. “Why not?”

His eyes met mine again. “Kye won’t allow it… He swore never to oppose you. I…I physically can’t shift right now.” He looked defeated. “He’s not even responding to me now.”

I let out a half-hearted laugh, finding his words ridiculous. “Why would he do that?” I asked. Kye had no connection to me. He had a bond with my wolf, but not with me. Especially now, when I was no longer a werewolf, Kye was supposed to protect Kairos from everyone. Even from me. Nothing should come between a man and his wolf.

He hesitated, prompting me to ask again. “Kairos…why would he do that?”

Reluctantly, he answered. “I made him….I made him. He can’t resist you. When he feels the pressure, he shuts down. He leaves me until it subsides,” he explained.

“And what if…what if I was actually hurting you?” I asked, taken aback by his revelation.

His lips curved into a gentle smile as he met my gaze. “Since I met you, I’ve truly lived for the first time. I thank the moon goddess for every moment I’ve been able to spend here.

“Do your worst, Adelie Murrell. End me if you have to.

“Torture me with every fiber of your being, and I will still look at you like you’re a saint I never deserved,” he declared, each word punctuated by his shaky breath.

I moved closer, our lips nearly touching. “You trust me too much,” I teased, a playful smirk on my lips.

He shook his head. “Or maybe I love you too much.” I placed my hands on his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath them.

“If I ever hurt you…it will only be to save you,” he whispered, our breaths mingling.

“I don’t need you to save me.” I averted my gaze for a moment before meeting his eyes again. “I don’t think I’m meant to be saved by anyone.”

He smiled. “I’d still try.”

A moment of silence passed between us, his breath gradually steadying. He was still trapped against the wall, unable to move or flee. I gently traced my hand across his cheek, securing it behind his neck, and drew myself into a kiss with him.

He responded without hesitation. His movements mirrored mine, matching the pace and intensity I set.

The sound of vines being strained reached my ears as Kairos struggled to free his arms. “Let me,” he murmured against my lips, seeking release from my grip.

But he wasn’t asking to escape from me. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I continued to kiss him, with no intention of releasing him. My hand roamed across his torso, causing him to stiffen and his breath to quicken. His skin felt hot against mine.

Swiftly, I unbuttoned his shirt while maintaining our kiss. I had no desire to break away. His head remained still, offering no resistance.

My hands explored his bare skin, moving to his back and pulling myself closer. Our chests pressed together. “Let me go,” he demanded again, his voice stern and commanding.

I moved my hand lower, eliciting a deep growl from him. I could almost see his eyes rolling back in pleasure. My lips found his neck as my hand ventured further down, feeling a pulsating heat beneath the fabric.

My hand continued its exploration as my lips trailed down his bare torso.

My lips reached his abs and I sank to my knees, deftly unbuckling his belt with a speed and precision I didn’t know I possessed.

The vines strained harder, their tugging more insistent. I heard him mutter something, which was quickly replaced by another growl and moan as my lips found the source of his tension.

I didn’t care about my appearance, and I doubted he did either. The few times I glanced up at him, his head was thrown back, his fist clenched in the vines.

I hadn’t intended to release the power holding him up, but my focus wavered and I lost control.

The vines had barely vanished when Kairos roughly pulled me up and pressed his lips to mine. One strong hand gripped my neck, guiding me.

His other hand gripped my side, causing me to gasp in surprise.

He unzipped my jacket, and with my assistance, it was quickly discarded, tossed aside. He tore away my bra with a roughness that was almost primal, his hand grasping my skin and his lips exploring the other side.

Now it was my turn to throw my head back as he lavished attention on my upper body, leaving trails of warmth in his wake.

He pushed me against the stone wall with a suddenness that took me by surprise. I braced myself for the impact, but his hand moved to cushion the back of my head.

His hand was so close to my ear that I could hear it collide with the wall.

I started to turn my head to look at his hand, but he kissed me again, making me forget everything else. His hands busied themselves with removing my remaining clothes.

It wasn’t the most sensual method, but he managed to remove the last barrier between us.

I felt the cold, rough stone against my bare skin, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to move, regardless of the discomfort.

His hand reached up to wrap my legs around his waist. He continued to grind his hips against mine, eliciting soft moans that he captured in his ear.

Suddenly, he stopped. I tried to move my hips, a difficult task with my legs wrapped around him. He smirked at me.

If he hadn’t moved us, my back would be covered in bruises.

With me still clinging to him, he carried me to his bed and gently laid me down. He towered over me, watching me.

“You look…,” he began, but his words choked off, “like how heaven should feel.” He crashed his lips against mine again.

I could smell the change in the cell. Our sweat had mingled. We weren’t gentle or cautious. It felt like an eternity since I had last touched him.

My fingertips seemed to have forgotten every inch of him.

As my lips traced the path of my touch, I yearned to etch his skin into my memory, to replay every moment when I was alone.

In the aftermath, we lay there, facing each other in a bubble of pure contentment, wishing we could freeze this moment in time. His fingers traced a path along my arm.

I noticed the dried blood on his knuckles and the cuts on the hand he’d used to punch the wall. I gently took his hand in mine, trying to offer some comfort, some healing.

But he pulled his hand away and wrapped it around me instead. “I can’t let you take on my pain,” he said.

“But you’ll need me to tomorrow,” I replied.

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “You don’t have to do anything.”

“I want to…” I corrected myself quickly, “and you’ll let me. Because I need you to stay alive. I want you to stay alive. If your pride won’t let you accept help, then do it because I’m asking you to?

“Because that’s what I’ve decided. And if you refuse, that will hurt me. You said you didn’t want to hurt me, right? Then don’t.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” he asked, choosing not to argue.

“You mean, you might die?” I asked.

He just shrugged as if it was no big deal. “If this is what living is, I…don’t…I don’t want it. I don’t want to hurt others with my touch,” he said.

“What did Death say? Will you be okay with this? How much will it harm you?” he asked. “You can tell me.” He noticed my hesitation.

“There are always risks, but he says it shouldn’t do any harm,” I lied. “For one, he’ll be there too.”

“What if Christopher latches onto you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “The death angel part of me won’t mix with him. I’m safe.” How easy it was to lie, to make him think he was the only one at risk of dying.

I watched him, admiring the gentle smile on his face. I wanted to tell him so badly. I wanted to give him something to look forward to. “Kairos…”

I wanted to tell him that I was pregnant. I wasn’t sure if this was the right moment, with what was to come the next day. But I needed to tell him.

I took his hand in mine, slowly moving it towards my stomach. But then someone burst into the cell. I quickly pulled the blanket up to cover myself and Kairos.

It was Esty. I thought I would die of embarrassment, but she acted as if she hadn’t seen anything, like she had been in this situation many times before. “Adelie, you must come!” she said urgently, her eyes wide with panic. “Now!”