Aurelia's breath was ragged as she sprinted through the dimly lit hallways, her feet echoing in the silence. The collar around her neck weighed heavily on her skin, a constant reminder of her captivity. She felt trapped in every sense of the word—physically, emotionally, and mentally. She had to escape. She didn't care where she was going, just that she needed to get away, even if only for a moment. The walls felt like they were closing in on her, and every step she took seemed to bring her closer to breaking.
She rounded a corner and collided with something solid—someone, actually. Kaelen. Of course.
His sharp eyes locked onto hers with a mixture of surprise and something darker. His expression hardened almost instantly, and before she could react, he moved, stepping directly into her path, blocking any escape.
"Aurelia," Kaelen's voice was low, commanding, a stark contrast to the fear that had gripped her chest. "Where do you think you're going?"
Her heart raced, a mixture of panic and anger surging through her. For a fleeting moment, she considered trying to push past him, but she knew it was futile. Kaelen was faster, stronger, and far too determined to let her go—not like this, not now.
"I'm not going back there," she snapped, her voice laced with frustration. "I can't stand it anymore. I can't stand being controlled, Kaelen. I won't be a prisoner."
Kaelen's gaze softened slightly, but his voice remained firm, resolute. "You're not going anywhere, Aurelia. Not like this."
Before she could respond, Kaelen moved swiftly, grabbing her arm with a force that left no room for resistance. She struggled against him, but it was pointless. His grip was unyielding, and within moments, he had pulled her into a nearby room and locked the door behind them, trapping her inside.
Aurelia spun to face him, her body tight with anger and panic. "What is this? You think locking me in here will make me feel better?" She crossed her arms, her stance defiant, though inside, a storm of emotions swirled.
Kaelen didn't answer immediately. He just stood there, his eyes fixed on her with an unreadable expression. It wasn't anger or control, though. No, it was something else—something more vulnerable. Slowly, he took a step closer, the space between them closing with each measured movement. She could feel his presence filling the room, and the tension between them thickened.
"I'm not locking you in here to punish you," Kaelen said quietly, his voice almost a whisper, like he was carefully choosing his words. "I'm locking you in here because we need to talk. Because you've been running from what's been building between us. From what we both feel."
Aurelia's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure how to react to that. The room felt smaller now, stifling, and the air between them seemed charged with something she couldn't quite name. She wanted to fight him, to scream, to lash out, but she couldn't deny the fact that he was right. She had been running, whether it was from him or from what had been quietly festering inside her, she wasn't entirely sure. But right now, there was nowhere to hide.
She shook her head, frustration clawing at her chest. "I haven't been running from you," she said, her voice quieter now, almost a whisper. "I've been trying to survive."
Kaelen's eyes softened for the briefest of moments, but his expression remained serious. He took another step closer, his presence overpowering. "I know you're scared. Hell, I'm scared too. But you can't keep denying it, Aurelia. You feel it. You feel what's between us."
Aurelia's pulse quickened at his words, the rawness of his admission unsettling her. She didn't respond immediately. She didn't know how to. All she knew was that everything he said was true. She had tried to ignore it, to tell herself that she didn't feel the pull, the attraction, the undeniable connection that had been building between them since the very beginning. But here, now, with him standing so close, it was impossible to deny.
"I hate you," she muttered, but even as the words left her lips, she knew they were a lie. There was no conviction in them. They were just a defense mechanism, a way to push him away, even though every part of her wanted to draw closer.
Kaelen's lips quirked, and there was something almost knowing in his expression. "I don't think you do," he said softly, the hint of a smile in his voice. "But I know that you're angry. Angry at me. Angry at yourself. But we can't keep pretending that nothing's happening between us. Not anymore."
Aurelia opened her mouth to argue, but before she could form the words, Kaelen was already too close. His hand reached out, and before she could pull back, his fingers gently cupped her cheek, his touch soft and tentative. The warmth of his hand seared her skin, and she stiffened, but not because she wanted him to pull away—no, it was because she didn't know what to do with the feeling that was rushing through her.
His thumb brushed lightly across her cheekbone, the gesture so simple, yet so intimate. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the softness of his touch, the heat of his presence, the way it made her heart race. It was almost too much, too overwhelming. She swallowed hard, trying to control the surge of emotion that threatened to rise up in her chest.
"I'm not the enemy here," Kaelen whispered, his voice low, full of unspoken things. "I'm not your enemy, Aurelia. I know you've been fighting me, but you don't have to anymore. Not like this."
Her eyes darted to his lips, the space between them so close that she could feel the heat radiating off him. Her breath caught in her throat, her body trembling from the intensity of it all. She didn't know what to do with this—this strange pull, this surge of feelings she couldn't fully understand. All she knew was that everything inside her was screaming for something more, but she was terrified of what that might mean.
"I don't know what to do with this," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. The vulnerability of the moment, the rawness of everything between them, made her feel exposed in a way she had never felt before.
Kaelen's gaze softened, and for a brief moment, she saw something in him that was just as vulnerable as she felt. His fingers trailed down her jawline, tracing the curves of her face like he was memorizing every inch of her. It made her pulse quicken, and the knot in her chest tightened.
"We don't have to do anything right now," Kaelen murmured, his voice gentle yet laced with something that told her he understood. "But we can't keep pretending this isn't real. That what's between us isn't real."
Aurelia closed her eyes, her breath hitching. The proximity of his body, the intensity of his touch, was almost too much for her to handle. The air felt thick, the tension building in her chest, making it harder to breathe, to think. Every part of her wanted to resist, to push him away, but another part of her—something deeper, more primal—wanted to lean into him, to close the distance between them.
Kaelen's other hand reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against her arm, sending another shock of heat through her. His touch was gentle, but it carried an intensity that made her knees weak. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before—a blend of tenderness and longing, of something more than just desire. It was as if everything between them had built to this moment, this singular instant where nothing else mattered.
"What are you doing to me?" Kaelen murmured, his voice thick with emotion. She could hear the struggle in it, the battle he was waging with himself, with what he was feeling.
Aurelia opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat. She didn't have an answer, not really. She didn't know what was happening between them, but she felt it—every inch of it. The attraction. The pull. The connection. It was undeniable.
"I…" she began, but before she could finish her sentence, the sound of a door slamming open in the hallway shattered the fragile bubble of intimacy between them.
Kaelen froze, his eyes narrowing as he instinctively pulled away from her. His body tensed, and the moment was gone, just like that.
Aurelia stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest, the loss of his touch like a physical ache. She tried to gather herself, tried to regain control over the whirlwind of emotions that still had her spiraling.
"What now?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of frustration and confusion.
Kaelen gave her one last, lingering look before turning toward the interruption, clearly frustrated. "Not now," he muttered under his breath. But even as he walked toward the door, the tension between them remained—heavy, thick, and undeniably real.