Zander's lips on mine were like liquid fire, the warmth seeping into my veins and igniting every cell in my body with infinite sparks.

At first the touch was feathery soft, just barely there, hovering over my lips with the littlest of touch. It was as if he was giving me a moment to decide whether he should really do this, whether I wanted to push him away. He was giving me a choice.

And despite the urgency of the moment, that seed of consideration softened something in me. It had me acting along, pushing away the thought that the idea of kissing him didn't really abhor me.

So as the door creaked open, I found my hands moving up from the nape of his neck and tangling themselves into his messy inky strands.

Angling my face so that my lips aligned perfectly with his, I pulled his face closer and connected our lips in a way that no breath could pass between them.

Zander's semblance of patience waiting for my approval, seemed to slip as one of his arms circled my waist pulling my body flush against his while the other wove it's way through my hair slightly tugging at the strands.

My head fell back, a gasp leaving my mouth when his teeth nipped my bottom lip tugging them before letting them go.

A sound that seemed like approaching footsteps were heard but it felt somewhat faraway and distant. Or maybe my mind was too a blurry haze to focus.

And it truly seemed like it.

Because the second time Zander's tongue flicked over the seam of my lips in a slow carress and his thumb idly rubbed lazy circles over my lower back as if he had the whole time in the world and Ursula wasn't seconds away from finding us, I felt my eyes switch into annoyance or maybe impatience for what I couldn't quite decipher or wouldn't admit.

He was holding back. I could tell that and it irked me. And when I was irked, I tend to be reckless.

Maybe that is exactly why I did what I did next.

My legs tightened around his hips and my lips moved in a frenzy against his. I tugged at the strands of his silken hair just the way he had before letting go his hair completely and sliding my hands down the side of his neck down his chest in a way he'd wish he hadn't changed into a shirt earlier and had stayed half-naked.

Zander's lips parted the slightest bit as my hands went dangerously lower to the waistband of his jeans. His hold on my lower back became vice-like tight and before I knew it, he backed us against the wooden shelves pressing us so very close I could feel every inch of him.

He wasn't lazy carresses anymore.

His hands were no longer just there, they grew frenzied as they roamed my body, my back, his fingers trailing down my spine sending a delicious shiver through the thin material of the robe.

His other hand detangled from my hair. They swept down the side of my neck down the side of the curves of my breasts and my hips before going lower.

A gasp left my mouth as his warm fingers touched my scorching skin and that's when I knew my flimsy excuse of a robe had slid all the way over my leg revealing me from thigh down.

Zander's tongue entered my mouth, warm and slick and exotic clouding my lust-filled head with erotic thoughts of what he could do with that tongue.

The first stroke of his tongue against mine and there was no holding back the moan building inside me anymore.

Zander's own groan infiltered the silent place as his body moved rhythmically, his hips rolling against mine. His hand slid over the bare length of my leg, from my ankle upto my knee to my inner thigh and so very close to-

A loud bang of a door shutting jerked us both apart from each other as if ice cold water was poured on us.

Heart thumping, mind hazy and lips sore, I turned my head towards the source of the sound in such a speed it was a wonder I hadn't cracked my neck.

Ursula had no doubt left the place the moment she'd sensed the act of debauchery taking place in the store room.

I wasn't sure whether she'd seen any of our faces but with Zander's large body covering mine and his own back to the entrance, I doubted she had. And there was also the fact that she'd have interrupted if she truly had an inkling it was me or Zander.

Relief rooted into my heart. It actually worked.

And so I turned to inform my partner-in-crime of our success but froze.

Froze when I accessed his dark dilated pupils, his overly messy hair disheveled beyond limit and his lips as temptingly swollen and red I could bet mine was.

"Uh. . ." I was loss of words for the first time in my life.

"You look too much like a wild and tempting enchantress right now that I could devour you whole." His voice was hoarse and sensual and it shouldn't have caused as much riot in my system as it did.

Because somewhere along I knew he might do exactly that if I just said the words. But what was more terrifying was that I might actually like it.

And a very stupid part of me wanted him to ravish me and made me want to ravish him equally thoroughly.

But I shook my head against the infiltered thoughts and focused on logic.

It was all the mate bond influence.

It sounded more dumb than I wanted it to and if I had a siren spirit like the werewolves and lycans had their wolves, I'm sure she would've rolled her eyes at me.

Brushing away the thought, I focused my gaze on the demon king in front of him.

He looked like a beautiful sin one would commandeer themselves to without a single word of objection.

Marilla, focus.

"Ursula. . ." My voice was so rough and hazy that I had to clear my throat, "She's gone."

"I know." He made no effort to distance himself and some nagging crazy part of me was rejoicing.

His warm body against mine was too much of a temptation. Those hard ridges of his chest pressed against the softness of my front, my palm flat against his thumping heart, his hands still on the sensitive skin of my thighs.

Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I cast my eyes to his that followed the action with unnerving silence and darkened gaze.

Goddess above, I wanted to kiss him again so bad.

Everything in his actions screamed he wanted to as well.

But there wouldn't be any act to hide old records and discarded books anymore. If we kissed again, it'd be solely our decision. Our wish to share intimacy, a deeper feeling, with each other.

Something about the last thought had a sickening wave of dread washing over me. I was....not ready for that.

I must've been with people before, shared horridly intimate moments but there had never been anything more than just few minutes of pleasure. Feelings were never a part of it.

I could think of sharing just those seemless moments with Zander as well but something told me it wouldn't be the same.

The thought of some feelings sprouting that could overpower any sense of reasoning. A feeling so deep it would leave a permanent mark at the person's loss to the point one would even lose themselves to nothingness.

Valerian, Anthony, Mellisa, my mother.....I had far many examples of what they've went through, how the strongest creatures I've known had been bought down to their knees at the prospect of their mate's safety.

I couldn't succumb myself to that. It....scared me. Because I knew mate or not, Zander was dangerous for my heart.

As if Zander's whole form burned me at the realization, I jerked myself of off him with my head spiraling.

"We should get back. I'll set the files in their places and take the fake death record with me. You prepare yourself to winnow us." I blabbered, rushing through arranging the files and putting them back into their places.

I grabbed the death record and clutched it in my hand. When I turned back to Zander, I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"Marilla-" He started but I cut him off by grabbing his hand and ushering him forward,

"Let's go." I urged in urgency.

Even if I didn't lift my head to look at him, I could sense it in my bones the way his confused gaze drilled into my skull.

Zander seemed like he wanted to say something but decided against it. His hand gripped my hand firmer and he took a step ahead.

I had no idea why suddenly I felt like a fish out of water as his arms wrapped around me in an embrace.

Before I could speak, dark clouds gathered around us and his powers skittered thick in the air.

He said absolutely nothing even when we reached back to the wrecked penthouse and it was more than a blessing.

For a moment, Zander seemed hesitant about Gods know what but one look at my face and he must've sensed something that he gave a single squeeze to my hand before letting go.

I wasted no time in turning around and rushing up the stairs towards my room.

Zander stood stone still for a few seconds until I was halfway up the stairs before he let out a loud resigned sigh and marched behind me.

"Marilla, listen." He said following me shortly behind.

I hastened my steps trying to reach my room before he could catch up to me.

I had no idea why I was doing such a delirious thing but there was this strange feeling of fear in my heart I couldn't push away.

I pushed open my room's door wide, fully intending to shut myself in it but a hand caught my wrist before I could shimmy myself inside.

"What happened-" Zander's words were cut short as someone interrupted,

"Trouble in paradise?"

My heart stopped. I would recognize that voice anywhere. . . .

I glanced towards the source of the sound to find my sister leisurely seated on the edge of the bed.

Her index finger coiled around a dark brunette strand of hair making me frown at the change in her hair colour. Her blood-red lips pulled into a dazzling smile as those striking silver eyes sweeped to the person behind me.

That's when I notice. Actually notice the softness in her gaze as she looked at Zander and the way he was so very still.

Although nothing could've prepared me for the name that left Zander's lips as he stared right at my sister,

"Laira."

To all the confused folks who wonder how Layla can be Laira because she's Derek's sister, you'll know eventually 👀🤫

For now, what do you think will happen?👀