2304

~Tove

This isn't good.

I stare at the ceiling, employing as many ways of distracting myself as possible.

I've tried pacing, although that failed to tire me out. Reading was thwarted by my aching eyes from spending all day doing it, and writing down my concerns proved to be impossible considering my lack of paper and a pen...

And the thought of Keo ever uncovering my wretched thoughts.

Groaning, I toss the covers off my legs and lurch back up to standing.

The wood floor is cold underfoot as I stride to the balcony door, pushing it open. The sheer curtains brush against my skin as I step out, letting the sharp sea-scented breeze sweep my hair back off my shoulders.

I'm thinking about Keo.

Being near him is intoxicating. But it's more than that...

I know who he is, what he has done. And yet I find him deeply fascinating, and considering I'm one of the few Angel-bloods he isn't willing to kill right now, my urge to uncover more about him is burning with untamed fire.

His parting words to me this afternoon are what chase away my sleep...

In his strange, roundabout way, he's invited me to his bedroom. Whether it's to embarrass me or to seduce me, I don't know.

But I really want to find out.

Gritting my teeth, I twist around, charging back into the room, throwing a shawl over my shoulders before slipping from my room.

I only know where Keo's room is because it's been locked and when I inquired why, he told me I only need to worry about it on night's where...

I don't even want to acknowledge that memory.

Because tonight may be one of those nights.

I'm not sure why but his ominous wooden door looks more ominous tonight as I knock on it promptly.

Part of me doesn't expect him to answer. Maybe he doesn't sleep...maybe he vanishes in the night, going to do devious things to innocent people.

The door opens, a shirtless Keo appearing in the doorway.

My throat dries.

I can hardly even fathom how beautiful he is. His messy dark hair, tired eyes and that dark smile that touches his lips at the sight of me.

I won't even allow myself to look for more than a fleeting second at his tattooed arms and muscled abdomen.

"Well. Isn't this a surprise," he murmurs, clearly amused.

"Don't look so smug," I grumble.

"Why exactly have you come to my room, Tove?" His voice is like melted honey, so smooth and silken it sends excited chills across my skin.

I swallow tightly. Why am I here? Which thought motivated me out of my bedroom tonight?

"I don't like that you don't like me," I choose to say.

He raises a brow. "Why does my opinion of you matter?"

"You hate me because of who I am. That isn't fair," I exclaim. If it's my character he dislikes, fine, but hating me when he hardly knows me? I can't accept that...

Keo makes a note to dramatically slump against the doorframe, sighing.

"So you haven't come here because you want to fuck?"

I know he's messing with me, but was he ready to welcome me into his bed just now? Behind him, I can see the edge of his large bed, my heart stuttering.

"Keo, I'm being serious."

He dips his head back, sighing. The lamp light from his room highlights the strong line of his jaw, while deepening the shadows beneath his cheekbones.

It's hard to argue with him when he stands there looking so ethereal, so otherworldly.

"You hate me in equal part, I'm sure," he reminds me.

I blink. "Because of your actions. You've hurt a lot of people."

"And?"

I huff out a breath. Of course he's flippant about something so serious.

"And...that makes you unlikeable," I grit out.

His eyes narrow slightly, before he turns, stalking into his room.

"Yet you're still attracted to me," he says, as if his taunt alone will draw me into his room.

Swallowing past my doubt, I stalk into the room, trying not to be intimidated by how little space there is. I expected him to have some extravagant room to suit his personality, but it's small and simple.

The most prominent part of the room is the massive bed...of course.

"Absolutely not," I snap back.

He smiles, pure seduction and desire."You know I can sense it right. How desperate you are for me."

"You're infuriating," I growl back.

My cheeks heat, as I consider how exactly he can sense my desire. I hope he is teasing me, digging under my skin for the best possible irritation.

"And you're here, in my room, in the middle of the night," he reminds me.

I swallow, trying not to look anywhere other than right at his eyes. "I want to know why you hate me just because of my blood. Over something I have no say over."

All the amusement vanishes from Keo's face in an instance. I swear the entire room drops in temperature as a result.

"I've never, in my life, met an Angel-blood who deserved to live," he growls lowly.

"But I'm alive." I press my hand to my chest, feeling my heart thundering below.

Keo tilts his head, like I've challenged him. "For now."

"You plan to kill me?" I don't think I'm scared...Keo will see I'm not like those who hurt his people, and he will spare me.

That thought is all that is getting me through this.

"We have an agreement, Tove, which I will honour. But only because what I want outweighs the horror of what Angel-bloods did to me," he says darkly.

"What did they do to you?" I ask tentatively.

He's giving me some insight into his past, but it's barely enough to scrape together a clear picture. I don't expect a whole run down, but something substantial may make working with him somewhat easier.

He turns away from me. "Go back to your room."

"Keo. Be honest with me."

He whirls around, a cold fire sparking in his eyes. There is no more joking, no more teasing about falling into bed together.

"Why? What do I owe you, Tove?" The sharpness of his tone stings a little, but I don't back away from him.

"I just want to know."

He stares at me, his expression calm, but his eyes are a storm of unspoken emotion.

"Ever since I was a boy I was tortured by Angel-bloods for information about other Demon's that I knew nothing about," he explains, barely above a whisper.

I stay painfully still, as if a single movement will quieten him. "How long?"

"Years. Decades. I don't know," he mutters flippantly. Clearly he is still greatly troubled, but now, everything is suddenly much clearer, his motivations becoming revealed to me.

"You want revenge..."

He shakes his head, laughing bitterly. "I'm beyond revenge. I just want to watch this realm burn."

I suck in a deep breath. Is that what's going to happen once I've completed this mission? He clearly believes I can travel through realms, which means this one likely isn't going to remain in a good state for long.

"No one deserves to be tortured," I decide to say, choosing my words carefully.

I mean it, though. There is a chance Keo may not have turned into who he is today had he not undergone such horror.

Angel-bloods like the Noble's want to hate him, but they are part of the reason he inflicts such cruelty onto others.

Keo shakes his head at me. "Go back to your room, Tove."

"If you hate me so much, why do you taunt me with sex?" I demand, my words tumbling out with not much thought behind them.

Keo looks over me, considering his response. "To anger you. To make you feel something other than doubt."

"So there isn't a part of you that wants it?" Now I'm the one challenging him.

He draws in a breath, the darkness from all that I've pressed him about slowly lifting away, revealing that deadly humour Keo employs so well.

"What do you gain out of asking that?" he purrs, daring me to say I'm attracted to him.

I glance at his bed, shifting uncomfortably. I'm in the mood to play around, to push him. I know it's dangerous, that I'll probably regret it, but that's part of the fun.

"I'm curious, and it's late at night and I'm over tired. Come on, entertain me," I prompt, wondering how far he will push me.

I'm standing in the middle of his room. What more do you want from me?

Keo looks over me, as if he's determining whether I'm worthy of his attention. "It's been a while since I've been with someone like that."

"Why?" I'm genuinely curious. Even though he's pure evil, plenty of people would be willing to pleasure him just to be in his vicinity.

"No one has interested me," he says carefully.

My eyes narrow. Who would possibly interest him? I can think of some incredibly beautiful people that don't include me, so why am I here looking for entertainment that he isn't willing to give me unless it's for training?

"Okay, I've heard enough," I mumble, turning toward the door.

All of a sudden, Keo grabs my arm, pushing me with enough force that I flinch, my back hitting the now closed door.

"Aren't you scared of me?" he breathes, gaze darkening, no suggestion of a joke in his tone.

I fidget uncomfortably. "A little."

One hand still grips me, while the other is pressed against the door beside my head. His body blocks me from making any attempts to escape, which I'm not sure I would do anyways.

"And now?" He locks the door.

My breath hitches. "Maybe..."

He leans a little closer, his stare unrelenting. Being the sole focus of his attention is dizzying. Knowing I'm doing something so blatantly wrong, so dangerous and yet so tempting is even more intoxicating.

Mary would call me out for the fool I am if she knew about this.

"I could do anything to you, and you're not scared?" His gaze drops to my lips, a silent promise of what may happen if I continue to push him.

My throat tightens. "You're bad, but you're not that kind of bad."

He draws in a breath before pulling away from me, sweeping his hands through his already messy hair. I force in as much cool air as I can in his absence, trying to steady my rampant thoughts.

"Fuck..." His strong arms flex as his grip tightens on his own hair, as if causing pain to himself is all that can keep him sane.

"What is it?" I ask softly. Am I doing this to him?

He doesn't look back at me. "I hardly know you and yet you're so tempting."

I stiffen, my calm shattering. I've stepped too far, figuring he would laugh me out the room. No part of me believed he would actually want me.

"Maybe I should go." My hands fumble with the door handle behind me, trying to flick the lock.

He looks at me, his eyes so wild I hardly recognise him. "Yeah, you should, before I do something to you we'll both regret."

I hold my breath, examining him. He's wonderfully tall, built so strongly and he's painfully beautiful...and he wants me. Even if it's only for sex.

"Fuck it. What's one night," I mutter, shoving all rational thought from my mind as I cross the room toward him.

Keo doesn't hesitate as I land in his arms, his mouth finding mine immediately.

And just like that, my entire world collapses.

Sparks. I can feel them, real and true against my lips.

Keo's grip on me tightens, the kiss deepening as he refuses to let me go. If he's shocked by this revelation, he doesn't let on, crushing me closer to him.

I've never known a kiss to truly take my breath away, to steal it completely...

But here I am completely, breathless and enraptured by the feeling of him, my mate, kissing me as if not doing so would result in the end of the world.

"Mine. You're all mine," he murmurs against my lips.

My skin buzzes with anticipation, and for one forbidden moment, I almost push Keo toward the bed, my body aching for him.

That is until realisation hits me like a solid wall.

I push away from Keo, struggling to catch my breath as I stare at him, his hair wild, eyes conveying a whirlwind of emotions.

"Wait," I gasp out, holding my hands as if to physically show that we cannot be near each other right now without risking hurtling back into the same position.

Keo looks stunned. It's the first time I've ever seen him like this, like he doesn't know what to do next.

"Tove..."

"We are mates." My trembling fingers brush against my lips. How can this be true?

Keo blinks, staring down at his hands, seeming to come to his senses.

"I...I need to go." When he looks back up at me, I can see the panic that seizes him. Both him and I can feel the crushing reality of what a mate bond between us means all at once.

"Keo," I choke out. "We need to talk."

"I'm sorry. I need-" he cuts off, stumbling back a little, before he vanishes, leaving me standing in the middle of his room, stunned.

💙••💙

~Midika 💜🐼