Kaelith
I watched the human from a distance, her expression brimming with confidence as she downed the infamous elven wine—known for its potency. She drank without hesitation, glass after glass.
Lana had won.
Against all odds, against all logic, she had somehow outlasted that elf woman in a drinking contest.
I still wasn't sure whether to be impressed or irritated.
She was unpredictable. From the moment she stepped into this world, she had refused to act as expected. Most humans would have cowered, cried, begged for mercy. But her? She fought back—stupidly, recklessly, but persistently. And now, even in a place like this, she was finding ways to hold her ground.
I should have found it amusing. Instead, it unsettled me.
As she walked away, her steps unsteady, I exchanged a glance with Sylas before following her. She was drunk—obviously—but I wasn't about to let her collapse somewhere in this den of criminals.
This is a husband's duty to protect his wife, nothing more.
When we reached her room, the door was left unlocked.
She was sprawled on the bed, her breathing deep and steady, but even in sleep, she shifted restlessly as if searching for a comfortable position.
Sylas leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. "She's not dead, is she?"
I exhaled sharply. "Humans are fragile. Overconfidence makes them weaker."
Sylas chuckled. "Sounds like someone's worried."
I ignored him and stepped closer.
Lana stirred, her body shifting under the dim candlelight. Then, to my surprise, she opened her eyes.
Drunk, half-asleep, but awake.
"Kaelith…" she murmured, her voice softer than usual, almost fragile.
Then—before I could react—her fingers brushed against my cheek.
Warm.
Soft.
A fleeting touch, but something about it made my pulse slow.
I froze.
Lana smiled—sleepy, hazy, utterly unaware of what she was doing. "You're… so handsome," she mumbled.
I should have pulled away.
I didn't.
Her fingers trailed lazily over my jaw, then down my collar, unfastening the first clasp of my clothing.
This wasn't the first time someone had tried to touch me. And yet—something about this felt different.
Not calculated. Not practiced. Just… natural.
I didn't move.
She shifted slightly, her body turning toward me. She wasn't fully lying down—her weight rested on one elbow, giving her enough balance to reach for me. Her legs tangled slightly in the sheets, making her movements slower, heavier.
"You're too stiff, Kaelith..." she murmured, her fingers fisting the loose fabric of my clothes. "Why are you always so cold and annoying?"
I should have stopped her. Should have ignored the warmth of her fingers against my skin. Let her sleep off her foolishness.
But I didn't.
She fumbled with the fastening of my shirt, her touch clumsy from the wine. The fabric loosened slightly, exposing a sliver of my collarbone to the cool air.
Sylas let out a low chuckle from behind me.
I stiffened.
He stepped forward, tilting Lana's chin up with a single finger, his smirk widening. "If you're not going to take advantage of this, Kaelith, I will."
His voice was teasing, but there was something else in his eyes. A challenge.
I clenched my jaw.
Sylas wanted a reaction out of me.
And he got one.
I moved before I could think, gripping his wrist before he could press any further.
Sylas raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh?"
I didn't answer. I only tightened my hold.
For a moment, there was silence. A thin line between challenge and tension.
Why am I reacting like this?
Maybe because she was my wife.
Or maybe… because of the bond.
That damn magic bond.
The magic that bound us together, that tied our fates whether we wanted it or not. That had to be it. That had to be the reason why her touch felt so strange, why the soft sound of her breath sent a sharp sensation through my chest.
Then—Lana stirred again, her head lolling slightly to the side, her lips parting as she exhaled a soft, content sigh.
The sound was unguarded. Completely vulnerable.
And for some reason—mine.
The word surfaced in my mind before I could stop it.
No.
I clenched my jaw, forcing the thought away.
Stop. This is just because of the bond.
The bond was making me feel things I had no business feeling. That was the only explanation.
A low chuckle broke through my thoughts.
"Interesting," Sylas murmured, his voice smooth but knowing. "You already know, don't you? We swore an oath—to share everything, including..."
He glanced at Lana, his smirk widening.
"That means her, too. Whatever you feel for her... I know that too."
I let go of his wrist, stepping back.
I could pretend this was nothing. I could pretend I didn't feel the irritation curling inside me, the strange, possessive edge creeping into my thoughts.
I could pretend.
But when Lana's fingers absentmindedly brushed against my skin again, when I felt the warmth of her breath so close—
I knew I was already losing.
My grip tightened around her waist, pressing into the warmth of her skin.
Sylas chuckled lowly beside me, shaking his head. "So, you are going to claim her first?"
I exhaled sharply. "You talk too much."
He laughed but didn't argue.
I turned my focus back to Lana.
Her eyes were half-lidded, unfocused, but the way she looked at me sent a different kind of heat through my veins.
Mine.
I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't want this.
But as I leaned down, as her fingers gripped onto me like I was something solid in her dizzy, drunken haze, I knew—
I had already lost.
And tonight, I would take what was mine.
I couldn't control myself anymore, and—
Damn it.
---
Kaelith
Lana was asleep, her body curled between us, her breathing steady.
Sylas had already drifted off as well, his usual arrogance softened by sleep.
I, however, remained awake.
Something was wrong.
I had told myself this was nothing. That it was simply a way to mark my claim—to ensure that Sylas didn't get there first. That was what this had been about.
And yet…
I pressed two fingers against my temple, trying to ease the unfamiliar weight in my chest.
I had never cared about such things before. Never cared about possession or attachment.
So why did it feel like something inside me had shifted?
I stood up, silently leaving the room.
The corridors were empty, the dim torches casting long shadows against the stone walls. The cool night air barely registered against my skin.
I exhaled slowly.
This was dangerous.
Lana was nothing but a complication. A human—weak, stubborn, fragile. She had no place in this world.
And yet, I couldn't ignore it.
That feeling.
That absurd, ridiculous feeling that burned in my chest when I thought about Sylas touching her.
Damn it.
I wasn't going to let this get out of control.
I would handle it.
I would control it.
Ialways did. Even the bond with her.
I needed to make sure this didn't have consequences.
Without hesitation, I set out to find something to prevent pregnancy. I couldn't take that risk. Not now.
With that thought, I turned on my heel and walked back inside—back to the human I shouldn't care about.
Back to the woman I was starting to consider mine.
Lana was still sound asleep, but Sylas was awake.
He glanced at me but said nothing.
I poured water into a glass, slipped the medicine inside, stirring it slowly.
I looked at Lana one last time before finally walking away.
To be continue....