Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven – Obsession.

A few minutes earlier…

Kaidon prowled through the town like a beast on the hunt.

His crimson eyes scanned every face, every corner, his senses heightened and sharp.

The scent—her scent—had vanished for a few minutes, and it drove him to the brink. He was about to rip through the entire market when—

She passed by him.

A beautiful girl. Her scent hit him like lightning. Sweet, warm, familiar. His chest clenched instantly, his blood roaring in his ears. His body stilled, breath caught.

“Soulmate…” he whispered, barely audible. His fingers twitched. His whole body responded as though it knew.

He was about to go after her when a group ran past him—a middle-aged man with a disgusting grin and a few guards.

Kaidon’s jaw ticked as he instantly pieced it together. They were after her.

“Kaidon? Should I take care—” Rylan began, but Kaidon didn’t wait. He was already gone, a blur cutting through the market.

Then he saw it.

Her.

Running. Her breath frantic, eyes wide with fear—and then she threw herself into another man's arms. A man who held her. A man she clung to like he was her protector.

And Kaidon’s heart shattered.

Pain shot through his chest, raw and ruthless. His breath hitched as jealousy stabbed him deep. That hug. That closeness. That should’ve been his.

“Mine.” he growled lowly. “She’s mine.”

The air shifted around him. Dark, heavy. His rage bubbled beneath the surface, spilling out as the ground beneath his feet began to crack with each step he took forward.

Magic pulsed from his body in dark, violent waves. His power—barely contained—slipped free.

The guardsmen and the disgusting man chasing her suddenly dropped to their knees, choking, their eyes wide in panic. Kaidon didn’t lift a finger—he didn’t need to. His power was doing exactly what his fury wanted.

And then…

Her eyes met his.

Even from the distance, he felt it. That spark. That terrifying, beautiful moment of recognition. She saw him.

And she turned away.

She ran.

Straight into the arms of the man she had clung to moments ago.

Kaidon’s world blurred.

The edges of his mind twisted into something wild and deadly.

He couldn’t hear Rylan anymore. Couldn’t feel the world around him. All he knew was that she was running away again—and he was going to get her back.

With a feral roar building inside him, he launched after them.

He looked possessed.

Driven.

Desperate.

His demons clawed beneath his skin, his chest burning with need, his hands itching to grab her and never let her go.

She didn’t understand yet—she belonged to him.

And no man—not even Javen—would stand between him and his Beloved.

♧♧♧

Javen and Taliya were both breathless as they reached a quiet, shaded alley far away from the chaos of the town market.

Taliya bent forward slightly, hands on her knees as she tried to calm her racing heart.

Javen stood beside her, his chest heaving, still alert, scanning their surroundings just in case anyone had followed them.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse but laced with concern.

Taliya lifted her head and nodded, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Yeah… I think so.”

But Javen’s eyes lingered on her—specifically her outfit. The crop top clung to her in all the right places, and the skirt that hugged her hips made his jaw tighten.

He swallowed hard, trying to push down the rush of possessive heat he felt at seeing her like this in public. His fists clenched by his side.

“What were you doing out there alone in the market?” he asked, a little too sharply.

Taliya’s shoulders dropped as she sighed. “I’m sorry… I was just bored, and I didn’t know it was that dangerous out there.”

Javen took a step toward her, his expression softening. His hand reached up slowly—almost like he didn’t mean to—and brushed against her cheek.

Taliya blinked in surprise, a small frown forming as she stared at him.

“Please don’t go out by yourself.” he said gently. “Next time… wait for me. I’ll go with you. Just promise me that, alright?”

The softness in his tone… it caught her off guard. He’d always been firm, distant, quiet, slightly awkward—but never this warm.

Taliya gave him a small smile. “Okay.” she said, nodding.

But the moment lasted only a second.

Suddenly, Javen’s eyes narrowed. His body stiffened like he’d been struck, and in one swift motion, he yanked Taliya to his side.

“Uh… Javen? Are you okay?” she asked, confused.

He didn’t answer right away. His jaw was tight, and his eyes were darting through the shadows.

“Someone’s here.” he muttered under his breath.

Before she could react, a surge of black energy crackled in the air and burst between them, yanking Taliya out of Javen’s hold.

She screamed as she stumbled backward, only to be instantly frozen in place by another wave of dark magic.

“Taliya!” Javen shouted, reaching for her, but the force was too strong. It held her like an invisible cage.

“What the hell is going on?!” she cried, struggling.

Javen’s eyes darted around. “Who’s doing this?! Show yourself!” he demanded, his hand already glowing with magic, ready to fight.

And then…

Kaidon emerged from the shadows.

His cloak billowed behind him, his boots heavy against the stone path, but it was his face—or what could be seen of it beneath the mask—and the pure rage in his glowing red eyes that froze Javen in place.

His chest rose and fell in erratic, violent motions. His fists were clenched so tightly veins bulged from his arms.

He was trembling—not from weakness, but from the sheer force of the emotions tearing through him.

Javen’s eyes widened slightly. Not out of fear. But confusion. Why the hell is Kaidon here?

Then Kaidon spoke.

One word. Guttural. Low. Dark.

“Soulmate.”

The voice didn’t sound human. It was laced with a demonic undertone, like a beast whispering through him. And when Kaidon’s eyes flicked to Taliya, the full, crushing weight of his obsession was impossible to miss.

Taliya's heart stopped.