Chapter 16

The beer burned as it went down like a ball of fire. I looked up at the dark sky filled with stars and the magnificent moon. The cold pavement beneath me was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t bring myself to stand. I was in the empty parking lot behind the convenience store, ignoring every ache and memory that consumed my mind.

I took another sip when I heard footsteps approaching. I had no idea who it could be or how long I had been there, and I didn’t care. The steps stopped beside me, and I watched the shadow form on the cement ground. Even without looking up, the familiar scent hit me, making every cell in my body stir.

"You look like you've had a rough night."

Matias’s voice broke the silence, but I kept my eyes on his shadow.

"If you're here to collect blood for blood, let’s save it for another time. I promise you can have all the blood you want—I don’t care," I declared, a little drunk and utterly dismissive.

"Hmm..." Matias hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds like a good deal to me."

I scoffed.

"Now go away," I ordered, feeling my heart race at his sudden presence. I was tired of thinking and feeling, and around him, I felt too much.

I sensed Matias getting closer and heard a familiar sound, followed by the strong scent of cigarettes. I forced myself to look at him and found him crouched beside me, a cigarette held between his fingers.

"Open your mouth," he commanded, extending his arm toward me.

"I don’t smoke."

"Tonight, you do."

I opened my mouth, accepting his cigarette. Matias continued studying me as I took my first drag. He was wearing a white jacket over a green shirt, paired with jeans and designer sneakers. The cigarette left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I was pleased that I didn’t cough like an idiot.

"Aren’t you going to do something to me?" I asked, meeting his gaze.

Matias sat beside me and took the cigarette back.

"Maybe tomorrow. Tonight, I’m off duty," he answered, exhaling smoke slowly.

"It wouldn’t kill you to admit you missed me," I teased, taking another drag, enjoying the warmth of his body so close.

"I’d rather get stabbed," he shot back, dead serious.

I laughed, nearly choking on the smoke.

"Who did that to you?" he asked, referring to the fresh bruises on my face, which throbbed as if they had their own heartbeat. "Wasn’t me ruining your face enough?" he added, taking another drag.

"Artemis," I replied, still locked in his gaze. Matias shifted his attention to the empty parking lot.

"The half-blood Princess," he mused. "She once broke Anton’s shoulder—that was fun to watch." He smirked.

"Is that what they call her?"

"Among other things."

I studied his long lashes and the fading bruises on his skin. The urge to touch him consumed me, making my head throb.

"No one has to know," I finally said, catching his confused gaze. "No one has to know about us," I repeated, my voice low.

"There is no 'us,'" he retorted, clenching his jaw.

"Then why are you here?" I asked, leaning my head against the cold wall. "Why did you follow me across the city and sit beside me like we’re old friends?"

"Don’t be mistaken—I still want to hurt you. But like I said, tonight I’m off duty," he replied with a shrug, avoiding my eyes.

I smiled, plucking the cigarette from his fingers and taking another drag, letting my gaze trail over his restless body.

"You’re such a fucking liar," I said, my smile unwavering.

"Go fu—" he began, irritated, but his words died the moment I grabbed his jacket and pulled him toward me, capturing his lips in a hungry kiss.

His lips parted instantly, allowing me to find his tongue and taste him. I smiled when I felt him tremble before I shoved him away, breaking the impulsive kiss.

"Liar," I accused, memorizing the shock still lingering on his face. "You were right—I got obsessed with you. But that doesn’t change the fact that you want me too."

"You’re a Hebi," he reminded me, his voice dripping with disgust.

"And you think I like the fact that you’re a Lily?" I shot back, irritated. "I’m asking to fuck you, not make you my boyfriend," I grumbled, holding his intense stare. "No one has to know, Matias," I murmured, surprised at how soft his name felt on my tongue.

He averted his gaze, his emotions carefully guarded. I watched his chest rise and fall heavily before letting my eyes drift down his neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent while remembering the feeling of his skin against mine. I waited for him to say something, but his expression darkened, and the silence thickened.

"Fuck this," I cursed as I stood, tossing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under my foot. "I’m not going to beg. I might have said it’s hard to find guys willing to sleep with me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have anyone to have fun with," I admitted, watching his reaction closely.

"What?"

A smirk tugged at my lips when I saw the familiar fire in his eyes and the way his mouth twisted in anger.

"Who?" he demanded.

"What’s this?" I asked, crouching in front of him, holding his furious gaze. "You should be careful, Matias—or I might start thinking that, this time, I broke your heart," I mocked, watching his jaw tighten even more.

My smirk widened as I walked away, leaving the boy fuming with rage behind me.

***

Leaning against the tree trunk, I watched the mist take over the damp forest and the dirt trail. The sun was gradually lighting up the sky, illuminating the empty woods. My gaze shifted to the girl on the other side, also hiding behind a tree. Artemis wore a thick coat and a white mask covering half her face. We hadn’t seen each other since the training room last night, and aside from her visible bruises, she seemed fine.

We had been in that place for an hour, watching, making sure the area was clear for the new delivery. I was pulled from my thoughts by my phone vibrating. I read the notifications coming in quickly from the group spread throughout the forest. Everyone had given the all-clear.

Artemis and I did the same.

I focused on the end of the trail, where the asphalt road leading out of town began. Since we couldn’t use it like everyone else, we were forced to find alternatives to get the goods out of the city. Suddenly, several motorcycles entered the trail, all riders dressed in black, with tinted visors on their helmets and large backpacks on their backs.

Transporting drugs was becoming increasingly difficult. The Mayor had implemented extensive searches and stationed police officers along the roads to stop our distribution. But she had a big problem—many paths led out of the city. The vast forest surrounding us was one of them, and everyone knew the Mayor didn’t have enough men to cover the entire area.

The last motorcycle passed by, flashing its lights before disappearing down the trail just as quickly. It was the young Hebi’s duty to scout the path hours in advance and stand watch until everything was confirmed to go as planned. Since the routes were constantly changing, the chances of getting caught were very low. That was making the Mayor furious.

When the final signal came through on my phone, I left my hiding spot and headed toward the road with Artemis by my side. We walked together in silence, and I shoved my hands into my coat pockets to escape the biting cold.

"Sorry."

Artemis’s sudden voice caught me off guard. I turned my head in her direction, seeing her face still hidden behind the white mask.

"Dad asked me to apologize for the things I said last night," she explained, still looking straight ahead.

I frowned, ignoring how her words burned inside my mind, and forced myself to keep walking.

"Aren’t you going to say anything?" she snapped.

"Why would I waste my time on you?" I retorted, pulling the hood of my coat over my head, feeling my hair dampen from the lingering mist.

"Shin came to talk to me last night," she revealed, making our eyes meet.

"What did he say?"

"That you did what needed to be done for Hebi," she answered uneasily. "But when I arrived, they told me another story… They said you killed him because Takashi didn’t respect him as a leader and refused to follow his orders," she recounted in a dense voice.

I clenched my jaw, having no words for her.

"Say something," she ordered, stepping in front of me with a determined look. "Why would you do that to a Hebi?" she insisted, fists clenched, her body rigid.

"Are you really asking me that?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "Answer me something, girl. If you want to take my place, how far are you willing to go?" My question made her falter. "How deep are you willing to go to keep this family together, Artemis?" I demanded, making her take a step back.

I tilted my head, waiting for an answer, but it never came.

"You think our father earned this position just by talking and trading favors? Don’t be naive," I scoffed, shaking my head. "I watched him go all the way, descending deeper and deeper into this dark, filthy world to get what we have now. Do you really believe that everyone in Hebi always bowed their heads and obeyed him? Just because we see ourselves as a family doesn’t mean none of them would stab you in the back," I criticized.

Artemis opened her mouth, but I silenced her by stepping closer.

"That bastard was bad blood, and he tainted Hebi’s name," I shot, seeing her shudder at the forbidden word. My blood boiled as I remembered Matias spitting it in my face, but I forced myself to focus on the girl. "I did what I had to do, both as a leader and as a person. Now tell me, Artemis, how far are you willing to go to protect what you’re so desperate to belong to?" I asked, my voice rough.

Her sharp eyes remained fixed on mine, but Kenji’s white car pulled up beside us, cutting the conversation short.

"Get in already, I’m starving," he ordered, lowering the driver’s window.

Artemis didn’t answer me and got into the car in complete silence. The heater eased the tension in my muscles, and as we drove back to the city, an uncomfortable quiet settled between us.