Chapter 83: THE KNOCK

Kali’s POV

Time seemed to come to a halt as I stood rooted in my spot. I tried to move, or probably do the most mundane activity the human body could do, but no matter how hard I tried, it just felt like the nerves in my system had frazzled out, and the part of the brain responsible for issuing commands no longer worked anymore.

I'd been caught in near death situations more times than I would like to count, but when I said that none of them could measure up to how dangerous this one felt, then you just had to believe it.

I hadn't even expected to be caught, and now that I thought about it, all of this wouldn't have happened, if I'd listened to my god damned intuition.

It all started when beta Leo walked up to me in my room. Yes, he'd saved me from Raelyn’s wrath, even though I could have handled her myself. But his saving came with something else, bad news.

If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have k own Diego was going to see the council today, and I wouldn't have jumped out of bed to come eavesdrop on him either.

I honestly didn't mean to listen in on the meeting between Diego and the council members, but I just did, and the only reason why I came was to try to convince him about using me as his breeder, just so he wouldn't get in trouble with them, and now…

“Kali.” The sound of my name was all it took to pull me out of my thoughts. I blinked back to reality, and I almost let out a groan at the fact that the scene that was in front of me just a couple of minutes ago, still hadn't changed. Call me stupid or whatever, but a small part of me had hoped that maybe if I ignored reality too long, it would change, but I was wrong. Very very wrong. “What are you doing here!?”

I'd never thought a simple question, could ever be capable of ruining me the way this one did. I stood frozen as my lips parted soundlessly, his question hanging in the air like smoke.

“Im talking to you. ” Diego’s voice was low, almost dangerous, but not loud. It was like a soft blade, but that didn't stop it from being any less dangerous. “When did you get here?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My mind scrambled for something, anything, to say, but all I managed was a wide eyed stare.

What if I lied? The idea popped out of nowhere, but I could've bring myself to do even that. I hadn't known the man for aa long time, but even a little baby could tell he absolutely hated lies. If he really was in a bad mood and I happened to lie to him, then I didn't want to imagine what he would actually do to me.

“I'm not a fan of repeating myself often, Kali.” Something about the way he called my name sent shivers down my spine. It was dangerous and hinted at something worse, but all my mind could focus on, was how sexy he sounded and how he made my stomach churn. “so I'll ask you again, what the fuck are you doing here, Kali?”

“I…I…” I trailed off again, and this time, he didn't take it lightly with me. His jaw flexed, a muscle ticking in irritation. He took a step toward me, his eyes narrowing, and for a moment I thought he might press the question harder. Instead, with a sharp exhale, he turned on his heel and strode away.

“Diego…” My voice finally broke free, small and uncertain. “Wait.”

I had no idea what I was expecting him to do, but it definitely wasn't for him to keep on waking. Diego didn't stop, he didn't even slow down. Without so much as a single second to second guess my decision or not, I rushed after him, my bare feet hitting the cold floor in quick, uneven steps.

“Wait….” My voice bounced off the walls in the hallway, and I cursed myself at how desperate I actually sounded. “please, just wait a second. Please, slow down at least!”

Diego didn't stop, neither did he slow down. Call me crazy or whatever, but I could swear that in that moment, he increased the stride of his footsteps all the more. I trailed after him still, but nothing could have prepared me for the guilt and shame that bubbled at the pit of my stomach with each guard I passed.

None of them said anything to my face, but I knew deep down they were judging me, and probably laughing  at me too. And for the maids that we'd encountered too, I just knew they already had enough tea to share with the rest of the other workers here.

“Diego.” I had no idea how long we'd walked for, but if the slight cramp under my feet hinted at anything, it was the fact that we'd been walking for far longer than I liked to admit.

He kept walking, his long strides eating the hallway until we reached his office. A smile made its way to my face at the thought of finally stopping, but it died the moment I realized what was about to happen. Diego barely held the door open for him to pass, and the moment he'd walked in, it took a miracle for me to get inside, before the door slammed shut behind us.

The sound reverberated through my rubs as I tried to catch my breath. A small part of me thought he was going to acknowledge me now that we were in a tight space, but he didn't so much as shoot a glance in my direction.

“I wasn’t…” I tried again, my words tumbling out faster now. “okay, maybe I heard something, but I didn’t…”

He turned to me then, closing the distance so suddenly I gasped. One hand landed on the wall beside my head, the other gripped the edge of my jaw. His fingers pressed against my chin, not painfully, but firmly enough to make me feel pinned.

Again, time seemed to come to a halt as his  scent hit me first. He smelled heavenly, like a mix of dark spice, clean leather, and something warm beneath it all.

“Careful,” he murmured, his voice husky in a way that didn’t match the anger in his eyes. “You’re playing in waters you don’t understand.”

My pulse was frantic, my body unsure whether to lean into him or shrink away. The heat radiating off him was dizzying, and when his gaze dropped briefly to my lips, my breath caught.

For one wild second, I thought he was going to kiss me.But I remembered why I had followed him here.

“Then let me help you,” I swallowed hard before I whispered, searching his eyes. “You need someone who can do what you want without asking questions. A… breeder, like I  said before.”

His grip on the wall tightened, knuckles whitening. He didn’t move, but something shifted in his gaze, conflict, maybe, or calculation, I wasn't sure. All I knew l was that it was becoming more impossible by the minute to focus on anything else that wasn't his lips.