Chapter 4 The Hate Game
~LYRA~
It’s a delicious scent, unlike anything I’ve perceived before. Though I remember I’ve perceived this same scent once on the night he’d rejected me.
The scent grows even thicker, causing my mouth to water. It scents of wild honey, smoke, sex and blood. Sweet, hypnotic blood.
A thrill pumps through my veins, tingles flooding my body. Undeniable pleasure rocks me and my thighs respond at once, clenching tight together as heat pooled between my legs. My knees turn to jelly.
My heart slams a panicked rhythm against my rib cage.
The scent of my mate.
Oh, god. What have I done?
More heat spreads through my bloodstream. My nipples harden against my bra. I want to rip off my shirt and stand naked in front of him.
Holy fuck. What the hell am I even thinking?!
The darkness in Reid’s glare tells me he’s feeling the same thing.
In the split of a second, he closes in on me, taking just a few long strides. Grabbing my shoulder, he slams my back against the wall behind me, his large frame caging me in. His nose flares.
“Answer me! I said what the fuck have you done?!” He yells into my face.
I shake, gulping hard. Despite the fear chipping at my heart, I fight back the urge to release my fang and sink it into his neck. I want to draw out blood. I want to taste him.
Ah, fuck.
“It was a mistake.” I manage to say, though I am shaking like a leaf. But I know for a fact that mistake or not, we are clearly fucked. And it’s all my fault.
Or rather, those traitors; Roxanna and Dean.
I grind my teeth, hot hatred for them expanding in my chest. I blame the moon goddess too? I can’t believe she let them walk scot-free while I have to face the repercussions of my impulsive action.
“Then, fix it.” Reid growls through clenched teeth. My shoulders ache as he grips me even tighter.
“I—I can’t.” I blink back the tears that pool up in my eyes. “I mean, not now.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Professor Hudson said in class there’s only one way to fix it.” I bite my bottom lip to stop the tears from falling. “He said the Soul Mend spell can only be undone if the resentment of the mates involved outweighs the spell’s strength.”
Reid glares at me like I’ve just committed the worst crime in the entire realm. Which to be honest, is true. Nobody would want to accidentally bind themselves again to the one person they’d give anything to avoid.
My life is one big fucking joke.
“Listen,” he growls, pressing his body flush against mine. My heart races crazily. My core throb in a way it’s never done before. My panties is completely soaked.
I freeze as I feel something hard and long pressed against my stomach. My cheeks turn red at once.
Fuck. My. Life.
Is that… Is that his…
“I don’t give a fuck about whatever fucked up shit you’ve gotten yourself into,” His cold gray eyes never leave mine. They’re hauntingly intimidating and it scares the shit out of me. Just as much as it excites every single cell in my body.
“But one thing I know for a fact is this,” his eyes rake up and down my body. It’s not hard to miss the hunger and pure lust that dances in his eyes.
A wave of goosebumps dance across my skin.
When he meets my gaze again, there’s a smug grin on his lips. “This is the worst screw-up you’ve ever pulled. And the longer you take to fix it, the sooner you’ll regret it.”
He finally lets go of my shoulders, then starts to back away. That sly smirk stays put.
“And just so you know, I’ll make certain to despise you thoroughly from now on.”
Then, he turns his broad back to me and walks out of the door. Once he is gone, I sink onto my knees, a broken sigh releasing from my lips. Shame tugs at my gut.
I take in the mess around me. My failed attempt at revenge.
Tears finally fall freely down my cheeks. What the hell have I done?
I collapse my butt on the ground with my knees pulled to my chest and my face buried in my knees. I break into bitter sobs.
The ugly image of Roxanna and Dean flashes in my mind again. I sob harder.
Those two hurt me badly, and yet, the moon goddess thought it’s only right to let them get away for the second time. And then want? Bind me with my archenemy again?
The psychopath of a moon goddess.
I don’t know for how long I sat there, sobbing. Or when I fell asleep in that position. But I find myself waking up to the sound of someone raining knocks on my door.
The head servant’s voice follows; “Miss. Lyra. Are you in?”
I do not respond to her, but she continues anyway.
“Your father is home. He asks to see you immediately.
I jerk to attention immediately. Father’s back?
My heart races. What if he’s found out that I skipped school today?
Shit.
Quickly, I scramble up to my feet and immediately put away all the evidence of my failed spellcasting. Then, I rush to the bathroom and splash some water over my puffed up face that’s swollen with all the crying.
I hurry out of my room at once. Reaching the living room, I see that Father isn’t alone. He’s with Roxanna and Dean.
My blood simmers at the sight.
They’re seated by his sides, on separate sofas. With the social distance between them, one would think they barely speak to each other.
Not knowing that they’re in fact, having sex behind our back.
“Welcome home, father.” I bow my head in greeting as I stand before him. I ignore the other two.
He just stares at me through that blank, stoic look.
“You skipped school today.” He goes straight to the point as usual. “Do you have a reason for that?”
I gulp nervously, my fingers intertwined tightly before me. But before I can rack through my hair for an excuse, Dean answers instead.
“Actually, Lord Magnus, I have something to tell you."