Chapter Twenty Two – The dream!

Chapter Twenty Two – The dream!
He pressed a kiss to her damp skin, and Taliya shivered at the burning intensity of the touch.

"I don't want you near another man." he murmured, his voice almost pained.

"You're mine, Taliya. Only mine. I don't want anyone else to see you... to even look at you." 
His arms wrapped around her as if he'd lose his mind if she slipped away.

Taliya's mind spun. "Maybe... maybe if I play along, I can find a way out of this." she thought desperately.

"Okay." she whispered, forcing her voice steady.

At her answer, Kaidon finally eased his hold, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. 
Taliya’s gaze fell to his bare chest — and her breath caught. 

Glowing lava-like lines traced across his skin, pulsing faintly like living embers. A strange, dark tattoo sprawled over his heart, almost like a mark of ancient power.

She could literally remember how she saw his demon yesterday and the way these lava-like lines glow.

Kaidon noticed her staring and a rare, small smile touched his lips. 
"Do you want to touch it?" he asked, his voice strangely tender.

Taliya blinked up at him, startled — then, almost against her will, she gave a small, hesitant nod.

Kaidon's eyes darkened with something raw and possessive. 

Slowly, Taliya lifted her hand, her fingertips trembling, and traced one of the lines across his chest.

The moment her skin touched him, Kaidon let out a low, guttural growl.

Taliya flinched, snapping her gaze to his face — and what she saw there made her heart stop.

His expression was fierce, hungry... dangerous. 
The air between them thickened.

Without thinking, Taliya took a shaky step back, but Kaidon's eyes followed her like a predator watching his prey.

"I love your touch." Kaidon murmured, his voice rough with barely restrained need. He leaned in closer, the heat of his body wrapping around her like a cage. 

"Can I have you, Taliya? Please." he rasped, and Taliya’s throat tightened in panic.

"Hell no!" she wanted to scream, but fear held her captive. 
Instead, she shook her head, small and desperate.

Kaidon's breathing grew heavier. His hand slid to cup her face, thumb brushing against her wet cheek. 
"Then... at least a kiss, just a taste. " he whispered, his forehead pressing against hers.

Taliya swallowed hard, her body trembling. 
"K-Kaidon." she started, her voice a soft plea.

But she never got to finish.

Kaidon’s eyes flashed — glowing fiercely, wildly — and before she could react, he crashed his lips against hers.

Taliya’s eyes flew open in shock. She froze for a heartbeat, feeling the overwhelming force of him — before she started thrashing in his arms.

But Kaidon only deepened the kiss, utterly lost. 
His heart thundered in his chest, his blood roaring in his ears.

She tasted like the sweetest addiction, and he couldn’t get enough — he couldn't stop. 
His grip around her tightened possessively, and a dangerous heat coiled low in his body.

Taliya struggled harder, panic rising. When she realized he wasn’t letting go, she did the only thing she could— she bit his lip, hard.

Kaidon jerked back instantly, releasing her with a sharp hiss.

Taliya staggered, wiping her mouth furiously. Her cheeks were flushed, her chest heaving, and her eyes — once fearful — now burned with fury.

Kaidon, instead of being angry, merely licked the blood from his lip... and smiled darkly at her. A smile that promised trouble.

Before she could react, he swept her up out of the water effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing.

"Let go of me!" Taliya shrieked, struggling in his arms.

Kaidon ignored her, grabbing a robe from the nearby hook and wrapping it tightly around her exposed body.

Her face burned in humiliation, but Kaidon didn’t even flinch. His sole focus was on her — protecting her, hiding her from anyone else's gaze.

Without a word, he carried her straight out of the bathing chamber, his steps unyielding, as if he were carrying off the most precious treasure in the world — one he would never let slip away again.

♤♤♤

Javen’s body was drenched in blood, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. His eyes glowed an unnatural shade of red, and the sword gripped in his hand pulsed with power, its blade gleaming ominously as he pointed it at Kaidon.

The ground around them was littered with corpses — fallen guards, shattered pillars, blood soaking into the stone floor.

"You demon!" Javen roared, voice raw, deranged. "Where is she?!"

Kaidon stood bound by thick, black magic chains, the iron links hissing against his skin. They glowed with cursed energy, suppressing his power, trapping him like a beast.

Javen stalked closer, his sword trembling with fury. "Where is she?!"

A slow, mocking smirk twisted across Kaidon's bruised lips. 
"She is mine." he snarled. "She chose me. You worthless fool."

Javen's rage burned hotter, the veins on his arms bulging with fury.

"You will die without a bloodline.," Kaidon spat, his voice laced with cruel satisfaction.

With a guttural cry, Javen raised his sword, ready to strike the killing blow— 
But a voice, desperate and sharp, cut through the madness.

"Javen! Stop!"

He froze.

His wild eyes snapped toward the sound — and there she was.

Taliya.

She was running toward him, radiant and heartbreakingly beautiful... but Javen’s gaze locked on her midsection — a small, unmistakable swell.

Pregnant.

With his child. 
Kaidon’s child.

The sight struck him harder than any sword, and his grip on the blade faltered.

Taliya threw herself protectively in front of Kaidon, shielding him with her body.

"Javen, stop!" she cried, voice thick with desperation. "This madness... you have to end it!"

Javen stood frozen, his world crashing around him. 
"What... what did he do to you?" he whispered, voice cracking. His gaze flickered between her face and her swollen belly.

Kaidon, despite his chains, smirked darkly from behind her.

"She chose this," Kaidon rasped. "She chose me. You were never destined for her."

"No!" Javen shouted, stepping forward like a man possessed. "Taliya, I love you! I always have! Why... why would you reject me for him?"

Taliya's expression twisted in sorrow, but her voice was firm. 
"Javen... Are you crazy? You've never told me to be with you." she said, pain glistening in her eyes. "I chose Kaidon. I am his Carrier."

The words shattered whatever sanity Javen had left.

"I-It doesn't matter," he said, his voice eerily soft, shaking. "I can still have you. You can still be mine. You just have to come with me."

Fear flashed across Taliya’s face.

In a violent rush, Javen lunged — he ripped her away from Kaidon's side and swung his blade toward Kaidon with a furious scream—

Taliya screamed too, the sound ripping through the air— 

And then—

Javen jerked awake.

He sat upright in bed, drenched in cold sweat, his heart hammering violently against his ribs. 
Morning light spilled into the room, but it brought no comfort.

Panting, he clutched at his chest, haunted by the dream that felt far too real.

"Taliya..." he whispered brokenly, "I need her back. She has to be mine."