Chapter 59 More powerful
Ira’s POV
The door slams behind me as I stride into my room, my legs shaking like they might give out any second.
Slowly, as though in a daze, my fingers lift to my lips a second time. Like the delicious tingle of a spicy meal, they burn making it easy to still feel Ruel’s mouth pressed against mine.
I can feel the ghost of his fingers in my hair, the hardness of his abdomen against my stomach, the low growl that rumbled from his chest into mine.
My heart pounds so loud I swear the guards outside my room can hear it.
What just happened?
I walk over to my bed, dropping down on it face first.
My skin feels too tight, so hot, feeling like something inside me was awakened by that kiss and now it's finally stretching after years of sleep.
With a sound that falls weakly between a groan and a cry, I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ignore the confusing ache that's pulsing low in my belly.
This… this isn't pain. It feels more like… hunger.
“Ugh! Stop thinking about it,” I groan while my mind stubbornly replays it all behind my eyelids.
The way his fury turned into something else the moment our lips brushed.
The speed with which he dragged me back.
How his hand tightened on my neck… So possessive, having me exactly where he wanted me.
I gently rub my throat, right where his thumb pressed, absorbing the shiver that races down my spine.
Just one kiss and my body feels alive in a way it never has before. All colors around me seem brighter.
The air tastes sharper… fresher.
“Why do I feel terrified?” I mutter to myself.
Because you wanted more. So much more that it scares you.
I push away from the bed and stride over to the only window in the room, facing a wide field.
The weather is far warmer than it was earlier today… nearly scorching hot.
“Calm down, Ira.” I think to myself but it doesn't work. It feels like my mind is feeding on the memory of his warm lips.
“Goddess, how stupid can I be? He literally had his way with me and I'm here fantasizing about it.” I hiss, biting down on my lip in regret.
My red hair flies as the wind rushes through it.
I turn, knowing it's trying to get my attention. But the moment I do, the same book lazily slides out from under my bed.
My eyes meet the book and I gave the window once more with an eye roll.
“You've seriously got to be the most boring wolf out there. Or spirit being. Of everything we could do, you chose to read a boring old book about sempyrs. Hell, they're even extinct… maybe.”
I flinch with a loud gasp as a sudden gust of wind slams against the window, rattling the glass. The curtain billows inward, hitting my face even though the latch is closed.
Then just earlier this morning, the temperature in the room drops so fast my breath actually fogs in front of me. Goosebumps race over my arms. I know what’s coming before it even happens.
Slowly, as if someone invisible is flipping it, the worn leather book slides open, its pages slowly turning.
TRUE HISTORY OF THE SEMPYRS.
I stare at it with a chest tight. “Not now,” I mutter.
The wind answers with a low moan, swirling around my ankles like cold fingers. It gives the feeling like it's trying to tug me to the bed.
I should kick the book away. I should shove it back under the bed and pretend none of this is happening.
But my body doesn’t obey. Instead, I stride over to the bed and sit on the cold floor, pulling the book closer to me.
A passage near the top catches my eye. The ink there looks darker… bolder.
The Sempyr bond is both a blessing and a curse. When a true born finds their moon pair, it will be through the touch of lips. Desire becomes the key. Passion wakes the power that sleeps in the veins. To deny the hunger is to starve the flame.
“To deny the hunger is to starve the flame?” I repeat out loud. “That just sounds weird. What exactly is this about?”
I read the next lines, head pounding.
Each kiss, each touch, feeds the hidden fire. The Sempyr grows stronger, feeding on their mate who's now prey. Their senses sharpen, making them more powerful. There will be no end to their reign but with time, all other race will be consumed.
The wind circles me faster, running through my hair before flipping the page. It flips it a second time before settling.
I frown at the drawing staring back at me. There's two figures locked together, their awkwardly drawn mouths fused, flames curling from their joined hands. Beneath it there's a single statement.
Only through sacrifice does the sempyr claim her true form.
What if….
I slam the book shut.
The wind dies instantly, leaving the room silent and freezing. My teeth chatter as I shove the book back under the bed with shaking hands.
Without a word, I crawl onto my mattress and pull the thin blanket over my shoulders.
I don’t want to think about it.
I don’t want to imagine such.
I may not know why I was born with white hair but I know that I am not and will never be a sempyr.
Even if I was, I will keep it a secret until the day I draw my last breath.
But I'm not because I have no powers, no godlike beauty that all sempyrs are rumoured to have had. I'm just a werewolf with a dormant wolf and… white hair.
I'll hide it just like I've been hiding it all these while. No one will ever know. Because after seeing my hair, no one will ever belief that I'm innocent.