67 Heartbeat

67 Heartbeat
(Ella's POV)

The early morning Thorn Town was so quiet it seemed like nothing had happened. The streets shone from being washed by last night's rain, shops in the distance were gradually opening, the aroma of bread drifted over with the wind, and occasionally you could hear the sound of carriages passing over the cobblestone roads.

Yet I felt exhausted all over.

My spirit felt like it had been forcibly stretched tight all night, and now that I was finally relaxing a bit, even my fingertips were trembling.

I pushed open the back door of the apothecary shop, and Kyle followed me in.

He hadn't said much the whole way.

It wasn't until I turned around that I finally saw what he looked like at this moment.

—It was terrible.

Earlier at Thorn Mountain, with the chaotic situation, I had almost no time to carefully examine his injuries. Now with bright lighting, I realized his black coat had been almost completely soaked through with blood.

Shoulders, abdomen, arms—wounds everywhere.

Some places even still had blackened traces from being torn by water blades.

Those were wounds left by Colin's mermaid magic.

"Sit down."

My voice immediately tightened.

Kyle seemed like he wanted to say something, but I pressed him directly into a chair.

"Don't move."

I turned to get the medicine box.

The apothecary shop was very quiet, with only the sound of me searching through medicine bottles. I tried to calm myself down, but my hands still trembled uncontrollably.

It wasn't until I returned to him that I finally realized—

I was afraid.

What if the leaf Wayne left behind hadn't worked tonight?

What if I had arrived a step too late?

What if Colin's strike had actually killed Kyle?

I didn't dare continue thinking.

"Ella."

Kyle suddenly spoke.

I kept my head down without responding, only silently helping him remove the bandages that had been stuck with blood.

The moment the fabric was lifted, my breathing stopped.

The wound on his abdomen was deeper than I had imagined.

The flesh was torn open, and the edges even still had cracks from water magic erosion.

An ordinary person with this kind of injury probably wouldn't be able to stand up.

Yet Kyle had somehow managed to hold on all the way back to Thorn Town and could even joke with me with an unchanged expression.

"Does it hurt?" I asked quietly.

"It hurts," Kyle nuzzled me with the tip of his nose.

I bit my lip hard, trying not to let tears fall, but my vision kept getting blurrier.

Until a teardrop fell onto the back of his hand.

The air was quiet for a moment, and the next second, a hand gently cupped my face.

"Why are you crying?" Kyle's voice was low, with a hint of helplessness.

I looked up, choking back sobs: "I'm sorry, Kyle, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into this... I never thought it would be so dangerous. I was too naive, I..."

Before I could finish speaking.

Kyle suddenly lowered his head and kissed me.

In that instant, my brain went almost completely blank.

Warm breath suddenly drew near, carrying a faint scent of blood and herbs. When his lips pressed down, it wasn't gentle—like he had finally reached the limit of his endurance, carrying an undeniable dominance.

I instinctively widened my eyes.

"Kyle..."

But the sound was completely swallowed by him.

His palm gripped the back of my neck, fingertips sinking into my hair, applying slight pressure so I couldn't retreat at all. His breath grew hotter and hotter, black hair falling down, sweeping across my cheeks and collarbone, tickling until my heart trembled.

I was trapped in his embrace.

My lower back pressed against the table edge, the warmth of his knee forcefully pushing between my legs, my whole body forced to lean back slightly, only able to grip his clothes to maintain balance.

His lips slowly ground against mine.

First gently crushing, then gradually deepening, as if testing my limits bit by bit.

My breathing became chaotic, and I instinctively turned my head to dodge, but he gripped my chin and kissed me back.

"Ella..." he said in a low voice.

That voice was terribly hoarse.

I couldn't resist this temptation, looking into his beautiful eyes and gently nodding.

The next second, his tongue tip gently parted my lips.

My entire body instantly stiffened.

When the warm, soft sensation invaded, almost nothing remained in my mind, and I could only instinctively grip his shoulders tightly.

Kyle chuckled lowly, his tongue tip slowly entwining upward, carrying a subtle sense of aggression, forcing me to clumsily follow his rhythm in breathing.

I could hear our chaotic panting, and he kissed deeper and deeper.

Tongues entangled, my eyes burned, my breathing was intermittent, my chest rose and fell violently, and even my fingertips began to soften.

Kyle's palm, originally supporting my back, slowly slid downward, through the thin fabric, gradually gripping my waist.

His hands were large, able to completely encircle me.

His palms were shockingly hot. I trembled slightly, instinctively wanting to shrink back, but he directly pulled me back.

"Ella." He panted against my lips. "Focus a little."

This intimacy made my ears burn completely.

I had no way to think, only able to be led step by step to sink in with him.

Kyle lowered his head and kissed me again. This time, he was clearly more out of control.

When his tongue went deeper, it carried stronger possessiveness, his heavy breathing pressed down, and even the arms holding me gradually tightened.

My entire body was pressed against him, and I could even clearly feel the vibration of his chest, the contours of his abdominal muscles, and his suppressed, rapid heartbeat.

His hand moved up bit by bit along my waistline, finally stopping at the back of my neck, fingertips gently caressing the most sensitive spot there.

I couldn't help but whimper softly, and Kyle's movements instantly paused.

He looked down at me, breathing heavily.

"...Don't make those sounds, Ella."

"What?" My voice was already impossibly soft.

The wind outside gently moved the curtains, and the entire world seemed to contain only the two of us.

I instinctively gripped his clothes tighter.

Under my palm were tense, hot muscles, and wounds wrapped in bandages.

Thinking of this, I suddenly became a bit more alert and hurriedly tried to retreat.

"Your wounds—"

Kyle lifted me up entirely.

"You are my medicine, Ella."

I gasped softly, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck.

Kyle carried me and sat in the chair, letting me straddle his legs. This position was so intimate it made my ears burn instantly.

Every breath felt like being controlled by him.

Every gentle touch made my whole body go weak.

Until I was finally almost unable to breathe, he retreated slightly.

But still didn't let me go.

His lips pressed against mine, his breathing heavy and hot.

"Ella." He called my name softly.

"Mm..."

Kyle looked at me, his gaze gradually moving down. From my eyes, to my lips, then to my neck that rose and fell slightly from chaotic breathing.

That look made my heart numb with a danger that didn't seem like his usual self.

"Don't look at me like that..." I instinctively whispered.

"Why?"

"Because..."

I couldn't say it at all.

But Kyle suddenly smiled, lowering his head, his lips gently brushing past my ear.

"Do you know," his voice was low, hoarse, and slow, "you look particularly like you're inviting me to do bad things right now."

My ears instantly burned.

"I'm not!"

"Really not?"

His palm suddenly tightened.

I was suddenly pressed even closer, and could even clearly feel the scorching temperature of his body.

In that instant, I almost stopped breathing entirely.

Kyle sighed softly, burying his face in the side of my neck.

"I'm willing to do everything for you, Ella."

His voice was very light, like a wild beast finally retracting its fangs, leaving only undisguisable favoritism.