Chapter 101 BOTH SIDES OF TEMPTATION PART 6

Chapter 101 BOTH SIDES OF TEMPTATION PART 6
I went back again.
I couldn’t help myself. Every step I took down the narrow path toward the stream felt reckless, dangerous, yet I didn’t stop. The forest at night was quiet except for the crunch of leaves under my feet and the soft calls of crickets. The moon was full, glowing so bright it lit the woods in silver.
When I reached the stream, I hid in the bush again, crouching low, waiting for him. My heart pounded as I peered out between the leaves, hoping to catch even a glimpse of him.
But he didn’t appear.
Minutes turned to hours. My legs cramped from crouching, and my body felt hot and sticky under my clothes. Sweat trickled down my back, and frustration burned in my chest. He wasn’t coming—or maybe he didn’t want to.
I sighed softly and pushed away from the bush. If he wasn’t coming, then I could at least cool myself. My skin itched for relief, my body restless with heat I couldn’t name. The stream’s surface shimmered invitingly under the moonlight.
I stepped closer and began to undress. My fingers fumbled with the ties of my dress, loosening them slowly. The fabric slid down my shoulders, brushing over my skin as it slipped lower. I peeled away each layer one by one, laying them gently on the grass. The night air touched my bare flesh, cool and sharp, making goosebumps rise all over my arms and legs.
Finally, I stood naked by the edge of the water. The moonlight kissed every inch of me, making my skin glow pale. My stomach twisted with nerves, but I stepped forward anyway.
The water lapped softly against my calves as I waded in. It was cool, almost cold, but soothing against the heat of my skin. I shivered as it rose higher, past my thighs, my hips, until it covered my stomach and breasts. My nipples tightened into hard peaks from the chill, and I gasped softly at the sensation.
I ducked my head under, letting the water close around me for a moment. The world went quiet, muffled, the only sound the rush in my own ears. When I lifted my head back up, my hair clung wet and heavy to my shoulders. Droplets trickled down my face and neck, sliding between my breasts, dripping back into the stream.
That was when I felt it.
The change.
The air shifted, just like before. The stillness. The forest seemed to stop breathing. The crickets fell silent. Even the gentle ripple of the stream went calm, like glass. My body froze.
I hoped—desperately—that it wasn’t just my mind tricking me. That it was really him.
I stood there, waist-deep in the water, my heart thundering, my lungs straining as I held my breath.
Then I heard it.
Flapping. Not the soft flutter of a bird. No—this was louder, heavier, like the beating of a storm against the sky. The sound grew closer and closer until a dark shadow swept across the moon above me.
My head tilted up just as the figure descended.
He fell from the sky like a shadow given form, wings spread wide, each massive feather catching the silver light as he slowed. He landed at the edge of the stream without a sound, his boots sinking slightly into the damp grass. His wings folded partway behind him, but they didn’t vanish this time.
My heart lurched into my throat.
His golden eyes locked onto me instantly, burning across the water, piercing right through me.
He looked unreal, terrifying and beautiful all at once. His pale hair glowed faintly in the moonlight, flowing around his strong shoulders. The black leather clung to his body, showing the lines of his chest and arms, and his wings arched like a shadowy crown around him. He stood there, watching me, and I felt completely exposed.
I couldn’t tell what emotion lay in his face. His expression was calm, unreadable, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that made my stomach tighten.
Then he spoke.
“You are here again, human.”
His voice hit me like a strike of lightning. It was deep, smooth, and commanding, yet it carried something else—something dangerous, something that made my whole body react. It was a voice that could make me weak without him even touching me.
My eyes went wide. The words sank into me, heavy and sharp. He had seen me that night. He had known I was there all along. I thought I had been hidden, but he had been aware of me from the start.
And worse—he had touched himself while he knew I was watching.
The heat rose in my chest, flooding through me. My lips parted, but no words came. The thought burned me alive: did he know I had touched myself too?
I didn’t need to ask.
“Yes,” he said, his golden eyes flashing faintly, like he had plucked the thought right out of me. His voice was steady, low, and it made shivers climb my spine. “I knew you were touching yourself while watching me.”
My stomach dropped. I swallowed hard, trying to breathe. My cheeks burned hotter than fire.
“How did you—” I began, my voice trembling, but he cut me off before I could finish.
“I can hear your thoughts.”
The words froze me in place. My body went rigid, my skin prickling with shame. He had heard everything. Every dirty thought I had whispered in my mind about him. Every fantasy I had indulged in while lying in my bed at night. Every single one.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze back to him. He hadn’t moved, but there was something different in his face now. The faintest curl of his lips. A smirk.
He was amused.
Amused at my shame. Amused that I couldn’t hide a single thing from him.
The sight made my thighs press together under the water, as if I could hide the heat between them, but it only made the ache worse. My whole body trembled with a strange mix of fear and desire. My heart was beating so loud I was sure he could hear it. My mouth went dry, but at the same time, I felt like I was drowning in him, in his stare.
He didn’t speak. He just stood there, tall and unshakable, watching me in silence. His golden eyes burned through me, stripping me bare in a way that was more terrifying than my nudity. He looked at me like he was reading every secret carved into my soul, every wicked thought I had ever tried to bury.
I felt trapped but in a good way—like prey that didn’t want to escape. Like a moth pulled closer and closer to the flame.
Since he wasn’t moving, I tried to act normal, like I wasn’t being undone by his stare. I dipped my hands into the stream, scooping water, and let it fall over my shoulders. The water trailed down in thin lines, making my skin prickle. I repeated the motion, slowly, almost ritual-like, as if the simple act of washing myself would hide how unclean my mind was becoming.
But my hands betrayed me.