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40 - You're Worth It
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 41 - Let Me Forget
ARAHShe barely had time to breathe. Gildeon caught her off guard in the most titillating way. His lips were fierce, his fingers tangled in her hair. Her heart thumped loudly as she melted under him. His tongue demanded entry, and her lips parted instinctively, their mouths melding. The taste of the Indian mango they’d eaten lingered, sweet and tangy, contrasting with the raw, assertive way he kissed her.Her mind swirled with faint memories and sensations. She'd been kissed before, but it had never felt like this. At least, that was how it seemed. This was unrestrained, wild, making her pulse do somersaults. The thought of how intensely Gildeon must've missed her all this time made her belly flutter. Their breaths mingled, hot and rapid, their heartbeats a frenzied duet in her ears. Even the air itself seemed to hum with a gentle, electric charge.Arah mimicked the movement of his tongue, savoring every bit. Her skin tingled with the thrill of not knowing what to expect. Her trembling
MAD END'S DECEPTION 42 - She Was Wrong
ARAHShe sat frozen on Gildeon's lap, her throat clenched tight, trapping the words inside. What did he mean they needed to stop? She didn’t move, didn’t breathe—even as he reached for the blanket and wrapped it around her in silence.Her cheeks tingled with embarrassment. “Are you serious?” she muttered, her lips quivering, unsure how to react.He didn’t respond. His steady, serious gaze made her feel so small. She was shrinking by the second.Her eyes locked onto his, searching for something, anything, that would make this make sense.“Isn't this what you've always wanted?” she said, confusion in her voice.He held her shoulders, his hands sliding up and down her arms. His touch wasn’t warm anymore. “You're not ready,” he said with finality as if he had her completely figured out.She let out a laugh of disbelief, her eyes burning at the corners. “What do you mean I'm not ready?” Her voice nearly rose a note, her hands clutching the blanket. “Do you think I’d let you kiss me if I wa
MAD END'S DECEPTION 43 - One of His Deepest Regrets
GILDEONThis was too much of a coincidence—if it even was one. Did this guy know Arah worked here?Durante cracked open his cooler, grabbed another beer, and strolled over. Gildeon caught a glimpse of a gun in the agent’s waist holster, partially hidden by his jacket.“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Gildeon said, keeping his tone casual.Durante waved his arm vaguely. “This is a public beach, isn’t it? I’m having some downtime.” His movements were looser, probably from the alcohol, less controlled than when they first met. His face gave no indication though. No red cheeks, no glassy eyes. He didn’t even stagger one bit.“Alone,” he implied, adjusting his glasses. “You're too far from where most people hang out.”“Too loud over there,” Durante said, nodding his head toward the distance. “I prefer the quiet.” His friendly smile looked unsettling in the dim light. “How about you, Mr. Ayadi? What brings you here this late?”He handed him a beer, but Gildeon quickly put up a hand to decli
MAD END'S DECEPTION 44 - Crucial to the War
Many Years Ago (Part 1)GILDEON“When have I ever been wrong, old man?” He smirked, tasting the salt in the misty air.Commander Haemos let out a guttural chuckle. The others backed Gildeon up, pledging their faith even as their words danced with jest. A few threatened to break his dragon’s spine if he led them to nothing after disturbing their good night’s sleep.“Hey, I didn’t force all of you to be here,” he shot back, and they groaned, continuing to tease him.Ten of them were on this boat, handpicked by Gildeon and the commander. More had volunteered back at the outpost, but there wasn’t any space left. Besides, this was a side mission meant to be carried out in stealth. The smaller their group, the better.“I don’t know about you cunts, but I’m not sitting on Gildeon’s dragon ass,” said Aktaeon, their trailhound, tugging at a rope securing the rigging.Another round of laughter rang out.Gildeon shook his head, grimacing at the mist spray clinging to his face and clothes. The pr
MAD END'S DECEPTION 45 - To the Ends and Back
Many Years Ago (Part 2)GILDEONHe averted his gaze, feeling the weight of the crew's laughter and jeering like a rock on his shoulders. Crude remarks flew through the air, and even Ghulik sputtered obscene taunts beside him.Gildeon scratched his head, trying to find a way out of the mess he'd walked into. But unless he jumped off the boat right this moment, he had no choice but to face their trailhound’s wrath.Before he knew it, the crew was restraining Aktaeon. His loud curses could probably break the silence spell cloaking their boat. The vessel rocked slightly, and Gildeon had to maintain a steady maneuver on the helm—otherwise, they would hit one of these rocks.“I’m going to kill you, Gildeon!” Aktaeon snarled through clenched teeth. The muscles in his face looked like coiled springs ready to snap.“Hey, your sister wanted it too,” he replied, but his attempt to pacify the situation seemed to be failing. “She said she wanted to feel the world, so I let her ride me.” He meant i
MAD END'S DECEPTION 46 - For What Purpose
Many Years Ago (Part 3)GILDEONAs the boat slowed, he steered it toward a large outcrop nestled in the heart of the branching inlet. He aligned the vessel alongside the rock face, hiding in plain sight. His movements were steady and certain, just as how Haemos had taught him long ago.Two of the crew shifted into their beast forms, anchoring the boat with their tails wrapped around the outcrop's protrusions.The inlet offered several paths to the open sea. They had to stay close to where the sylph ship would turn, ready to strike at the right moment. Gildeon began brewing different battle scenarios in his head, assessing possible escape routes. Sylphs should never be underestimated. They'd all learned that the hard way.“Camouflage!” Commander Haemos barked. The crew, including Kohina, melted into the hue and texture of the black rock behind them. As they gripped the gunwale, the camouflage extended to their ship, blending it into the landscape.Gildeon left the helm to help, shiftin
MAD END'S DECEPTION 47 - Barbarian
Many Years Ago (Part 4)GILDEONThe room loomed dark and vast, with crates piled high against the walls. In the shadows, a tuft of blue curls glinted, belonging to a sylph warrior slumped against a silverwood container, sword in hand. Fresh blood seeped through the bandage around his chest, staining his ribs. He tried to stand straight, assuming a defensive stance, but his other hand instinctively clutched his wound.Gildeon suspected they had come from battle. But where? The Blinking Island? What had they fought over there? That would explain the small crew. They’d probably lost people.Gildeon reverted to his mortal form. No need for dragon strength here. He could probably take the sylph blindfolded. “What happened to all of you?” he asked, scratching his head with the tip of his shortsword.The warrior’s face remained impassive, but his blue eyes betrayed him. Pain, fear, confusion, and desperation flickered there.“What are you?” the sylph demanded in a cold, hissing voice. Gildeo
MAD END'S DECEPTION 48 - That Would Be Too Easy
Many Years Ago (Part 5)GILDEONHe idly scratched his head with the point of his shortsword. “What’s a girl like you doing on a ship like this?”Her blue eyes glowed with fury as she tightened her grip on the dagger and sprang to her feet. He immediately shoved her head down before she could rise, his strength overwhelming her.“Hey, your brother used his last bit of strength to keep me from your crate,” he said in a low voice. “So stay there until I figure out what to do with you.”The girl pushed to her feet again with an angry cry, raising the dagger with both hands and aiming it at him. He grunted, catching her wrists. Swiftly setting his sword on a nearby barrel, he snatched the dagger and thrust her head down once more, forcing her back inside the crate.She squealed, clawing at his arm.“You're as stubborn as your brother, I’ll give you that,” he remarked, inspecting the dagger. The hilt, white and shaped like a griffin, reminded him of the ship's figurehead.“If you hurt my br
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