Chapter 5

Fair Warning: This chapter contains sexual and mature scenes that might not be suitable for some audiences, especially those below the age of 16. But since you choose to read this story despite the 18+ warning, well, enjoy what you signed up for. 

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Days passed like a blur. Having my dad around did make it easier, although he was still wary of me. I guessed he was still trying to make peace with the fact that I was a sorceress, someone who was capable of doing malicious, cruel, and unspeakable things. But for the other part that recently discovered a side of me, he was sincerely happy. I could see it in his eyes and felt it whenever he was telling me all sorts of things that a wolf could do and what it meant to be a wolf. 

In all honesty, I appreciated everything that he taught me. However, I didn’t think I’d like to go through the transforming process even though he’d indeed said that it would get easier and less painful each time. 

Without truly noticing it, the graduation day came and this time of the year, the school board decided to go fancier than before. One of my schoolmates was a rich kid and his family managed to convince the school board to allow them to rent a ballroom from a prestigious hotel. I had no intention of coming to the graduation party, but my best friends Davina and Eros kept telling me that this only happens once in one’s lifetime and that I should enjoy it. 

“I still can’t believe you convinced me to dress up,” I muttered to Davina as I watched my reflection in the bathroom’s mirror. I was wearing a black sleeveless cocktail dress. One lock of reddish-brown hair curled on my clavicle. Davina did my hair and makeup and I had to say she’d outdone herself. 

“You look gorgeous, babe,” said Davina, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze before she leaned forward and fixed her lipstick. “Eros came, didn’t he?” 

I groaned. “I shouldn’t have made a bet and told him that I would only go if he does.” It was a losing bet, but at that moment, I hadn’t known that. All I’d thought about was if I had to go through this torture of an event, he had to as well. 

“Oh, please, everyone looks at you with envy in their eyes.” Dav took a sharp breath. “It’s completely different with the aghast look they’re giving me for having a baby bump. It’s as if I might go into labor on the dance floor tonight when in truth I’m not due until five more months.” 

“Hey.” I put one arm around her shoulders while the other around her front. “Don’t worry about them. Trey loves you and he promised to be a good dad. Plus, their words only matter if you let them.” 

“I know.” She held my hand and gave me a small smile. “Thanks for always being there for me.” 

We went out of the bathroom a few minutes later. The first thing I noticed when we walked through the door was the sight of Eros leaning against the wall on the opposite side. He had his arms crossed and a small frown nestled between his eyebrows. He looked up and when our eyes met, his whole complexion changed. His blue-green eyes were a shade lighter and his lips curled into a lopsided smile. 

“Nice suit,” commented Davina before heading back after giving me a look. Since Ryker had left and Eros had broken up with his mate, Davina kept telling me how nice it would be if I dated Eros. She had it in her head that best friends should end up becoming lovers. 

“My lady,” he greeted me, offering one arm. 

I rolled my eyes and linked my arm with his. “You cleaned up well.” I gave him a once over as we walked back into the ballroom where the party was being held. “Now everyone will believe that you’re a famous mystery writer.” 

His bicep was taut for a split second before he relaxed his muscles again. “I’m done with being a writer, Xy. I can’t keep on living a double life. Triple even.” He shook his head and took a glass of punch from a passing waiter, then took a big gulp. “Being a mafia, werewolf, and writer. It’s too much for me.” 

“But it’s your dream,” I insisted. “And you’re such a good writer, Er.” This was the truth. His writing was really good and very detailed. He once had told me that it was because of his mafia work thus allowing him to write based on what he’d witnessed and done. I’d argued that not all mafias were writers which could only mean that it took skill to do what he did. “Don’t give up on your dream.” 

“I have a new dream,” Eros said with a sad smile. “I’ll find Ryker for you. I’ll bring him home so you can cure him.” 

“Er, I don’t think—” I was about to tell him that I honestly didn’t think that it would work on Ryker as it had on Eros and my dad but seeing the look on his face, how he was struggling to find a purpose, I stopped myself. “Thank you.” 

His smile grew into a grin. “Shall we dance?” 

I gave him a nod, and he led me to the dance floor. We danced through songs. From the most upbeat to the slowest tempo. His arms were enveloping me as I clung to my arms around his neck and we had a slow dance. I caught sight of Davina and Nick and smiled. Resting my head on Eros’s shoulder, I tried to enjoy the peaceful melody. I saw my ex-boyfriend, my bullies, and my homeroom classmates. After tonight, we all had our own separate lives. We no longer had to be in the same room for hours. Each of us had our own plans. Whether it was college, marriage, getting a job, or raising a kid. 

For the first time, I truly felt the distinction between myself and the rest of them. If what had happened two months ago hadn’t happened, I would probably still be like them. Even though I’d turned down my ex-boyfriend’s marriage proposal and finally came clean with him by telling him that I wasn’t ready for marriage after high school, I’d still have college. After college, I’d find a job and it would be years before I would decide whether to be married or not. Regardless of which choice I’d make, I would have a mundane life — free from all supernatural beings. I probably wouldn’t even find out that I was a hybrid. 

I let my eyes wander about the room, remembering each of their faces and the memories of my life in high school. Then, all of a sudden, I could feel someone’s eyes on me. Watching and studying my every move. I could feel it on my neck, on my chest, arms, waist, legs. I tried to find where this person was and about a few minutes later; I found him at the back of the crowd wearing a black hoodie underneath what looked like a dark pacific blue blazer. Our eyes met for several seconds before he broke the connection away and moved towards the exit. 

“Er, I think I need to go to the loo again,” I told Eros without looking. My eyes were glued to the stranger’s back. 

“Do you need me to accompany you?” he asked, sounding a bit worried. Just like everyone else, my friends weren’t truly convinced that I was fine despite my reassurance. 

“No, it’s fine, Er.” I planted a small kiss on his cheek before walking out of the dance floor and toward the exit sign. 

Once I was outside, I checked left and right, but couldn’t find him anywhere. I wasn’t sure why, but my gut feeling told me that he went to the right, so I turned right and walked down the hallway. I walked past the bathroom and stopped. Looking to my left, I observed the bathroom door, which was made of well-polished oak wood. 

Using my left hand, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Since everyone was at the party and there was a nearer bathroom — the one that I’d gone to previously, this one was quite abandoned with zero occupants. 

At least that was what I thought until I felt warm breath tickle the back of my neck and a voice that was so damn familiar followed. It was just one word. My name. “Xyrra.” Yet it carried so many emotions all at once. 

I closed my eyes and breathed in his usual smell, minus the expensive aftershave that he’d often used. My skin felt warm and butterflies were forming in the pit of my stomach. Every nerve was on high alert. Every cell on my body was desperately anticipating what he might do, especially after that passionate make-out sesh we’d had in the alley behind the cafe merely about a month ago. 

This was impossible. This couldn’t be him. He’d gone, he’d abandoned me. In his letter, he’d mentioned that he would never see me again and that I should move on and give his best friend, Dmitry, a chance. It was a farewell letter. It was supposed to be the end of us. It didn’t matter how I wished it was mistaken, how I wished he would return one day and explain everything. 

This was just a fickle of my imagination. I’d told Dmitry about my encounter with Ryker at the alley, but he’d told me that I had been imagining things, that Ryker had left Europe altogether. Yes, this must be my imagination playing its course. Perhaps my magic had gone its own way to make everything feel like it was real for me. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time this power went out of my control. 

“Are you afraid?” His voice sent tingles down my spine and when I felt his lips lightly brushing the exposed skin on the back of my neck, I shivered. 

This was too damn real. I could feel him in my pores. Despite how stupid my question was, I still had to ask. “Are you real?” 

“Well,” he whispered against my skin. His hand captured my waist and then slid its way to my stomach. His palm spread on my lower abdomen before it slowly inched its way down in blissful torture. “Let’s find out, shall we?” 

In a swift motion, he moved his hand to cup my crotch. His other hand covered the front of my dress and gave my breast a good squeeze before palming it, kneading it as if it was a piece of dough. My cheeks flushed as my nipples grew so hard that the black lace of my bra suddenly felt like torture. Then I felt his breath on my neck and went down and down before realizing that he had unzipped my dress by biting the zipper and dragged it all the way down. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but in an instant; I found myself naked except for my undies, which made no difference considering his finger had slipped their way underneath the fabric and slid into my core. Whatever he found there had him groaning and grinding against me, seeking hot friction between our bodies as our breath escapes in moans of unabashed pleasure. 

Then he turned me around. My hip hit the marbled sink. I knew it was going to leave a bruise there, but at this moment; I didn’t give a damn. All I wanted was him. Ryker. All of him. His eyes found my breasts just a mere second before his teeth did, and he bit down so hard on my nipple that I cried out, the sound echoing in the empty loo. I bit my bottom lip to prevent myself from screaming. 

“Mine,” he murmured, his mouth still pressed against my breasts, tongue teasing my nipples. When he finally let go, he growled. Louder this time. “Mine!” 

With all the possessiveness oozing out of him, I realized that I was dealing with Khrysaor now. I didn’t need to see his eyes to know that they were jet black instead of silver. I immediately remembered what happened when Ryker and I had our first sex. Khrysaor had been so eager to mark me while Ryker was trying to prevent it because he wanted me to agree to become his mate first.

Ryker’s words rang in my mind. “When it happens, it’s going to be special and it’ll be meaningful. Not just because my arsehole wolf can’t keep it in his pants, okay? Khrysaor is ridiculously possessive of you. He has been waiting for you for more than a decade, Love. When I gave up on searching for my mate and settled back home, he didn’t. He continued to hope, believing that you were still alive and that you both would meet. Now that you’re here, he’s being utterly possessive of you. It’s not reasonable, I know.”

The rough, painful squeeze on my ass woke me back to reality, right on time, as he moved his mouth to mine. He moved his hips forward and slid his length against the fabric of my slim underwear. I could feel the head of his shaft pressing against my swollen opening. Then his mouth traced down my jaw and stopped at my neck, where he kissed and sucked in a way that would no doubt leave a hickey there. Something which I didn’t want right now because I still had to go back to the party. 

So I tried to push him, move his mouth off my neck when he suddenly growled and I felt a sharp, sudden pain in my shoulder. I cried, but this time it wasn’t for pleasure. It was purely for the insufferable pain coming from my right shoulder. I grabbed his neck with both hands, wanting to get him off of me when I realized that I was touching furs. Jet-black furs instead of skin. 

Slowly but surely, I felt dizzy. I could feel my body sway, as I no longer had the power to remain standing. If it wasn’t for the fact that the marbled sink was positioned behind me, I was sure I would slide down to the floor. My consciousness was moving in and out, the room swirled and my eyelids felt so heavy. 

Right before I completely succumbed to the darkness, I could hear Eros frantically screaming in the background.