Chapter 2: Fire on Fire

My home was eerily silent, the kind of silence that pressed against my skin like a heavy shroud. The loneliness settled in my bones, cold and unshakable. Every time he left, it felt like he took all the warmth, all the laughter, leaving only a hollow ache in his wake. The air became stale, the walls suffocating, and the world outside lost its color.

I had only stayed for a few weeks at Nightfall, the place where I grew up. Hidden from the world, concealed even from those who knew my name, my existence here was a secret buried in the town’s whispers. They recognized me in the city center but never knew where I lived. I had begun serving my father again, carefully guarding the truth of our bloodline. I rarely went to the castle. Perhaps it was cowardice, or maybe it was simply self-preservation.

Now, I sat on the white sands near my home, my gaze fixed on the sunset. The waves whispered to the shore, and the ocean breeze wove through my long white hair, tangling it like silver threads in the dying light. The salty air clung to my skin, leaving a sticky film of brine and longing. My black dress fluttered around my legs as I dipped my fingers into the water, feeling the temperature shift as the wind changed course.

I closed my eyes. The sadness was thick, suffocating. I could feel it seep into my veins, a slow poison I could never quite rid myself of.

The lunar eclipse was coming.

And so was she.

Darkness stretched across the sky, swallowing the remnants of daylight, and as the first sliver of the moon emerged, an eerie symphony of howls echoed from the dense woodland. The stars blinked alive, but they did nothing to ease the emptiness that clawed at my chest.

"What are you doing?"

A voice. Familiar. Rough. A voice that sent shivers down my spine.

I didn't turn. Instead, I stood, letting the night air nip at my skin as I reached for the buttons of my dress. One by one, they came undone. The fabric slid from my shoulders and pooled at my feet, revealing the intricate lace of my two-piece beneath. The weight of his gaze was a brand against my back, burning hotter than the setting sun.

Slowly, deliberately, I stepped into the water. It licked at my calves, then my thighs, welcoming me with its icy embrace. The moment I submerged myself, the cold stole my breath, numbing my limbs and dulling the ache inside me.

I surfaced, gasping, my hair slick against my back. My gaze found him—Azriel. Standing at the shore, arms folded, his dark eyes locked onto me. The moonlight sharpened the angles of his face, accentuating the hard planes of his jaw and the taut lines of his bare arms. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and ripped pants, but it wasn’t the clothes that held my attention. It was the hunger in his gaze, the way his lips curled in amusement despite the darkness flickering in his eyes.

Even from this distance, I could feel the tension threading the air between us, thick and unyielding. I let the water glide down my skin, my lips parting slightly as the salt kissed my tongue. His jaw clenched. His fingers twitched.

I smirked.

"Come on, Azriel," I teased, voice lilting. "I know you want to take a dip too."

He rolled his eyes, but something flickered behind them—something dangerous. He didn't move, didn't take the bait. Frustrated, I dove beneath the surface again, letting the ocean swallow my disappointment. Maybe he really was in a bad mood. Maybe I had pushed too far.

When I resurfaced, he was gone.

No—he was right in front of me.

A startled gasp escaped my lips as I nearly lost my footing. His hands shot out, one gripping my waist, the other steadying my arm. His touch was fire against my cold skin, and the jolt that ran through me was undeniable.

"Y-you—!" I stammered, heart slamming against my ribs.

He was closer than I had ever seen him, his bare chest inches from mine, droplets of water clinging to his skin. My gaze drifted downward, past the ridges of his abdomen, the temptation to touch him burning in my fingertips.

Before I could, he caught my wrist.

"Not my body, Lilianna."

I groaned in frustration. "I just want to touch them! Let me."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No. Behave yourself."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Hey! I haven’t even held a man's body before. I grew up alone. You’re the only one here—"

He stiffened. His expression darkened. "So you're saying that if you had someone else with you, you'd touch him too?"

The teasing evaporated. The air between us turned razor-sharp.

"Of course not!" I said quickly, but he was already shaking his head, already pulling away. Before I could stop him, he swam toward the shore, leaving me stranded in the water, staring after him.

A sharp pang lanced through me. I moved without thinking, following him, closing the distance between us. When I reached him, I didn’t stop. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his bare torso, pressing myself against his warmth. He stilled. The world went silent. My heart hammered in my chest, but I didn’t let go.

"Let's stay like this for a while, Azriel," I murmured, eyes shut. "Please. I don’t know what will happen next, but I know this—getting this close to you again won’t be easy."

For a moment, I thought he would allow it. But then his fingers pried mine away, breaking the fragile moment. When I looked up, his hawk-like eyes had turned cold.

I stepped back. Hurt coiled in my stomach, but I masked it. Without another word, I climbed out of the water, gathered my dress, and disappeared into my room.

Later, as I stood by my window, watching the lunar eclipse cast its haunting glow over the land, I heard his voice behind me.

"Rogues are roaming."

My fists clenched. "Do you want me to hunt them down?"

"No. Stay here."

I turned to find him dressed again, but his hair was still damp. Sighing, I grabbed a towel and tossed it at him. "Dry your hair."

He smirked but obeyed. I stepped closer, taking the towel from his hands, rising on my toes to dry his hair myself. His scent filled my senses—smoky, wild, intoxicating.

And then, as if possessed, I stopped. My eyes met his.

Desire surged, raw and consuming. Before I could second-guess myself, I crushed my lips against his.

At first, he didn’t move. Then, suddenly, he did. His grip tightened, his kiss deepened, and the air between us ignited like a wildfire.

Clothes were torn. Hands roamed. Breathless moans filled the room. And just as I lost myself in him completely—

He pulled away.

Azriel cursed under his breath, frustration etched into every inch of him. "I'm sorry… This shouldn't have happened."

Then he was gone.

I sat there, my body trembling, my lips swollen, my heart shattering.

He stopped because he realized who I was.

I provoked him. I seduced him.

So why did it feel like I was the one breaking?

. . .