-Kael : The silence stretches . It must have been just a few minutes but it feels much longer than that . The sounds of the storm fades around us . The world beyond the cabin , muted . All that's left is us . Me , Laila ... our heated breaths , and the sound of our respective heartbeats . The words hang between us , like a looming shadow , heavier than either of us can bear . I let it . BI4 55 vouchers For long enough to feel the weight pressing down on my shoulders . If I wasn't already crouching to be on level with her , I might have dropped to my knees . I'm not sure when , or how it happened without me noticing it , but this is how much influence Laila has over me . This is how much she affects me . The realization is even heavier than my words . If I'd been told this would be the result of signing those papers . That I'd be dooming myself as surely as I trapped her , maybe I would have chosen differently . Maybe I would have let her go . But I didn't . I didn't let go when I had the chance to . And now , I'm not sure I still have that choice . I'm not sure I want to have that choice . I can still feel the lingering traces of that cold , chilling terror ... I haven't felt this way since the night the rogues attacked . And I never thought I would ever have to again . I'm a man who fears nothing . Or so I thought , until today . Until now , staring into her eyes , as she stares back at me in quiet surprise , I think I now know what I fear . The panic that clawed at my veins the moment the storm was announced and I realised it was right where I'd sent Laila to . My hands clench tightly . My palms are still raw from how tightly I gripped the steering wheel on my way to the woods . Meanwhile , Laila's eyes widen slightly , and then her pupils darken by a measure . It's subtle , easy to miss ... but I 18:56 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 69 see it . Desire ... Reluctant , but it's there . : She's aroused by my words . And the way she tries to hide it draws a smirk to my lips . She can't seem to come up with a response . Good . Because I'm not expecting one . Her body tells me what her lips can't say . 81 4 55 vouchers She hasn't pulled away from me . Not yet . But her fingers tremble visibly , betraying everything she's trying to hide . " Kael ... " she breathes my name again . Her voice is softer this time , like a song she hates herself for singing . It rips at me . The sharp sting of it is addicting . I lean in closer until my nose almost brushes her forehead . She smells of the storm still lingering on her skin . The wet wool of the blanket , the soft sweetness beneath , her own scent I know so well . My chest presses against the edge of the blanket , my hands still braced on either side of her head . My wolf growls inside me , low and hungry , urging me to close the rest of the distance between us . But I can't . I won't . Not until she asks me to . She leans back into the sofa , but she doesn't say stop . She doesn't shove me away either . This silence is worse than a no . Because it means she's still fighting herself . " Say it , " I whisper , my voice raw and rough . " Tell me you don't want me to touch you . Tell me you hate me . " Her lips part but no sound comes out . Her throat moves in a slow gulp . Her pulse is racing so fast , I can feel it under my thumb . My restraint is long gone , but I'm hanging onto it with every ounce of will . Laila shakes her head slightly , her eyes going closed . Like if she doesn't see me , she can pretend this isn't happening . But it is happening . And there's no stopping it unless she does . " Say the words , Laila ." I insist firmly , " Turn me down . Tell me who you want to be with ... instead of me ," I think I'm losing my mind . Deep down , a part of me hopes she will . Maybe that's what I need to get back to my senses . 18:56 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 69 But another part of me .... 55 vouchers " You can't do this , " she says finally , in a whisper . " Not after everything . Not after Julie . Not after what you ... " I draw in a sharp breath . " I know what I did ." My jaw hurts from gritting my teeth to hold myself back . " But you don't get it , Laila . I'm not asking for forgiveness . I'm not pretending I deserve it . " " And being with me is probably the worst decision you'll ever make . But I'm telling you , I still want you . More now than ever . And it's killing me . " She exhales sharply , her eyes snapping open . " Then let it kill you quietly , " her voice trembles . " Don't drag me down with you ." Her words hurt . More than I anticipate . The sting is much sharper this time . I grin in response . Her body betrays her . She's still trembling , her lips parted , and her heart thudding so fast I can feel it through my palm . I rest my forehead against hers , my voice low and guttural . " But you're already down here with me ." She whimpers , a tiny sound , light and broken . It shoots straight down my spine . The fire behind us still crackles . The cabin smells like smoke and storm and her . My hand slides down to the curve of her neck before I can stop it . " Tell me to stop , " I rasp in a heavy breath . " Tell me , Laila , and I swear I will . But don't sit there pretending you don't feel this too . " Her brows twitch . Her nails dig into the blanket . I wait for the words to come . It doesn't . And silence has never been more dangerous than it is in this moment . 色 AD Comment Send gift