Chapter 14
Olivia
There was something to be said about waking up in the arms of a sexy monster.
As consciousness returned, I savored the warmth of powerful arms wrapped around me. The steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek, the musky, intoxicating scent of him—it all felt so familiar.
Like I knew, whoever was holding me.
My eyelids fluttered open.
I found myself staring into emerald pools, Malik’s gaze locked onto mine, so tender—so unwavering—that for a fleeting moment, I thought I might melt into a puddle in his embrace.
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
“You’re alive,” he whispered, his voice rough with feeling. “I thought I’d lost you again.”
Before I could respond, he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.
Warmth bloomed beneath my skin, and for a moment, I let myself sink into the comfort of it.
But then, his words hit me.
Lost me again?
A sense of the uncanny stirred in my chest, but I didn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to ruin this moment of peace.
For once, I wanted to let go—to float away in his arms, far from the madness of demons hunting me, far from the chaos that had consumed my life.
But I forced myself to speak.
“What do you mean?” My voice was quiet, hesitant. “You never lost me before. You saved me instead. And I’m… grateful.”
A knowing smile curved his lips.
Without answering, he leaned in and kissed each of my eyelids.
I shivered at its gentleness, my breath catching.
He knew something I didn’t.
“How did you manage to hurt Balthazar?” I murmured, my eyes still closed beneath Malik’s tender ministrations. “I didn’t think anyone could hurt him.”
“I told you,” he said in a low, throaty whisper. “I told you I’d protect you, Olivia.”
Even the way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine, undoing something deep inside.
I opened my eyes, tracing his face’s angular lines and planes, memorizing how the dim light cast shadows along his strong jaw. His lips parted slightly as he exhaled.
His own eyes fluttered shut as he nuzzled into my touch as if he were the one seeking comfort from me.
I felt spellbound like we weren’t in this world anymore but somewhere else—somewhere beyond time, beyond space.
Just me and Malik.
Just this moment.
“I’m so grateful you saved us,” I whispered. “Even though you’re the darkness—even though you could kill us instantly—you protected us from Balthazar.”
A heavy, intoxicating energy crackled between us, thick as smoke.
Malik pushed himself up on one elbow, his face inches from mine.
“Olivia.” His voice was velvet, dark, and smooth. “My beautiful Olivia.” His emerald eyes burned into me. “I would move heaven and earth to save you. I would never allow anything to happen to you or Roman.”
His gaze dipped to my lips.
He lowered his mouth toward mine.
I turned my head at the last second, burying my face into the soft bedding.
What was happening to me?
Why was I losing myself in Malik’s embrace?
I needed to stop this. I needed to pull away.
Before I could move, Malik leaned in, his breath fanning across the sensitive skin of my neck.
A gasp hitched in my throat, not from touch, but from proximity, from the unbearable heat that pulsed between us.
His hand lingered just above my arm, not quite touching, yet somehow igniting sparks beneath my skin.
“Malik,” I whispered before I could stop myself.
His name felt forbidden on my tongue—dangerous, magnetic, wrong.
He didn’t smile, not really. He just watched me with that unreadable gaze, as if he already knew the war inside me.
“Why am I drawn to you?” I asked, voice barely audible. “Why does my soul feel this connection?”
Malik exhaled, leaning close enough that our foreheads nearly touched.
Then, he chuckled—low and smooth, full of something I couldn’t name.
“You ask too many questions.”
A shiver ran through me, not from his touch, but from the truth humming between us—undeniable, dangerous, and untouchable.
But then—
Like an insect buzzing in my brain, a thought intruded.
I’m married.
A frown pulled at my lips.
Where did that come from?
And then—like a blade through the haze—
I’m married to Roman Alexander.
My breath hitched. My body froze.
Roman.
His name was like a lightning strike to my senses.
In an instant, the spell shattered.
I shoved away from Malik, nearly toppling off the bed.
“I’m a married woman,” I gasped, my chest heaving. “Roman is my husband, and I love him.” I forced myself to meet Malik’s emerald gaze, my heart pounding. “I can’t betray him. Whatever this is, Malik—it stops now.”
Malik rolled onto his back, his arms resting behind his head.
A knowing smile tugged at his lips. “Roman is lucky to have you.”
I sat up, still breathless, staring at him.
“I can’t do this,” I said, waving a frantic hand between us. “This… this thing—whatever it is between us. I can’t explain it but won’t submit to it.”
I swallowed hard, my voice firmer now. “I love my husband. I miss him. But I would never betray him.”
Malik’s gaze filled with something dark—something unreadable.
He swept the tip of his tongue across his upper lip, savoring something unseen.
Then, he closed his eyes and smiled as if indulging in a delicious meal.
That pull—that massive, inescapable force—dragged at me again, like an unseen tractor beam reeling me toward him.
My entire soul vibrated with its weight.
But I couldn’t—I wouldn’t—submit.
This bond between us was undeniable.
But it wasn’t real.
It couldn’t be.
And no matter how much it burned through me—
Roman was the man I wanted.
And I refused to betray him.
With a strangled groan, I rolled from the bed and fled Malik’s room.
“Emily,” I muttered under my breath, racing down the dimly lit hallway, my pulse thundering in my ears. “I need to see Emily. I need to check on her wounds.”
I reached her door and shoved it open without knocking.
Then, stopped cold.
Rosie lay curled up, fast asleep, her tiny frame rising and falling with each peaceful breath. But Emily sat beside her, crying. Silent, shaking sobs racked her body as she clutched a blanket to her chest.
I rushed to her side, dropping to my knees.
“Emily,” I breathed, my fingers stroking her tear-streaked face. “You’re healed! It’s a miracle! What happened? Why are you crying?”
She sniffled, wiping her nose against her sleeve.
“Malik healed me before he left to find you,” she whispered, her voice raw.
“For that, I’m grateful.” A fresh wave of tears slid down her cheeks.
“But Marcellious…” Her voice cracked. “What an evil man. I never should have fallen for him. I should’ve listened to you. And now—now Balthazar has the journal!”
Her entire body trembled.
“Marcellious has been betraying us this whole time.”
I crawled onto the bed and pulled her into my arms.
“Shhh, Em, you’ll wake Rosie.”
“I can’t stop crying,” she wailed, her shoulders shaking.
And then, her next words gutted me.
“I can’t believe I’m carrying his child.”
My breath hitched.
Emily buried her face into my shoulder. “I’m such a fool.
There’s no way he’d ever want this baby.
He told me in plain words—I mean nothing to him.
Nothing! Can you believe it, Olivia?” Her sobs turned frantic.
“I gave him everything. My heart. My soul. I tried to change him, but I failed. I’m so stupid. ”
I held her tighter, smoothing her hair as she broke apart in my arms.
“Emily, listen to me.” I pressed my cheek to her temple. “You are not stupid. You loved someone who didn’t deserve you—that doesn’t make you foolish. That makes you human.”
Emily’s breath came in shuddering gasps.
“We will raise this child together,” I swore, gripping her hands. “You are not alone. We’ll stick by each other like we always have.”
A shaky breath escaped her lips as she clutched onto me like I was her lifeline. She eased back, her tear-streaked face searching mine, her lashes wet.
“What would I do without you, Olivia?” she whispered. “You give me hope.” Then, swallowing hard, she added, “And now that Marcellious and Balthazar have the journal… we need to ask Malik what to do next. He can advise us—he can help us.”
Malik.
His name sent a rush of heat curling through my body, a pulse of embarrassment so strong it made my skin tingle.
“No!”
The word exploded from my lips, too forceful.
Emily blinked, startled.
“We can’t ask him for help,” I said quickly, shutting my eyes.
I couldn’t tell her.
I wouldn’t tell her.
Because if I said the words out loud, I’d have to admit it.
I’d have to admit that Roman—the man I loved, the man I’d chosen—was beginning to feel like a distant memory whenever Malik was near.
I was just as pathetic as my mother.
Emily’s voice softened. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head.
She reached out, cupping my cheek. “Tell me, Olivia. That’s what we do for each other.”
“I can’t,” I whispered, my throat tightening.
And then, to my horror, tears filled my eyes.
Great. Now we were a couple of blubbering idiots, both of us blubbering over men.
Emily gave me a small, sad smile. “Yes, you can. You know you can trust me.”
I cursed and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling.
Then, before I could stop myself—
“I’m starting to have feelings for Malik.”
The confession hung in the air, thick and damning.
Emily didn’t say a word.
I let out a shaky breath. “I have this connection with him that I can’t explain. I woke up in his arms, and it felt… right. Like I belonged there, and for those few moments, it was like Roman didn’t even exist.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“I don’t understand what’s happening to me. Do I have some death wish? To be drawn to a monster? To deny the man I swore to love?”
Silence stretched between us.
Then—softly—Emily whispered, “…Oh, Olivia.”
A teasing lilt crept into her voice as she added, “You’re just our mother’s daughter. You love the darkness, too.”
The words struck me like a hammer.