26. Selene
Chapter 26
Selene
I ’m on my second tutoring session of the day when Liam storms into the room like a hurricane.
“Hey! What’s going on here?” he demands, his voice sharp and accusatory.
I’m taken aback by his sudden intrusion, my eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. “Liam, what are you doing here?” I snap. “This is a private tutoring session.”
The student sitting across from me shifts uncomfortably in his seat, clearly unsure of what to make of the situation.
Ignoring the poor kid, Liam steps closer to me, his eyes blazing with intensity. “I want to know what you’re up to, Selene,” he says hostilely.
I cross my arms over my chest, matching his intensity with my own. “I’m tutoring a student, Liam. What does it look like I’m doing?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Don’t play dumb with me, Selene. I know something’s going on. I can feel it.”
I roll my eyes in exasperation. “Feel what, Liam? There’s nothing going on here except a tutoring session,” I say, trying to keep my voice level.
He takes a step closer, invading my personal space in a way that sends a shiver down my spine. “I don’t believe you,” he says in a low growl.
I refuse to back down. “Well, that’s your problem, isn’t it? I don’t know what your problem is, but you have no right to come here questioning me. And I’m not about to justify myself to you.”
The student clears his throat awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the escalating tension in the room. “Um, I think I should probably go,” he says, inching towards the door.
I shoot him a grateful smile, relieved for the interruption. “Yeah, probably a good idea,” I say, trying to sound casual despite the turmoil roiling inside me.
Once the student is gone, Liam turns back to me, his voice low and dangerous. “Now it’s just you and me.”
I swallow hard, suddenly feeling a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. “What do you want, Liam?” I’m trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides.
He takes a step closer, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that makes my heart race. “I want answers, Selene. And I’m not leaving until I get them.”
I square my shoulders. I won’t let him intimidate me. “Well, you’re out of luck because I don’t have any answers for you.” Unfortunately, my voice trembled, losing its effect.
He studies me for a long moment, his gaze searching mine.
Fear be damned. I refuse to back down, so I meet his stare with a steely determination of my own.
“You better start talking, vampire. Who are the other vampires in town? I know you know, Selene. Tell me where they are! ”
Liam’s sudden demand catches me off guard. My heart rate picks up as I try to keep my composure.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Liam.”
“Where are your accomplices, Selene?”
”I haven’t seen anyone else in days.”
He presses closer, his body looming over mine. I can feel the heat radiating off him and see his eyes darkening. My gaze flickers over his face, noticing the way his eyes linger on mine. The tension between us thickens with each passing moment.
“How many of you are there?”
I grit my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an answer. “I’m not telling you anything,” I retort, but my voice trembles slightly despite my best efforts to sound defiant.
Before I can react, he pins me against the wall, his proximity sending a jolt of electricity through me. My breath catches in my throat at the dangerous spark igniting between us.
His voice is a low growl as he accuses me of being responsible for the recent deaths in town.
I shake my head in denial. “I had nothing to do with those deaths, Liam. I was about to leave town before you stopped me.”
I can feel the tension crackling in the air as his eyes roam over my face, lingering on my lips with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.
I swallow hard, my pulse racing as I meet his gaze head-on. “You shouldn’t stare at me like that,” I say breathlessly.
He cocks his head. “What do you mean?”
“Like you’re debating whether to kill me or kiss me.”
The words hang in the air between us.
For a moment, neither of us moves. And then, with a resigned sigh, he releases me, stepping back and breaking the spell that had enveloped us.
I take a shaky breath, unsure of what comes next.
He runs his hand through his brown hair, a look of frustration crossing his face as he mentions someone named Mariya being wrong.
My curiosity piqued, I ask, “Who’s Mariya?”
His steely gray eyes are fixed on me. I bite my lip.
He moves closer, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that makes me shiver.
“Don’t say her fucking name, vampire,” he spits out. But this time, the word has lost some of its venom.
I can feel the heat radiating off him, his warm breath mingling with mine in the charged air between us. Despite the tension, there’s something undeniably alluring about him, something that draws me in despite my better judgment.
He leans in, brushing his lips against mine, and I freeze, my mind reeling. His touch is electric, sending a jolt coursing through me as his lips linger against mine. But before I can fully process what’s happening, he pulls back, leaving me breathless and wanting more.
I meet his gaze, my heart pounding as I search his eyes for any sign of what he might be feeling. There’s something delicate in his expression, a vulnerability that mirrors my own.
Whatever this is between us, it’s as confusing and overwhelming for him as it is for me. Our unspoken words hang between us like a heavy fog.
My nails dig into his shirt, twisting in the fabric as his arms bracket me against the wall, trapping me in his embrace. I can feel the heat of his body against mine, his presence consuming me in a way I never thought possible. There’s a sense of rightness in his touch, a connection that defies logic and reason. And as I look into his eyes, I know that whatever happens next, I’m powerless to resist the pull of this undeniable attraction.