Chapter 3
Arcane
Age 18
“You don’t lay a finger on her, and you certainly don’t fucking look at her. If I catch you doing it one more time, I’ll put you down like the pathetic little dog you are.”
His words slice through the atmosphere like a knife, each one carrying a threat that echoes in the world around us. The wind carries them, creating an unsettling sound that will surely draw onlookers, forming a circling crowd around us. Kaiden’s back is turned to me, his muscles flexing with each deliberate step toward the other boy—Leo, a fucking cowardly boy who still manages to tear down my confidence with words and falsely spread lies. I can’t help but bite my lip, watching with hesitation as the scene unfurls before me.
This wasn’t how the end of my school day was supposed to turn out, and the bitter taste of bile lingers on the back of my tongue.
“Are we clear?”
The words spewing from my foster brother’s mouth are filled with such indifference, you wouldn’t know he’s threatening someone. His demeanor is cool, calm, and collected, as if this is a normal occurrence for him.
Minutes tick by, the only audible sounds are the footsteps coming closer. Leo’s silence hangs heavily in the air as I stand in the middle of the crowd, my face flushed and palms sweaty from the rush of adrenaline pulsing through me. I hate violence, despise it, even. Yet there’s something in the way Kaiden protects me that makes a fluttering sensation take root deep within my stomach, creeping closer to my most sensitive part.
Throughout the years, my attraction for my foster brother has only intensified, making it impossible to be in the same room as him without my heart pounding and my body on edge. Goddamn hormones. At this point, I’m certain Kaiden has noticed my feelings, judging by his deliberate teasing—like showing up in my room wearing nothing but a towel or invading my personal space with that smirk of his. He’s infuriating, especially when he sneaks through my window at night, tucking me into bed, pressing his body close to mine. He’s always seeking to touch and provoke me, and it drives me mad.
Low whispers come from the crowd, and without a second’s hesitation, Kaiden’s fist meets Leo’s face, sending him tumbling to the ground. A high-pitched shrill is heard across the schoolyard, drawing the attention of nearby students who begin to approach.
Fuck, this isn’t good at all.
I make my way over to my foster brother, gripping his arm while attempting to tug him away. He tears his gaze away from Leo, his lips busted and coated with blood as it slowly dries.
“Let’s go,” I mumble urgently.
Leo rises, legs unsteady, but his expression betrays emotions I’d rather not confront. “She’s a fucking bitch,” he sneers.
The lethal darkness taking over my foster brother’s eyes is alarming, making unease travel down my spine in violent shivers. Another glint replaces the previous calm fa?ade Kaiden wore on the surface; now, he looks as if he’s ready to murder Leo with his bare fists.
I swallow what feels like molten lava running down my throat as I attempt to tug at his sleeve again, but it’s too late. He gently releases my grip, stalking toward Leo before grabbing him by his collar. Leo starts choking, sputtering out words, but the rage is all too prominent in my brother. There’s no restraining him when he’s like this; his temperament only worsens by the day.
Kaiden slams Leo down on the cobblestoned ground, his head smashing against it and making a sickening sound.
Another shrill echoes through the yard, people screaming for my brother to stop while others urge him on. The moment I hear the creaking of the doors of the school building, my head whips in that direction, my heart skipping a beat as an urgent alarm rings through my head. I run over to Kaiden, tugging at his arm harder this time.
For a short second, he looks down at me before noticing the principal and other teachers making their way down the staircase, advancing on us.
“Fuck,” he curses under his breath, though the glint in his eyes tells me of his mischievous thoughts.
Grabbing my hand in his, he dashes toward his bike, parked just a few meters away as the crowd—still gathered around us—disperses. Rage still swirls in his irises, but some of the tension has been released, and I cannot even muster any sympathy for Leo or the pain caused to him.
Leo’s cruel taunts sting like salt in a fresh wound, dredging up memories of my past as an orphan living with foster parents. Despite his incessant jabs, I can’t seem to gather enough courage to stand up against him, making my self-loathing only deepen.
But just when things started becoming worse at the schoolyard, my foster brother arrived to pick me up. Riding on his bike has always been an escape for me, a brief respite from the turmoil of real life. Today, it seems like luck is on my side—sort of.
He throws me the helmet, and I hastily secure it in place. Without another minute to spare, Kaiden revs the engine and is out of the parking lot, heading toward the forest.
Then, we drive away, escaping school and leaving the responsibilities behind us.
——————
HIS LAUGHTER ECHOES THROUGH the trees, his smile a beautiful wonder that makes my lips stretch, a sense of safety filling me in this world of bleakness, where nothing seems to matter anymore. I run as fast as my legs can take me away from him while giggling.
This is happiness, I think.
Moments where the sorrow of my abandonment doesn’t overwhelm me, when the pain and loneliness don’t make me want to give up on life. Depression is an odd feeling, especially when you’re feeling fine on certain days, but others are a mere hell to live through. Some days, the world around me continues to taunt me for existing while I’m a mere shell inside my body. Other times, fleeting moments of joy fill me, only to die, leaving me stumbling in the darkness that welcomes me.
I’m good at pretending that everything is fine, when in fact, nothing is. A smile plastered on my lips lets people know I’m okay, even though it’s far from the truth.
“I’ll get you!” Kaiden shouts, a chuckle erupting from his lips, making a smile split my own.
With him, I’m more myself than I’ve ever been. My foster brother is the only person who has ever been there for me, loving me when no one else did, and protecting me from people like Leo who hurt me with their words.
So what if our relationship defies what society deems as normal?
My legs carry me through the casket of trees, determined to keep my emotions at bay. Kaiden will only taunt me if I start crying. According to him, crying reveals vulnerabilities that others could exploit. Besides, I refuse to appear weak before him, especially since he’s always been so strong for me.
Twigs rip against my bare arms as I rush past them, not letting them deter me from how fast I move forward. I barely even notice the pain erupting from their claws as I flee from my foster brother.
“Stop running, little sister,” he shouts behind me.
One of his favorite games is tag, and now, he’s ‘it.’
A wave of fear crashes over me, sending shivers down my spine as a rush of panic floods my senses. I’m urged to run faster, escape his reach no matter what.
“One of these days, I’ll catch you, little sister.” His voice weaves through the trees, a chilling caress tingling my skin. “And when I do, you’ll beg me to let you go.”
In a moment of carelessness, my body tumbles to the wet grass as my knees scrape against the smattering of gravel. I yelp, tears burning behind my eyes. Embarrassing.
Kaiden catches up to me, his lips twitching up into a smirk as he towers over me, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes, blended with a flicker of vulnerability hinting at concern.
“Got you, little sister,” he murmurs, his voice huskier, sending shivers down my spine.
My heart pounds like a madman from the way he emphasized each syllable, his voice deepening, growing darker and more intense. Involuntarily, I find myself clenching my thighs, a sudden surge of heat between the two of us.
“You have to be careful,” he says, crouching down before me, suddenly too close for my comfort.
His closeness makes my breath hitch, and I pray he doesn’t notice it. I’m gulping as I look at him through glazed eyes, watching the concern fade away from his expression and be replaced by a calculated one.
I remember our first encounter—his eyes connecting with mine in a heart-warming sensation. It was the day he arrived at the orphanage. Unlike me who grew up with no parents at all, Kaiden had his mother until she died when he was nine years old. That was when he was sent to the house where I lived.
Over the years, the warmth in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by an increasing coldness that the years only hardened. Our foster father made sure to dim the light in him. Despite that, I know he tries to fight against his inner demons, striving to be a better person for my sake.
“Princesses don’t cry. In this world we live in, you have to be strong. You’re crumbling apart, and it’s not a pretty look.” His words cut through the air with acute precision.
Anger simmers within me, bubbling like a pot ready to boil over. I frown at him. “Fuck you.”
His hand is suddenly on my throat, staring down at me with those cold eyes that could pierce through anything. I feel myself gulping underneath his touch, still trusting him not to hurt me.
I’m twisted.
“That’s not a way to treat your brother, princess,” he admonishes, tone laced with authority.
Beneath my shirt, my nipples stiffen, and I can’t discern if it’s the chilly wind rustling through the trees or his nearness that causes this fiery reaction. His gaze feels like a scorching caress against my skin as if his eyes are methodically stripping me down with each passing second. I can’t help but notice the hunger in him, though I could be misinterpreting the situation.
I don’t reply despite the retort clinging to my tongue and begging to be let out. Instead, I wait for the moment he’ll let go of my throat. I’m aware he can feel the quickening thud of my pulse beneath his palm, each beat reverberating through his body as he maintains control over me. The rhythmic thud, thud, thud is only a testament to the control he has over me, my pulse beating even harder whenever he is nearby.
“How does it feel? Your life is in my hands,” he mumbles under his breath, yet despite his low tone, it’s as if he’s screaming in my ears. “Like it’s always been. If I put enough pressure here…” His words whisper a threat, something that my body can’t seem to fully grasp.
My feet remain rooted in place, waiting with bated breath for his next move. His other hand strokes my cheek, trailing toward my neck, and the gaze in his eyes tells me he could very well do what he threatened to do. I should run, get as far away from him as possible. Yet, I don’t want to, because despite it all, I know I’m safe with him.
“…Your brain won’t receive enough oxygen. I’m the only one allowed to kill you. Understood?” he continues.
His words are cryptic and cold, his last sentence hitting me straight to my heart like a gunshot. He is referring to the fact that my mental health has been declining throughout the years, slowly turning me into a withered rose that’s losing her petals day by day. Being forced to see a therapist has not helped. The only person I’ve been able to fully open up to has been him, like an anchor in a stormy sea keeping me afloat, yet a hellhound.
That’s the thing about having rich, uncaring parents. They pay hundreds of dollars for a therapist, brushing issues like mental illness under the rug and pretending they never existed. As long as the therapist is doing their job, the parents can go back on their merry little way.
He squeezes harder, slowly restricting the oxygen from my lungs. Eventually, they start burning slightly, deprived of air.
“Understood?” he growls, and I nod, never once breaking eye contact.
He finally eases his grip on my throat, allowing me to gasp for breath. I’m embarrassingly turned on right now, but I won’t ever admit it. His eyes slide down to my thighs, now clenching even tighter, and his eyebrows rise, a smirk hinting at his lips.
I swallow, my throat dry with anticipation, as I see the thick outline of his crotch—a bulge growing more prominent by the second. His hand suddenly lands on my thigh, grabbing it harshly, sending a jolt of electricity through me. I can’t help but notice the prominent veins tracing his skin, highlighted by the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Is he…aroused?
Does he feel the same intoxicating sensations as I do?
I shake my head internally, dismissing that thought as soon as it comes to me.
“If you’re making demands, so should I,” I bite back while dragging in enough oxygen, watching his gaze zeroing in on me. “You could have been arrested for assault back there!” I sound more upset than I intended to be.
Kaiden merely shrugs his shoulders. “But I wasn’t.” The look in his eyes tells me how satisfied he is with that outcome.
“Arrogant bastard,” I mutter under my breath.
With a sudden move, his thumb traces a path along my thigh, sending shivers of anticipation sweeping over me. His touch inches closer to the pulsating heat between my legs while his eyes are still connected to mine. My heart pounds heavily, sweat dampening my palms, as emotions overwhelm me. A wave of hesitation crashes over me while a rational voice in my mind urges caution.
“I… You’re my brother,” I whisper, attempting to pull away from him, but the slick grass delays my movements.
“So what? I don’t care.”
Without a word, his hand ventures toward the apex of my thighs, drawing closer to the hem of my shorts. I try to maintain my composure, not wanting him to see how deeply his touch affects me. Biting down on my lip, I suppress the faint moan threatening to escape as his fingers trace the seam of my shorts. A wildfire spreads through me. I can’t act or do anything at all when he has me under his spell. He maneuvers me like a puppeteer, keeping me on my toes with strings.
He doesn’t utter a word as his hand grazes my core, a burning sensation taking root within me. He applies slight pressure, touching just the right spot as he begins to circle my clit with precision. Despite my efforts to resist, the moan I held back escapes, his skillful touch coaxing it from me. I glimpse the hard cock straining against his jeans, suddenly filled with the urge to touch and taste him. He expertly draws waves of pleasure from me, each touch sending me into ecstasy. I fight to keep myself grounded, not to let the emotions overtake me. Our ragged breaths mingle in the peaceful woods, echoing our carnal yearnings for each other.
Another uncontrollable moan escapes my lips, and I’ve never felt anything quite like this before. The moments of touching myself at night, using my vibrator on my clit while fingers slipped between my folds at the thought of him, pales in comparison to the reality of his touch. It’s as if he has done this before. That thought is sickening, and I instantly remember where we are and who it is that’s giving me this feeling of bliss.
With all the remaining shreds of my dignity, I scramble backward, meeting his gaze now full of simmering rage. I clench my legs together, cursing myself for allowing that bliss to be taken away from me— I was so close.
His nails dig into my thighs, drawing blood, and I observe his hungry expression as he sees the crimson stains painting my flesh.
“Kaiden, we can’t do this,” I whisper, my voice quivering with a mix of adrenaline, arousal, and fear.
His eyes darken, the brown orbs shifting with conflicting emotions. “You’re my property. You belong to me. I can do whatever I want.”
I swallow harshly.
Shaking my head at him, I deny the obvious truth. “You’re delusional.”
His fingers find my throat once more, squeezing ever so tightly, with seething rage as his breaths become labored. The rage makes me nervous, my nipples pebbling under my shirt. Something is seriously wrong with me.
He’s about to say something back when his phone suddenly rings, the sound filling the tense atmosphere around us in the clearing of the forest. He lets go of my throat, grabs his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, and answers it.
While he’s on the phone, I can’t help but steal glances at him, taking in the sight of his well-defined physique filling out his clothes better now that he’s grown up. Twenty to my eighteen. His toned muscles flex subtly beneath the fabric, and I shift my gaze to his face.
Bathed in the embrace of the afternoon sun, his hair becomes a mesmerizing cascade of honeyed strands, capturing every ray. The golden hues of his locks shimmer, framing his face with a warmth that seems to melt away the otherwise cold expression on his face.
I can’t help but feel the dreaded butterflies flying around in my belly, along with the arousal coating my panties—dangerous and deadly, bleeding me dry from the heartache of having these unknown emotions.
When he finally puts down his phone, his stormy eyes meet mine, and he smirks at me, all traces of his earlier rage gone. “Mom wants us home for dinner to plan your birthday next week. It’ll give you the time to hide that flush on your cheeks,” he cheekily says, his lips twitching in a wider smirk.
I can’t help but blush even more, feeling the frustration of the orgasm I didn’t get.
What the fuck is wrong with me?