Chapter fourteen #2
There had been a shift between Darce and I in the last couple of years, there was no denying it.
My body came alive every time he touched me.
It was becoming difficult to ignore. He had even admitted to enjoying his time with me.
We had become friends, as unbelievable as that sounded.
It was proof that Noxlin and Dylin could get along if they came to some sort of truce.
Even knowing one of his kind killed my mother didn’t make me hate him.
I no longer wanted to take my rage out on the entire Noxlin race.
All I needed was the one that killed my mother.
They would pay dearly. A life for a life.
That was all the revenge I needed. Darce had made me see that not all Noxlin were the enemy.
They weren’t all the same. Stopping on the spot, a thought crossed my mind.
Could I persuade my father to rethink the endless war with the Noxlins?
Probably not. But when I took the throne, I would be able to make my own choices.
If the Noxlin king and queen would agree to meet with me, I would hear them out, and that was all thanks to my feelings for Darce.
My destiny could be to finally bring peace to the Afterlight Veil. Was that what Holy Ether desired from me? With that realisation, would she finally grant me my full powers? Only time would tell.
****
THE PHYSICAL TENSION only intensified with each meeting. Trying to control my sexual awakening around Darce was becoming a losing game. It didn’t help that I was starting to sense his desire for me. I wasn’t imagining it, I was sure of it.
“Why do I feel desired by you?” I asked at training.
“Stop flattering yourself,” Darce snorted.
“You want me!” I breathed inches from his mouth.
Somehow, I had pinned him to the ground and was straddling his waist. We had been sparring for hours.
I had purposely chosen an extremely revealing outfit to train in.
During the last few months, I had convinced myself to confront him about his long gazes on my body.
Watching him try to regain his composure when he saw me earlier was all the evidence I needed.
“You really think too highly of yourself, Alora.” Shaking his head, he gazed up at me, placing his hands on my waist. The simple touch made my breath hitch.
“You are denying it? I see the way you watch me.”
“I gaze at you as I would any other female that decided to wear these small scraps of material while I was training her.” He pulled gently on the short, fitted white dress I was wearing.
“Do you not have fighting leathers? Although, I am impressed you finally toppled me to the floor.” I pushed at his chest, moaning at how solid he felt under my hands.
“You still let your frustration control you. When you are in combat, you have to let all that go. It can get you killed.” Darce always talked of fighting and battles as if he’d been in them his whole life, but he looked so young.
It dawned on me that I had no idea how old he was.
He can’t have been much older than me. Noxlin grew older much faster than my race because of the way they chose to live.
“How old are you?” I asked, groaning as I felt him shift underneath me. Darce closed his eyes, his mouth parted slightly as he dug his fingers painfully into my waist, holding me against him. I could feel my core begin to heat as something stirred beneath me. Was that Darce?
“You mean how many battles have I fought in?” he finally countered, opening his eyes again.
I nodded, gazing down at him. Mother of Mercy, he could take my breath away with one look.
“I’m over three thousand years old.” No!
He couldn’t be that old! Had that been another lie from my race? Noxlin must age the same as us.
“You’re twice my age!” I gasped, moving off him. “You look so...young.”
“Holy Ether, were you not educated about my kind at all? You and I may be of a different race, but we look and age the same!”
“I was taught all I needed to know about your race!” I seethed, pulling my dress down. Not that it could be pulled far.
“And what was that?” Darce questioned, getting up and dusting his black leathers off.
“That Dylin are superior beings to you.”
“A Dylin would say that.” He chuckled darkly. “You know nothing of my kind, Alora. Nothing.”
“Let’s leave it that way, then!” We glared at each other for a few short moments, both our chests rising quickly from exasperation at each other. This male infuriated me, and yet my body was burning for him. “Did you come to train or argue with me?”
“Train!” I spat, getting into my stance again, ready to make my move.
“Out of curiosity,” Darce tilted his head, his eyes dropping to my dress, “did you wear this to get my attention? I only ask because that would suggest you want me.” Letting out a loud laugh, I tried to ignore his comment.
“You’re blushing, Alora. If we’re talking about how we watch each other, don’t think that I haven’t noticed how you gaze at me.
I noticed how your breath catches when I touch your bare skin.
Are you attracted to a barbaric Noxlin?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Darce gave me a confused look so I continued, playing the naive, young female role.
It was the only way to get him off the scent.
“My sexual awakening hasn’t occurred yet.
I’m not sure if it’s linked to my powers.
My breath catching is because you have this talent of infuriating me just by breathing! ” That got a chuckle from him.
“Do you have any idea what desire feels like?” Shaking my head, I looked down at the floor. I wasn’t going to get lost in the depths of his eyes. “When do females of your kind usually reach sexual awakening?”
“Around a thousand years usually.”
“If I’m twice your age, that makes you one thousand and five hundred years old.
Mmm...you’re a little behind. Do we need to visit your fake sacred mountain again?
Maybe Holy Ether will pity you.” As I hit his chest, Darce grabbed my arm and pulled me closer.
“How does this feel?” My mouth parted as he gently touched the side of my face, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. “Any sensation at all?”
“It tickles a little,” I lied. My entire body was ablaze with emotions. The yearning deep in the pit of my stomach was bubbling to the surface. It took all my strength not to reach out and touch his face.
“What about this?” Darce traced my mouth with his thumb. Closing my eyes, I focused on the feeling of him touching me. Biting my bottom lip, I fluttered my eyes open in time to see him press his lips against my own.
I gasped into his mouth. My eyes instantly closed as I drowned in the taste of him.
The rich, midnight scent invaded my senses.
I opened my mouth to welcome his tongue brushing against mine.
Darce groaned, backing me up against a tree.
His fingers tangled into my hair, tugging gently as he deepened the kiss.
My arms were limp at my sides. I was too focused on his mouth against mine and making sure my rhythm was matching his.
As we continued to kiss, I felt his other hand glide towards my chest. I moaned into his mouth as his hand stopped over my heart.
Time stopped. I had no idea how long we stayed that way, kissing and exploring each other’s mouths, but when Darce finally broke away, I felt as if a piece of myself was missing.
“Y...yo...you...that...” I had no words, and when I gazed up at him, he was smirking at me.
“I’m no expert on Dylin females, but I think your sexual awakening just happened.” No! He did all that to trick me?
“You fucking prick!” I yelled, pushing at his chest. To my surprise, Darce actually moved.
“A first kiss actually means something to my kind! How dare you take that from me!” His face dropped at my outburst. “I’m done with the training today!
” Grabbing my belongings, I called for Loki and Enyo. They weren’t too far away.
“Alora, wait!” Darce grabbed my wrist but I pulled away, scowling at him. My arms began to glow bright. “I didn’t know that was your first kiss. That was idiotic of me. I’m sorry.”
“I thought we were friends. After all these years, I honestly believed there was some good in you.” Walking into the cave entrance, I took one last look at him. At this moment, I was unsure if I’d ever return. If he could so easily play with my affections, how could I trust him?
“Alora, it was one kiss. You’re overreacting,” he called after me.
“This isn’t about the kiss. You tricked me. These are the mind games I was warned of about your kind when I was a child.”
“Alora, please. Can we talk about this?” Darce pleaded, but I was already inside the cave. I had nothing left to say to him. My mind was in pieces, as was my heart.
He felt nothing for me, that much was clear. Where did that leave my feelings for him? How could we possibly continue the training now?
Darce had ruined it with his games.