𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐎 𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 - 𝟏𝟖+

T H I R T Y

K E I R A

Chicago, USA

A whimper escaped my lips when I forced my eyes open. I nearly collapsed because of the pain in my arms and spine; however, the binding kept me standing. It didn't take long for the memories to come back to me, and the moment they did, I looked around me, frantically searching for Nikolai. I exhaled when I saw him standing next to me, his hands tied above him the same way mine were. Except his head was hanging, and his hair was stuck to his head from what I assumed was blood. If only I was oblivious to the panic poisoning my veins, then perhaps I would've remembered to think and masked my transparency. However, the terror was no longer merely threaded with my heart; it bombarded my brain until the only thing I could see was the scarlet on his shirt.

Hissing, I struggled against my bindings and only stopped when the burning on my wrist became impossible to ignore. I focused on my breathing and looked around the place, not surprised in the least to find it empty and dark. The small bulb on top of us was the only source of light, and from the dusty floors, I could only assume that it was some sort of a warehouse.

When I'd realized that it was a futile endeavor to try and fight these bindings, I looked for a way to loosen them so I could drag myself across the bar, closer to Nikolai. I pushed my arms forward, fisting my hands as I tried to move the rope forward. My neck hurt from looking above me, and the pain in my wrist intensified as the rope chafed against my skin. After trying for what seemed like hours, I was finally next to Nikolai, and I nudged his leg with my foot.

"Nikolai," I whispered, dying to touch him, but the bindings on my hand kept me in place. "Niko," I hit his calf as gently as I could, and if it wasn't for the constant rise and fall of his chest letting me know that he was indeed okay, I didn't think I would've survived.

"Nikolai...." Salt became the only taste on my tongue as I kept on whispering his name, "Niko, please, open your eyes."

My blood was running cold, and running out of options and determination, I did the only thing that would ensure that the boiling rage in my body would just leave. I screamed out his name. It was like my aching muscles, and burning heart had finally just let go. My throat was hoarse from screaming his name, and I could feel the tears rolling down my face. Now, the only thing I could manage was helpless murmurs.

My eyes were drooping, the tiredness catching up to me, and almost when I was unconscious, Nikolai groaned, and my eyes shot open. Tears pooled out of my eyes when he lifted his head, his cloudy gaze settling on mine, and I jerked my hands forward, hissing in pain as the rope dug into my skin. Our feets touched, and our gazes found each other before he grimaced,

"You shouldn't have done that," He tilted his head towards my hands, his eyes narrowed as he flexed his fingers. "Don't look at me like that, little wolf; it looks worse than it is."

"Shut up, Niko." Our noses touched, and I itched to touch his lips with mine, but I held myself back, "I—"

Except I didn't get a chance to finish what I'd wanted to say, my words stolen by Nikolai's lips on mine. He pressed his lips against mine, and when he bit into my lower lip, I opened, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Our tongues tangled, and my fingers came alive like lightning in the stormy sky, and I moaned into his mouth. Nikolai's beard scratched my chin, and the heady feeling of his taste on my tongue was enough to replace the foreboding awareness in my blood with numbing anticipation. As his lips stole away my breaths, I felt the air returning to my lungs.

Our lips were locked, and our hands were tied above our heads, but in his kiss, I could've drowned and come back alive a million times without a complaint ever leaving my lips. Nikolai touched his forehead with mine, his grey eyes whispering secrets that I knew he didn't want me to know yet.