Moonfire Academy (NaNoWriMo 2023)

Chapter Eight: Revelation

She should have pushed him away, not cupped his face and kissed him as she had the night they had spent together in the club. On the last day they had spent together, he had requested for both to reveal their identity. She had refused, afraid of who the man behind the mask could be. And now, she wished with all of her heart that she didn't know.

If she had known from the first day they met, she would have never dared to do the things she had. Her face burned, recalling having dropped to her knees, his fingers laced in her hair as she pleasured him. She had completely lost her mind. She should never have gone to that damn club solely to get revenge on Ashton. What the hell was she thinking?

As always, by the time the kiss ended, she was breathless, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. His eyes met her, deep pools of crimson. "It's you." He moved even closer, lowering his face to hers once more, but this time, she turned her face before their lips could touch, her heart aching.

"This changes nothing."

He rested his head against her temple. "Fate has played such a twisted game with me. We weren't even supposed to meet that day at the club."

"What do you mean?"

"Ezekiel was the one who wanted to go. I told him he was mad if he believed I would allow him to go alone." He smiled. "The bastard set me up so he could have a night of fun without me vexing him about--"

Her eyes narrowed. "So, Ezekiel was the one I was supposed to— " Her mouth squeezed shut. If it had been Ezekiel, yes, it would have been a bit awkward, but at least he had no connection to the royal family.

"Ezekiel set me up with our friend."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If I recall correctly, it didn't seem like anyone forced to be in that room."

A soothing laughter escaped his lips, which she rarely got to hear. "Well, I did attempt to leave the room, but I had no idea inside the club magic was useless. So, after slamming into a wall, I turned to leave the room, but that was when you walked in."

"And you could have easily left. Malakai, don't act as if Ezekiel forced you to be there—you're the prince. You could have easily ordered him to return to your lands."

He cupped her face, his eyes lingering on her lips. "I could have left, but something about you compelled me to stay."

She squinted her eyes at him. "Part of me feels like there's more to this."

When she noticed the shadows cast down by the branches of the tree thicken, her eyes widened. "Wait—" Her voice cut off when he kissed her again, but this time, someone yanked him away from her.

Before she could do anything, Ashton swung his hand and connected with Malakai's jaw. Malakai stumbled a moment before regaining his balance, his eyes turning obsidian. "You're testing my patience, wolf." He moved at the speed of light, grabbed Ashton by the neck, and hauled him as if he weighed nothing before slamming him hard against the floor, the flowers around them withering.

"Malakai, back off." Cressida snarled.

He raised his gaze to her, thin black-web patterns flickering around his eyes. "Ever since we arrived here, we've ignored all the looks, the verbal attacks--I'm growing sick of—"

"Mal, please," Renin jogged to a stop beside Cressida, along with Seraphina. "The wolf simply acted out of jealousy. Please, release him."

Seraphina waved her hand and the flowers around Malakai and Ashton sprung back to life, glimmering brighter than before. "You men should learn to control that anger of yours."

Malakai released Ashton and stood upright, his eyes shifting to Seraphina. "Stop using that magic of yours on me."

"Well, stop giving me a reason to. Learn to control that anger of yours. Are you not a prince? You shouldn't be lashing out at everyone around you. If your father behaved in such a manner, you'd be at war with everyone around the world."