The Dawn

X Chapter Twenty Five X

Him.

The air in the study was thick with the scent of burning candles and the faint traces of Elara's lingering presence. She had left moments ago, after another grueling session of trying to master her powers, but Kaelith remained rooted in place, his thoughts spiraling in a direction that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

He shouldn't be thinking about her like this.

Not when they were surrounded by danger, not when the weight of their pasts was heavy on their shoulders. But every time he looked at her, saw the determination in her eyes, the way her hair clung to her neck in the heat of their training, the way her lips parted as she gasped for breath, he found himself slipping deeper into a dangerous place.

She was beautiful. He had always known that, of course, but now... now it was more than just an idle observation. Now, the sight of her did things to him, stirred something dark and unholy within him that he had tried, and failed, to suppress.

His gaze had lingered too long on the curve of her neck, the way her chest rose and fell with each labored breath, and the memory of her in his arms, of the way her body had felt pressed against his, was seared into his mind. It was wrong. It was reckless. But it was all he could think about.

Kaelith swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry as his thoughts drifted further into forbidden territory. He could still feel the heat of her skin, the way her body had responded to his touch, and the memory of her lips against his was enough to send a rush of blood straight to his core.

He was losing control, and he knew it.

His hand clenched into a fist at his side, the tension in his body coiling tighter with each passing second. He needed to get a grip, to focus on the task at hand, but the more he tried to push the thoughts away, the more insistent they became. Images of her, of what he wanted to do to her, flashed through his mind, and before he knew it, his body was reacting in a way that left him aching and hard, the pressure building until it was almost unbearable.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, his voice rough with frustration as he turned on his heel and stalked out of the study, heading straight for the nearest bathroom.

He shut the door behind him, leaning back against the cool wood as he closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. He needed relief, and he needed it now.

His hand slipped down to his throbbing member, and he groaned softly as he began to stroke himself, the sensation both a curse and a blessing as he sought to ease the unbearable tension. His mind was filled with images of her, of her lips, her skin, her body, and he let himself sink into the fantasy, the heat of desire and lust consuming him as he moved faster, his breath coming in harsh, ragged gasps.

He could almost hear her voice, soft and breathy, calling out his name as he imagined her beneath him, her body arching into his touch, her skin slick with sweat as he took her apart, piece by piece. The thought was intoxicating, overwhelming, and it wasn't long before he felt the familiar build of pressure deep within, the sensation driving him closer and closer to the edge.

His grip tightened as he imagined her lips on him, the warmth of her mouth, the way she would look at him with those dark, hungry eyes, and with one final stroke, he came hard, his body convulsing with the force of his release as he spilled himself into his hand, the sensation leaving him trembling and breathless.

For a moment, he stood there, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself, the rush of pleasure slowly ebbing away, leaving behind only the sharp sting of guilt. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have allowed himself to think of her like that, to give in to his baser instincts. But now, with the clarity that followed release, he knew that there was no going back.

He was in too deep. She was becoming more than just a means to an end, more than just someone he needed to protect. She was becoming an obsession, a temptation that he wasn't sure he could resist.

And that was dangerous. For both of them.

Kaelith wiped his hand clean and washed it in the basin, the cool water doing little to soothe the fire that still burned within him.

He took a moment to compose himself, to push the lingering thoughts of her from his mind, and when he finally stepped out of the bathroom, he was once again the cold, controlled prince that everyone expected him to be.

But as he walked down the hallway, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to her, and he knew that this was only the beginning.

The desire he felt for her was a beast that wouldn't be tamed, and the more he tried to fight it, the stronger it became.

He was playing a dangerous game, one that could very well destroy them both. But as much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew one thing for certain: he wanted her. And that want, that need, was something he couldn't deny.