Serpentine Desires

The prey

Ivan drove in silence and the low hum of the engine was the only sound filling the space between us.

I stared out of the window, watching the city blur by, my thoughts just as chaotic. The conversation with Lucius played on a loop in my head, each word tightening the knot in my stomach. What had I done? Was I really trading one devil for another?

I could feel Ivan's presence beside me. Now and then, I'd catch him glancing at me, like he wanted to say something but was holding back. My hands trembled in my lap, and I clasped them together, hoping to steady myself.

"You're quiet," Ivan finally broke the silence, his voice soft, hesitant.

I didn't look at him. "What am I supposed to say?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know Lucius can be... intimidating. But you don't need to be afraid of him."

I scoffed. "Intimidating? He's playing a game with my life. How am I supposed to feel?"

Ivan's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "He wouldn't hurt you, Seraphina. You don't have to be afraid of him. He's a law-abiding citizen. You've seen what our world is like, but Lucius is nothing like Judas."

"Why?" I turned to him. "Why wouldn't he hurt me? It's not like I mean anything to him."

His jaw clenched, green eyes narrowed and his knuckles turning white against the steering wheel. I thought he wouldn't answer for a moment, but then he spoke, his voice low and rough. "Because I love you."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat, my pulse quickening. "What are you saying? You can't... be in love with me."

"I can't help it," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "But I am."

"No," I shook my head, panic rising in my chest. "Please, don't. I don't... I don't love you, Ivan."

He didn't flinch, didn't even look at me. "I know. But I can wait. I'll wait forever if I have to. And I'll do everything in my power to get you out of Judas's clutches. You don't deserve this, Sera. You're too kind, too good. You don't deserve this hell."

His words felt like knives, cutting through the confusion swirling inside me. I stared at him, my chest tight, my mind racing. How could he say that? How could he love me when I was a mess, when I was caught between two devils, drowning in lies and fear?

"Ivan, you don't know what you're saying. This isn't—"

"I know what he's capable of, Seraphina," he cut me off, his voice hard. "I've seen it. I know what he did to my sister."

His sister. My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat. I remembered Lucius's words, the horror in his eyes when he spoke about his little sister. "Your sister... Did he really..."

"Yes," Ivan said quietly. "He did. And if you don't believe me, I can show you the autopsy reports."

I couldn't breathe. My fingers dug into my palms as I tried to process everything, trying to understand what was happening, but my thoughts were a jumbled mess. Ivan's words, Lucius's threats, Judas's cold gaze—they all blurred together, suffocating me.

Ivan reached over, his hand covering mine, warm and steady. "You believe me, right?"

"I... I don't know..." The words slipped out before I could stop them, my voice trembling. I didn't know what to believe anymore. Everything felt wrong, twisted.

And then, before I could react before I could even process what was happening, Ivan leaned toward me, his lips brushing against mine.

It was brief. A moment. A flash of warmth and pressure, and then it was gone. I jerked back, my heart slamming against my ribs, shock rippling through me.