𝐄𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐋 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

4

As I set the yacht to sail, my heart pounded in my chest. I had been with countless women in the past—beautiful, charming, captivating—but none of them ever made me feel this way. None of them had this effect on me.

With Akira, it was different. There was an undeniable peace when she was near me, an energy I hadn’t felt in years. But beneath that calmness, there was something else, something magnetic, pulling me toward her in a way I couldn’t explain.

I had lived long enough to know what attraction felt like, but this was something new, something I wasn’t prepared for. As a vampire with different powers, I had the most unfortunate one—my ability to attract women. It wasn’t something I asked for, but it was something I couldn’t escape. Women were drawn to me as if I were a magnet, their affections nearly impossible to ignore. They clung to me, seeking validation, attention, and affection.

If Xavier, my cousin, had the power to attract wealth and prosperity, I had the power to attract desire, but it was a complicated one. My connections with women were often shallow, fleeting, and they never lasted. They were drawn to my power, not the man I truly was.

Sometimes, I even wondered if I should have been named Eros instead of my older brother. I could almost joke about being some kind of God of Love. But it didn’t feel like love. Not real love, anyway.

And then there was Akira.

Was she like the others? Was she drawn to me because of my power? Part of me hoped not—hopes she wasn’t like the countless women who only saw me for what I could offer. But another part of me—if I was being honest with myself—was thankful for it. Because Akira was impossible to resist, and the thought of her pulling away from me, even if it were just because of my power, felt unbearable.

An hour passed before I decided it was time to stop the engine. We were now deep in the middle of the sea, surrounded only by the vast, dark waters and the soft hum of the yacht’s motors now silent. The peace of the open ocean felt strange, like it was allowing me a moment of clarity that I rarely had. I took in a breath and walked back toward the cozy living room where she sat.

Her posture was relaxed, but there was something in her eyes that made my chest tighten. She was watching me, and I couldn’t help but notice the way her legs were crossed, her posture confident yet open, as though she were waiting for me to make the next move.

I cleared my throat, trying to dispel the tension in the air. “Wine? Beer? Champagne?” I asked, offering the choice as casually as I could manage, though my voice betrayed a trace of uncertainty I wasn’t used to feeling.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze never leaving me. “Wine, please,” she answered, her tone cool and composed, but there was a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

I noticed the way she studied me, the way her eyes followed my every movement. There was something about her gaze—something that made my pulse quicken in ways I couldn’t understand. Her confidence, her composure—it both intrigued and disarmed me.

“Wine it is,” I muttered, turning toward the bar. I couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but there was something magnetic about her that had me feeling unsettled, yet completely captivated.

As I poured the wine, my thoughts raced. Was this attraction purely physical? Was it my power that had her so focused on me? Or was there something more? Something real? Part of me feared that if it was just my power, I would lose her just as quickly as I had with all the others. But another part of me—maybe the part that had been longing for something deeper—held on to a sliver of hope.

I brought the wine back to her, trying to keep my focus on the moment. I handed her the glass, our fingers brushing briefly, sending a surge of electricity through my body.

“Here you go,” I said, voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of tension.

She took the glass from me, her fingers lingering against mine for a second longer than necessary. Her eyes met mine, and I felt the weight of her gaze settle on me like an anchor.

“Thanks,” she said softly, taking a sip. Her gaze never left mine, and I could feel the connection growing, stretching between us, pulling tighter with every passing second.

I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. The questions, the uncertainty, the attraction—it was too much to bear.

“Akira,” I said, my voice quieter this time, more deliberate. “I need to know... are you feeling this too? This pull between us?”

She set the glass down on the table beside her and leaned back, her eyes thoughtful, almost as if she were trying to read me. I couldn’t decipher what she was thinking, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Are you?”

Her response came slowly, almost cautiously. “I think so,” she said, her voice low but steady. “But I also think there’s more to it, isn’t there? Something neither of us is saying.”

My pulse quickened at her words. I had always been good at reading people, but she... she was a challenge.
Her words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning, and in that moment, I realized she might be just as drawn to me as I was to her. But what did that mean? Was it the power? Or was it something deeper? Something real?

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. “Yeah,” I muttered, stepping closer. “There’s more. And I can’t ignore it any longer.”

As the yacht gently rocked on the sea, the night stretched on before us, full of possibilities. And for the first time in my life, I felt like I was standing on the edge of something worth the risk. Something worth exploring.