The Siege of Shadows: Book one

Building Tensions (43)*

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Kael froze. He leaned back, the chair scraping against the floor as he whispered, "Someone's here."

Before I could react, he hooked his foot under the small table, sliding it back just enough to grab my arm and pull me under. I let out a startled squeak as I tumbled between his legs, the ties of his pants brushing against my hand.

"Kael!" I hissed, my face heating as I realized just how close I was. My  hands accidentally brushed against him, and I heard his breath hitch.

"Sorry," he muttered, his face red beneath his helmet.

The footsteps drew closer, and Kael's hand tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as he let out a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Just like that, pet," he said loudly, his voice thick with mock desire.

My heart pounded, mortification flooding me as the footsteps faltered. I chanced a glance toward the door and saw a gangly fae with short, pointed ears. The man's eyes widened as he took in the scene, the stack of books slipping from his hands and tumbling to the floor.

"S-Sorry, sire!" the fae stammered, backing away quickly. "I didn't realize—"

"Next time, knock," Kael barked, his voice gruff.

The fae nodded frantically and fled, the door slamming shut behind him. Kael let out a long breath, his grip on my hair relaxing. He tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"As fake as this is," he said, his voice low and husky, "I'll admit... I do like the view of you between my legs."

My face burned, and I shoved his hands away, my fury outweighing my embarrassment. "Pig."

Kael chuckled, the sound deep and genuine. "Ah, but you're so lovely when you're angry."

I glared at him, but the corner of my mouth twitched. "Let's just get back to work before someone else walks in."

I quickly turned back to the books, hoping to escape the tension in the air, but my skin still felt hot where Kael had touched me. The faint echoes of the fae's hurried retreat still rang in my ears, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were playing a dangerous game.

I scanned the pages of the book in front of me, trying to focus, but all I could think about was how close he'd been, how it felt to be caught in that moment. The weight of his gaze lingered on me, but I refused to look up. I couldn't afford to let him distract me again.

Kael's presence was impossible to ignore, though. Even as he bent over the pages of another book, I could feel his attention on me like a steady pressure. His silence only made it worse—he was waiting for me to say something, or maybe he was just enjoying the quiet tension that stretched between us.

I had to break it.

"Are you actually going to help me find anything?" I muttered, flipping through another book that didn't seem to have anything of interest. "Or are you just going to keep making inappropriate comments?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, I felt the shift in the air, the subtle tension in his posture that told me he was trying to rein himself in. When he did speak, it was quieter, more measured. "I'm trying to help. You're not the only one in this room looking for answers."

I paused, looking over at him. His expression was darker now, more focused. "Then what's stopping you from actually reading instead of... staring at me?"

He glanced up briefly, and for a split second, I saw something there—something unreadable. But just as quickly, he masked it. "Maybe I'm trying not to scare you off with too much help. You seem like you'd prefer to do this on your own."