Butterfly TheStoryteller

TITLE: BLOOD PRISONER 🩸🖤 (Part 11)
Elijah pushed himself away from the pillar.
“You have ten minutes.”
“For what?”
“To stop standing here dripping water everywhere.”
Kathryn gasped dramatically.
“You are unbelievably rude.”

“And you are unbelievably difficult.”
A grin tugged faintly at her lips despite herself.
Elijah noticed.
And for one dangerous second, he almost smiled back.

The car cut smoothly through the rain-soaked streets, black tires hissing softly against wet asphalt.

Inside, the atmosphere was warm.
Quiet.
Dangerously intimate.

Kathryn sat beside Elijah in the backseat, knees pulled slightly toward herself while city lights flashed across the tinted windows beside her in blurred streaks of gold and silver.

For the first time since arriving at the estate,

she was seeing the outside world again.

People crossed sidewalks beneath umbrellas. Restaurants glowed warmly behind glass windows. Music pulsed faintly from somewhere down the street as traffic moved endlessly through the city.

Normal life.

The sight of it made something ache unexpectedly inside her chest.

Beside her, Elijah remained silent.

One arm rested lazily against the door while the other tapped faintly against his knee, his dark gaze fixed ahead like he was trying very hard not to notice her existence beside him.

Which was almost funny considering the bond kept betraying both of them every five seconds.

Kathryn glanced sideways at him.

Black coat. Dark hair slightly messy from earlier. Silver watch resting against his wrist. Expression unreadable as always.

He looked less like some cursed immortal creature right now and more like.... Human

A very expensive problem, but still human.

“You’re staring again,” Elijah said calmly.

Kathryn blinked immediately.
“I was not.”

“You were.”

“I was thinking.”

“That is usually worse.”

Kathryn rolled her eyes softly and looked back out the window.
“You’re annoyingly observant.”

“And you are painfully obvious.”

She turned toward him immediately.
“Excuse me?”

A faint flicker of amusement crossed his face. Barely there. Gone instantly.

Kathryn narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“You almost smiled again.”

“I did not.”

“You keep lying about that.”

“I simply dislike your definition of smiling.”

Kathryn scoffed softly beneath her breath.

He turned onto another street, and suddenly the city around them changed.

The buildings grew taller. Cleaner. Glass towers stretched endlessly into the dark sky while rain reflected silver against the roads below.

Kathryn stared quietly for a moment.

Then slowly,

“How rich are you exactly?”

Elijah finally looked at her properly.

“…That is your question?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting priorities.”

Kathryn folded her arms.
“You own an immortal death mansion and apparently a penthouse in the city.”

Something dangerously close to another smile touched his mouth.

“You are adjusting surprisingly well.”

“I’m coping through sarcasm.”

“I noticed.”

Kathryn looked away again, hiding the tiny smile threatening her mouth.

Silence settled briefly between them.

But softer now.

Not hostile.
Not afraid.

Just… strange.

The bond pulsed faintly again between them.

Warm.
Subtle.

Elijah felt it instantly. She saw the way his fingers flexed once against his knee.

Kathryn hesitated slightly before speaking quieter this time.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You usually do regardless.”

She ignored that.

“How old are you really?”

That made him pause.

Outside, rain continued sliding across the windows while city lights painted shifting shadows across his face.

Then calmly,

“I stopped counting after the first few centuries.”

Kathryn stared at him.

“…That is the most insane sentence I’ve ever heard.”

“It becomes less exciting over time.”

“How are you this emotionally stable?”

“I am not.”

The answer came too fast.
Too honest.

Kathryn blinked softly.

Elijah seemed to realize what he said immediately because his expression flattened again.

But the damage was already done.

For the first time,

she saw it clearly.

Not the immortal.
Not the ruler.
Not the terrifying creature tied to her soul.

Just someone tired.

Someone who had survived too long.

The realization hit unexpectedly hard.

Kathryn looked away slowly.

And the bond reacted again.

This time softer.

Sadness brushed through it faintly before disappearing.

Elijah noticed immediately.

“You pity me now?” he asked quietly.

Kathryn frowned.
“No.”

“You should not.”

“I said I don’t.”

His gaze lingered on her for a second longer before shifting away again.

The city lights reflected briefly in his eyes.

Beautiful.
Cold.
Lonely.

Then suddenly,

the car slowed.

Kathryn looked up toward the massive glass building rising before them.

Her eyes widened instantly.

The building was enormous.

Silver lights glowed against dark glass while security gates opened automatically at their arrival.

“…That is your penthouse?”

Elijah glanced outside casually.
“Yes.”

Kathryn looked at him in disbelief.
“You live like a divorced billionaire vampire.”

He scoffed softly beneath his breath.

“Divorced billionaire vampire,” Elijah repeated as he stepped out of the car. “That is a new one.”

Kathryn smiled faintly to herself as she followed him out beneath the rain-covered entrance.

Cold air brushed against her skin, carrying the scent of rain and the city. Above them, the building stretched endlessly into the dark sky, silver glass glowing beneath white lights.

It looked untouchable.

Elijah barely glanced at it as he walked forward, one hand sliding into the pocket of his coat.

Like luxury had stopped meaning anything to him a very long time ago.

Security opened the lobby doors immediately.

Warmth wrapped around them the second they stepped inside.

Black marble floors reflected the soft gold lighting overhead. Quiet instrumental music drifted faintly through the massive space while water trickled somewhere nearby from a stone fountain.

Everything here felt polished.
Modern.
Human.

And Elijah....

standing beneath those lights with rain still clinging faintly to his dark hair,
looked painfully normal here.

Not ancient.
Not cursed.

Just a man in an expensive black coat walking through a luxury building while checking something on his phone.

The thought unsettled Kathryn more than it should have.

The elevator doors slid open smoothly.

Elijah stepped inside first.

Kathryn followed.

The doors closed behind them quietly.

Silence settled again, broken only by the soft hum of the elevator rising upward.

Elijah leaned lightly against the side wall, scrolling through his phone with one hand while city lights flashed faintly across his face.

Kathryn looked at him quietly.

Really looked at him.

At the loosened collar near his throat.
The silver watch resting against his wrist.
The exhaustion hidden beneath all that control.

She felt it through the bond now.

Not physical exhaustion.

Something older.
Heavier.

Like he had been carrying the weight of survival for far too long.

And somehow,

that version of him felt far more dangerous than the monster she feared inside the estate.

Because this version made her forget to be afraid.

“You are staring again,” Elijah said calmly without looking up.

Kathryn blinked immediately and looked away.
“I am not.”

“You are becoming very bad at lying.”

Heat rushed faintly into her face.

Annoying.

She folded her arms quickly, focusing on the glowing elevator numbers instead.

The silence stretched.

Then,

she felt movement.

Kathryn looked up instinctively.

Elijah had pushed himself away from the wall.

Slowly.
Deliberately.

Her breath caught slightly as he stepped closer.

The elevator suddenly felt much smaller.

“Elijah......”

Another step.

The bond reacted instantly.

Warmth spread sharply through her chest, tightening painfully the closer he came.

Her back touched the elevator wall before she realized she had stepped backward.

Elijah stopped directly in front of her.

Too close.

Her heartbeat stumbled immediately.

Of course he heard it.

Those dark eyes stayed fixed on her face while one arm lifted beside her head, resting against the wall behind her.

Not touching her.

But trapping her there anyway.

Kathryn swallowed hard.

“Why…” she started softly before her voice betrayed her completely. “What are you doing?”

Elijah said nothing at first.

And somehow that was worse.

The elevator continued rising quietly around them while tension thickened painfully in the small space.

His gaze dropped briefly toward her mouth.

The bond pulsed violently.

Warm.
Heavy.
Pulling.

God.

She could barely breathe this close to him.

“You keep looking at me like you are trying to understand something,” Elijah said quietly.

His voice sounded rougher now.
Lower around the edges.

Kathryn’s fingers tightened slightly against her sleeves.

“Maybe I am.”

Elijah tilted his head faintly.

“And what have you discovered?”

Her heart slammed harder.

Because the answer felt dangerous.

Because lately every time she looked at him,

the lines between fear and something else blurred more.

Kathryn forced herself to hold his gaze.

“That you pretend not to feel things you very obviously feel.”

Something shifted in Elijah’s expression.

Small.

But real.

The bond tightened sharply between them again.

Kathryn could feel it now whenever he lost control for even a second.

And right now

he was dangerously close.

“You should stop doing that,” he murmured.

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like you understand me.”

The words landed softly between them.

But the loneliness beneath them didn’t.

Kathryn’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

“I can feel you,” she whispered before she could stop herself. “I understand more than you think.”

Elijah’s jaw tightened immediately.

“No,” he said quietly. “Kathryn… you don’t.”

But the way he looked at her in that moment
like part of him wanted her to anyway

hurt far more than it should have.

The elevator slowed suddenly.

Neither of them moved.

The doors slid open softly behind him.

But for one suspended second

they stayed exactly where they were.

Too close.
Too aware.
Too tangled in something neither of them knew how to name yet.

Then Elijah stepped back first.

Of course he did.

Control settled over his expression almost instantly, though his eyes remained darker than before.

“Come,” he said quietly.

Kathryn followed him out into the penthouse floor.

The space was enormous.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the glowing city below while soft amber lights warmed the dark interior. Black shelves lined one wall beside modern artwork and bookshelves filled with things that actually looked lived in.

Unlike the estate
this place breathed.

It felt human.

A man in a charcoal suit stood near the dining area with several files spread across the table. He looked up immediately when Elijah entered.

Then paused briefly when he noticed Kathryn behind him.

Not shocked exactly.

Just… surprised.

Because apparently seeing Elijah with a woman was unusual enough to deserve a moment of silent confusion.

“Elijah,” the man greeted instead of sir. “The contracts from Zurich came in this morning.”

Elijah nodded once.
“Any issues?”

“Two board members are refusing the acquisition terms.”

“They will accept them by tomorrow.”

The man sighed softly like he had expected that answer already before handing over a stack of documents.

Kathryn stayed quiet while Elijah skimmed through the files with calm efficiency.

No hesitation.
No wasted movement.

It was strange watching him like this.

Here, he wasn’t some immortal creature hidden inside an ancient estate.

He looked exactly like what the world probably believed him to be—

a cold, impossibly wealthy CEO.

Nothing more.

“Elijah,” the man continued carefully, “the investors are asking if you’ll attend the conference personally this year.”

“No.”

“They expected that answer too.”

A faint flicker of dry amusement crossed Elijah’s face as he signed one of the documents.

Kathryn wandered slowly away while they continued discussing work.

Her attention drifted toward the interior instead.

The penthouse was beautiful in a quiet way.

Dark wood.
Black marble.
Soft lighting.

Minimal but expensive.

Large paintings lined the walls while shelves displayed old sculptures and antique pieces collected from places she couldn’t even name.

Then her gaze landed on a set of tall flower vases near the staircase.

They were stunning.

Black porcelain with silver detailing curling across the surface like smoke.

Kathryn stepped closer automatically.

“Those look terrifyingly expensive,” she muttered softly to herself.

She leaned slightly to inspect the silver detailing better
and accidentally brushed one of the vases with her sleeve.

It tilted immediately.

Kathryn’s eyes widened.

“Oh my God....”

But before it could hit the floor,

a hand caught it smoothly.

Effortlessly.

The vase steadied instantly beside her.

Kathryn froze.

Elijah stood directly behind her.

Too close again.

She hadn’t even heard him walk over.

His hand remained lightly against the vase beside hers while the warmth from his body pressed faintly against her back.

“You destroy things surprisingly often,” he murmured calmly.

Kathryn let out a breathless laugh.
“I barely touched it.”

“You nearly murdered a two-hundred-year-old vase.”

Her eyes widened immediately.
“That thing is older than my country.”

“Elaborate craftsmanship deserves respect.”

Kathryn turned slightly toward him.

Bad decision.

Because the movement only brought them closer.

Again.

The city lights spilled softly through the windows behind him while his gaze remained fixed on her face.

Not cold this time.

Just quiet.

And far too aware.

The bond pulsed again between them.

Slow.
Warm.

Kathryn suddenly became painfully conscious of how close his hand still was to hers against the vase.

How easy it would be to move.
To touch him.

Elijah felt it too.

She saw it in the slight tightening of his jaw.

Then behind them,

the other man cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Elijah,” he said carefully, pretending he had not just interrupted something. “I emailed the remaining reports already.”

The moment shattered instantly.

Elijah stepped back first.

Again.

“Good,” he said evenly without looking away from Kathryn immediately this time. “You can leave the rest for tomorrow.”

The man nodded quickly.

His eyes flickered once toward Kathryn again before he gathered the remaining files.

“Goodnight.”

Then he left.

Silence settled through the penthouse once more.

Kathryn looked around quietly before her gaze drifted upward toward the second floor of the penthouse.

“You have stairs inside your apartment,” she said softly.

Elijah slid both hands into his pockets.
“You sound offended by that.”

“I am.”

A faint breath of amusement escaped him.

Kathryn looked at him for a second longer before slowly moving toward the staircase.

And Elijah

despite himself

watched her go.

Kathryn moved slowly up the staircase, her fingers trailing lightly against the dark wooden railing as she looked around.

The second floor opened into an even larger space than she expected.

Soft lights glowed beneath the ceiling while enormous glass windows stretched across the walls, revealing the city below in endless rivers of gold and silver.

The rain still fell outside.

Gentle now.

The entire penthouse felt impossibly quiet compared to the estate.

No ancient silence pressing against her chest.
No feeling like unseen things were breathing inside the walls.

Just warmth.
Stillness.
Life.

Kathryn wandered farther down the hallway slowly, curiosity pulling her forward.

Then she stopped abruptly.

“Oh my God.”

Elijah looked up from downstairs at the sound in her voice.

And immediately knew she had found it.

Hidden behind a wall of glass at the far end of the penthouse was an indoor swimming pool.

Kathryn walked toward it instantly.

The water shimmered softly beneath dim blue lights while the city skyline reflected beautifully across the surface.

It looked unreal.

“You have an indoor pool?” she called back in disbelief.

Elijah appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later, one hand resting lazily in his pocket.

“You sound personally offended by my lifestyle again.”

Kathryn ignored him completely as she stepped closer to the glass wall surrounding the pool area.

“This is insane.”

The pool stretched along the entire side of the penthouse, surrounded by dark stone and soft lighting. Beyond it, the city glowed endlessly through the towering windows.

It felt less like a home and more like something from a movie.

“You literally have a sky pool.”

“Because I wanted it.”

Kathryn turned immediately.
“You are the most casually rich person I’ve ever met.”

A faint flicker of amusement crossed Elijah’s face again.

God.

Those almost-smiles were becoming dangerous.

Kathryn pushed open the glass door and stepped inside the pool area slowly.

Warm air wrapped around her instantly.

She walked toward the edge of the water, staring at the city lights reflecting across the surface.

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted quietly.

Elijah stayed near the doorway behind her.

Watching her.

Not the pool.

Her.

The bond stirred softly again.

Not painful this time.

Just warm.

Kathryn crouched slightly near the edge of the water, running her fingers absentmindedly across the surface.

Ripples spread quietly outward.

Then softer,

“My parents would love this view.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Silence followed immediately.

Elijah’s expression shifted almost too subtly to notice.

Kathryn looked down at the water.
“I wonder what they think happened to me.”

The warmth inside the bond dimmed instantly beneath the sadness pushing through her chest.

Elijah felt every bit of it.

Of course he did.

Kathryn laughed faintly under her breath, though there was nothing amused about it.

“My mom is probably losing her mind right now.”

Elijah’s jaw tightened slightly.

The thought had already crossed his mind before.

More than once.

Letting her see them again.

Even briefly.

But nothing involving Kathryn was simple anymore.

Not after the bond.
Not after the shard.

And definitely not after what had started moving beneath the surface lately.

His gaze shifted toward the city beyond the glass.

Toward the streets far below.

Dark.
Moving.
Watching.

“Elijah?”

Her voice pulled him back instantly.

Kathryn had turned toward him now, studying his expression carefully.

“You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Thinking in complete silence like a haunted Victorian man.”

A quiet breath of amusement escaped him despite himself.

But it vanished quickly.

“There are people searching for the shard,” Elijah said calmly. “And they are not searching because of power alone.”

Kathryn frowned slightly.
“But it bonded with us already. So why are they still looking for it?”

Elijah’s gaze held hers steadily.

“Because the shard is still alive inside us, Kathryn.”

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

Subtly.
But enough.

Elijah stepped farther into the room slowly.

“The estate hides you,” he continued evenly. “This city does not.”

Kathryn straightened fully now, her expression more serious.

“You think someone would come after me?”

“I know they will.”

The honesty in his voice made her chest tighten unexpectedly.

Elijah’s gaze remained fixed on her.

“Which means if I let you see your parents…” he said quietly, “I would have to guarantee nothing follows you there.”

Kathryn’s face softened instantly at the mention of them again.

For a second,

she looked younger somehow.

Not trapped.
Not terrified.

Just a girl who missed home.

The bond reacted sharply to that emotion.

Elijah felt it immediately.

The ache.
The longing.

And something inside his chest tightened in response before he could stop it.

Kathryn looked away toward the city lights again.

“I just want them to know I’m alive.”

Her voice came out softer this time.

Smaller.

Elijah watched her silently for a long moment.

Then slowly,

“I’ll think about it.”

Kathryn looked back at him immediately.

Hope flickered across her face so fast it nearly disappeared.

But Elijah saw it.

And somehow,

that expression affected him more than it should have.

The room fell quiet again.

Rain slid softly down the glass surrounding the pool while the city glowed endlessly below them.

Then Elijah spoke again.

“You enjoy swimming, don’t you?”

Kathryn looked at him immediately, surprised by the question.

Then her face lit up slightly as she nodded.
“Yes.”

Something about that small expression softened the atmosphere again.

“Can I?” she asked carefully.

Elijah glanced toward the water before looking back at her.

“Go ahead,” he said quietly. “We may as well stay here until tomorrow.”

Kathryn blinked.
“Seriously?”

“I have work downstairs.”

A small smile tugged at her lips immediately.

“Thank you.”

Elijah nodded once before turning toward the door.

But just before he stepped out

he paused.

Then looked back at her one last time.

And for a brief second

something unreadable passed through his eyes as he watched her standing there beside the glowing water and city lights.

Something dangerously close to peace.

Then he walked away.

And Kathryn hated how the room suddenly felt colder without him in it.

The water shimmered beneath soft blue lights, reflecting the storm outside in fractured silver patterns.

Beautiful.
Still.

For the first time in days, something inside Kathryn loosened slightly.

She slipped off her shoes near the edge first, then carefully stepped closer until her toes brushed the water.

Warm.

A surprised smile spread across her face instantly.

“Oh, this is insane.”

The city stretched endlessly beyond the glass walls while rain slid softly down the windows.

Everything felt distant up here.

The fear.
The confusion.
The impossible reality waiting for her downstairs.

For a few stolen seconds, she could almost pretend she was normal again.

Kathryn sat carefully at the edge of the pool and dipped her legs into the water slowly, inhaling sharply at the warmth wrapping around her skin.

A quiet sigh escaped her.

Then,

she felt a subtle pull inside her chest.

His emotions.

All at once.

Kathryn frowned faintly and looked instinctively toward the doorway behind her.

Empty.

But the feeling remained.

Like awareness sliding carefully across her skin.

Downstairs, Elijah stood motionless beside the dining table, one hand resting against the documents James had left behind.

Unread.

His attention had drifted minutes ago.

Because the bond kept feeding him pieces of her emotions whether he wanted it to or not.

Relief.
Curiosity.
A small spark of happiness the second she touched the water.

It settled somewhere dangerous beneath his ribs.

He should have left her at the estate.

Distance would have been safer.

Especially for her.

But having her closer to him was not helping either.

Feeling her this clearly

it was becoming a problem.

Elijah exhaled slowly and loosened the top button of his shirt, suddenly irritated by the unfamiliar tension tightening beneath his skin.

Upstairs, Kathryn slid farther into the pool carefully until warm water wrapped around her waist.

The silence around her felt peaceful now.

Not empty.

Just quiet enough for her thoughts to breathe.

She floated briefly onto her back, staring up at the ceiling lights reflecting softly across the water.

But after a while

her chest tightened faintly.

Waiting to see Elijah again.

Wondering what he was doing downstairs.

The realization should have alarmed her more than it did.

Without thinking, Kathryn moved toward the edge of the pool and pushed herself out slowly, water sliding down her skin in shimmering trails.

The penthouse air felt cooler instantly.

She glanced around briefly before spotting a nearby doorway left partially open.

Curiosity pulled her toward it.

Elijah’s room.

Kathryn hesitated only briefly before stepping inside.

The room looked exactly like him.

Dark.
Minimal.
Controlled.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the storm outside while soft amber lighting cast shadows across black shelves and dark wood walls.

Nothing looked messy.

Nothing looked accidental.

Her gaze drifted toward a black shirt folded carelessly over the back of a chair.

Carelessly for Elijah, anyway.

Kathryn stared at it for a second too long before finally picking it up.

It smelled faintly like him.

Clean.
Cold.
Dangerously comforting.

“This is probably a terrible idea,” she murmured softly to herself.

And still,

she slipped it on.

The fabric swallowed her instantly, the sleeves falling past her hands while the collar slipped slightly off one shoulder.

Warmth lingered faintly in the material.

And somehow that made the bond stir again.

Slow.
Heavy.

Kathryn swallowed hard before stepping back into the hallway.

“Elijah?” she called softly.

No answer.

She walked downstairs slowly, damp footprints disappearing behind her against the dark floor.

And then she saw him.

Standing near the massive windows overlooking the city.

Still dressed entirely in black.

One hand resting inside his pocket while the other held a glass that remained untouched beside him.

Rain reflected silver across the windows behind him.

At the sound of her footsteps, Elijah turned around slowly.

And immediately went still.

Because seeing her wearing his shirt was absolutely not helping.

At all.

Kathryn stopped halfway down the staircase, suddenly aware of how exposed she probably looked standing there in his clothes with damp hair falling loosely over her shoulders.

Elijah’s gaze moved over her once.

Only once.

But it was enough to send heat rushing violently through the bond between them.

God.

The air suddenly felt heavier.

Neither of them spoke.

The city lights flickered softly across the room while rain continued sliding down the glass outside.

Kathryn folded her arms instinctively beneath the oversized sleeves.

“I couldn’t find a towel,” she explained quietly.

Elijah stared at her for a second too long.

Then,

“You went into my room.”

Kathryn blinked.
“That is what you took from this?”

His jaw tightened faintly.

Which honestly answered her question.

A dangerous flicker of amusement crossed her face despite herself.

“You own half the city and that’s your concern?”

“My room is generally not somewhere people wander into casually.”

Kathryn tilted her head slightly.

“Am I in trouble?”

The words came out teasing.

Light.

But the nervousness underneath them slipped through the bond instantly.

Elijah felt it immediately.

And somehow, that affected him more than the teasing itself.

His gaze dropped briefly toward the shirt again.

His shirt.

On her.

The image was doing very dangerous things to his self-control.

“You should dry your hair before you freeze,” he said finally, voice lower now.

Kathryn frowned faintly.
“The pool room was warm.”

“You are still human.”

Something softened unexpectedly in the way he said it.

Not pity.
Not weakness.

Just… careful.

And somehow that felt far more intimate than if he had touched her.

Kathryn looked at him quietly.

Really looked at him.

At the tension hidden beneath his calm expression.
At the way his fingers tightened slightly around the untouched glass.

The bond pulsed again.

Warm.
Unsteady.

And suddenly she understood something dangerous.

Elijah was struggling too.

Not just with the shard.
Not just with protecting her.

With her.

The realization settled heavily between them.

Kathryn took another slow step downstairs.

Then another.

Elijah did not move.

But his gaze followed her the entire way.

Every instinct inside him told him to put distance between them immediately.

Instead, he stayed exactly where he was.

Which somehow felt worse.

Kathryn stopped only a few feet away from him now.

Too close again.

Always too close lately.

The city glowed endlessly behind him while thunder rolled softly somewhere in the distance.

“You keep looking at me like you want to say something,” Kathryn said quietly.

Elijah’s expression remained unreadable.

“That is because I usually do.”

“Then why don’t you?”

For one brief second, something dark flickered through his eyes.

Not anger.

Something far more dangerous.

Because the truth was, if Elijah started saying the things he had been thinking lately, he was not entirely sure he would stop.

The silence stretched between them.

Heavy.

Breathing.

The bond pulsed harder now, emotions slipping recklessly between them.

Want.
Tension.
Fear.

Kathryn’s heartbeat quickened immediately.

Elijah heard it.

Of course he did.

His gaze dropped briefly toward her mouth again before returning to her eyes.

And this time, he did not look away.

Kathryn swallowed hard.

“Elijah…”

Her voice came out softer than intended.

Almost fragile.

Something inside him snapped quietly at the sound of it.

He stepped closer.

Just one step.

But it was enough.

The warmth between them intensified instantly, sharp enough to steal the air from her lungs.

Kathryn’s back brushed lightly against the edge of the staircase railing.

Elijah stopped directly in front of her.

Too close.

Her pulse stumbled violently beneath her skin.

The bond reacted immediately.

Warm.
Heavy.
Pulling.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them seemed capable of it anymore.

“You should go back upstairs,” Elijah said quietly.

But his voice sounded rough now.
Like he did not believe his own words.

Kathryn looked up at him slowly.

“Do you want me to?”

Silence.

A dangerous silence.

Elijah’s jaw tightened hard enough for her to notice.

Then softly,

“No.”

The single word shattered something between them.

Kathryn felt it instantly.

The restraint.
The control.
The exhausting distance he kept forcing between them.

And suddenly she was tired of it too.

Her fingers tightened slightly against the sleeves of his shirt.

“Elijah…”

This time when she said his name,
it sounded different.

Softer.

Closer.

His composure broke first.

Barely.

But enough.

One hand lifted slowly toward her face before stopping near her jaw like he was giving himself one final chance to walk away.

He didn’t.

His fingers brushed her skin gently.

And God....

the bond reacted violently.

Warmth crashed through Kathryn’s chest so hard she inhaled sharply.

Elijah’s eyes darkened instantly at the sound.

Then slowly,

carefully, he leaned down.
Giving her time to stop him.
She didn’t.
Their lips met softly at first.

Tentative.
Almost cautious.

But the second the bond felt it, everything intensified.
Warmth flooded violently between them, sharp enough to make Kathryn’s knees weaken instantly.

Elijah made a low sound against her mouth that nearly destroyed what remained of her self-control.
One hand moved to her waist automatically, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened.

And suddenly, Nothing about it felt careful anymore

TBC 🖤🌙🩸🤭oh my God! they kissed!
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