CHAPTER 176: CUM CLOSER

The sight of his bloodied back was enough to feel even more guilty than she already felt, especially since she knew that it was because of her.

The streaks of crimson that painted his pale skin looked raw and unforgiving, deep gashes tearing across the width of his back like a cruel punishment carved in flesh.

Each step he took left a trail of smeared blood, dark and sticky on the polished floors. Aria’s breath caught in her throat as she stared, her stomach twisting with something between horror and shame.

’Are you getting soft, Aria? He’ll heal! You should be happy that he’s in pain no matter how grievous his wounds look,’ Aria thought to herself, angrily brushing the guilt from her thoughts even as it lingered like a phantom clawing at her chest. Her footsteps were tentative as she followed him up the stairs, her gaze mostly on the back of his head but occasionally flickering to the ruined skin that still bled beneath the fabric.

The silence between them was almost heavy. She didn’t know what she would say even if she dared speak. She just kept moving, step after step, up the winding staircase. Her fingers gripped the rail harder than necessary, as though grounding herself would keep the storm inside her from spilling out.

It wasn’t until he entered the room and she followed him in, closing the door behind her with a soft click, that she finally spoke.

"You need to drink..." she began, only to freeze mid-sentence. Her mouth remained open, but no words came out.

Before she could say another word, she saw the skin on his back slowly meld together at speeds that her eyes could hardly follow. One moment it was torn and drenched in blood, and the next it was shifting—healing—with a smoothness that looked entirely unnatural. It was so fast that it almost seemed like she was in a dream. Her breath hitched audibly, disbelief flickering in her wide eyes.

Her eyes widened in complete and utter shock even as she watched him go ahead and take off the tattered coat and shirt he had on. The slow, deliberate movements of his arms only highlighted the power beneath them, and despite herself, Aria couldn’t look away. The fabric peeled away from his body in tatters, revealing pale skin that shimmered beneath the dim lighting like carved marble.

By the time he had taken it off, his skin had returned back to its smooth and pale parlour, leaving nothing else but blood-stains in its wake. Not a single cut. Not a single trace of pain or weakness.

Aria was shocked to watch his skin slowly knit together—so much so that by the time his upper body was completely naked, she was stunned to realize that his injuries were completely gone.

It might as well have been instantaneous, which instantly sent her mind whirling as she realized that if Zyren could heal himself the second they got into the room, then what stopped him from doing it the second it happened? Why had he let her see the aftermath at all?

A cold realization bloomed in her chest.

Aria was so stunned that for a full moment, she could do nothing but watch him. Zyren, on the other hand, simply flexed his lean and muscular arms as he turned around to face her, seemingly unfazed by the disbelief and anger etched onto her face.

Speaking as he completely ignored the confused look Aria still had on her face.

"You’re going ahead with the ritual!" he said in a way that showed that it wasn’t a matter of him asking, to which Aria refused to respond, even though it was already clear that the fact that she was still standing there meant she had somewhat agreed.

"Come closer!" he beckoned her closer, but Aria didn’t so much as lift a toe, her expression smoothing into a mask of restraint as she looked at Zyren in a new light. One lined with wariness. One drenched in betrayal.

Instead of responding to him, she asked a different question of her own.

"You were aware! You heard what Jared said!" she told him, this time not phrasing it like a question. Her voice carried certainty and bitterness. To which she got a shrug in response.

"I was lying unconscious on the ground!" he responded.

He was right. Aria had been the one to assume. But it didn’t make her any less mad as she fixed her gaze on him, looking directly into his eyes as she spoke next.

"It might not be now because I’m weak! It might not even be anytime soon...but one day I will kill you!" she swore at him, even as tears filled her eyes. Her fists clenched at her sides, shaking.

"I will make you wish you were dead!" she promised him, even more angry about the tears of anger that filled her eyes the more she looked at him. She hated that he could make her cry. Hated the power he seemed to hold over her without even trying.

But instead of responding to her, Zyren simply moved closer and walked toward her until he was standing right in front of her. His presence was suffocating, like a storm closing in.

Aria instantly took a step to distance herself from him, only to frown as she felt his arms wrap around her waist strongly enough to be aware that she couldn’t break away from his hold unless he wanted her to. The air left her lungs in a quiet gasp as his chest pressed against hers.

His voice was low and softer, but there was a subtle tense edge to it that made her want to pull away from him even more than before.

"Okay!" he said in a way that sounded more like he whispered it, even as he grabbed her jaw and lowered his head until they were staring into each other’s eyes.

Her breath fanned against his face, even as she felt him lean even closer than before. At this point, Aria pushed, but she might as well have been pushing against a brick wall. Her palms pressed into his chest, but he didn’t budge an inch.

It was even more grating when the feel of his lips against hers was softer than she remembered them. They brushed over hers gently, a contrast to the fire he always seemed to radiate.

But this time around, Aria was fully aware, and she didn’t so much as move to react, even though she could feel the disappointment of the lips against hers—even as they shifted to the side of her neck, leaving trails of kisses there.

Aria simply rolled her eyes, even as she made sure to ensure that her heart didn’t pound any louder than it already was at Zyren’s closeness to her.

She could still smell the blood on him—something she wasn’t sure whether or not it was his blood or the monster’s blood. But at that point, it didn’t seem to matter. Not when he went ahead to kiss the side of her neck, sliding his fangs against her bare skin just short of drawing blood.

At this point, her heart might as well have been a drum with how loud it thundered. She couldn’t move back, but even then, she could suddenly feel the change of aura around Zyren.

At first, there had been nothing—but the second he pulled away to grab her face and kiss her the second time, she could feel the hunger in his kiss.

It was one that made her gasp for breath as she felt a tinge of pleasure as his lips crashed into hers, taking more than she was willing to give. Her pulse skipped erratically. Her knees nearly buckled.

Aria’s face was stunned, but what was even more surprising was when her legs left the floor the very next second—to her complete and utter shock.

Feeling his arm hold her up in the air, even as his lips didn’t stop moving even for the slightest of seconds, left her breathless. Her hands instinctively clung to his shoulders, though she hated the way it made her feel dependent on him.

At this point, Aria still refused to kiss him back—even as she felt him push his tongue in, just as he dropped her on the bed in a way that made her gasp out in shock. The mattress bounced beneath her, her gown pooling awkwardly around her thighs.

Exploring her mouth was the beginning, even as his tongue wrapped fiercely around her own in a way that made her legs shiver. A frown tugged at her face as she wondered why she would so much as feel anything but disgust.

The heat was something she hadn’t experienced since then—but regardless, there was an excitement that flooded her body. Almost like she knew what was to come, and it wanted it. Her skin prickled, her breathing shallow and sharp.

It didn’t help that Zyren didn’t give her any moment to think, even as she felt him lift her gown all the way to her waist, baring her legs to him in a way that made her want to close them—but couldn’t. Not with him kneeling between them.

"I’m not having anything with..." Aria managed to say, just as Zyren drew back, only to watch him nod his head as he responded.

"I’m not going to do anything you don’t want!" he told her even as Aira felt a shiver down her spine ss she felt him put his hands under her thigh and continue to speak.