Word Count: 1833

~Mara

I sat on the edge of my bed for what felt like hours. I can't sleep.

It's a mixture of the heat in my room, and nerves bubbling in my stomach. Saying yes to Kace will forever be a terrible memory burned into my mind. The photos of my family around are doing my head in. Why can't I get them out of my head?

I stand, pacing the room for a few moments. Naturally, I am a curious person. And the need to leave this room right now is pressing. Just to explore, not necessarily to attempt some sort of escape.

Because I know I'll fail at that.

Building up some semblance of courage, I walk to the door to try it. To my surprise, it swings open, revealing that no one locked it.

I peer out, looking down the hallway. I expected to see Coen there, but the place is barren. This makes a wicked smile cross my features. Time to make my move.

Stalking down the hallway, I kept my footsteps as light as possible. It would be a real annoyance of someone was to find me here now. What surprises me the most though, is that the place is still, no sign of life to be seen of heard anywhere for miles.

Padding down the stairs, I look left and right. The coast is clear, so I respond by walking to the right. It leads me into darkness, the lights running lower as I walk further. The feeling is eerie.

The fact that I could possibly be caught at any moment brings me a feeling of exhilaration. I've never stepped out of line in my life, and this is the first risk I have ever dared taking.

I descend down two more flights of stairs. The first one was wooden and clean, basically sweeping me off my feet with every step. The next flight of stairs had one light illuminating it, and the steps were hard stone.

I should stop and walk back upstairs, go back to my room and sleep...But curiosity pulled me along like a dog in a leash. The more stairs I placed my bare feet on, the more my interest increased.

I paused. A strange sounds ascends up the hallway, making me shiver. The sound can only be described as a loud thud. Something is banging down there, like metal on metal. The sound makes my blood run cold. Makes lumps form on my skin.

I have to investigate.

Moving slower this time, with a lot more caution, I make my way toward the sound. It gets louder as I plummet further down. By the time I'm at the foot of the stairs, the sound is threatening to burst my ear drums.

Down here the temperature is a lot higher. I can feel sweat already forming on my forehead. I pull my hair off my face, and kept moving. What I'm about to find down here is still unknown to me.

Passing by a few door-which rooms I looked into-I notice the sound is sourced from the back of the hallway.

A partially open door entices me closer. Someone is in there, banging things around.

Biting my lip, I creep closer on my tip toes. Praying I don't get caught, I peer my head around the corner of my door, and gasp at what I see.

A man. Naked. Well, nearly naked.

My eyes start at his feet, then follow up his black trousers, and to his bare back. Intricate lines of ink decorate the tan muscles on his back, bathed in a light sheen of sweat. My gaze dances up his muscular arms, holding up a large steel mallet of some sort. I even notice the dark mess of midnight hair upon his head.

My heart stops, as I take in the Greek God in front of me.

He swings the mallet down onto something metal, making me jump. I decide I need to investigate further.

Slowly, I wander inside the room. As I do, I make the mistake of looking at the walls.

Layers upon layers of silver weapons line the wall. They are all polished and presented in perfect form. All shapes and sizes of deadly daggers, swords and other various things I'm unaware of fill my vision.

I realise then, that I shouldn't be in here. Whoever this man is, he's a sociopath that would probably kill me if he found me in here.

Turning, I dash toward the door, but my foot catches on the something-probably a tool box of some sort-and I topple over. My first reaction is to scramble up and run, getting up onto my feet to take off again.

"Stop right there!" The strange man yells. I jump, the voice sounding so familiar, it chills my heart. I pause, the door only inches away. My escape, only inches away. Slowly, on my heels I turn, holding my hands up as if he's going to point a gun at me.

I come face to face with a pair of obsidian black eyes. They are so dark, I see my horrified reflection within the irises. His eyes are almost covered by the thick layer of hair hanging over his forehead. He looks at me through the scraggly strands, sizing me up.

His face is something I can't describe in words. I would have to touch it, to feel every contour of the supple skin. But I must keep my shaky fingers by my side. What I can't seem to help, is my chronic wandering eyes. I drink in the sight of this mans defined abdomen hungrily.

But what really gets my attention, is the sharp sword he holds close or my face.

"Mara," he whispers, his voice hoarse. Then I realise who it is...

My heart sinks, the feeling of shock consumes me. I know exactly who this unfairly attractive man is.

"Kaden."

His jaw clenches-a well shaped jaw might I add-as he tosses the sword onto his work bench. Staying stock still, I don't take my eyes off the man.

To say his identity is something I never expected is an understatement. I thought he hid his face from me in shame. So I wouldn't see what he has hid his whole life. Unattractiveness, maybe even disfiguration.

I couldn't have been further from the truth.

"You shouldn't be down here," he mutters. I struggle to take my eyes off his, but I manage, diverting my gaze to the floor. I probably look ridiculously stupid to him right now; wearing only a light nightdress. He, on the other hand looks ridiculously hot, wearing what little he is.

He sighs, grabbing a cloth from the bench to wipe his forehead.

"What are you doing in here?" I question him. His gaze follows mine, as I reevaluate the wall of criminal weapons.

"It's hobby of mine. Turning something is horrifying as silver into pieces of art," he tells me. I sense the pride in his voice immediate. This is his forte, and unfortunately I'm having to witness is with utter vulnerability.

"Deadly art," I mutter under my breath.

Kaden turns, walking over to a hook on the wall. I watch, unmoving. He grabs his leather gloves, and slips them over his hands, not taking his eyes off me. I can't stress how scared I am of the devilishly handsome man standing in front of me. Especially with all these cruel devices surrounding me.

"You shouldn't be down here. I should have you bent over the side of my bed right now with your behaviour," he murmurs, wringing his hands. My heart skips a beat at his words.

He holds his hand out to me. "Too bad that's my brothers job."

At the same time as being sickened by his words, I'm relieved that he hasn't threatened my life or something.

I take his hand, and I wander for a second if he notices my shaking. The sound of the leather between my fingers in unnerving.

"Why won't you touch me?" I question, as we leave the room. He keeps his strides short, which I appreciate. When he turns his head to give me a wicked smirk, I regret asking what I did. He bite my lip.

"We are touching," he says, squeezing my hand. I roll my eyes.

"I meant, why won't you touch my skin?" I quiz again.

He licks his lips. "Why? Craving my touch?"

I gag, and he laughs. We start to climb the same groggy stairs, one step at a time.

"Hardly. I'm just curious," I tell him honestly. It's true, I mean, look where curiosity has gotten me. This makes me think for a second, if Kaden would have ever shown me his face if I hadn't pried.

"Curiosity brings punishment," he says smugly. My eyes widen.

"Punishment?" I squeak. He can't seriously be punishing me for this? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised; he is the Alpha of the Vengeance Pack after all.

I question him about it multiple times, but he doesn't answer me until we are on the top floor, nearing my bedroom. In fact, he stays completely oblivious to my demands into I stand on one side of my bedroom doorway, and he stands in the other.

"But seriously, why can't you touch me?" I ask, exasperated. Coen freely took his gloves off and touched me, but Kaden still refuses to even think about my wants.

"Trust me, if you touch me, you will be attracted to me," he says airily. Is he seriously going this route now?

"That's what you said about your face, but I don't feel anything," I tell him confidently. I can't tell if I'm lying or not. All I'm saying is that I could stare at him for a very long time and not get bored.

He suddenly lurched forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me from my room. I suddenly find myself up against the wall, my wrists held above my head with one of Kaden's hands. The other pushes my hip against the wall, so no inch of his skin has to touch mine to keep me still.

"Don't play me Mara...Not when I'm seriously considering either slitting your throat, or ripping your clothes off," he whisper. His lips are so close to mine, I feel his breath linger on my skin.

I don't say a word, my harsh breathing giving him all the response he needs.

Without a murmur, he pulls me away from the wall, and back into my room. I stumble backward, trying to regain my focus.

"Punishment starts tomorrow," he mutters, before closing the door before my stunned face.

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After book has been completed note: Referring to comments about Mara being an idiot for walking straight toward Kaden when clearly the better option was to run...

Let me just tell you how writing a book works.

If a character does a certain thing, it is assisting the plot. The author, in most cases, knows what they are doing, and is sure of what they want to create. Think of it this way:

Had Mara turned and done the rational thing:
Plot dead.
Character development dead.
Or, story plot lead of in an unnecessary direction.

Hope I cleared things up.

❤️••❤️

Hey guys!

So I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I enjoyed it so much I wrote it the same day I uploaded the last one XD

What do you guys think of Kaden?

Vote and comment for more! (:

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~Midika 💜🐼