Word Count: 1615

~Millicent

All I know about today, is it's going to be cold.

Walking back into the bedroom after being fed a sweet liquid to remove the truth serum from my system, I trudged back upstairs, fuming. I'm not going with him today because his charm sufficed in convincing me. No. I'm going because what other choice do I have? He's going to make it impossible for me if I refuse.

And to make matters worse on this entire day, he didn't give me the book. He claimed it wasn't a false promise, and that he knew I was using every fiber in my body to stop myself from being honest with him, therefore, the deal was off. Conniving jerk.

I would be more mad about it, if I weren't so distracted by the clothing choice Sinful must have magically laid out atop the covers of the bed.

Cold weather clothes. Coats, boots, sweaters.

I've seen outside of Sinful's estate, at the snow capped mountains and dainty villages tucked within the valleys of these towering beasts. It makes me wonder whether he created it for his own pleasure, or whether he chose this natural landscape to create his home. It may be beautiful, but the conditions here are harsh, I would imagine.

Begrudgingly, I shove the white sweater over my head, and shrug the navy blue jacket with all it's fur and velvet, and step into the boots he provided me.

Whatever environment I'm about to be thrust into, at least I'll be warm.

I wander downstairs, slowly and precisely, hoping I'll run into Sinful and not the other way around. It's unnerving, how empty and quiet this place is. No staff, no guards. Just immaculate, unoccupied space.

Lucky for me, I am the one to find him. Oddly enough, though, I spot him behind steamy glass walls, gliding underneath a veil of water within the swimming pool he has built strategically in the centre of his manor. It's an interesting choice, but as I stand watching him and his athletic build gracefully swim laps, I'm not surprised he took this up as a hobby.

I myself can understand that immortality can call for the adoption of a variety of hobbies. This may be the last thing I would assume the sinister immortal Sinful to do, but I'm not going to complain about watching from afar.

He emerges at the end of the pools, sweeping his hair back before he meets my eyes. I raise an eyebrow at him, beckoning him to come and speak to me.

He grins lazily. Typical...

I turn around. The last thing I want, is to give Sinful the opportunity to gloat and show off. He knows he is well built, and has a body a common girl would obsess over. He knows that I'm not going to appear fazed by it, and the way he looks. I won't lie and say he isn't handsome...but he doesn't need to know that information.

The warmth from the pool seeps out as he walks out through the door, the smell of chlorine clinging to him. When I glance over, he has a towel wrapped around his waist, hanging uncomfortably low. Thankfully, I have enough of a handle on myself not to blush.

"I'm dressed like this and you're dressed like that?" I comment, motioning to my winter clothed body. Sinful seems smug that I've discovered him like this.

"Shall we get going then?"

I barely get any chance to respond, before he grabs my forearm, and the world begins to deconstruct around us. Squeezing my eyes shut, I silently curse the feeling I'll never get used to, and wait until I can feel my feet touch ground again. The moment I do, the magic dissipating around us, I breath out a sigh of relief, and pull myself out of Sinful's tight grasp.

When I look up, I'm blinded for a moment with the sight of bright white snow. We are in some kind of village, right at the foot of the mountain. By the temperature and looks of the fluffy mounds of snow everywhere I look, I'm assuming we didn't go very far, and still remain in Sinful's territory.

When I glance over at him, he is dressed head to toe in black. It's all warm and fluffy, but he still manages to look regal and unbothered by it all.

"Do you always use your magic for frivolous things, such as putting clothes on?" I ask.

He grins. "Always."

"Where are we anyway?" I question, looking around me. The village is small, and honestly I like it already. It's feels so freeing, to be standing in a real place filled with real people, with fresh air billowing around me. I have so much energy, I could run up the mountains that border this place...okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

"Thought you might get bored spending all this time away from the Moon in my manor, as amazing as it is. So I took you here, one of my favourite places to find some peace and quiet," he tells me, his tone mallowing with his seriousness.

I smile slightly, at the gesture. For once, he is offering his hand, rather than taunting and teasing me.

This feeling in my chest is...uncomfortable.

Shaking away the feeling, I disallow myself to overthink. If I'm going to enjoy this day, I can't let the matebond between me and him get in the way. I came here to try experience real freedom, and for once, he is granting me it. Hopefully with no strings attached...

Sinful watches me, the softest, most subtle smile touching his face. "If you like, I can leave you to do whatever you please. The people here are friendly and have little outside influence, so they won't question who you are. Just tell them you're a traveller and they will leave you to it. There is a motel down the street you have a room in. Feel free to spend a night here. And don't be afraid to call for me if you need me."

I'm not sure what I wanted to say in response, but regardless, he didn't give me any time to talk. He suddenly vanished, leaving behind a swirl of black and lavender shadow and smoke.

Letting out a deep breath, I stare at where he was just standing. Maybe he didn't want to hear me tell him to leave, so he took it upon himself to get out of here before the words could touch my lips.

Oh well. I'm not going to let that ruin my day.

***

Sinful was ultimately right. The people here were nice, and I was able to spend my entire day wandering around, doing as I please, not having to worry about stepping out of line, or upsetting anyone. There was no publishment, no guards. It was just how I imagined it would be. By the time evening fell, and I checked into my room, and wandered in, I was exhausted.

For a reason I don't want to explore any further, I've felt like my day was void of something. Part of me suggests it was Sinful's absence, however, I refuse to acknowledge that. Today has been good.

What I do concentrate on, however, is how cold my limbs are. Deciding on a bath, I quickly turn it on before looking at myself in the mirror.

How different I look is unnerving.

Living with the Moon has left me withdrawn and dull. Up there, there is nothing to live for, nothing to look forward to. I never see the sun, nor breathed in the fresh air. But now that I've come upon the immortal realm, where people are truly free, I see colour in my cheeks, and maybe even a sparkle in my eye.

I hear the door close behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I notice a slender figure dressed in a plain grey dress placing two folded towels upon my bed. She doesn't look up, just focuses on what she is doing.

"Oh sorry, I didn't know anyone else would be in here," I find myself saying. She doesn't react, just delivers the towels and turns to leave. It's a completely normal, harmless routine of the staff here, but I can't help but feel unnerved. There's a shiver down my spine, but I brush it away. That worker looks familiar...

Walking into the bathroom, I continue to stare at myself in the mirror. Behind me, steam wafts up from the bath, curling up into finger like tendrils, beckoning me in. I decide to relent, until I notice something trailing down my neck.

Blood.

It runs in a crimson strip down the line of my neck until it pools at my collarbone. The sight is frightening, as I pull back my dark locks to see its origin. My ear. Blood from my ear would suggest some kind of brain injury if I were mortal. Being immortal makes this sight all the more frightening, as if someone is trying to hack into my brain.

Suddenly, a mortifying thought crosses my mind. I realise, in that moment, who exactly had walked into my room to deliver my towels.

I scream. I scream loud, pronouncing Sinful's name. I have never been so scared in my life.

💙••💙

If you're liking the story, head over to Radish, where this book is ten chapters ahead (:

❄️••❄️

If you guys love Alpha Kaden, it's now on Galetea (an app you can download for free on any App Store). It's been recreated with different writers, so if that interests you, check it out!

Instagram: Sophie_Midika

~Midika 💜🐼