144. Make you regret
Maximilian's POV — hallway
The moment she vanished, a part of me wanted to tear the hallway apart. Another part of me wanted to laugh — cruel, bitter laughter — at how utterly powerless she made me feel.
She had been here. Close enough that I could feel the heat of her breath on my skin, the sharp scent of lavender teasing my senses. Close enough that my control had teetered, almost shattered, and yet… she simply stepped sideways into nothingness, leaving me standing here, burning, empty, and maddened.
I clenched my fists so hard I thought my knuckles might snap. My blood roared in my veins, a storm threatening to break every restraint I had cultivated over years of discipline. She didn't even look back. Didn't even give me the courtesy of a glance.
I can still feel her — the subtle caress of her fingers along my chest, my collarbone… the way she tilted her head, eyes glinting like a predator savoring her prey. And that wicked smirk. That damn smirk that burned into my soul.
I don't care about etiquette. I don't care about restraint. I want to hunt her. I want to find her. I want to claim every part of her that dared to ignite me. She's a challenge I can't ignore, a fire I can't douse, and the knowledge that she chose to vanish instead of surrendering to me makes the heat in my chest feel like it's going to explode.
My mother… safe. The threat neutralized. And yet my mind refuses to calm. Because she saved her without even acknowledging me. Without giving me a single reason why.
I stalk the hallway, every muscle coiled, senses screaming. Every shadow feels like it could hide her, every whisper of air might carry her laugh. I want to drag her back into this world, into this room, into the space where I can finally match her… finally taste that dangerous, intoxicating power she wields so effortlessly.
And the thing that kills me the most? I know — I know — that I would follow her anywhere. Anywhere. Through fire, shadow, or the edge of the abyss itself. She doesn't need to command me. She just needs to exist.
I close my eyes, taking in the faint trace of lavender still clinging to the air. I taste the ghost of her presence. I feel her absence like a wound in my chest. My pulse races, my mind spins, and a low growl escapes me — a sound I don't even recognize as my own.
Who the hell are you…?
And why the hell can't I stop thinking about you?
I swear — when I find her again, she will regret ever walking into my life.
And yet… a part of me hopes she doesn't.
Because I need her. I need her fire. I need her chaos. I need her.
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