The sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows across the academy grounds. Elias stood in the courtyard, his body still humming from the night before. His mind was in a whirl, caught between guilt and desire, unable to focus on anything other than the feel of Rael'Zhar's touch.
He had kissed a demon.
A damn demon.
It wasn't just the fact that Rael'Zhar was a demon that unsettled him. No, it was the way he made Elias feel—like he was the only thing that mattered, like he could lose himself completely in that warmth. Rael'Zhar had claimed him with his lips, his hands, and something more—something Elias was afraid to name.
But the worst part was that Elias hadn't pushed him away. Not once.
"Gods, what is wrong with me?" Elias muttered under his breath, clenching his fists as he stared at the stone path ahead. The cool morning air did little to settle the heat still burning through his veins.
"Quite the mess you've gotten yourself into, hasn't it?"
Elias froze. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The low, silky voice that slid into his ears like honey—Rael'Zhar, of course. Elias had barely been able to get away from him after their... encounter the night before.
Rael'Zhar appeared in front of him, as effortlessly as he always did, like some sort of force of nature. His blonde hair was ruffled, his blue eyes gleaming with that dangerous light. His smirk was as cocky as ever, and he moved like a predator circling its prey.
"You've got that look on your face again." Rael'Zhar's voice was teasing, but there was something darker beneath it. "The one that says you can't stop thinking about me."
Elias grit his teeth, trying not to let Rael'Zhar's presence get to him. "I—no, I'm not thinking about you."
Rael'Zhar raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer. "Really? Because I'm certain you've been thinking about last night." His hand, warm and steady, brushed against Elias's shoulder, sending a shiver down his spine.
"I told you, I'm not doing this," Elias said, trying to step back, but Rael'Zhar's hand gently gripped his arm, stopping him in place.
"You keep saying that," Rael'Zhar murmured, his lips near Elias's ear, "but your body tells a different story." His fingers slid down Elias's arm, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. "I can feel it, Elias. You're waiting for me to make the next move."
Elias opened his mouth to argue, but the words caught in his throat. Every instinct in his body told him to pull away, to create distance, but he was mesmerized. Rael'Zhar's proximity, the raw magnetism he exuded, was impossible to ignore.
"Stop…" Elias's voice was breathless, but the heat between them was undeniable.
Rael'Zhar's lips curled into a wicked grin, and before Elias could react, the demon pressed his body against him, the warmth and strength of it overwhelming. Elias gasped, feeling the hardness of Rael'Zhar's chest against his own, the way his muscular frame seemed to swallow him up.
"You're not as resistant as you pretend to be," Rael'Zhar growled lowly, his breath hot against Elias's skin.
Elias's heart raced, his body betraying him as his breath hitched. He tried to fight the pull, but his body was already responding—wanting, craving more. The demon's touch was like fire, burning through his clothes, through his very soul. His hands instinctively gripped Rael'Zhar's shoulders, pulling him closer despite the resistance in his mind.
Rael'Zhar chuckled, a dark, satisfied sound that made Elias's insides twist. "You want this, don't you?" His lips found Elias's neck, kissing him lightly at first, before pressing harder, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin. "You want to be consumed by me. I can tell."
Elias closed his eyes, the sensation too overwhelming to ignore. He should've pulled away, should've fought back, but every inch of him screamed for more. He felt as though Rael'Zhar was unraveling him, piece by piece, and he didn't know whether to beg him to stop or to let it all burn.
Rael'Zhar's hands moved lower, caressing Elias's sides, his touch rougher now. His lips continued their path down Elias's neck, and the fire in Elias's belly intensified. "Say it," Rael'Zhar whispered, his voice thick with lust. "Say you want me."
Elias's breath caught in his throat, his mind clouded with the overwhelming need. "I... I want you," he admitted, the words spilling from his lips before he could stop them.
Rael'Zhar's grin widened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Good," he whispered before claiming Elias's lips in a kiss that was both gentle and possessive, as if marking him as his own. His tongue slid into Elias's mouth, exploring with a hunger that left no room for doubt.
Their bodies pressed together, the heat between them impossible to ignore. Elias's hands tangled in Rael'Zhar's hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Every touch, every brush of skin against skin, set his body alight.
Rael'Zhar groaned into the kiss, his hands moving lower still, his fingers tracing the edge of Elias's waistband. "You're mine now, Elias. Completely."
Elias's heart hammered in his chest as his body quivered beneath Rael'Zhar's touch. He was spiraling, caught between the intoxicating pull of the demon and the growing terror of what that meant for him. But, for the first time in a long time, he didn't want to fight it.
He wanted this.