Chapter 28: Warned You

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Kael’s words hung heavy in the air, but I barely processed them. Claimed.

The words rattled in my head, triggering something I didn’t want to acknowledge. My chest tightened, something hot, something suffocating crawling up my throat. Like an itchy sensation, I just couldn’t scratch.

A dull ache pressed against the inside of my skull, creeping down my spine like a slow venom. My hands clenched into fists against my desk, my knuckles stiff.

It was the same story, wasn’t it? Different place, different faces, but the same damn scenario playing out all over again.

She’s claimed me.

This wasn’t happening. Not again.

For a moment, I wasn’t sitting in this chair.

For a moment, I was somewhere else.

Somewhere dark, somewhere suffocating, somewhere I’d sworn I left behind.

Something pulsed at the edge of my mind, desperate and aching. I needed something… to rely on someone, even if I didn’t want to.

I- I felt like I needed Nora. My mind craved her presence like a lifeline. The thought of her, of her voice, her touch, but all it did was make my breath race faster, like a stronger fear overwhelming my mind, that roused an even greater anxiety within it.

Why was I feeling afraid of Nora?

No, it’s gonna be fine. She’d take control. She’d handle this for me. I need to rely on her.

I sucked in a slow breath, forcing the shaking in my fingers to be still. For now, I just needed to calm down.

Kael nudged me with her elbow, her voice lower now. “Hey. You good?”

I blinked, grounding myself, forcing my expression to smooth over.

“…Yeah,” I muttered. “I’m fine.”

“Dude, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. You need to go to the clinic or something?”

I exhaled through my nose, shaking my head. “I said I’m fine.”

Before I could get my bearings back, Kelvin strolled into the classroom, his presence pulling a subtle shift in the air, as he drew in everyone’s attention.

His eyes flicked across the room, scanning, searching, taking note of the way people spoke in hushed murmurs, how their gazes kept darting toward me.

He didn’t seem surprised, if anything, the slight twitch of his lips suggested amusement, like he had been expecting this.

Then his eyes landed on me.

A slow, easy grin stretched across his face, his teeth just barely peeking out. He adjusted the cuffs of his uniform as he took his time crossing the room, making sure everyone saw him do it.

He moved with a relaxed, almost lazy gait, like he had all the time in the world. Like nothing could ever inconvenience him, as he paved his way past the whole class.

All of that, just to stop in front of our desk.

Kael stiffened beside me. Her ears twitched in nervousness, but she didn’t say anything. She just watched, cautious, apprehensively.

Kelvin finally stopped right in front of me, leaning down slightly so he was at eye level. "Man," he sighed, voice dripping with false sympathy, "you don’t look too good."

I didn’t react. Didn’t say anything.

Kelvin didn’t seem to care. He tilted his head, studying me like I was some interesting little creature he had just stumbled upon. His devilish tail flicked behind him as if he was enjoying this whole charade.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice light, casual. "Is it about Selina?"

He let the words hang in the air, as if savoring them. His eyes watched me carefully, waiting to see what kind of reaction he could wring out of me.

I kept my expression flat, unwilling to give him anything to latch onto.

Kelvin let out a soft, exaggerated sigh, shaking his head. "Damn. That’s really too bad," he murmured, though the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips betrayed any real sense of pity.

Then, with a smooth, practiced ease, he crouched slightly, bringing himself just a little closer. His grin widened, sharp and knowing, his voice dipping into something lower, something far more insidious.

"But hey," he continued, "since we’re both the same species, you know you can always come to me, right?" His tail swayed, the spade tip curling slightly. "I can see if I can lend a hand."

There was something unnerving about the way he said it, like he was toying with me, dangling bait just to see how I’d react.

I exhaled slowly, my patience thinning by the second. And for a moment, I just wanted to wipe that smug look on his face.

I lifted my head slightly, meeting his gaze head-on, and with a calm, even tone, I muttered, “Shove your bullshit where the sun doesn’t reach and leave me out of it.”

The change was instant.

Kelvin’s smirk vanished like it had never been there. Kael wasn’t any better, her head snapped toward me, her ears perking up in shock. She blinked, as if she wasn’t sure she’d actually heard what she just heard.

For a few stretched-out seconds, he didn’t move either. He just stood there, his jaw tight, his incubus tail flicking sharply as if showing his irritation.

Then, just as suddenly as his expression had dropped, he schooled it back into that same fake, easygoing smirk, though there was something colder behind it now.

“Hah… You’ll regret that,” he murmured, his voice lower, quieter, almost amused.

Then, with that same asshole-ish manner, he straightened up, brushed some invisible dust off his uniform, and turned away.

Kael stared at me, her mouth slightly open, before she finally let out a slow, exaggerated, “Duuuudee…”

I raised a brow. “What?”

She shook her head, blinking like she was still processing what just happened. Then, after a moment, a grin slowly stretched across her face.

“Not gonna lie, respect.” She gave me a nod of approval. “Most guys would’ve folded, like, immediately. No one stands up to Kelvin like that.”

I scoffed, leaning back in my chair. “Guess I’m not ‘most guys.’”

Kael hummed, still eyeing me, then tilted her head with a smirk. “Y’know, if you told me you were actually a girl right now, I’d almost believe it.”

I shot her a deadpan look. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”

She just laughed, nudging my shoulder. But our talk was cut short the moment my eyes landed on Selina.

She was standing there near the door, talking with Kelvin. Or at least, Kelvin was the one doing most of the talking. His arms flailed dramatically, his body language exaggerated like he was telling some grand, theatrical story.

His lips curled into a sneer as he spoke, and I could almost hear the smug condescension dripping from his words, even without being close enough to catch them.

Selina, on the other hand, barely seemed engaged. She stood with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Her posture was loose, almost bored, like she had far more important things to do than entertain whatever nonsense Kelvin was spewing. But then, as if sensing my gaze, her eyes snapped over to me.

A slow, knowing smirk crept onto her lips. The kind that made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle, made the air feel just a little heavier. Like I had just stepped into a predator’s line of sight.

That fucker…

I already had my suspicions. The way everything had been playing out, the way those girls approached us during lunch. It wasn’t a coincidence. And now? I was sure of it.

Kelvin had set me up.

Selina barely spared Kelvin another glance. Even as he continued gesturing wildly, his voice dripping with exaggerated complaints, she had already honed in on me. Her movements were unhurried but gradual, like cornering an easy prey.

I felt my muscles tense as she neared. With a sudden thud, her palm slammed down onto my table. The sound was sharp, drawing a few glances from the students around us, but no one dared to speak up.

“Our little halfling is already brewing trouble, huh?” she mused, her voice rich with amusement.

I exhaled slowly through my nose, trying not to let the weight of her presence get to me. “What’s with these rumors?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “People are saying you told them not to talk to me.”

Selina blinked, tilting her head as if I had just accused her of something ridiculous. “Hmm? Did I now?” she said, her tone light, almost teasing. “Did I do something like that?”

She let the question hang in the air for a moment, eyes watching me carefully. Then, as if finally deciding on something, she gave the easiest, most nonchalant smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.

“You don’t need to worry about any of that,” she said smoothly. “You just need to behave.”

"Behave?" I echoed, my tone laced with disbelief. "And what exactly does that mean?"

Selina’s smile widened just a fraction, her fingers tapping idly against the surface of my desk. The sharp tap, tap, tap filled the space between us, a slow, deliberate rhythm.

“It means exactly what it sounds like,” she said, her red eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite pin down. “I’ve taken an interest in you, and I’d rather not see you get all tangled up in the wrong crowds. It’s just a little… training, that’s all.”

Kael scoffed beside me, crossing her arms. “Right. Training. That’s why you’re treating him like  you already own him?”

Selina’s gaze flicked to her, her smile never faltering, but something in her expression shifted, just slightly. “Oh, Kael. You’re always so quick to assume the worst.”

Kael didn’t back down. “Because I’m usually right.”

I could feel the tension thickening in the air, pressing against me like an invisible weight. My fingers curled slightly, my nails digging into my palm.

“Listen,” I muttered, my voice lower now. “I don’t know what the hell kind of game you think you’re playing, but I don’t belong to anyone.”

Selina’s expression didn’t change. If anything, she looked even more amused. She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice so that only I could hear.

She murmured, tilting her head. “You really don’t understand what you’ve done to me, do you?”

I swallowed, keeping my expression steady. “Then why don’t you enlighten me?”

Selina watched me for a moment longer before standing up straight again, brushing a stray lock of hair over her shoulder.

Her lips curved into a wider smile, one that my legs twitch in a queasy manner.

“I warned you,” she said, her voice smooth as silk but edged with a chill that sank into my bones.

I opened my mouth to snap back but before I could get a word out, she lunged. Her hands shot forward, one gripping the front of my shirt, the other clamping onto the back of my neck.

She yanked me toward her with an overpowering strength, and her lips crashed into mine. It was rough, forceful, teeth clashing hard enough to send a jolt through me. No softness, no hesitation, just raw, unyielding demand.

For a second, I just froze, before I realized what was happening. I shoved back, my hands flying to her shoulders, trying to pry her off. My fingers dug into her uniform, but she didn’t budge. She kept pressing harder, her grip tightening

Her breath was hot, her teeth scraping my lip as I twisted my head, fighting to break free. The taste of her, sharp and invasive, her tongue plunging in, gaining leverage as it coiled around mine.

I threw her back slightly and a “Stop-” was the best I managed to grunt against her mouth, but she swallowed the word, her nails biting into my neck as she pulled me closer still. My resistance only seemed to fuel her, her lips bruising mine in a messy, chaotic clash.

The desk creaked under my weight as I braced against it, shoving harder, my muscles straining until I finally wrenched my head to the side but she pushed harder, toppling us over the desk until we were both rolling around on the ground.

She pulled back just an inch, breathing fast, her eyes blazing with something wild. That damn smile was still there, smug and unshaken, like she’d won something.

My chest heaved, my lips stinging, as I felt it bleeding slightly. I swiped the back of my hand across my mouth, glaring at her. The queasiness in my gut churned into something hotter, anger, maybe, or something I didn’t want to name.

“Get the hell off me,” I spat, voice rough and low.

Selina licked her lips, wettening her lower lip, like she was savoring the taste of her victory. “Markus,” she murmured, licking the leftover blood off her lip. “You’re going to have to get used to this.”