Hoagie wasn't lying when she'd said there was fists and blood.

Back and forth, a flurry of black leather and black eyes swinging and crunching. Callence was smiling, a cold look in his eyes as Kilian stumbled to the ground, spitting out blood on the dirt of the alley.

My eyes widen in horror as I make a move to say something, but before I can, Kilian charges at Callence, punching in his abdomen.

I inhale sharply, all of my instincts screaming at me to interfere and protect— but protect who?

The answer was like a slap to the face.

Callence. The urge to protect Callence against the demon who'd taken my virginity mere hours ago.

Before I can even process my thoughts I watch as Callence chuckles darkly and grips Kilian's throat in his grasp, shoving him into the wall, a dent crumbling into the bricks as Kilian's body takes the impact.

Claire grabs me before I can say much, shaking her head when I glance back at her.

Callence squeezes Kilian's throat, making his breathing cut off, veins showing along his hand and arm. Kilian's face turns red as blood dribbles down his chin, yet his eyes flicker behind Callence, toward me.

I feel terror and disgust as Callence chuckles lowly and throws Kilian to the dirt.

"Don't look at her, look at me." He says darkly. Something in my stomach flips at his tone, but I can't bring myself to stop the fight.

"Did you know?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows at Kilian as he glances up at me again.

"Did you know I was somebody else's fated mate?" I ask in a low voice, fear coating my insides at his answer.

Because if he knew... that meant I was being toyed with the entire time. All the warnings I ignored were for nothing. That he'd heard his father lie to me and give me hope— and watched me beg for my 'mate'. I grind my teeth together as Callence pauses his violent pursuit, allowing Kilian the chance to answer me.

Kilian glances at me, wiping the blood from his chin.

"Come with me, you can rule by my side." He says, black eyes dimming to his familiar red. I'm taken aback as dread fills me to the brim.

"Answer the question." I say, slightly repulsed as Kilian narrows his gaze at me.

"They can't force you to be with him, you can reject—" before the sentence is out of his mouth, Callence is snarling and sending a kick to Kilian's jaw. The impact throws him away from us and into another wall, at that he gets up with the speed of light, glancing at me one more time.

"We'd be invincible together." He says, cradling his jaw.

I suck in a sharp breath as Callence stills.

"You..." I say harshly, but find myself taking a sullen breath.

"No." I say as Kilian licks his parted lips slightly.

"You don't really have a choice, do you? You made a deal with me—" he says as Callence growls— like actually growls.

"A deal?" Callence's grin is void of humor.

"Why don't you find out what happens if you touch her again?" His voice is coming out distorted again, and my heart is hammering in my chest— but not from fear.

"She wasn't complaining last ni—" Kilian is cut off by a strong punch to his head, I don't even see it coming as Claire pulls me away from the oncoming hits.

Callence doesn't stop, even after Kilian is on the ground; I find myself choking on a sob as the violence makes me uneasy.

"Callence stop." I whisper, and it's enough for him to hear me.

His hits stop as rough breathing is all we can hear amongst us all. Kilian is unconscious, but still breathing. Callence's back is to me as he stands slowly, flexing his fingers slightly.

"I-" I let out a shaky breath. "I didn't exactly beg him to stop last night." I say, shame and guilt covering every inch of mine from head to toe. My face is red as Claire takes my hand in hers and rubs soothingly.

"He knew!" He roars, turning to face me and Claire, eyes black still. My heart is a hummingbird that won't stop, and I can't break eye contact; I'd never seen Callence angry before. Slightly aggravated and sarcastic, but never in a rage so potent goosebumps lined my arms.

Silence encases us as he stares intensely.

"Leave us." He says to Claire, not breaking eye contact.

She lets out a low whistle, and glances at me in worry but I give her hand a reassuring squeeze so she lets it go.

"I'll be inside... tell me if either of these asshats need to be set on fire." She whispers toward me, but I don't have it in me to smile.

I'm full of wonder, curiosity, thrill, worry, shame, guilt, and.... Arousal.

Somehow, that doesn't make this better.

He takes a couple steps toward me and holds out his hand.

It's like there's an invisible tether in me, and I find myself stumbling toward Callence's arms.

This isn't like the mind control Kilian put me under in Varlas tent— this is different. I have the control to choose against it— but I don't want to.

Although, before I reach him, I find myself stumbling to a halt. I furrow my eyebrows and glance down at Kilian's body on the ground and find myself hesitating.

This is wrong.

I know it's wrong. But that feeling of doom, of shame never comes. I don't feel the crunching sensation my stomach that usually appears before I do something awful, something that makes me hate myself.

Yes, I feel sad for Kilian; but I don't reproach Callence for what he'd done.

I was torn at my emotions; how can you feel so much for someone one day and wake up disgusted and craving another the next day? Something was very wrong indeed, with me.

My emotions must show on my face because Callence takes one look and the harsh cold on his face vanishes into something gentle and soft; almost sweet.

"It's okay," he rumbles. "Everything will be okay." He tries to approach me, but instead I take a step back; shaking my head slightly as tears build rapidly, hot and thick and streaming down my cheeks.

I did this.

It was my fault that he'd hurt Kilian— it was my fault that Callence had reacted this way— was hurt in the first place.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Hey," he says in a softer tone holding his hands up in an approach, like someone trying to tame something wild.

"He's not dead— he'll wake up and it'll all be okay amor." He chokes on his words, as if its physically hard for him to reassure me about another man's wellbeing. That predatory gleam in his eye returns for a moment, but he forces it away with a clench in his jaw.

But it's too late, I'd already seen it and was sure that everything would not be okay. They'd probably be back to fighting once Kilian regained consciousness, probably to the death.

I notice that Callence's eyes keep glancing downward at my hands, jaw getting tighter and tighter as he tries to step forward again, barely breathing.

I look down to see what's got his attention and almost stop breathing myself as I see my hands.

Scales. My hands were covered in scales neatly lined up; iridescent shades of violet, blue, and emerald now shimmered on my hands like an armour; a second skin.

Dragon scales.

I swallow uneasily and back another step, too many thoughts speeding through my mind.

Callence sees my hesitation and lowers his eyebrows in determination, and I realize he's going to try to grab me.

A thrill of pleasure licks down my spine, but also— fear of the unknown. I don't trust this. I don't trust anyone, not even myself.

My grimoire. I need my grimoire.

Someone had to have answers, and since my dad wasn't telling me everything, I doubted he'd start now.

Before Callence can grab my waist, I turn and run out of the dirt alley, and into the woods; the sound of his thundering steps not far behind.

Only one thought was in my mind; I hoped she could give me answers on my newly acquired ability— someone who wouldn't expect anything back from me. And hopefully with any luck, she was willing to not take me to anyone against my will.

I needed to go back to Cyron and speak with Waren.

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