Kavy's body trembled in Dante's arms, every muscle locked in resistance against the change tearing through her. She clenched her teeth, trying to suppress the agonizing heat pulsing under her skin. But it was too much—too strong.
Dante held her firmly, his grip both restraining and grounding. "You're fighting a war you've already lost, Kavy," he murmured, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "Your body is changing. The sooner you accept it, the easier it will be."
"No," she croaked, shaking her head, her breath shallow. She couldn't. She wouldn't.
Dante exhaled in frustration before shifting his hold on her, pressing her back against the cold stone wall. The contrast between the cool surface and the fire burning inside her made her shudder. His piercing eyes locked onto hers, unreadable, relentless.
"Tell me, Kavy," he said, voice dangerously soft. "What are you afraid of?"
Her fingers curled into fists. Everything.
She was afraid of losing herself, afraid of what she would become. But most of all—she was afraid of him.
Afraid of the way he could see straight through her. Afraid of the way her body responded to him despite the fear clawing at her chest.
"I'm not afraid of you," she lied.
Dante's smirk was slow, knowing. He leaned in closer, his body caging hers. "That's not what I asked."
Her pulse pounded as he lifted a hand to her cheek, his thumb brushing away the sheen of sweat on her skin. His touch sent a bolt of sensation through her, and she hated that it made her legs weak.
"You feel it, don't you?" he whispered. "The craving. The hunger. It's inside you now, growing stronger."
Kavy squeezed her eyes shut, willing it all away. The ache, the need, the strange pull toward him.
"You're trying so hard to deny it," Dante continued, his lips barely inches from hers. "But you can't, can you?"
Her breathing hitched.
She was slipping.
He knew it. She knew it.
And then—Dante pulled away.
The sudden loss of warmth sent an unexpected wave of frustration through her. She opened her eyes just in time to see him step back, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
"Fight it all you want, Kavy," he said. "But when the time comes, you'll come to me."
Her stomach clenched.
Because the worst part was—
She knew he was right.