Chapter 34

A hostile gaze followed Anaya and Elliott as they were walking out of the training ground. Sean Perkins, stood on the fourth floor of the main building and peered down at them from a healer workshop. So Anaya had moved on from Khai to Elliot now? He wondered if she ever felt any regret for tossing him aside the way she did.

A soft bubbling sound came from a dark portion he was currently brewing. He had slyly ingratiated himself with the portions teacher, Taylor Hage, by feigning interest in portion creation. Sean used his charm to convince Taylor to grant him access to an exclusive healer workshop in the building.

Sean's persuasive tactics were both cunning and convincing. He approached Taylor with a well-rehearsed story about his passion for creating new and improved portions for replenishing a Wahren's strength on the field. Although it was strange for Wahrens to take an interest in healing, creating portions did not require mana manipulation and Sean's extensive knowledge in portions won over Taylor's weak resistance.

He played on Taylor's trust and compassion, carefully choosing his words and actions to manipulate her into giving him what he wanted. He appeared to be genuine and sincere, making it difficult for Taylor to see through his disguise. She soon found herself captivated by his apparent dedication to the cause.

However, instead of using the workshop for its intended purpose, Sean now utilized it to brew psychedelic drugs. As he watched Anaya and Elliot, Sean's anger boiled within him, causing his nails to dig into his fist, drawing blood. His jealousy and resentment festered within him like an open wound. First it was George, then Khai, and now she was with Elliot. He refused to be a passive onlooker as Anaya moved from one Wahren to the next.

He took a small sip of his latest concoction, a neurotransmitter that shot his blood vessels with a burst of dopamine. A dangerous smile tugged at his lips and his eyes held a look of determination that bordered obsession. He slowly closed his eyes to an image of her begging and screaming under him as he took her.

*****

Ana tiredly rubbed her cheek as Khai smacked kisses on her relentlessly. She wiggled and twisted from his embrace, but she couldn't budge due to their difference in strength. She placed both hands on her cheeks in a feeble attempt to shield them.

"Khai, stop!" She protested, feigning annoyance to deter him.

He effortlessly pulled her hands away and pressed his lips to her face once more. "No, you stop. Don't resist me, I've missed you too much," he coaxed, tracing his thumb over her cheek. "And your cheeks are so soft and fluffy, just like cotton candy."

She sighed in resignation as he continued. Afraid that she would develop a rash before class tomorrow, she racked her brain on how she could distract him.

"Are you invited to Natalie's birthday?"

His unyielding affections successfully came to a halt at her words. Ana took the chance to get off from sitting on his lap and moved to sit on the bed while still facing him.

He let her go, absently. While Natalie bombed his phone with invitations to her party, Khai weighed on Ana's reaction to Natalie hugging him at the club last weekend. Knowing Natalie, he was sure she excluded Ana from the invitation list on being aware of his feeling for her.

"Mhmm, but I'm going to be so tired after training this week. I'm going to skip it." He prattled on about how exhausted he would feel over the weekend. "You can't imagine the kind of training Vinther is putting us through. Besides, Natalie's birthday's are a complete snooze fest. Austin actually fell asleep at her sixteenth birthday party."

"Oh, then I guess George, Meghan and I will go as the three musketeers. Honestly, that's such a boring costume. Alex said he would come too. I forgot to ask what his costume…." Her voice trailed as she watched Khai's eyes widen before his brows started to furrow.

"I'll take you." He said in a brusque tone.

Ana cocked an eyebrow at the sudden shift in his mood. "I can't possibly ask you to do that. I already feel guilty for wanting to meet you everyday. I'll just go with the rest of the gang. You shouldn't bother."

His expression became subdued as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Ana, I said I'll take you. Why don't you focus on our costumes and forget about Alex's, hmm?"

Ana blinked in confusion before it dawned on her that Khai was actually jealous of Alex. He was everything she never even knew she needed, he was her spirit, her strength and the biggest source of light in her life.

Yet here he was, grappling with a petty insecurity towards someone as trivial as Alex. She found it comical that he could be feeling this way over someone who wouldn't hold a candle to him in comparison.

She tried to stifle the laughter that pushed through her, but a giggle escaped her lips.

Khai's expression darkened as he realized Ana saw right through him. She had his heart in such a tight grip that she could push him to feel an emotion as petty as jealousy and then call him out on it while still looking irresistibly adorable. He watched her clamp her hands over her mouth as laughter spilled out of her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Is my distress amusing to you?" he growled, his voice low. He crawled towards her, his predatory gaze locked on her lips as he claimed them in an intense passion.

Ana pushed back, a rush of excitement coursing through her. She let out a giggle as Khai pulled her into a crushing embrace, kissing her deeply. She easily gave in, enjoying the feeling of his soft tongue against hers.

The summer breeze wafted into Ana's room, bringing with it a warm and earthy scent, as if carrying the essence of the forest. Khai gently traced patterns on Ana's back while he idly twined his fingers with hers, savoring the peace of the moment. It was quiet moments like these, the feeling of holding her in his arms, that kept him going through the rigorous demands of his training. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead as he relished in the solace she gave him.

"You didn't tell me Maeve is your sister."

"What's to tell? I guess it never came up."

She instantly regretted speaking as she felt him stiffen. Ana's lips formed a tight line as she stared at the wall. She knew Khai was a man of few words, but he never once spoke about his own family. Sometimes, when he heard her speak about her childhood and her family, a sense of emptiness flashed in his eyes, and it broke her heart to think that he was carrying a loss that pained him so terribly.

She longed to comfort him, to ease his pain and offer him a safe haven where he could share his thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. But at the same time, she felt like she had no right to ask him to confide in her, when she too was keeping a painful secret from him. The abuse she suffered from Sean still haunted her, leaving deep scars both physical and emotional.

Although she knew it would scar her, Ana's mother healed her that night so nobody would know of Sean's abuse. The society they lived in earned the victim more contempt and scorn than empathy and justice.

She kept her secret buried deep within her, only exposing it to the wind on nights where she was alone with her thoughts and feelings. She couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for not being able to open up to Khai, for not being able to trust him with the truth.

But at the same time, she was scared of what might happen if she did. Her biggest fear was that Khai would believe Sean's narrative and view her as an infidel. Would he still look at her the same way? Would he still hold her in his arms, or would he turn away in disgust? These questions plagued her and the fear that kept her from sharing her truth with the person she cherished deeply in her heart.

Khai's arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to his chest. She closed her eyes, letting the sound of his heartbeat soothe her worries. For a moment, she forgot about her fears, her secret, and the scar that marked her body. In his embrace, she felt safe and whole.