"I don't want to love you. I want to own the parts of you you won't even acknowledge."
~Annie Flame~
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Predator Learns to Purr
Eidan was no longer just falling for her.
He was falling apart. Something inside him was twisting.
It begun innocently enough—the way she looked at him across the classroom, like he was something fragile, breakable. Like she feared that he would shatter if she batted her stupid eyes.
How cute of her.
Eidan didn't mind he liked how she gave him attention. But Reen still had no idea wasn't like a porcelain doll anymore.
He was someone more sharper now.
Maybe it was learning out about the deal she made with his brother. Maybe it was realizing she'd been sent to "watch over" him, like some undercover bodyguard in Converse and messy ponytails.
Or maybe it was just him not wanting to share her to anyone. In his mind only he was allowed to share secrets with her.
Because the in fact Eidan had always been a little bit off.
When you get betrayed enough times, your brain stops working like other people's.
You start thinking in loops, spirals or treating everything as a game.
You don't want love.
You want something much deeper. Something that is not just based on lies. Even if it's you can not reach it.
And tonight? Eiden had finally figured it out. It was time he start collecting the things he thought he owned.
After School – The Heat of the Moment
Reen stood by the school gates, scrolling through her phone like everything like it was nothing out of ordinary.
But in fact it was.
Her hands shook a little bit, her knuckles pale. Eidan could tell because he knew her better than anyone could.
He always noticed the cracks first.
He slid up next to her, the shadow of his body swallowing hers, fading in the setting sun.
"Walk me home?" she asked, pretending like nothing happened.
Her voice was light. But her heart? It felt heavy.
Eidan smiled.
"Of course."
They started walking.
Side by side.
Like friends as always.
But this wasn't friendship anymore.
But did he want to be "just friends" with her? The answer was obvious.
Inside His Head
Eidan wanted to grab her hand.
Pull her close.
Whisper that he knew everything now—that he wasn't some clueless little bird she had to protect. He wanted to break boundaries between them. Even though he knew it was not a good thing to do yet.
But no.
That wasn't how this worked.
Nothing satisfied him anymore.
It wasn't about chains or shouting or making scenes.It was about choice.Making her choose to stay.Even when she knew better.
The Alley Scene – Closer Than Before
Halfway home, Reen stopped walking.
They were in some side alley now, where the air was thick and the city noise was far away.
Her eyes flicked up at him, guarded but soft.
"Eidan," she said, voice low. "Are you… still mad at me?"
He blinked slowly.
Mad?
That word didn't even scratch the surface.
He wasn't mad.
He was wired. Electric under his skin. He knew if she saw his obsession she might leave him for good.
Because he could sense the momentarily power shift.
She thought she was protecting him. "She's adorable,"How she was so clueless now.
"You are acting different," she murmured.
Eidan's lips curved into a smile.
The dangerous kind—the one that says I know something you don't.
"I'm just thinking," he said.
Reen spoke,"Yeah it's okay if you want to end everything. I-"
Eiden interrupted her. "Don't even think about it!"
"What?" Reen gasped.
His voice was silky and velvety A lullaby laced with poison.
"About what you say?"
He took a step closer.
Then another.
Until her back pressed against the cold brick wall behind her.
Perfect.
Trapped in his arms. Unable to resist his temptation.
"You," he whispered, "you can't back off now."
The Moment Her Breath Stopped
Reen's chest rose and fell, sharp and uneven.
Her lips parted like she wanted to say something—make a joke, break the tension.
But Eidan didn't give her the chance.
His hand slid up, fingers resting just beside her face on the wall.
His other hand curled softly around her wrist.
Not rough.But steady.
"Eidan—"
"I'm not mad at you," he whispered.
His breath brushed her cheek.
Her skin prickled.
Her stomach flipped.
"I'm grateful. So don't leave me."
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"Grateful for what?"
His lips ghosted along her jaw.
Soft.
So soft it burned.
"For teaching me something."
"What… What did I teach you?" Her voice broke on the last word.
He smiled again. That same quiet, terrifying smile.
"That honesty's overrated."
The Kiss That Wasn't a Kiss
He didn't kiss her lips.That would've been too easy.Too simple.
No.
Eidan kissed the space beneath her ear.
The place where he could feel her pulse.
Her knees buckled just slightly, but his hand held her steady.
"Eidan—"
"You're shaking," he murmured.
"I'm not."
"Liar."
Her Thoughts
She should've pushed him away.
But she didn't.
Because the truth?
She liked this too much to back of now.
The closeness.
The danger this pleasure held.
The way his body boxed her in but his touch stayed soft.
It wasn't just her guilt trapping her.
It was something hungrier.
His Thoughts
He could feel her pulse under his lips.Taste her breath.Smell the panic mixed with heat.
He could still feel her taste.
She wouldn't leave him now. He knew it by now she's also into this. Too late to back off.
Now even if she trys, she couldn't. Not after this. He would never allow it.
Eidan leaned back just enough to look at her face. Her eyes were glassy.
Her lips? Red and swelled from kissing.
"I'm not going to back down, Reen," he whispered, eyes locked onto hers.
His thumb brushed along her wrist.
A feather-light touch.
"Neither I'm letting you…" He mumbled to himself.
Her Breath Hitched.
She tried to smirk, but it came out shaky.
"You're… an idiot," she whispered.
"I know. I was never in my right mind."
His lips brushed her temple.
"But you're still here. That's what matters the most."
He let go of her wrist.
Stepped back like nothing happened.
"Come on," he said, his voice back to normal.
"Let's go home."
They Walked in Silence
But inside? Her heart was screaming.
And his? His was purring. He had barely controlled himself. He couldn't resist her.
Because for him she's the only thing that made sense in his life. And he wasn't gonna give up her for anything.
He felt like a predator who learnt something new.
Sometimes you don't need to bite.
But you just need to get close enough, for them to crawl into your mouth willingly.
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End of chapter seven
To be continued....