The city streets were quiet now, almost too quiet. The echoes of the last encounter with the rogue beasts had faded, leaving only the soft hum of my own heartbeat. I could still feel the heat of Kael's fire lingering in the air, like it had left a mark on my skin even though he wasn't touching me.
I shouldn't have wanted it. I shouldn't have wanted him. But my shadow stirred whenever he was near, curling around me, protective, restless… alive.
I moved through the alley, my steps hesitant. Every instinct screamed to run, to hide, to stay in the shadows where I belonged. But something inside me, something stubborn and reckless, whispered that tonight I wouldn't run. Tonight I might finally step into the fire.
"Why did you save me?" I asked softly, my voice barely more than a whisper.
Kael's amber eyes found mine, glowing even in the dim moonlight. He leaned against the brick wall, arms crossed, but there was tension in his posture. "Because no one else could," he replied, his voice calm, but not without weight. "And because… I didn't want to watch you die."
I swallowed hard. His words were simple, but they cut deeper than anything anyone had ever said to me. Most people avoided me, feared me, or treated me like a mistake. But he… he had risked everything for me.
A shiver ran down my spine. My shadow swirled around my arm, reacting to the storm of feelings inside me. Anger. Fear. Desire. Excitement. Confusion. All at once.
"You know this can't happen," he said suddenly, stepping closer. "You're cursed. Touch me, and—"
"I know," I interrupted, my voice firmer than I expected. "I can't hurt you. But… I want to be near you anyway."
His gaze softened, and for a heartbeat, I saw something in him that wasn't fire, wasn't danger, wasn't Kael the untouchable enforcer. I saw a man who understood loneliness, who understood the curse of being untouchable.
Before I could second-guess myself, I stepped closer. My shadow reached out instinctively, as if pulling me toward him. Kael's fire reacted immediately, tendrils of heat brushing against the edges of my darkness. I felt it—the forbidden energy crackling between us, dangerous, impossible… intoxicating.
He didn't move back. Not at all.
"You're reckless," he murmured, but there was a tremor in his voice, almost a confession.
"I'm not afraid," I said, almost defiantly. "Not of you, not of the curse, not of anything tonight."
Kael's jaw tightened. His fire flared, a subtle warning, but his eyes never left mine. For the first time, I understood something terrifying: he could burn me alive with a single mistake, and yet… he wasn't.
A distant howl broke the tension—a low, guttural sound that made my shadow flinch. My eyes darted toward the source, and I saw movement. A lone werewolf, sleek and menacing, slipping through the alley like smoke.
Kael reacted instantly. Fire erupted from his hands, painting the alley in gold and crimson light. My shadow twisted and surged instinctively, lashing at the beast in perfect synchronization with his flames.
The creature yelped, retreating for a moment, but it wasn't gone. My pulse raced. I realized something: the moment our powers combined, we became stronger, faster, unstoppable. Fire and shadow, human and cursed, working in tandem.
And then it happened.
His hand brushed mine. Just a touch. A fraction of a second. But it was enough. Sparks of energy flew from the collision of our powers. My shadow surged up my arm, tingling, reacting to his fire like it had a mind of its own. My chest tightened—not from fear, but from something new, something wild.
Kael's amber eyes widened just slightly. "Your control… it's stronger than I expected," he murmured. There was awe there. And something else. Something I couldn't name.
I felt heat rush through me—not from the fire, but from him. Desire, fear, thrill. A dangerous cocktail that I wasn't ready to handle, yet couldn't resist.
The werewolf growled again, snapping me back to reality. Kael's hand tightened around mine, almost instinctively, pulling me behind him. My shadow coiled around us both, protective, reactive. I realized in that moment how vulnerable I was—and how much I wanted him to protect me.
"Stay close," he said, voice low, almost a growl. "If they see you… if anyone sees us together…" He didn't finish, but I knew exactly what he meant. Forbidden. Dangerous. Deathly serious.
I nodded, unable to speak. My heart pounded in my chest. I didn't care about the danger—not completely. All I knew was that for the first time, being near someone felt like more than risk. It felt like… choice.
The creature lunged again. This time, I reacted faster, my shadow wrapping around it like chains, immobilizing it long enough for Kael to strike with a controlled burst of fire. The werewolf yelped and vanished into the darkness, leaving the alley silent once more.
We both stood there, catching our breath. Our powers hummed in the air, vibrating between us. It was dangerous. Forbidden. And absolutely irresistible.
Kael finally let go of my hand. I almost missed the warmth instantly. His fire receded, but the energy between us remained, taut and electric, like a live wire in the quiet night.
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," he said softly, his gaze lingering on mine. "The world… it's not ready for you."
"I don't care," I whispered. "Not tonight."
He frowned but didn't argue. Instead, he took a step back, keeping his distance but watching me as though I were fragile glass—or a live flame. Something dangerous that he couldn't ignore.
I looked down at my shadow, curling and dancing around my feet, then back at him. Fire and shadow. Desire and danger. Forbidden and impossible.
And I knew—deep in my bones—that this night would change everything.
Because now, for the first time, I wanted him. Not because he was supposed to protect me, not because it was safe, not because the world allowed it… but because my shadow told me I couldn't resist.
And sometimes, the things you aren't supposed to touch are the ones that burn the brightest.