Watch where you're going

Klaus

As soon as I leave Karina at the table with Filipi, I already want to go back. I don't like them together and I know that soon that persane project will be acting like he's her best friend, all excited. And from being a best friend, he will try to be something more, like the needy male he is.
However, I need to continue with my plan, as this is the only event in which I am one hundred percent sure that Dante will be there after almost a week of hunting him around, and the proof of this is that there is not even a minute that I left the female alone and he passes right in front of me and gives me a big bump, which makes our bodies collide with a loud sound.
If Dante was someone smaller, he would have fallen backwards, but his body seems larger and more muscular than normal, which makes him a match for me.
— You… — Just looking at him makes hatred grow in me, reminding me of as he and his family are liars, who killed my parents and I walk around being acclaimed, however I notice that there is something strange about the male standing in front of me with a blank expression, as if he wasn't even there.
Something in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Proof that I'm right is his eyes turning completely black, even his sclerae, but with neon red streaks that appear and disappear easily. It's like facing a dark sky full of bloodcolored lightning.
— Watch where you're going... — he says quietly in a drawling voice and gets out of my way.
forward without looking at me. Dante would never act like that before, he would say that I did it on purpose and that it was very childish of me, since he thinks he is so adult and pretends to be straight.
His scent reaches me with every step and I realize it's still the same as the last time I met him, which doesn't make any sense. It will be thirty years soon, by now the smell of heat should be much stronger. He should already be agitated and almost reeking of pheromones.
As I can't stand in the middle of the bar, I end up walking to the counter without understanding anything and signal for the attendant to give me some Persian wine while I look for my cousin in the crowd, but I can't find him anymore.
The only person I can find from here is Karina at the table with Filipi. They're too close, they must be whispering to each other, which makes a growl escape me and my claws dig into the dark wooden counter.
— Jealous, Klaus? — A familiar voice suddenly asks and I
I don't even need to look to the side to know that Niflin has arrived, the damn redhead who's always hanging around my family. His mother tried for a long time to get a position among us and now it's his turn to do it.
I want to go away, knowing that soon Dante will arrive at the table where the female is smelling of fear and I need to watch how their first meeting will go, but the redhead doesn't stop following me.
— Don't go, let's drink together! — Niflin exclaims and even puts it on my On his shoulder is a hand marked with large black stars, his family's official rorani, or tattoo, as the humans say. But he soon backs down, knowing he's taking too much of a risk. —All of you Dark Elves look like you're always running away!
I look around and realize that there are so many waiters walking around the party to meet the guests' needs, that the bar is empty, there's only me and Niflin here.
— Go after your female... — My tone of voice should be a warning to he stays away, which is not the case.
— Neither you nor Dante are up for chatting today. But I understand him now you… — Niflin laughs dryly, knowing very well what he is doing. You want to awaken my curiosity and you succeeded.
—What do you know about Dante? — I whisper, taking advantage of the excess sounds here so as not to be heard by anyone else passing by. The bartender is human, so he won't listen anyway.
The redhead's eyes turn a brighter green and he smiles, showing his fangs.
— Maybe he's taking some herbs... — His lips barely parted.
They move to speak and I squint, suspicious of their information.
—What kind of herbs?
— What do I get if I tell you that? — You're quick to ask and I growl in response.
—The chance to live a normal life from here, or I will break your tail and your hands so that no female will ever want anything to do with you again.
— Do you really think you're stronger than me? — Arch the eyebrows, taking everything as if it were a joke, when he knows very well that it isn't.
— Talk or get out of my way — I growl and start walking away. — He’s… — He puts his hand over his mouth, so no one can read it, and His next words are just a small breath, almost without volume. — Taking Nyn.
- How do you know? — My heartbeat even takes on more speed and I return to your front, giving up on going far.
Nyn is one of my people's rarest and most dangerous herbs. When a male or female does not want their heat to be noticed by others around them, they can drink Nyn's tea and go unnoticed. His scent is camouflaged and the Persian can become less excited.
Is that why Dante looked so strange when I passed him just now? I never imagined that my straight-laced cousin would be capable of something so dangerous.
Nyn can lead to death and is ten times more powerful than anything humans have ever gotten their hands on. In addition to being undetectable, it causes hallucinations, addiction and an even more powerful heat if the person manages to stop using it.
— Clearly the herb isn't working. He's a ticking time bomb and It's a good thing that not many females that weren't mated came to this event. — Niflin smiles even wider, knowing full well the game he is playing.
— Damn... — I swallow, feeling a kind of feeling rising inside me.
fear I haven't felt in a long time.
If Dante comes near Karina now, an unmated and fearful female, and likes her, he will lose control. He will kill her and he won't even know it, as he will only be focused on copulation.
— Rumor has it that you are very close to this human female who brought him here today, he's definitely heard the rumors... and you know how we
We are, we love challenges. — He licks his lower lip maliciously and I feel disgusted with this bastard.
I drop the glass of wine on the bar and that's the only reason I notice my hands shaking, which makes me notice my own smell too. I reek of fear.
— If I were you, I would take care of her.
I don't understand why he told me this, if he was the one who didn't take his eyes off Karina at the dinner I took her to, but I don't have time to reflect on it, because now Dante is like a ferocious animal on the loose. That's why few humans live among us, most of them wouldn't know how to defend themselves in a moment like this.
I start walking before I can even force myself to answer something to Niflin, I cut through the guests in front of me and I can see the male with lighter hair arriving at the table where Karina is.
This whole situation will have to be handled very carefully, because I know that her scent of fear will make this male want her more than anything.


***

Karina

Klaus promised he would stay by my side, but with every minute I spend away from him, I only feel more uncomfortable and strangely abandoned. Orinn and Melinda, Klaus' weird uncles who are like twins, are here driving me nearly crazy.
They sat at the round table, wear the same colors and agree on everything, talking and talking endlessly about things that I don't understand, that belong to their own Persian world.
However, nothing is ever so bad that it can't get worse.
— Karina, where is your other earring? — Filipi asks and when will I pass?
With my hand on my right ear, I can't feel the diamond jewelry that must cost more than anything I've ever laid my hands on.
— Shit… — I curse under my breath and try not to sound too desperate.As I managed to make something so expensive disappear?! Will Klaus want to deduct from my payment for this new week that has started?!—But it was here in my ear when I arrived.
I scan my surroundings for the earring, however, nothing shines like it and Klaus's uncles are not interested in helping me, drinking what I believe to be champagne and whispering among themselves. The only one willing to waste some of his time on this is Filipi, who is also not having much success in his search.
— Call one of the employees and let them know what she lost, maybe it fell on the ground and someone kicked it away — instructs an unknown male voice. — They'll definitely return it, don't worry, female.
I look up in a daze and whoever is talking to me is a Persian that I have never seen in my life, but that seems familiar anyway. He's handsome, not like Klaus, but handsome. His hair is darker than Filipi's and yet blond and he has a full beard covering part of his face.
However, something about those brown irises seems strange, they are too frantic, almost shaking inside his eyes.
— Thanks for the tip — I thank him awkwardly.
— You came, Dante! — Melinda exclaims flustered, jumps out of her chair and goes to the man in front of me. I think this must be the son that they talk about so much, but that I had never met. She takes him by the arm and tries to take him to a seat, but the guy just won't move. — Your father and I
were very excited for your arrival! Come, sit next to us. — She tries to pull him again and this time he accepts.
— I made space in my diary — the phrase is robotic, emotionless none. Dante sits two chairs away from me, without taking his eyes off my face, which makes my heart beat very fast and forces me to pretend to be staring at something so I don't end up blushing with embarrassment. - Who are you?
I know you're talking to me, but I can't make my mouth work. I'm very tense, I shouldn't be here alone, I should be next to Klaus who acts as the almighty everywhere he goes.
— This one is… what’s your name again? — Melinda speaks for me, since I don't do it. She has her hair in a high hairstyle on her head, which includes her horns in the middle of all that strange structure.
— Her name is Karina, aunt — Filipi answers for me, as I give a I smile nervously at him and try to maintain a little eye contact with this Dante, which is almost impossible. — She is Klaus' temporary companion.
- Nice to meet you. — He starts sniffing me from afar and that makes me
It makes me freeze in my seat, it's so strange. — You smell like Klaus... — His eyes turn completely black and I part my lips, shrinking into the chair. — And fear. It's so... sweet. — He licks his lower lip, tasting my fear the way Klaus does, and those black eyes make me panic, because they fill with red streaks.
What the hell is that?!
— Are you okay, Dante? — Filipi questions and his cousin doesn’t even respond.
turns to answer him.
This guy is not normal! Even for a Persian he is strange.
— Klaus has never had a mate before. What's different about you? — He keeps smelling me and my teeth start to chatter with so much nervousness, because the way he moves his body is as soft as a lurking predator.
— I-I think I'm going to go to the bathroom — I babble, slipping out of the bathroom.
chair, ready to distance myself from this guy.
— I'll accompany you — Filipi says, which only proves that I'm not wrong, however, as soon as I stand up, Dante also stands up, which doesn't make any sense.
— You don't need to accompany my female anywhere. — Authoritarian as always, Klaus appears at my side suddenly.
I almost jump out of fright at his arrival and soon his big, warm hands are on my shoulders, which makes me a little more relaxed and makes goosebumps of pleasure run across my skin, replacing those of fear.
— I heard you were looking for me — Dante says and now his eyes they are brown, but still restless.
Could it be that this whole time he was the one Klaus wanted me to approach and seduce? But this guy is very strange, I don't know if I want to meet him again in my life.
— Yes, but now we're leaving. — Without thinking twice, the
The brunette behind me simply puts his hands under my arms and pulls me to my feet in one fell swoop.
I don't even have time to try to stop him, I just give a little scream of fright that draws the attention of everyone around me. Suddenly we are a small attraction for the Persians at the other tables.
About to leave? Aren't you going to wait until the party actually starts? — Melinda question and I don't understand either.
Why is Klaus wanting to drag me out of here all of a sudden? He didn't even let me use my legs like a normal person!
Everyone must still be looking, but I don't have the courage to check. The only person I can actually maintain eye contact with is the Persian with the moss-green eyes who holds me firmly by the arm, wraps his tail around my leg and begins to pull me away from the table.
— See you tomorrow for a meeting, since you want to talk so much with me? — Dante asks suddenly.
Yes! — Klaus shouts in motion and soon we are leaving the area where the tables are and we go where there are people standing, talking. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to poor Filipi, the big hands won't let me.
—W-What's going on? — I whisper and look for his face, but he He just holds me tighter and pushes me, not letting me see anything clearly, as he puts me in front of him and almost makes a wall around me.
— Don't say anything — he responds sharply, as if I had done something wrong.
— I lost one of the diamond earrings, I need to look for it! — I exclaim and I realize that we are heading towards a side exit. Wherever we go, people turn their heads trying to understand what doesn't even make sense to me.
— Leave the earring alone — he growls in my ear and the further away from the Table we go, the faster we walk. —That's expensive!
— I can buy you a dozen of those later! Now obey me and keep quiet!
The force he uses on me is starting to hurt me, however, Klaus has never acted this way towards me, so I accept his orders and close my mouth until we go down some steps and are outside the hall, in the open air, under a sky. dark and starry.
— Take off your shoes, let’s go into the woods — he orders and starts taking off your own shoes.
- What?! Do you want to go between the trees? It's so dark! —
I widen my eyes and observe the wall of tall, green trees that begins after a garden full of very beautiful flowers on the side of the mega hall.
— I grew up in a forest, Karina, on a gigantic island full of trees — reveals and leaves me even more astonished.Besides knowing his way around the city, Klaus is telling me he's Tarzan now?—Dante will wait for me to drive you away, not for us to stay here. — He finishes taking off his shoes and socks and takes his cell phone out of his pocket. — I'll send a message to Vladimir to come and cover our tracks now. — Vladimir is Filipi's father who I only saw once.
- Are you serious?
— Take off your damn sandals! — I'm stunned by so many strange things all at once, but I start to take off my heels, which have a buckle that is very difficult to open, which takes me a while. —Forget it, come here.
Then he simply bends down and picks me up as if I were a bride walking across the threshold. I get a huge fright, but I manage not to scream, as I start to walk without any problems with my weight. In this man's hands I'm just a doll.
— Your shoe was left behind — I warn.
— Vladimir will hide him, he’s already coming — he explains and with each step he takes, I give it a light shake. — Dante is drugged, at the moment his head isn't working properly, we have to be careful because I don't know what he's capable of. Maybe he's addicted and full of hallucinations, I don't know.
— Drugged? — I whisper and I even run out of breath when we arrive in front of the
wall of dark trees. His arms around me only tighten more, clinging me to his muscular and so hot body. — What's really going on, Klaus?
— Don't worry, remember that I can see in the dark — he warns and goes walking on the earthy ground. — I'm stepping on rocks to leave no trace and the wind must carry our scent away.
The cold air of the forest, which is much darker on the inside than it is on the outside, leaves me shivering even more.
— Did he touch you? — he whispers and for several seconds I see nothing, I only feel his warm breath on my face, until my eyes get used to the new environment and I begin to distinguish the various trunks.
The trees here form a green carpet and very high above our heads, the rays of moonlight can barely penetrate to the ground.
— D-didn't touch, he just... smelled me from afar and looked at me strange.
— Great — he murmurs and arranges me better on his lap, touching me freely.
Klaus puts my thighs around his waist, after which he starts running as if we weren't in practically complete pitch black, avoiding the trees and making my heart almost come out of my mouth. I've never been so deep in a forest like this.
- Careful! — I scream, holding onto him tightly and closing my eyes. That
The whole situation is surreal.
I bury my face against his neck, breathing in his scent that calms and stimulates me in unimaginable ways and my dress rides up indecently.
When he finally stops, I don't know where we are, I just know that the man has my back against a thick, rough log, and I have no warning that he's going to kiss me until he's pushing his soft lips against mine and sticking his longest tongue inside my mouth.