Song recommendation: I'm yours
Isabel laRose
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Kat's eyes fluttered open slowly, taking in her environment. Her gaze met the usual sight of the painting on her ceiling. She blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust to the tingling sensation in her eyes. It was already night, and her room was lit by the usual warm light of the candles and the glow from the fireplace.
She closed her eyes as the whole thing came rushing back to her; going to the beach, Argent's reaction to the water, and the intense feeling of dread she felt when he transformed.
Kat tried to move, but she immediately paused when she felt a sharp pain in her back. Her neck felt as if she had been stabbed. She still tried to get up, using one hand to support her weight, but let out a small cry when she felt the wound on her arm reopen and fell back, her back hitting the surface of the soft mattress. She bit her lip, trying not to let out another cry.
Everything came gushing back. the intense panic of drowning. She closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed. 'How did I get back to the castle?' she suddenly thought to herself. Then she remembered seeing Lucain stab the creature. Her fingers clutched the bedsheets at the thought. He had jumped into the water to save her. Her mind began to race with thoughts of whether he was okay. "Lucain," she whispered, her voice hoarse and choked.
"Am I really that amazing, that I happen to be the first person you call out to when you wake? Now, don't tell me you're worried about me, Katherine," a voice spoke next to her. Kat's eyes snapped open, startled, and she turned her head to the side, meeting the sight of Lucain comfortably sprawled next to her on her bed. The candlelight played over his features, casting deep shadows that emphasized the chiseled lines of his face and the faint, almost disinterested smile that curved his lips. He didn't seem in any hurry to move, as if lying on her bed was the most natural thing in the world.
His hand was draped over his eyes, partially shielding them from the flickering light.
Lucain's dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead, catching the light just so, making him look even more striking against the shadows. His features were sharp and defined. giving him an almost otherworldly handsomeness that was hard to ignore.
Gathering herself, Kat shifted slightly, wincing at the sharp pain in her back. She propped herself up on her elbows, trying to reduce the discomfort. Slowly, she managed to sit up, still watching Lucain with a mix of confusion and annoyance.
"What are you doing on my bed?" Kat's voice came out more breathless than she intended, her surprise quickly morphing into irritation.
Lucain didn't move immediately. He seemed entirely at ease, as if her bed were the most natural place for him to be. His lips twitched slightly.
"Well, what else would I be doing on your bed?" he replied as if the question were absurd. "I couldn't possibly sit in that chair. It's far too uncomfortable. I had to lie down."
His tone was so nonchalant that it left Kat momentarily speechless. She stared at him, trying to process the absurdity of his words. He had just brushed off her question, making her feel both annoyed and bewildered.
Kat opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a disbelieving, "What…?"
Lucain finally moved, lifting his hand from his eyes, and turned his head just enough to look at her, his gaze lazy yet piercing. His lips curled into a faint, almost mocking smile as he met her gaze fully. His eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and something darker, more inscrutable. But it only lasted for a flicker of moment before disappearing.
Kat felt the sharp pain in her back more intensely than before and let out a small cry, arching her back slightly.
Lucain noticed and, with fluid grace, sat up. His motions were unhurried and smooth, every bit as relaxed as his demeanor. He reached out for a pillow on the bed and moved it closer, placing it behind her. "Rest your back on it," he commanded. Kat slowly did as he said, a little confused by his sudden care. She didn't understand this man at all. "You know, for someone who just had a swim with a Kelpie, you have quite the energy," Lucain commented.
He glanced around the room lazily, his fingers toying with a small pencil he had picked up from the bedside table.
Kat couldn't help but feel flustered by his presence. "What are you doing here, Lucain?" she demanded, her voice carrying more irritation than she intended. She couldn't fathom why he was there, acting so nonchalant in her private space.
Lucain didn't look up immediately. He continued to play with the object in his hand, rolling it between his fingers. When he finally did look at her, his gaze was steady and unreadable. "What are you glaring at me for?"
"Get up," Kat snapped irritably.
Lucain's brow arched slightly. "Get up? This is my castle, my bed, and everything here belongs to me," he said, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. "So why should I get up?"
Kat closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, unsure how to respond to his infuriatingly calm attitude. Her glare intensified, but words failed her.
Seeing her struggle, Lucain sighed theatrically. "And for someone who just saved you, brought you back home, and stayed up all night by your side, you certainly don't seem very appreciative," he added.
Kat fell silent, taken aback by his words. The first thing that struck her was his choice of words 'home.' Did he consider this place her home now? The thought was startling, and she didn't know how to respond. The second realization was that he was right. He had saved her, brought her back safely, but had he really stayed up all night watching over her?, 'ahh he is so confusing '
Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Lucain cleared his throat, the sound snapping her back to the present. She looked at him, her anger softened by a touch of confusion and reluctant gratitude. "I… I'm sorry. And thank you," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kat's soft "thank you" hung in the air, but Lucain didn't immediately respond. Instead, he shifted slightly on the bed. His left leg, which had been bent casually, stayed up while he placed his right leg on the ground, leaning forward just a bit. His fingers toyed absentmindedly with the pencil, his attention seemingly divided between the small object and their conversation.
Kat, still processing everything, moved a little, trying to ease her discomfort. Her thoughts raced back to the terrifying encounter by the water. She looked at Lucain. "What was that creature?"
Lucain paused, his gaze still fixed on the object in his hand. After a moment, he finally spoke, his tone even and calm. "It was a Kelpie," he said simply.
"A kelp-what?" Kat echoed, frowning.
"A Kelpie," Lucain repeated, looking up at her briefly. "A water spirit. It often takes the form of a horse. It lures people into the water and then drowns them and devours them."
"Devour… like eat?" Kat asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
"No, just drown them and take their corpse to dinner," Lucain responded sarcastically. Kat glared at him slightly. His voice was calm as though he were talking about the weather.
Kat shivered at his explanation, the memory of the creature's eyes and the feeling of being pulled under still vivid in her mind. "So, if you hadn't come…" she trailed off, the thought too chilling to complete.
"You would have been Kelpie dinner," Lucain finished for her, his eyes locking onto hers with a dark intensity. "By now, you'd be just another victim of the Kelpie, torn apart limb by limb."
"Okay I get it, ugh" kat's stomach churned at his words, the reality of how close she had come to death sinking in. She glanced away, her eyes finding the window where the curtains still swayed gently in the breeze.
"Why in the world would you keep such a thing then?" Kat asked, further confirming to herself that Lucain was absolutely crazy.
Lucain yawned as though bored with the topic. "I don't remember needing a reason to do what I want," he continued. "Kelpies are rare to come across, but I wouldn't say their victims would think the same. If I had left it alone, quite a lot of people would have died by now. In addition, the creature was very much under control until my little birdie here decided she wanted to have a dance with death."
Kat felt a flush of irritation mixed with guilt. He was right. But there was something in his tone that made her bristle. "You didn't say anything about Kelpies," she shot back, though her voice lacked its usual fire.
"I made it clear you shouldn't do anything without my say-so, but apparently, I wasn't clear enough," Lucian replied, his gaze narrowed. "You seem to have a knack for finding trouble, or perhaps it finds you."
Kat opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. She bit her bottom lip.
"You will die soon," Lucian said suddenly, out of nowhere.
"Wait, what?" she asked, side-eyeing Lucian. "What do you mean?"
He looked at her, his expression still the same aloof mask. "The Kelpie marked you."
Kat's breath caught in her throat. "Marked? What does that mean?"
Lucian paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "The Kelpie's Mark binds you to it," he began to say. "It's a way for the creature to track its prey. If you manage to escape, like you did, the mark ensures it can always find you."
Kat felt a chill run down her spine. She instinctively touched her arm, half-expecting to feel some physical sign of the mark. "But… I escaped," she said, her voice trembled slightly. "It didn't get me. Why does it matter?"
Lucian shifted slightly, placing his other leg back and he lined, closer to her. "Escaping doesn't mean you're safe."
Lucian's gaze was steady but intense. "The Kelpie's Mark does two things," he began. "First, it allows the creature to track its prey. If you escape, it can always find you. You're bound to it now."
Kat's initial fear gave way to a moment of dismissive confidence. "So what?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's a horse. I'm not going back to the beach, and it can't just walk into the castle to get me."
Lucian's gaze narrowed at the insolent girl in front of him. "Kelpies aren't just horses," he corrected, his voice low and serious. "They can take on different forms. It could appear as a human and lure you in. And because you're marked, you'll be drawn to it without even realizing it. You're bonded to it until it kills you."
Kat's heart raced. The thought of a shape-shifting creature, one that could disguise itself and come for her at any time, filled her with dread. "So it can come after me anywhere?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, and you'll be drawn to it without knowing," Lucian confirmed.
"Then why didn't you just kill the thing!" Kat questioned, frustrated.
"How about you keep quiet and let me explain, or I could leave," Lucian replied sharply.
Kat grumbled a little before reluctantly quieting down, allowing Lucian speak. He continued, his eyes locking onto hers. "The second thing the mark does is tie your fate to the Kelpie's. I injured it badly. stabbed it in the back and it's neck. If it dies because of those wounds, you will die too."
She felt a cold shock wash over her. "What? That's insane! Why would I die if it dies?"
"The mark it put on you," Lucian explained, his hands never stopping their motion with the pen. "As the Kelpie suffers, so will you. It's dying now, and if it succumbs to its injuries, you'll follow soon after."
"Wow, Katherine, way to go. You really outdid yourself," Kat muttered to herself, taking a deep breath. "Seeing a wet horse despite the dry weather wasn't enough for you to think something was wrong."
"You saw it wet?" Lucian asked, his eyebrows frowning slightly.
"Huh?... Yeah, is something wrong with that?" Kat asked, wondering why the horse being wet was more important to him at the moment than her dying.
Lucian didn't say anything but just stared at the girl in front of him. 'There is something more to her, I just can't tell what it is' he thought. To further confirm his suspicion, he moved closer to Kat, closing the distance between them. He reached for the shoulder of her dress and pulled it down.
The sudden action startled Kat. She exclaimed, "What do you think you are doing, pervert? Get away from me!" She tried hitting him, but she barely had the strength to sit up, let alone push him away.
Lucain paused, staring at her bare shoulder. Kat followed his gaze and gasped. "What is that?" she asked, her voice trembling. On her shoulder was a strange mark, like a tattoo of a hoof print with foreign writing within it.
Lucain hummed thoughtfully, his expression still impassive. 'As I thought, she shouldn't be able to see it, but she can. That's unusual for a human.'
Kat frantically tried to wipe the mark off. "Why won't it come off?"
"That's the Kelpie's mark," He pointed out, his tone remained indifferent.
Panic surged through Kat. She hadn't just narrowly escaped death; it was now chasing her, bound to her by an invisible tether. "Is there any way to break the bond...mark whatever it is? I don't want to die," she asked desperately, her eyes searching Lucian's for any sign of hope.
Lucian's expression stayed the same. "I don't intend to let you die so soon," he said. "We can replace the Kelpie's bond with another bond."
Kat clung to this glimmer of hope. "How do we do that?" she asked, leaning forward, eager for a solution.
"It requires a new bond, a stronger one that can override the Kelpie's," Lucian explained, his demeanor calm and composed.
Before she could ask what he meant, Lucian reached out and gently pecked her on the forehead. Kat froze, completely caught off guard by the unexpected action. The brief contact sent a jolt through her, and she barely had time to react before he pulled her into a gentle embrace, careful not to hurt her already pained body.
Her mind raced, trying to process the sudden shift from their conversation to this intimate moment. The warmth of his embrace contrasted sharply with the cold fear that had gripped her moments before. She caught the scent of rosewood and felt his firm body against hers, making her heart skip a beat. "What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice shaky.
Kat's heart pounded in her chest. She felt Lucian's face bury itself in the crook of her neck, his breath warm against her skin. His grip on her waist tightened slightly. She winced as she felt a sharp pain. Lucian's fangs sank into her neck, causing her to gasp and grip his shoulder, her fingers digging into his shoulder....