Awa's eyes narrowed as she spotted Kelsey standing at the mouth of the alley, his smug grin illuminated by the dim light overhead. Irritation boiled up inside her, prickling beneath her skin. He stood there like he owned the world, as if he could intimidate her just by showing up.
But fear? No. The only thing Awa felt now was irritation. Who did this guy think he was?
She had faced worse in the past weeks—she had faced Forrest. She had discovered something inside herself, something far greater than what Kelsey could even begin to comprehend. I'm practically supergirl now. The thought surged through her, empowering her with confidence. If Kelsey even so much as looked at her the wrong way, she'd plant him headfirst in the nearest toilet and flush until his oversized ego went swirling down the drain.
Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, reigning in her anger. She didn't need this right now, not after the bizarre craving she had barely managed to overcome earlier. What she needed was to get home, maybe figure out what the hell was going on with her strange powers. She wasn't going to waste her energy on this clown.
She walked toward Kelsey with steady steps, her face indifferent, her irritation simmering beneath the surface. "Move," she said curtly, barely glancing in his direction, her tone dismissive. He wasn't worth her time.
Kelsey's face flushed an angry red at her words, his smirk replaced by a scowl. He was used to people—especially women—responding to him with fear or submission. The fact that Awa barely acknowledged him made his blood boil. His eyes darted around the alley, checking to see if there were any witnesses to this humiliating moment. When he realized they were alone, his expression twisted into something far darker.
"Do you really think you can just walk away from me?" His voice dropped, filled with venom as he took a step forward. "Do you know who I am, Awa? What I could do to you?"
But his words barely registered in her mind. Awa was only half-listening to his threats, her irritation ebbing away as something else caught her attention—that smell. It was back, faint at first but growing stronger with every passing second, filling her senses with that same mouth-watering aroma she had noticed earlier on the busy street.
Her nose twitched involuntarily as the scent intensified, pulling her focus away from Kelsey entirely. It was rich, alluring, like the promise of the most delicious meal she had ever had, and the craving that accompanied it hit her hard. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up, her feet leading her toward the source of the scent.
Kelsey's words faded into the background as Awa scanned the alley, trying to locate where that delicious smell was coming from. She wrinkled her nose as her gaze landed on the row of garbage bins lining the alley walls.
No, no, please tell me it's not coming from there, she thought, horrified at the possibility. But the scent was unmistakable, and despite her revulsion, she found herself moving toward the bins. Just to make sure, she reasoned with herself.
Behind her, Kelsey watched in stunned silence as Awa suddenly turned her back on him and walked away, heading toward the dumpsters with what could only be described as... interest? Confusion flared up in his chest, quickly followed by disgust. What the hell is she doing? His prey, the one he had planned to toy with, was now sniffing garbage bins?
"What the hell...?" Kelsey muttered under his breath, watching in disbelief as Awa opened one of the bins, peering inside and sniffing the air above it. His lip curled in disgust, his earlier excitement draining away as fast as it had come. What is wrong with this girl?
The whole situation was so bizarre, he didn't know what to think. Kelsey was used to being in control, used to intimidating and toying with people. But this? He felt disgusted. He wanted to ravage a girl who sniffed garbage bins? What was he doing? He prided himself on picking targets based on their looks and social standing, but now, for the first time, he was questioning his standards. Sure, Awa scored high in terms of appearance, but she was—What? Mentally unstable? She had to be, if she was wandering alleys and opening trash bins like some kind of deranged scavenger.
Awa, however, remained blissfully unaware of his internal crisis, too focused on her own confusion. She opened another bin, sniffing the air with growing frustration. The delicious smell was getting weaker, not stronger. She moved further down the alley, opening each bin in succession, trying to find the source of the intoxicating scent. But with each bin, the smell faded more.
Behind her, Kelsey's confusion quickly morphed into annoyance. This wasn't going the way he had planned. A sense of unease settled in the pit of his stomach as he watched her. He liked control, he liked to see fear, to play with his prey, and watching Awa sift through garbage wasn't exactly the scenario he had in mind.
His anger flared again, and he let out a soft, disbelieving chuckle, shaking his head. "What the actual hell..." His words trailed off as he felt something akin to embarrassment for even considering her earlier. He always picked his victims carefully—Awa had seemed perfect, but now? Now she looked like a lunatic, rummaging through trash with the same enthusiasm a child might have for opening birthday presents.
Awa sighed in frustration, stepping away from the bins and glancing back at Kelsey. Why do I still smell it? The scent hadn't disappeared entirely—it lingered, faint but undeniable. Her eyes narrowed as a new thought entered her mind. Could it be... him?
The woman from earlier had given off a similar scent to Forrest, though weaker, diluted. But what if Kelsey, disgusting as he was, carried that same alluring essence? What if he was the source of the delicious aroma that had been pulling at her senses?
Slowly, Awa turned toward Kelsey, her expression shifting from confusion to something far more unsettling. She smiled—a slow, deliberate smile that sent a ripple of unease down Kelsey's spine.
Kelsey, still rooted to the spot in disbelief, watched her carefully. His stomach churned as her smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with something that didn't seem entirely... human. He felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of dread, his earlier bravado crumbling in the face of her strange behavior.
What the hell is she smiling at?
He swallowed hard, trying to regain his composure, but it was impossible to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his mind—What is wrong with her?
Awa took a slow step toward him, her smile never faltering. She could still smell that delicious, intoxicating scent, and with every step, it grew stronger. She was close now, close enough to confirm that it was, indeed, coming from him.
Kelsey felt a chill crawl up his spine, his earlier excitement fading into uncertainty and doubt. His heart raced, not from the thrill of the hunt but from a growing sense of... fear? No, that couldn't be right. He wasn't afraid of her—he wasn't afraid of anyone. But still, there was something about the way she was looking at him, something that made him question everything.
As Awa continued her slow approach, her smile widening, Kelsey's mind raced. For the first time in his life, he wondered if maybe, just maybe, he had made a mistake. Am I really about to mess with a girl who sniffs garbage bins?
His stomach churned with disgust, his earlier plans falling apart in the face of this bizarre, unsettling encounter. His instincts screamed at him to back away, to rethink this whole situation, but his pride kept him rooted in place, too stubborn to admit defeat.
And yet, as Awa drew closer, her eyes locked onto his, Kelsey couldn't shake the feeling that he had severely underestimated her.