[Music recommendation: Kyle Warr - Wonder]

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Back inside the Valentine Residence, it was nearly one o’clock in the morning when a dark figure finally materialised in the living room.

The estate was quiet, as always, his icy blue eyes taking in the shadows around him.

Even though he had returned, his mind continued to interrogate him.

’Why did I go seeking Diana tonight?’ The question clawed at him the moment it surfaced.

Anger flared within his chest at his own behaviour as he began to silently ascend the stairs toward his second-floor quarters.

His footsteps echoed softly through the empty mansion while his thoughts churned within him.

Deep down, he already knew the answer.

He had only gone to that woman to test whether the dark desires consuming him were exclusive to his little rose, or if his dormant instincts had simply awakened after a long celibacy. Meaning could they be easily extinguished by any available female.

The answer had become painfully clear.

It was only her.

Only Aliana.

In fact, his revulsion had been so violent at the mere touch of Diana’s hand against his clothes that it had made him want to rip her arm from her body for daring to touch him.

How ridiculous.

It was absurd that he, of all beings, had fallen into such a state over a mere human woman when he could have anyone else if he truly wished for it.

It was not as though Gavriel intended to break the promise he had made to Aliana, the vow that he would belong solely to her. Never once had he thought of betraying that promise.

But these emotions festering within him were dangerous.

Possessiveness. Obsession. Desire.

Emotions that had never surfaced in all his centuries were suddenly taking root deep within him, clouding his judgment and making him act irrational. And Gavriel despised losing control more than anything else.

So, consumed by irritation and bloodlust, he had sought Diana out merely to prove himself wrong. To convince himself that Aliana was not special. That her touch was not the only one capable of driving him mad.

But how wrong he was.

In fact, his actions had aggravated the dark side within him so much that his aura had begun to bleed out like a silent protest against his stubbornness.

As the air in the corridor grew thick and heavy with his dark energy, he made his way toward his room, only to freeze directly in front of a door that was not his own.

He gazed at the door for a few silent seconds before taking a quiet step forward.

Resting his palm against the brass doorknob, he felt the craving to see her take root within him once again.

But the moment he prepared to turn it, the memory of her stiffening under his presence flashed through his mind, causing him to freeze.

His jaw tightened before clenching hard as he slowly let go of the doorknob altogether and began marching towards his own room instead.

His mood darkened with every passing step until... the corner of his eyes caught something.

Sitting on the console table right next to his bedroom door was a covered dish, accompanied by a small piece of paper where an elegant handwriting spelled out his name.

Reaching out, he picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it, only for his brows to rise slightly in surprise at the contents.

"I don’t know if you noticed, but I am sorry about my childish actions earlier. Join me for breakfast tomorrow if you are ready to look past it. - Aliana"

He blinked as he re-read the note once more before his thumb slowly brushed over her name.

Before he knew it, the faintest ghost of a smile appeared upon his lips.

Just like that, every negative emotion festering within him vanished as though it had never existed in the first place.

"So she noticed," he whispered softly.

His blue eyes moved toward the table where the covered dish rested. Reaching out, he lifted the lid, only to find a perfect slice of strawberry buttercream cake waiting for him. His mood lightened even further at the sight.

Holding the note securely in one hand, he picked up the plate and stepped inside his dark, massive bedroom.

He then placed the cake and the note on his bedside table before looking down at his still-drenched coat, a frown settling on his face at the sight of it.

Wordlessly, he walked into his bathroom and stripped off everything he was wearing before tossing the clothes into the bin.

Within seconds, his eyes turned a bright crimson red, and the discarded clothes burst into towering flames, reducing the fabric to ashes instantly.

After that, he stepped beneath the shower, letting hot water cascade down his rigid frame. Slowly, all the tension that had been weighing on him since the evening began to leave his body until a quiet sigh escaped his lips.

Running a hand through his damp hair, he closed his eyes and simply stood there, allowing the water to wash over him that he didn’t even realise when his darkness finally began settling within him.

Once done, he changed into his night robe and loose pajamas before walking towards the bedside table where the cake rested untouched.

But before he could even think about tasting it, his gaze fell upon Aliana’s note once again. Before he knew it, he had closed his eyes, only to appear in the room next to his.

He remained hidden in the deep shadows, just as he always did, his gaze locked on the sleeping beauty before him.

He noticed that the lamp beside her bed was lit once again, and for a moment, he wondered if she feared the dark.

But if he remembered correctly, when he had first visited her back at her parents’ mansion, her room had been completely dark.

He wondered if this recent habit had something to do with the terror that had settled deep within her after all the spirits that had attacked her.

Just the thought of those creatures touching her made his pleasant mood turn sour.

Little did he know that this habit was because of his nightly visit to her room itself.

Before he could stop himself, his feet moved silently across the thick carpet until he stood right beside her bed.

He gazed down at her sleeping form.

She looked so defenceless and innocent, lying carelessly upon the mattress with no conception of the danger standing right by her side.

Her golden hair was a halo spread across the pillow. Her lips were slightly parted, letting out soft, rhythmic breaths. Part of the blanket had slipped down, exposing the smooth, milky skin of the thigh he had chanced to caress earlier that afternoon. A thin strap of her silk nightgown hung loose against her slender shoulder, leaving her collarbone completely bare to his gaze.

’How enticing,’ a dark voice whispered in his mind.

The intense desire that had remained dead when faced with Diana’s seduction now hit him with unbridled, devastating force just by looking at Aliana.

Before he knew it, he sank to his knees beside the mattress. His hand moved as if it possessed a mind of its own, gently brushing the back of his fingers against the velvety softness of her cheek.

He leaned in closer, his gaze hovering over her slightly parted lips, a fierce craving to taste them again roaring back to life.

Yet, he held himself back.

For now, this was all he could allow himself. Just this tiny distance, being this close to her, was enough to completely quiet all the demons raging inside him.

"Like a beast being pacified by a little rose," he whispered into the quiet dark.

He took in one last, deep breath, filling his lungs with her intoxicating, addictive scent, before he finally allowed the shadows to rise and dissolve him into the night.

Right then, Aliana stirred slightly.

Opening her eyes groggily, she glanced toward the empty space beside her bed. Before she could make sense of the lingering warmth in the air, her eyelids snapped shut, and sleep claimed her once again.