Page 36 of Of Shadow and Moon

I freeze for a second, his words catching me off guard. “Done to you?” I echo, pulling a sweatshirt on and narrowing my eyes at him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

He crosses the room in a few long strides, stopping just inches from me. “I can't get you out of my head,” he growls, low and dangerous. “No matter what I do, you're always there. In my thoughts, in my dreams. It's like a fucking curse.”

I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. “So, naturally, your first conclusion would be that I am a witch and enthralling you? You've got to be kidding me,” I mutter, as my eyes hit the ceiling to let out a long sigh. I'm literally going through my own crisis, and this fuckface just has to come in and add fuel to the fire.

His eyes flash, and he points an accusing finger at me. “You’re hiding something. You never go to the same places, always looking everywhere. You’re more alert than some of our fucking soldiers. There’s something about you, Selestina, and I’m not the only one who sees it.”

I snort. “Oh, please. If I could curse you, don't you think I'd have done something a lot more creative than making you think about me all the time?” My eyes narrow. “And how do you know what routes I take? Sounds like you are the fucking creepy stalker.” What is with these princes and stalking me?

“Maybe that's precisely the point,” he snaps. “Keep me off balance. Distract me. You're trying to weaken me, and I won't let that happen.” Wholly disregarding the latter. He takes another step forward. His chest is rising fast, in pace with his breath inches from my face. It takes meback to the tavern when I looked in those ocean eyes. How this man, this frantic man, made feel safer than I’ve ever felt in my entire existence. I let the moment hang on for as long as it can before being weird. I snap myself out of the haze.

I roll my eyes and step back, only to put some space between us. “You are paranoid. If you can't handle your own emotions, that's on you,PríncipeNazriel.” I hiss out his title. “Don't go throwing around accusations because you've got some weird obsession you can't control.”

His jaw clenches, and the muscles tick. “You think this is a joke?” He takes a step closer once more, and I bump into the wall behind me. “You think because you took my cock, I wouldn’t suspect you? You think I wouldn’t see right through you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Maybe you're just projecting your little secret agenda onto me. You ever think of that?” I feel my own breaths quickening as the space between us keeps closing.

His hands slam against the wall on either side of my head, caging me in. My heart leaps, but I refuse to show it. “You have no idea what you're messing with, Selestina.” Not who, butwhat.

I meet his gaze, unflinching. “I could say the same to you, Príncipe.”

For a moment, we just stand there, the tension between us thick, electric. His chest rises and falls quickly, like he's barely holding himself together. And then, before I can react, he's on me, his lips crashing against mine with a fierce and desperate hunger.

His hands move to my waist, pulling me against him, and I can feel how turned on he is. I should push him away, I should stop this. I don't, though. Instead, I press my lips tohis just as fiercely, my fingers tangling into his hair to pull him closer.

It is overwhelming, an inferno that engulfs me whole, with a sense of urgency. He kisses me like he is trying to sear the memory of me into his brain, to forget whatever he has been fighting.

Then, in a split second, he releases me, breathing hard, eyes untamed. “Damn it,” he mutters, stepping back, running a hand through his hair, frustrated. “Damn you.”

I'm still leaning up against the wall, gasping for air, as my heartbeat increases. “You kissed me.” I remind him.

His eyes are frantic, a mix between anger and heat. I don’t know why that sends a jolt straight to my core.My vagina is a fucking traitor. “This is what I am talking about. You. You're messing with my head.”

I laugh, despite the tingling taste of him on my lips. “You kissed me, Nazriel. That wasn't exactly part of my master plan to ruin you.”

He clenches his fists, retreating another step, as if he cannot trust himself to be near me. “Stay away from me, Selestina. I'm warning you.”

“Stay away?” I shake my head, throwing my hands in the air. “You're the one who stormed into my room, remember?”

Am I talking to a brick wall?

He spins, heading for the door. But before he leaves, he looks over his shoulder, his face torn between frustration and something deeper.

Then, in a flash, he's gone, leaving me alone in the room, my heart still pounding in my chest.

I touch my lips, still tingling from the ghost of his kiss, and shake my head; a small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth.

Realizing that Nazriel made me completely forget about my panic attack, I sigh, pushing that thought straight the fuck to the back of my head, and grab my books to sit on my bed.

Midterms and the first trial are coming up in the next month, and with me being ahead in all my classes, that doesn't mean I can slack off and not make sure I ace those tests. I chug down the coffee from this morning in my canteen, that tastes like total shit but much needed, and open up my books.

Chapter 22

Selestina

My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since yesterday. So engrossed in studying after Nazriel's interruption, I stayed up till well past midnight. Nasarea had come in, scrunched her nose in my direction, headed to shower, and went to bed. She still can't figure out how to kick me out of our room. It’s oddly satisfying the amount that pisses her off.

I can’t stop thinking about the shadows. Did I dream that? I don’t understand what is happening to me. Is this connected to when I woke up in that morgue? Everything points to me not being a human, but I would have manifested my powers if I were a demonio much sooner than now.

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