Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 65
Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Selene
‘What are you planning?’ Thane’s voice rumbled through my mind with obvious irritation.
‘What do you mean?’ I answered, keeping my tone deliberately flat.
My wolf let out the kind of exasperated growl only centuries of frustration could produce.
‘Don’t play dumb. This is unlike you. You never let people get this close to you. You avoid their touch, scent, and presence. And yet here you are, letting her step into the same water as you, as if you don’t despise anyone sharing your space. If you’re planning something unnecessary and long, just stop it and mark her. It is quick, fast, and efficient.”
I exhaled slowly through my nose, crossing my arms over my bare chest as my gaze slid to the woman across the water.
She wasn’t a man. Even though she kept her clothes on, trying desperately to hide the very thing she thought she could disguise, her body betrayed her. The thin fabric clung to her curves, outlining a small waist, delicate legs, and soft hips. Even her posture looked feminine.
And still she thought she was doing a convincing job.
Thane huffed, restless. ‘Look at her. Just look at her. She is ours. Every instinct in me is screaming for her. We have been alone for centuries, Damien. Centuries. And this is the first time we have felt this kind of pull toward anyone. She is—’
I shut him out before he could finish that thought.
He had been behaving strangely ever since she crashed into our path, and I wasn’t about to let an emotional wolf dictate my actions. Yes, she was intriguing. More intriguing than anyone I had encountered in a long, long time. But that didn’t mean I
la was going to act on impulse. That was his nature, not mine.
Across from me, she let out a forced laugh.
“Haha, look at us,” she said, her voice pitched just a little too high. “Men to men bonding. It’s quite nice, don’t you think?”
I raised an eyebrow at her. She had no idea how to act around me, and she was failing horribly.
“Bonding?” I echoed. “You’re quite far away for someone who wants to bond.
She flinched, her throat bobbing as she struggled to swallow. When she finally forced herself to meet my eyes, I saw her
nervous gaze.
She had seen my eyes flash red earlier. She knew exactly who I was. And yet she was pretending not to.
Ordinarily, anyone outside my pack who caught a glimpse of my true identity never lived to describe it. Their lives ended before their screams could fully form. I wanted to see how long she would keep up this absurd act.
“Oh, I-I’m only far because we’re men,” she stammered. “If we sit too close, it will be awkward for us. You know… man to man.”
Her voice faltered at the end. I let my eyes drift lazily down her soaked figure before returning to her face.
“Don’t worry,” I said, my tone as indifferent. “It wouldn’t be awkward for me.”
Before she could react, I moved.
I closed the distance between us in a single step, letting the water ripple around my waist as I approached her. She gasped, her breath catching sharply in her throat at the sudden proximity. Her wide eyes flicked up to mine before she panicked and
12:56 Tue,
Chapter 65
twisted her head away, heat rushing across her cheeks.
“What are-” she began
I didn’t let her finish. I lifted one hand and placed my fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face back toward me. Her skin was soft for someone trying so hard to pretend she was a man. With my other hand, I braced myself against the cold marble wall behind her, effectively caging her between my body and the stone.
She froze, and a tremor ran through her. Her breath hitched, her lashes fluttered, and that startled look in her eyes was intoxicating.
I leaned in until we were mere inches apart. Close enough to feel the warmth of her breath brush across my lips. Close enough that if I tilted my head even slightly, our mouths would touch. But this time, I didn’t kiss her.
I wanted something else.
I let my eyes shift until they glowed, focusing on her completely. I had tried to read her the other day, but it hadn’t worked Now, if I paid full attention, I should be able to do it this time. I told myself, but it was still the same. All I saw was white. A void that swallowed everything I tried to reach for.
I frowned. No one had ever been able to block my sight before.
What are you?
I was still deep in thought when she squeezed her eyes shut.
I blinked, and did the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen.
She leaned forward, lips slightly puckered, as if offering a kiss. I tilted my head slowly, watching her with something dangerously close to amusement.
“What,” I murmured, “are you doing?”
Her eyes snapped open and she jerked back so suddenly she splashed water between us. Her face flushed crimson. When she saw the faint smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth, her mortification doubled.
“N-nothing!” she blurted, voice cracking. “I wasn’t doing anything.”
She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to stay composed. Then she inhaled sharply and lifted her chin.
“I think that’s enough hot spring for today,” she declared.
She pressed a hand to my chest and pushed. I allowed the movement, taking a single step back, still watching her.
She bolted out of the water almost immediately.
The moment she stood, water cascaded down her body, soaking the clothes she kept on until the fabric clung to her small frame.
She shivered violently as the cold air hit her wet clothes.
“Goddess…” she muttered under her breath, unaware I heard every word. “Maybe it wasn’t a smart idea to enter with my
clothes on after all.”
I dragged a hand through my wet hair, pushing it back as I rose from the water. The movement sent droplets cascading down my shoulders, running in slow trails across my chest and following the rigid lines of muscle down to my abdomen.
Her eyes followed every single one.
Chapter 65
I stepped out of the spring and reached for the towel resting on a flat rock. Without looking at her, I tossed it in her direction. It slapped softly against her chest, and she fumbled to catch it, nearly dropping it before gripping it tightly. Her gaze snapped back to me as if she wasn’t sure what to do.
Meanwhile, I took another towel and ran it slowly through my hair, and pointed toward a neatly folded set of dry shirt on a nearby rock.
“Change,” I said, my voice low and emotionless. “And leave. The guards should have gone by now.”
I turned away from her without waiting for a response, walking deeper into the cave, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls.
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