Chapter 35\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are we?\u201d I asked the moment we stepped inside, my voice still a little shaky from the adrenaline wearing off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The place was nothing like his mansion back in the city. No marble floors. No grand staircases or glittering chandeliers. This was simple. Quiet. A single\u2013story house with wood floors, soft lighting, and the faint scent of pine clinging to the air. The kitchen sat tucked into the corner\u2013small, with just enough space for a stove, a fridge, and a square table with two chairs. The kind of place that a normal person could live in, not just use to show off their wealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of my safe houses,\u201d Hunter replied without looking at me, his voice flat as he went about locking the doors and checking the windows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced around again. The place was clean and neat. But something about it made the hairs on the back of my neck settle, just a little. Maybe it was the quiet. Or maybe it was the way Hunter moved through the space like it was familiar\u2013like this was where the man behind the steel walls of power came to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got multiple safe houses?\u201d I asked, raising a brow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me then, and though his expression didn\u2019t soften, his eyes held something quieter. In the end, he remained silent, offering no answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, he didn\u2019t give me a straight answer. It seems like he finds joy in keeping me out of the loop. But I can\u2019t stay like this, not when my life was also on the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you said to Beckett,\u201d I started, pausing for a second as I tried to gather my courage to finally find the answer. \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s late. You should get some rest. There\u2019s only one room here, so you take it. I\u2019ll be fine on the couch.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As expected, he was trying to avoid the topic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was about to walk past me when I grabbed his arm and pulled him back with all my might.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m done playing your games, Hunter. Who are you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does it matter? Will knowing the truth change the fact that you\u2019re mine now?\u201d he replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I scoffed and shook my head. \u201cI\u2019m not yours, Hunter\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you\u2019re wrong!\u201d He snapped, his voice rising louder than I\u2019d ever heard it before. It wasn\u2019t just loud\u2014it was angry, desperate, pleading. The sound of it froze me in place for a second, and before I could say anything else, he took a step toward me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instinctively, I backed away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But with every step I took, he followed. Until my back hit the wall, and I realized he\u2019d cornered me. My breath caught in my throat as he closed the space between us, standing so close I could feel the heat rolling off his\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:33 Thu, Dec 25 04.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 35\u00a0<\/p>\n
body, his eyes burning with something fierce,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were mine the moment I saw you,\u201d he said, his voice low now, but no less intense. \u201cThat day\u2026 when you walked down the stairs on your eighteenth birthday, in that pale blue dress\u2026 you smiled at everyone but didn\u2019t even see me. But I saw you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted you then,\u201d he continued. \u201cAnd I would\u2019ve taken you\u2013fought for you\u2013but you looked so damn happy announcing your engagement to that asshole\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, stunned by his words, my lips parting slightly, but no sound came out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI stepped back,\u201d he said, jaw tight. \u201cI told myself that if you were happy, I wouldn\u2019t get in the way. But he didn\u2019t deserve you. He didn\u2019t see you. Not like I did. Not like I do\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice cracked slightly, and that hit me harder than anything else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLetting you slip away was the biggest mistake of my life. And maybe his too,\u201d he added, softer now, \u201cBecause now that you\u2019re here, I won\u2019t be making the same mistake twice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned in a little closer, his eyes locked with mine, full of fire and something that looked an awful lot like pain. \u201cEven if it costs me everything. Even if it costs me my life, Dylan\u2013I\u2019m not letting you go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood there, frozen. But not because I was scared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stunned at the truth he\u2019d carried for so long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stunned at how blind I had been. I was so young and naive that I mistook my feelings for Beckett as love. As I looked right through Hunter\u2019s eyes, I realized something: I was never in love with Beckett. Not even once did Beckett make my heart race just like what Hunter did. Though I claim to miss Beckett, never did I long for his\u00a0<\/p>\n
presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But with Hunter, every minute without seeing him feels agonizing. And my heart races just with the glimpse of him. Do I love this man? Was it possible to love a man who I just met?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was pulled out of my reverie when I heard him blowing a sharp breath as if something annoyed him. Before I could even ask, he breaks the silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo have some rest while I prepare our meal. I\u2019ll call you when I\u2019m done,\u201d he said, dismissing me, acting as if he didn\u2019t just confess his feelings for me a few minutes ago. He turned his back and made his way towards the\u00a0<\/p>\n
kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But instead of doing what he said, I followed him, challenging his authority. \u201cWho says I need some rest?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if he was trying not to lose his temper. Somehow, seeing him struggling to control himself gives me satisfaction. This man wasn\u2019t used to defiance. I wonder how long he will manage to control his temper before he explodes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:33 Thu, Dec 25 04\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 35\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you please just do what you\u2019re told?\u201d he replied; annoyance was evident in his voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u5340\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not the boss of me, so I will do what I want. Now, if you have a problem with that, I can just leave, I responded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He frowned, \u201cSomeone has put a target on your back, and the first thing you want to do when you don\u2019t get what you want is leave?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shrugged my shoulders. \u201cWho says they were targeting me?\u201d I asked innocently, \u201cMaybe it was you who they were trying to kill, not me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s either you were trying to piss me off or you\u2019re just that naive,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cAnd we both know that you\u2019re not the latter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gulped as soon as I saw his eyes darken. He\u2019s pissed. But I didn\u2019t back down. He slowly took the distance between us until our faces were only inches away from each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems like defiance was really your second nature,\u201d he whispered as his warm, minty breath was fanning across my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I held my breath while trying to stand my ground, determined to prove my point. But I\u2019m well aware that there\u2019s only one outcome when it comes to him: he always wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gulped before I answered, \u201cSo, what are you going to do about it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of an answer, he responded by grabbing my waist, and before I knew it, I found myself sitting on top of the island counter. My shock didn\u2019t end there; it was when he abruptly spread my legs wider before he positioned himself in between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He placed his hands against the countertop, imprisoning me in between them as he leaned closer and closer to me until there waslittle to no distance that separated us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to answer your question?\u201d he asked, barely a whisper, but it was loud enough to set my body on fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gulped, trying to swallow the invisible lump in my throat. I opened my mouth, but I couldn\u2019t get myself to answer. My eyes landed on his lips, and from then on, I found it hard to look away. His lips suddenly tasted so sweet. It\u2019s like a forbidden fruit that I couldn\u2019t get my hands off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take your silence as a yes,\u201d he murmured before crashing his lips onto mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The kiss was fierce, demanding, like he\u2019d been holding back for far too long. My hands instinctively flew up, wrapping around his neck to steady myself as he pulled me closer, as if trying to mold our bodies into one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His mouth moved over mine with a hunger I hadn\u2019t expected, his lips coaxing, claiming, and tasting. I gasped softly when I felt the warm slide of his tongue, teasing its way past my lips, searching, exploring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fingers slipped into his hair, thick and soft beneath my touch. I gripped it tightly, not because I wanted to pull him away\u2013but because I needed something to hold on to,\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hands traveled over the curve of my waist before they finally landed on top of my breast. I let out a loud\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:33 Thu, Dec 25 00\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 35\u00a0<\/p>\n
groan as soon as 1 felt his large hand squeezing my breast\u00a0<\/p>\n
My body was screaming for more. I wanted more. And I made him aware of my desire by deepening the kiss, which completely caught him off guard. He withdraws immediately and ends the kiss.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pressed his forehead against mine before he whispered, \u201cYou\u2019ll be the death of me.\u201d His breathing was deep and ragged, as if he was hanging on his last thread of control. \u201cTell me to stop right now\u201d It wasn\u2019t an order but more like a plea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of doing what he told me, I said the opposite, \u201cTake me now. I\u2019m yours, aren\u2019t I? Then, claim me\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare change your mind, as I have no plan of stopping,\u201d he warned me. But I\u2019m ready now. I want\u00a0<\/p>\n
him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 responded to his warning by initiating the kiss. I can feel his hesitation. But it only took him a minute before he fully understood what I wanted. He then grabbed my nape, pulling me closer to him. I can feel his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A moan escaped my lips as soon as he started sucking my tongue, only to release it after a few seconds. He was teasing me, tempting me as if he wanted me to beg. And honestly, I\u2019m already on the verge of begging him until he gives me what I want.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease\u2026\u201d I didn\u2019t realize when it suddenly slipped out of my mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, what?\u201d he murmured as his lips slowly traveled down my neck, leaving a small trail of kisses before digging his teeth against my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I moaned loudly, feeling the pleasure along with the pain caused by his bite.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still not hearing any answers, sweet bunny,\u201d he murmured against my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease take me\u2026\u201d I answered, pleading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToo modest,\u201d he chuckled. \u201cTell me to fuck you hard, bunny,\u201d he whispered against my ear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry. I\u2019m not sure whether I could bring myself to say such vulgarities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know he can feel my hesitation as I remain silent. His mouth then continued to travel down the valley of my breast as he slowly helped me slip out of my dress. He then put a little distance between us in order for him to admire my nakedness offered right before his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBeautiful,\u201d he murmured, his voice husky and low, brushing the shell of my ear like a secret.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I barely had time to react before he dipped his head lower, his breath warm against my skin. When his lips found their way to the sensitive curve just above my heart, I gasped. A soft, involuntary sound escaped my lips, and my fingers instinctively tangled into his hair, holding him there, needing him closer\u2013needing something I couldn\u2019t quite name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His mouth moved slowly, reverently, like he was memorizing every inch of me with kisses and gentle grazes. Each flick of his tongue and press of his lips sent a wave of heat rushing through my veins. I arched toward him, unable to stop the quiet moan that escaped me, drawn from a place deep inside I\u2019d kept hidden for far\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter BA\u00a0<\/p>\n
too long\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was patient purposeful and yet the fire between us was anything but calm It burned hot and fast, threatening to consime every bit of logic I had leh. But in that moment, wrapped in the arms, there was no fear. Only the overwhelming sense of being seen wanted claimed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand traced up my side, slow and possessive, making me shiver beneath his touch\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter\u201d I whispered his name like a prayer, unsure if I was asking him to stop or being him to never stop at all\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked up at me then, eyes dark and tender all at once. \u201cI want to hear it, bunny\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
B\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 35 Chapter 35\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 \u201cWhere are we?\u201d I asked the moment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24386\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}