Sparks

After Caspian explained what an erasthai was, my brain honestly stopped functioning properly for a while. Not because I didn’t understand him. But because every time he looked at me with those silver-grey eyes, I forgot how to think like a normal person. Which was extremely inconvenient. Especially when the person distracting me looked like temptation personally handcrafted by the moon goddess herself.

“So,” I said eventually, forcing myself to focus before my thoughts became dangerous again, “how old are you exactly?” Caspian’s mouth curved slightly. “How old do you think I am, sunshine?” “That usually means the answer is bad.” His laugh came low and smooth. “I’m older than I look.” “That explains absolutely nothing.”

He leaned back slightly against the tree behind him, completely relaxed while I sat across from him trying not to stare too hard at his chest beneath the black shirt stretched over his body. “One hundred and eighty.” I blinked. Then blinked again. “…Excuse me?” “I’m one hundred and eighty years old.”

I stared at him in complete silence. “You look twenty-two.” “I know.” “That’s insane.” “Perks of being a Lycan.” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “So while I was learning multiplication tables, you were alive somewhere paying taxes?” He actually laughed. A real laugh this time. The sound warmed something inside my chest. “I wasn’t paying taxes at five years old, sunshine.” “How do I know? You people are ancient.” “You people?” “Yes. You terrifying immortal creatures.”

His eyes gleamed with amusement while he studied me carefully like he enjoyed every ridiculous thing that came out of my mouth. “You’re not scared of me at all, are you?” The strange thing was I probably should have been. Everything about him screamed dangerous. The unnatural speed. The possessiveness. The way he moved like a predator pretending to act civilized. But instead of fear… I felt safe. Safe enough to tease him. Safe enough to sit alone in the forest with him without worrying he would hurt me. And maybe that was the scariest part.

“So where were you born?” I asked curiously. “Germany.” “That part I already know.” “Mhm.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re difficult.” “You still like me.” Unfortunately true. I hated that he knew it too.

For a while we just talked. Not about heavy things. Just random conversations that somehow became my favorite part of the morning. He asked me about painting and actually listened when I spoke. I found out he liked chess, hated crowded places, and apparently thought humans created terrible coffee. At some point he challenged me to a game involving throwing little stones into the lake to see who could skip them farther.

I lost horribly. Mostly because I kept getting distracted by his hands. Which honestly felt like a personal problem. “You’re terrible at this,” he informed me after his stone skipped across the water six times. “You’re literally a supernatural creature,” I argued. “That’s cheating.” “Excuses.” “You’re annoying.” “And yet here you are.” I threw another stone directly at him. He caught it effortlessly without even looking. Show off.

Hours passed too quickly after that. One moment we were talking near the lake. The next we were walking slowly back toward town while sunlight filtered through the trees around us. His fingers slipped through mine naturally this time. Like we both already expected it. And honestly? I liked how warm his hand felt wrapped around mine. Nyx liked it too. Traitor.

Every now and then his thumb brushed against my skin softly, sending tiny sparks through my body that made my chest flutter embarrassingly hard. No one had ever affected me this way before. Not Bane. Not anyone. Just him. When we finally reached the front gate of my house, I realized something horrifying. I didn’t want him to leave. Which was ridiculous because technically this entire relationship had existed for less than twenty-four hours. Well… not technically. Three years if you counted the fact that he apparently decided I belonged to him the moment we met. Still insane though.

I looked down at our intertwined hands before glancing back up at him. “This feels fast,” I admitted quietly. “For you maybe,” Caspian murmured. That answer made my stomach flip. His silver eyes stayed fixed on me so intensely it almost felt physical. Like he saw too much. Too deeply. “You should go inside before your family notices you’re missing,” he said eventually.

I nodded slowly. Neither of us moved. God. This man was dangerous in ways that had nothing to do with claws or strength. Finally he lifted my hand toward his mouth and kissed my knuckles softly. My heartbeat completely betrayed me. “Bye, sunshine.”

I slipped into the house through my bedroom window like an actual criminal. Which honestly felt fitting at this point. The second I landed inside my room, I pressed both hands against my face and groaned into them. What was wrong with me? One smile from him and suddenly I forgot my own name.

I took a long shower afterward trying to clear my thoughts, but that only made things worse because now all I could think about was the way his hands felt against my skin while he carried me earlier. Every touch from him sparked. Not metaphorically. Literally. Like my body recognized him in ways my brain still struggled to understand.

By the time I changed into fresh clothes and went downstairs, my thoughts were still a complete mess. Both my parents looked up immediately when I entered the dining room. “There she is,” my father said. “How was your date?” I paused mid step. Date? Oh. Hunter. Right.

I sat down slowly. “Why are you asking like that?” My mother and father exchanged a quick glance. Which instantly made me suspicious. Then my mother sighed softly. “We are having dinner at Alpha Alistair’s house tonight.” Every good emotion inside me died immediately. “Oh.” My father leaned forward slightly. “Apparently Bane has changed his mind.”

I froze. “What?” “He wants you as his mate now,” my mother explained carefully. “Alpha Alistair himself called us.” I stared at them quietly while my stomach twisted unpleasantly. Bane wanted me now. Now. After rejecting me publicly. After humiliating me. After treating me like something disposable. Nyx growled softly inside me.

“She’ll make a strong Luna,” my father continued gently, clearly misunderstanding my silence. “We know this is probably overwhelming.” My mother nodded quickly. “Very overwhelming.” Then she smiled slightly. “So we’ll go shopping for you.” I blinked. “Shopping?” “For proper Luna clothes,” Genevieve announced dramatically while walking into the room. “Please say yes because your wardrobe is embarrassing.”

Normally I would have argued back immediately. But my mind wasn’t even there anymore. Because all I could think about was silver eyes. Warm hands. A deep voice calling me sunshine. And the terrifying realization that while my rejected mate suddenly wanted me back… my heart was already drifting toward someone else entirely.