BETWEEN TWO FIRES

I left Aurelio’s room with my lips still tingling from the heat of our encounter, heart pounding like a drum in my chest. His kiss lingered on my skin, the memory of his breath and the faint scent of smoke and cedar making it impossible to think straight. I should’ve been furious with myself. I should’ve stayed far away. But when he kissed me like that, it was impossible to stay logical.

I staggered lightly down the hallway, still catching my breath, shirt half-tucked and messy hair falling into my eyes. I barely noticed the mansion’s quiet, the usual echoes of empty corridors and polished marble muted against the storm of thoughts racing in my head.

And then I saw him.

Slate.

He sat on the couch like a predator disguised as calm. One arm draped across the backrest, long legs crossed, posture deceptively casual. But his expression—God, that expression—was anything but relaxed. It was sharp, unreadable, and almost terrifying. Possession, anger, and something else—something darker—seemed to curl around him like smoke.

My chest clenched.

He lifted his gaze slowly, deliberately, to meet mine. And that was when I realized I had made a mistake.

“Aaron,” he said, voice smooth, too controlled, like a knife wrapped in velvet.

“Slate,” I replied, attempting normalcy. My voice cracked anyway, betraying me.

He didn’t move immediately. He just studied me, eyes drifting to my mouth, lingering on the faint redness still there from Aurelio’s lips. I felt my stomach twist.

His hand flexed along the armrest, taut veins standing out like cords. “Where were you?” he asked quietly. Not a question. A statement heavy with accusation.

I swallowed. “I… I was—walking.”

Slate’s jaw tightened. “Inside someone else’s room?”

My heart dropped. “Slate—”

“I didn’t say you had to explain,” he interrupted, stepping off the couch. The air between us thickened instantly, almost solid. “I asked where you were.”

I took a step back reflexively. He followed, closing the space between us without rushing, and suddenly the hallway felt too small, too hot, too heavy.

“Don’t lie to me,” he said, voice low, dangerous, sending shivers down my spine.

“I didn’t—”

“You did.” His eyes locked on mine, cold and hot at the same time. “And you care.”

“I—” I couldn’t form words. My mouth felt like it had melted into my own panic.

Slate leaned close, his presence overwhelming, and whispered, “Aaron… you have no idea what I care about.”

My chest pounded harder. The thought of him, this man I barely understood, this man who had protected me silently, who had always been there in shadow and restraint, and yet… wanted me, made my knees weak.

He stepped back suddenly, jaw tight. “No. Not like this.”

I blinked, heart sinking, but before I could respond, Aurelio’s voice came from behind me, calm but laced with amusement.

“You two look tense,” he said, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, tattoos peeking beneath rolled sleeves. “What’s going on?”

Slate’s eyes snapped to Aurelio, sharp and dangerous, like fire ready to ignite. “Nothing,” Slate said, flat, clipped, yet every inch of him screamed jealousy.

Aurelio smirked knowingly. “Uh-huh. Sure.” He glanced at me, and my chest heated under his gaze. There was something predatory in the way he looked, but playful, teasing… as if he already knew the rules I didn’t.

I cleared my throat, trying to act normal, but my hands trembled slightly at the way Aurelio’s eyes lingered on me, the intensity making me feel exposed in a way I didn’t understand.

Slate took a step toward me, voice dangerously low. “Go to your room, Aaron.”

I froze. My body wanted to protest, to argue, to step closer to him. But a part of me also wanted to stay—to see what would happen if I didn’t.

Aurelio tilted his head, smirk widening. “I think you need to come upstairs.”

Slate’s glare shifted, just slightly, enough for me to notice the tension coil in his shoulders.

“Upstairs?” I asked. My pulse was racing uncontrollably.

“The big boss wants to see you,” Aurelio said. His tone was deceptively casual, but the way his eyes darkened told me this was not a casual meeting.

Slate’s expression hardened. His lips pressed into a thin line, jaw flexing like he was fighting some internal war. I had never seen him like this—suspicious, possessive, angry, and yet… afraid.

“Stay here,” Slate ordered, but his voice cracked ever so slightly.

I swallowed hard. My body ached with a mix of frustration, arousal, and fear. My mind was a mess. Aurelio… Slate… Zayden… the mansion, the power, the danger. Every moment here was a test I didn’t know I could pass.

Aurelio reached out, almost brushing my arm as he guided me toward the grand staircase. My chest tightened at the contact, and I couldn’t hide the shiver that ran down my spine.

“You’re trembling,” he murmured, voice low, teasing. “It’s… cute.”

I looked away, heat rising to my cheeks. “It’s not that cold,” I muttered, though my voice betrayed me.

He chuckled softly, sharp and knowing. “No, it’s not cold. You’re just… nervous.”

I couldn’t deny it. The tension between Slate and me, combined with Aurelio’s effortless dominance, made my body react in ways I couldn’t control. I felt a flush deep inside, a wetness I didn’t want to admit aloud.

“Calm yourself,” Aurelio said, voice dangerously smooth. “Or do you want them to see you like this?”

I froze. Them? The word sent a ripple of panic through me. Who else is here?

He leaned closer, his lips grazing my ear. “Upstairs. Now.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. My fingers clutched the banister as we ascended. Every step made my pulse hammer faster, every glance at him made my skin crawl with anticipation.

Slate’s words still echoed in my mind, sharp as knives: Not like this.

But Aurelio was doing exactly that. Teasing, holding back, drawing me in, making me ache for more than I was allowed.

As we reached the top of the staircase, Aurelio stopped and looked at me, a playful smirk curving his lips.

“Going somewhere, mi mascota?” he said softly in Spanish, eyes glinting dangerously.

I froze.

The words made my stomach twist, my pulse racing even faster.

“Yes,” I breathed, almost too soft. “I’m… going.”

His smirk widened. “Good. Keep moving.”

I stepped forward, my body aching with anticipation, confusion, and an impossible longing. Every part of me wanted to run back to Slate, every part wanted to stay with Aurelio, every part wondered what awaited me upstairs with the “big boss.”

The door ahead loomed like a promise and a threat.

And I walked toward it, my heart in my throat, unaware that nothing in this mansion or in this family was as it seemed.