Chapter Seven

Magnetic Pull

Kissing Gran’s cheek, I grabbed my jacket and keys and headed next door. 

Loud. That was the only word I could think of as I stepped into the party; people were milling all over the lawn, laughing, shouting, music thumping through the house like a heartbeat.

What am I supposed to do, knock? 

Oh, fuck it. 

Walking in, my eyes immediately land on Eirik. I took a few hesitant steps forward but quickly broke our eye contact, scanning the room for any sign of Ingrid among the crowd. As I weaved through the throng of people, the music pulsed around me, making it hard to focus. Finally, I spotted Ingrid near the back sliding glass doors, laughing with a group of friends. Relief settled over me as I made my way towards her, hoping to blend in and catch up. I had only taken a few steps when a hand suddenly wrapped around my arm. Instantly, I knew it was him. My heart skipped a beat as I locked eyes with him, wondering what he wanted from me now. His grip was firm, but not harsh. His eyes held a mix of surprise and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite place.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, voice barely audible over the music.

“You invited me?” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “Or did you forget about me already?”

Those deep green eyes locked on mine, searching. Heat rose in my chest as his grip tightened just enough to remind me of his presence—a mix of nerves and excitement coursing through me. His touch was electric, sending shivers down my spine.

“You okay, princess?” he bent close, whispering in my ear. His warm breath sent another shiver down my neck, and I nodded, trying to steady my racing heart. Just the thought of his breath against my skin made me break out in a cold sweat. I’d never felt this way before. Jesus Christ I have to get it together. But the longer I stared into his eyes, the stronger the pull became. It was like I was being drawn in by some unseen force, unable to resist the magnetic connection between us. 

I took a deep breath, feeling the intensity all crashing down on me at once. “What are you doing to me?” I whispered, barely audible.

“You can’t imagine the things I’m going to do to you.”

His words made my body go limp, the silence between us crackled with electricity. My mind raced, struggling to process the flood of emotions. His gaze burned into me, making it impossible to think straight. The longer I stared into those deep green eyes the more I realized they had little flecks of brown in them. I wanted nothing more than to stare at them forever.

“Tell me,” I managed, voice trembling with need. “What exactly are you going to do to me?”

A slow, confident smile spread across his face as he pressed his body to mine, lips brushing my ear. 

“Oh, sweet girl,” he muttered, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

His words sent a thrill through me, straight to my pants, leaving me breathless and eager. “I can smell how much you want me, pretty gir—--”

“Saxa!! Where have you been?” Ingrid yelled, wrapping her arms around my middle section. 

I stumbled back, nearly losing my footing as Ingrid’s sudden embrace disoriented me. 

“Ingrid,” I yelled over the noise, eyes darting to where Eirik had been just seconds ago—but he was gone..

Mhm, disappointing.

“Come one! Let’s get you a drink,” she said, pulling me towards the makeshift bar in the kitchen.

Everyone around had a good buzz going, and Jesus, there were a lot of people here. I thought Gran said this was a small town?

I grabbed a cold beer from the bucket and scanned the room again. My eyes landed on Eirik, surrounded by a crowd hanging off his every word, especially the girl draped over the side of his chair. White-hot rage flared from deep inside me seeing her carelessly caress his arm. He’s mine.

Mine? Where the hell did that come from? 

Eirik wasn’t mine by any stretch—I barely knew him, yet my body acted like I owned him. 

I took another long drink, trying to drown the noise in my head, but my heart raced even faster. That feeling of possessiveness flickered again, unwelcome and insistent. I tried to shake it off, this was ridiculous. We didn’t even know each other. And yet, every instinct in my body screamed otherwise. 

I pushed my hair behind my ear and forced a smile as Ingrid returned, handing me a cup filled with something sweet and fruity. “Here, you need something to calm your nerves.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip. The cold liquid didn’t help much, but I appreciated the gesture.

Around me, the party raged on. People danced, shouted over the music, and spilled drinks in sloppy, careless ways. But all I could focus on was Eirik—the way his laugh sounded as it reached my ears, the way his eyes flickered toward me every now and then, even when he was surrounded by others. That magnetic pull tightened again, as if some invisible thread was pulling me closer and closer to him. I wonder if he felt it too?

Before I could think anymore, Ingrid grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Let’s go outside for a bit, too much noise in here.”

The cool air hit my skin as we stepped onto the back porch. The music was muffled out here, but the night felt calmer, more serene.

Ingrid looked at me, her eyes soft but knowing. “You’re thinking about my brother, aren’t you?”

I shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. “Youre like a wizard or something aren’t you?”

She giggled, grabbing my arm. “It happens.”

We stood there for a moment, the night air wrapping around us. I glanced back toward the house, wondering how long I could hold out before I had to face whatever this was between Eirik and I. Whatever it was—it could wait for another day.