Kapitel 6: Chapter 6: A Fire Within

Samo's POV

Samo leaned against the corner of Katheryn's modest cottage, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he listened to the muffled footsteps outside, The candlelight cast flickering shadows across the wooden walls, but his presence was a still, brooding silhouette, He had stood there, waiting, since he saw Troy and Katheryne in the pub.

Perhaps it was Katheryne having the attention of another man that gnawed at him or the strange pull she had over him, like a tether he couldn't sever. He told himself it was duty that kept him here, guarding her from afar, yet the truth burned hotter and more undeniable.

The sound of her laughter broke his thoughts, soft and lilting, accompanied by a man's deeper chuckle, Samo's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing toward the door, the latch clicked, and the faint shuffle of footsteps followed as Katheryn and her companion stood in the door.

From the shadows of the cottage, Samo watched her, the curve of her smile illuminated by the faint light of the candle.

His gaze shifted to the man—Troy. Young, broad-shouldered, with a confidence that grated on Samo, he saw the way Troy's hand lingered at Katheryn's back, guiding her in closer than was proper. Samo's teeth clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides, he remained still, cloaked in the dim light, his heart pounding as Troy turned to her, leaning in to steal a kiss.

Samo didn't move, though every fiber of his being screamed to intervene, instead, he let the shadows work in his favor, he tilted his head slightly, allowing the faintest glint of his eyes to catch the candlelight, enough to be seen without revealing his full presence.

Troy froze as he met Samo's stare, his body tensing as though sensing something primal—a predator watching from the shadows, his lips hovering near Katheryn's, Samo's stare bore into him like a blade, cold and unrelenting.

Troy pulled back abruptly, his face paling as he glanced around the room. "I... I should go," he stammered, his bravado crumbling under the weight of what he'd seen—or thought he'd seen.

Katheryn blinked, confused by his sudden shift.

"Troy, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

But Troy didn't answer, instead he turned around and quickly started making his way out of Katheryns vicinity, his movements hurried and unsteady, Samo remained still, his imposing presence like a shadow at the edges of Troy's awareness, a warning unspoken but deeply felt.

With Troy suddenly gone, Katheryn turned, her confusion replaced with a sharp gasp as she spotted Samo standing in the corner.

"Enjoying your newfound freedom?" He pushed off the wall, the movement slow and deliberate, his broad form stepping fully into the light.

"You're forgetting," he said, his voice low and gravelly, "you aren't a free woman." His gaze locked with hers, intense and smoldering, and he closed the distance between them in a single stride.

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and charged silence.

Samo raised a hand, his calloused fingers brushing her lips, wiping away any lingering trace of Troy's kiss, his fingers lingered a moment too long before he pulled back, his jaw tight as he fought to keep himself in check.

His restraint was a tenuous thread, one he had been holding onto since the night he had pulled her from the lake. The memory was seared into his mind: her slender body, drenched and trembling, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin, he had stripped her of the soaked fabric to keep her from freezing, his hands lingering a moment longer than necessary on her pale, smooth skin.

The image haunted him, surfacing in the quiet moments when his mind wandered, fueling desires he tried and failed to suppress.

Now, standing so close to her, the pull was almost unbearable, her lips, swollen and red from the kiss, were mere inches from his own. Her scent—soft and feminine—wrapped around him like a spell. His hand hovered near her face, and for a moment, he considered giving in, taking her as he had wanted to for so long.

But he couldn't. Not yet. Not like this.

"Get in" he said, his voice rough with restraint, he stepped back, forcing distance between them, though his body ached from the effort.

Without another word, he turned and walked out, the door closing behind him with a soft thud.

Samo stepped out of the shadows, his boots crunching softly against the dirt path, he followed Troy through the winding streets of the village, keeping his steps deliberate but quiet, Troy's hurried pace faltered as he turned a corner, and when he glanced back, Samo made no effort to hide.

"Troy." Samo's voice was low, but it carried through the stillness of the night.

The younger man froze, his shoulders tensing, slowly, he turned to face Samo, his expression uneasy. "Samo. I didn't mean any harm."

"No harm?" Samo took a step closer, his broad frame looming over Troy. "Then why were you in her cottage?"

Troy swallowed hard, his hands fidgeting at his sides. "I was just... talking to her. That's all."

"Talking," Samo repeated, his tone dripping with skepticism.

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Listen to me, and listen well. Stay away from her. She's not yours to pursue."

Troy's eyes darted nervously. "I didn't know she was... spoken for."

"She's not," Samo snapped, his words harsher than intended, he took a steadying breath, reigning in his emotions. "But she's not for you. Or anyone else. Do you understand?"

Troy nodded quickly, eager to escape the confrontation. "I understand. I'll leave her alone."

Samo watched as Troy hurried off, disappearing into the night, only when the younger man was out of sight did Samo allow himself to exhale.

His footsteps carried him home automatically, though his mind was far from calm. The image of Katheryn standing in her doorway, her lips swollen from a kiss that wasn't his, haunted him.

He hated the thought of another man touching her, of her looking at someone else with those striking, curious eyes.

When he reached his modest house, he pushed open the door and slumped into a chair by the hearth. The fire had burned low, casting faint shadows across the room, Samo rubbed a hand over his face, trying to banish the thoughts swirling in his mind, but they refused to leave.

He thought of the way Katheryn had felt in his arms that day at the lake, her body had been so fragile, yet something about her presence had been magnetic, Even as she fought him with her sharp tongue and fiery spirit, he found himself drawn to her in ways he didn't understand.

Samo closed his eyes, remembering the soft curve of her waist beneath his hands, the way her damp hair had clung to her face, framing her delicate features, he recalled the defiance in her gaze during their interrogations, the way her voice would waver but never break. She was unlike any woman he had ever met—bold, intelligent, and maddeningly beautiful.

And tonight, the memory of her lips, even tainted by the knowledge that they had been kissed by another man, was enough to drive him to the edge of reason. He could still feel the phantom sensation of wiping Troy's touch away, his fingers grazing her soft skin.

Samo shifted uncomfortably, heat coiling low in his belly. He tried to focus on something else, anything else, but his thoughts kept circling back to her, the way she moved, the way her slender body had felt against his when he trapped her against the wall, the sound of her breath hitching as his lips brushed her ear.

The tension between them was undeniable. Every interaction crackled with an energy that left him both frustrated and wanting more, he knew it was wrong to feel this way about her—she was a prisoner, an outsider, someone he was supposed to keep at arm's length, but his body and mind betrayed him, consumed by the need to claim her, to make her his.

Samo's hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms.

The ache in his chest and the heat in his veins demanded release, but he resisted, refusing to give in to the primal urges clawing at him, he stood abruptly, pacing the room like a restless predator, but it did nothing to quell the fire burning within him.

Finally, he sank back into his chair, his breathing heavy, his hand moved hesitantly to his belt, his mind flooded with images of Katheryn—her slender form, the curve of her lips, the defiance in her eyes.

He let himself remember the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips, the scent of her hair as he had leaned in close.

Samo closed his eyes, his mind surrendering to the fantasy he could no longer suppress. For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to have her—completely, irrevocably.

His breath hitched as the tension inside him built, his movements driven by the overwhelming desire that had plagued him since the moment he met her.

When it was over, he sat in the quiet stillness of his home, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths, shame crept in alongside the lingering satisfaction, but he shoved it away.

Katheryn had awoken something in him—a fire he couldn't extinguish and though he knew it would only lead to ruin, he couldn't help but wonder what it would take to make her his, completely, undeniably his.