บท 20: Thirsty?

Ahead of her stood an angry-looking wolf. Its pristine white fur seemed to glow in the dim light of the halls, and its piercing blue eyes glared at Leticia with deadly intensity.

Her heart raced in fear as the wolf steadily approached her. "Oh no, Serry... No, Kelly, down boy! Please, down. G... Sky! Sky!" She was literally pleading with the wolf, her voice trembling. But that only seemed to enrage Sky further, and he barked once before racing towards her.

Leticia took off in a sprint, the angry animal hot on her heels. All she wanted was food, but now she might become food for a wolf that seemed to hate her. She ran left and right, turning corners but Sky didn't stop, and neither could she. She couldn't even enter a room because she felt that if she paused for a second, Sky would pounce on her and leave her skull shattered on the floor for Devon to find. No one would even mourn her!

Suddenly, she saw someone ahead. The person was tall, dressed in black, exuding an intriguing and familiar aura . Without thinking, she jumped at him, whispering weakly, "Help me."

Her arms wrapped around his neck like her life depended on it... Well, it did. Tears flowed down her pale face as he pulled her close, his chest a comforting haven. He could have burst out laughing at situation, but he didn't, knowing she'd be offended. Instead, he coaxed her, "It's okay, I'm here." He noticed her hair had changed colors again - it was now white, a sign of her extreme terror. He took a note of that.

"Is he gone?" Leticia whispered after a while, her voice hoarse from crying.

Devon smiled reassuringly, looking into her now blue eyes. "Sky won't hurt you. He's a gentle wolf."

"He was chasing me!" she protested. Devon stroked her hair, "He just wanted to play with you." He grinned, showing off his unusually long canines, sharp and gleaming.

"No..." she whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"See, Sky is a good boy," Devon said, his smile deceptively charming. He encouraged Leticia to turn around, and she did, seeing the wolf sitting obediently, its tail wagging like a puppy. Devon bent down, holding Leticia closer, urging her to touch Sky. But instead of gentle affection, the wolf snapped at her, its teeth bared.

Leticia's face went white with fear, and she pleaded, "Please..." Devon chuckled and patted Sky fondly. Sky continued to stare at Leticia, its eyes fixed on her, its nose sniffing the air. Leticia clung to Devon, shaking her head in terror.

"Well, why are you out here?" Devon asked after a while, his voice teasing. "Trying to make another run?" He asked cheekily.

The wolf had left and Leticia was finally able to calm down. Her face flushed red when she realized her arms were still wrapped around Devon's neck, her chest pressed against his. She tried to pull away, but his arm around her waist held her close, not letting her go.

"Umm...I was hungry... Let go," she stammered, her eyes fixed on his face. Devon just hummed, his gaze fixed on her pink lips. Leticia's lashes fluttered as Devon leaned closer, his face inches from hers. She turned her head to the left, her heart racing. She was not going to let this devil kiss her, no matter how warm his body felt against hers, no matter how her toes curled at the sound of his voice, no matter how her heart raced at his stare.

"Let go of me," she spat now, her anger from the previous day resurfacing. Devon smirked, "You were the one clinging to me."

"Just let go!" She snapped, breaking free from his grasp. He scoffed, "Why are you angry? Shouldn't I be the one annoyed here?"

Leticia shot back, "I don't care." And she turned to leave, but Devon followed her, his long strides easily keeping pace with her hurried steps.

Devon's anger had vanished the moment he saw Leticia running and crying. He just couldn't bear to stay mad at her for long. A smirk spread across his face.

"Why are you following me?!" She demanded, her voice rising. Devon didn't reply, instead asking, "Should I call the cooks?"

Leticia hesitated, "Oh no, let them sleep. I don't want to impose." They entered the wide kitchen, and Leticia, familiar with the layout, began making sandwiches. Devon went towards the mini wine rack in one part of the kitchen and he took one, then sat on a kitchen stool, sipping wine and watching Leticia with an amused gaze.

She set the food on the counter when she was done and sat on the stool beside Devon's, her eyes fixed on the sandwiches. She began to eat silently, her hunger evident in the way she devoured the food. Devon smirked, "Are you sure your little tummy can contain all those sandwiches?" He teased, his eyes fixed on her mouth as she ate.

Leticia nodded, "Yes, I'm that hungry."

Devon nodded , and she asked, "Please, pass the water jug."

"Thirsty?" Devon asked casually, lifting the jug beside him and pouring water into a cup. Leticia nodded, grateful he'd helped her, but her eyes widened in shock as Devon poured the water into his own mouth.

"Hey! That's unfair! I asked for..." Leticia froze as Devon's lips landed on hers and the next thing she felt was liquid pouring into her mouth.

Her eyes flew wide open, but she instinctively gulped down the water. Devon pulled away, poured another glass, and before Leticia could recover from the shock of what had happened, he poured more water into her mouth the way he'd done before.

Again, she gulped it down, but this time, Devon didn't pull away. He couldn't help himself; her lips were too inviting.

He kissed her softly and gently, his lips exploring hers. His body instantly heated up, and his hand reached up to stroke her cheek, his long, cold finger tracing her jawline.

Leticia was still, her body stiff and unresponsive, but Devon didn't seem to care. He savored the taste of her lips, his body moving closer to hers. His hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, and Leticia's eyes snapped open, her face red with anger and embarrassment.

She quickly pushed him away, her face red, eyes shocked, and lips wet. "How dare you?" She muttered, her voice trembling.

Devon raised a brow, "No one ever said that to me." He smirked, "Besides, you were thirsty." he added with a cocky smirk. The way he licked his lips after made something in Leticia's stomach turn and her face flushed deeper, her embarrassment turning to anger. "I could drink water myself! I'm not crippled! That was so immoral! Oh my gosh..." She trailed off, her words tumbling out in a rush.

Devon chuckled and winked, "You taste so sweet." He leaned closer, his eyes fixed on her pink lips, and Leticia felt her heart race.

She tried to push him away, but he didn't budge. "What was that for? I do not like it at all!" She said, her voice firm yet she herself could hear the lie

Devon smiled cheekily, "You do. Your heart tells me you do. Hear it skipping a beat almost every two seconds."

Leticia felt it, her heart racing in her chest. How did he...? She didn't even bother to think. "Were you trying to harass me?!" She blurted. Devon shrugged, still tasting the sandwich in his own mouth, "I helped."

Leticia rolled her opal eyes, "I don't need your so-called help. In fact, you make me sick! Just leave me alone! Leave me!!" She said, her anger boiling over.

Devon just watched her, amusement dancing in his dark red eyes. "Really? All because of a kiss?" He asked, his voice teasing, "Do you know how many ladies would give an arm to be in your place right now?"

Leticia's face flushed deeper, "Well, guess what? I'm not one of those ladies who runs after you. I don't even want your attention! Leave me alone!" She literally yelled and turned to leave.

Devon smirked, watching her go, "Of course, I'm not leaving you alone. Absolutely not."

****

Leticia stormed out of the kitchen, her heart racing and her mind reeling. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had promised to save her first kiss for her husband, and now... now it was gone, taken by a devil in human form!

She buried her face in her pillow, screaming in frustration. "That freaking bastard! How dare he! I should have ripped his lips apart! How dare he make me feel this way, how dare he!" She screamed again, the kissing scene flashing into her mind. "He's crazy!!" She paused, then whined, "Ahh... I promised to save my first kiss for my husband. How dare he!"

Later that morning, Karina brought Leticia's food, and she ate in her room. "Are you busy, Karina?" Leticia asked.

"Not for another hour, miss," Karina replied, bowing. Leticia beamed, "Can you stay with me then!? I'm bored."

"Of course, miss," Karina said, smiling fondly. Leticia smiled, feeling a little better with Karina's company. She would continue to avoid Devon.

***

Luis rested his head on the headboard, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He sighed, remembering the dream he had just had. It wouldn't be the first time. Ever since that night... it's been haunting him. Who would think that someone as powerful and brave as he is could be a coward, too scared... too scared...

He ran his fingers through his long brown hair and a thought flashed into his mind, 'She used to like it.'

Luis sighed. Maybe he should cut it... His phone suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts, and he glanced at it. It was the Princess. Alisha.

He picked it up, "We are here, Luis."

"Okay." He cut the connection and sent a message to the guards to let them in. He dropped his phone and his handsome face turned solemn again.

Someone came with an offer. It's a tough one. The person was tough... For someone like that to pass a message to him through his dreams...

He needs to investigate. He stood up, went to freshen up, and wore a simple shirt and pants before leaving the room. By the time he exited, the sad, worried face was gone, replaced with his usual polite smile.

... It's all a mask...