Chương 35: I killed a man, Roman?

As Thorne prepares to leave, Noelle stands in the kitchen, arms crossed and watching him with a mix of amusement and affection. Thorne, ever dramatic, pauses at the door, casting a glance back at Noelle as though he were setting off on a grand journey.

"My beloved star, I have to go see Ben in town. I'll be back soon," Thorne says, his deep voice filled with a teasing lilt.

Noelle rolls his eyes and huffs, folding his arms tighter. "Hmm, it's not like you're going for months. It's just a few hours away, Thorne."

Thorne places a hand on his chest, feigning offense. "You wound me, Noelle. I will miss you terribly." Then, with dramatic flair, he cups Noelle's cheeks and presses a loud, playful kiss to his lips.

Noelle chuckles, unable to keep a straight face. Thorne always knew how to make him laugh, even when being over-the-top. "It's always so hard kissing you like this. You're so tiny," Thorne teases, a grin spreading across his face.

Noelle arches a brow, playfully indignant. "You're just tall."

Thorne's response is a low hum of agreement, and before Noelle can protest, Thorne effortlessly lifts him by the thighs, wrapping Noelle's legs around his waist. Now, they're at eye level, Noelle looking down at him from this new vantage point. His hands grip Thorne's broad shoulders instinctively.

"This is better," Thorne says with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Noelle can't help but smile. "I won't disagree," he replies, a softness in his voice as they lean into another kiss. This one is deeper, lingering, the warmth between them growing with each second.

The intensity builds quickly, the familiar pull of desire threatening to derail Thorne's departure. With a groan, Thorne pulls back, though it's clear he doesn't want to. "Let's stop before this gets out of hand. It's why I'm leaving for town now instead of tomorrow morning—we always get carried away."

He sets Noelle back down gently, his hands lingering on his waist. Noelle giggles, breathless from the kiss. "I can't help it if you're too tempting," he says, only half-joking.

Thorne chuckles and shakes his head, stepping toward the door.

"I'll see you soon. If you see Mona, ask her to come by this weekend." Noelle says after him.

"Yeah, yeah. Be safe," Noelle says, a bit of warmth in his voice as he watches Thorne walk out the kitchen door. It closes with a soft thud, leaving the room suddenly quiet.

Noelle stands by the window, watching Thorne's figure disappear down the hill and into the trees. The house already feels too empty, too quiet without him.

As the sun sank below the horizon, Noelle returned inside, eager to start dinner. But just as he was about to head to the kitchen, he spotted a shadow moving cautiously through the woods.

Noelle's curiosity quickly turned to suspicion. It wasn't Thorne—he'd taken the path and would have announced his return. This shadow was sneaky, and Noelle's instincts kicked in. He grabbed a hefty wooden stick from the shed, a determined glint in his eye. If anyone was going to sneak up on him, they'd have to deal with his impromptu defense skills.

He crouched behind a bush, stick in hand, feeling like a vigilant guardian of his home. As the shadow drew nearer, the scent of alpha pheromones wafted through the air. "Oh, great. An alpha who thinks he's stealthy. How original," Noelle muttered.

Without hesitation, Noelle leapt from his hiding spot and swung the stick with precision. He aimed for the intruder's head, and with a satisfying crack, the man collapsed. But Noelle wasn't about to stop there. He delivered two more solid whacks, just for good measure. "And that's for interrupting my dinner plans!" Noelle declared, his voice dripping with mock seriousness.

Noelle's heart pounded as he stood over the motionless figure. The silence was a comfort, a momentary pause before the unease fully set in. Just as he started to relax, he noticed a disturbing new development—the man's head began to bleed profusely.

"Oh, well, shit," Noelle muttered, his eyes widening as the realization dawned on him. "I think I just killed a man."

He stood there, frozen, staring at the growing pool of blood.

I trudged up the hill, my day cut short. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden hue over the landscape. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction, a quiet contentment after a day away.

As the sky darkened, I picked up an unmistakable scent—alpha pheromones. My heart rate quickened. Who in their right mind would invade my home, especially now when Noelle was alone? My possessive instincts flared, but I forced myself to stay calm as I quickened my pace.

I finally reached the entrance, and there was Noelle, waiting for me. The sight of him made me pause. His demeanor was off, and I could see he was anxious, a little too anxious. Before I could ask about the alarming scent, Noelle blurted out, "I killed a man."

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water. My mind raced, trying to reconcile what I'd just heard. "What?" I managed to stammer, my emotions a tangled mess of confusion and alarm.

"I didn't mean to," Noelle said quickly, his voice trembling. The sight of him, so distressed, made my protective instincts surge. I wanted to comfort him, to reassure him, but my thoughts were already spiraling. I couldn't help but imagine what had happened, and my mind raced with grim logistics.

"Calm down, my star," I said, trying to keep my voice steady and soothing. But inside, my mind was furiously planning how to deal with the situation. The thought of disposing of a body, of cleaning up a mess I wasn't even sure how to handle, was already forming in my head.

It didn't matter that Noelle hadn't meant to kill him; the mere fact that someone was dead in my home, in my territory, made my blood boil. I would handle this, no matter how I had to. If anything, my own violent tendencies flared at the idea that my beloved had been put in this position.

"Where is he?" I asked, my voice firm despite the turmoil inside. My heart ached seeing Noelle so distraught, but I was already preparing for the worst, ready to act decisively.

Noelle led me to where the body lay, its form only vaguely distinguishable in the fading light. I instructed him to fetch a lamp, my voice steady despite the unsettling situation.

"Get a lamp, my beloved," I said, keeping my tone calm.

Noelle quickly returned with a lamp, and I used my telekinesis to lift the body a few feet off the ground, making it easier to examine. The figure was motionless, its face obscured by matted hair.

Noelle shone the lamp on the figure, and I noted the faint rise and fall of the chest—he was still breathing.

I moved closer, my expression unchanging as I took the lamp from Noelle's hands. As I illuminated the face, I nearly dropped the lamp in surprise.

"Roman?"