A Gift from the Goddess

"Alright, a little game sounds fun," I finally replied.

"But you’ ll be disappointed to learn there is no ulterior motive in talking to you.You’ve just piqued my curiosity, is all." I tried to laugh it off but Kieran didn’t seem to notice as he immediately set his drink down, his expression turning serious as he looked me over.

Almost as if I could feel him scrutinising every little detail about me.But that confident look of his...

It took all I had to just calm my heart down, the nervous thumping inside becoming so loud that I was worried he’d hear it.

For a man who could seemingly read me so well...could he really pull this off? 

"Your eyes give you away a lot," he started, leaning forward enough that I could still hear him as he spoke in a low voice.

"Don’t get me wrong, they’re very pretty, but they also betray you."

At this proximity, his scent was beginning to overwhelm me.His compliment wasn’t helping either.I’d never been affected by small things like that before, but with him, it felt almost involuntary.

"I think you’re probably reading too much into it," I replied quietly, smiling.

"Besides, I thought you were meant to be guessing my thoughts, not theorising my tells."

"That's true...."

He moved in a little bit closer again, and I felt as though I became trapped by his gaze alone, unable to move away even if I wanted to.

Which, of course, I didn’t.

No, at this distance, I was helpless to stop myself from thinking about how flawless his features were.

How his defined jawline was such a perfect shape that I could easily picture how my head could fit under it, nestled against his neck comfortably.

‘Mine" that word repeated inside my head, but I bit it back.

"you're thinking...‘why am I so attracted to him?’" he said, sending a jolt of surprise through me.

But after quickly scrambling to find a logical explanation, I realised it was clearly just a magician’s trick.He was influencing my thoughts with his behaviour so I’d be pressured to think what he wanted me to.I laughed his guess off and simply called him out on it.

"How incredibly vague yet conceited of you to thinks o," I said, amused.

"I thought this was a game of guessing my exact thoughts, not giving yourself a backwards compliment."

However, this didn’t seem to deter him in the slightest and a smirk spread across his lips.

"You're thinking...‘why does he make me feel this way?’” I laughed again.

"I just told you that you can’t use ambiguous statements to win.It’s like bogus fortune-telling.It’s not going to work—."

..And then his hand reached out and touched mine, tracing lightly against my skin.

Spreading those sparks through my body that made my breath catch in my throat.

I stared at his hand as he gently enveloped my own, the warmth starting to make me lose concentration.

‘Mine"

That same unrelenting thought kept trying to force itself aloud.He closed the final bit of distance between us, coming in until he was speaking almost directly into my ear.His scent making it impossible to breathe without his influence.

And with one hand holding my own, his other moved to my waist to hold me in place.

"You're thinking...‘why does it feel like sparks against my skin?’"

In surprise, I sharply looked back up towards him, only I found myself now merely inches away from him.

So close, I could feel the warmth of his breath against me.

My gaze trailed down from his eyes until I became fixated on his lips, those thoughts from earlier starting to invade my mind once more.

Wondering just what it would be like to feel them moving against mine.

To taste what they looked to promise me.

‘Mine"

His hand then moved, coming up until it found my cheek and his thumb started tracing along my jaw.

Sending more sparks through me.

But the entire time he did that, I was still transfixed on his lips, watching them closely as he continued to speak.

"you're thinking...that you want to kiss me."

I closed my eyes a little as the pleasure of his presence started to sweep me away.

Letting myself relax into the touch that made me feel so many emotions all at once.I was giving myself over to him and there was nothing I could do.

Nothing I wanted to do.

Like a spell, he had me now completely at his mercy.

‘‘Mine...mine.."

almost touching,

as

I wanted it...

felt that last piece

own hand moving forward to touch

as I was about to make contact, his words

“.Mine...," he whispered.

was enough for reality to kick back in. I quickly took a step out of his grasp, hugging my arms

you know that?" I

somehow manage to say that exact one?" Kieran held up his hands to calm me, but it

"Relax," he said.

a big deal. I can

didn’t feel like a light matter.

me," I

that » It was then that I started to think over everything that had just

was so batshit insane that I could only

me?" I asked

He had to have.

illness and lack of control, my inability

explained by one thing.I quickly looked over to where my drink was and eyed

but perhaps he’d also done something to me back when h e disarmed

you do to

not expecting me to say

me to realise the

I didn’t

No!" he said,

a second." He tried to move closer but I

Don’t touch me!"

the attention of a few people around us, briefly turning

filled with confusion and intrigue as

as if they

hissed, grabbing

me a

time I let him freely talk to me, he almost made me succumb to a state of

I had

life,

didn’t accidentally result in his death, because that

could

"Raven."

"No...," I whispered.

doing this.Fuck i

amount of punishment would be worth that

mention that this man was clearly mentally ill i f he could so easily drug a woman and then have

be damned, I

disappointing him regardless.I snatched my

enough that I felt assured he wouldn’t be able to chase

called out,

eyes of

checking myself as I made my way

to make sure I didn’t randomly pass out or show other side effects of the

over again that all I needed to do was get home and sleep

effect I was feeling wasn’t fatigue or drowsiness,

it felt

hollowing out my chest the further I traveled away

to what was waiting for

‘who’ was waiting for me.I shook off the thoughts instantly and gritted my

gave me, I’d never seen anything like

specific yet fast chemical reaction that

breakthrough,

best to distract my mind as I arrived back

everything I could think of to stop myself from feeling

seemed to be no

there was still only one thing on

Kieran.

the next day feeling slightly better

thoughts of him still lingered, I felt

another day or so before the effects wore

of infatuation

said suddenly from

I recognised it immediately.

Gavin.

enough for training today," I

far too tired from the whole ordeal and just wanted

open anyway, revealing that it wasn’t only Gavin alone...I knew instantly what it

"Morning Raven,"my father said.

"Did you sleep well?"

Oh...