A Kiss.

Selene~

The air thickened between us, heavy with tension I could barely understand. His words hung in the room like a challenge I wasn't ready to face. My heart hammered violently against my chest, but I refused to look away.

He was testing me.

Though it got harder to breathe by the passing second, I did not want to fail in this. Not like this.

It was just a kiss. If I had to make a place between them, I had to comply with his demands. That's what all the Lunas were expected to do. 

"A kiss?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," he said simply, as if the word carried no weight, no consequence. But it did. It carried the weight of everything I was trying to prove to him, also to myself.

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. My hands fidgeted with the fabric of my dress, the loose threads tangling in my fingers. I could feel his presence bearing down on me, his tall frame radiating an intensity.

"Will you able to do it?" His tone contained a challenge. I took a deep breath as I slowly let my eyes shut for mere a second. 

Just think that he is a bunny.

I almost scolded myself to have such a rubbish thought. The man who stood like a rock, can be anything but a bunny. I bit my lips still contemplating for the way to complete the challenge when something struck me. 

In that moment, my blood rushed as the adrealine hit me, very hard. I lifted my face meeting with his crimson orbs. His gaze, still watching my every move. But this time my steps did not falter as I walked to him. 

Surprise was evident in his eyes but it was just for a brief moment before he again composed himself. He bend towards me as my hands held his face. 

I gulped down as my warm hands met with his cold skin. I shivered, he noticed it too. He stiffened before his eyes glint with something primal. 

I drew a sharp breath, as I steadied. Getting on my tip toes, I moved my face in his direction. His eyes never leaving mine, as our breathes hit us.

He smelled like the woods after a storm—earthy, fresh, and untamed. It was a scent that felt strangely comforting yet overwhelming.

Damien didn't move, his eyes darkened, the intensity of his gaze did not let me move an inch. His jaw tightened, the sharp line of it shadowed by the dim light in the room. 

His body was tense. The heat radiating from him seeped into my skin, making it nearly impossible for me to think straight.

"You don't scare me," I was surprised by my voice being steadier than I expected. 

Damien's lips twitched, his body vibrated as if he held a laugh back. I blinked staring at him still confused how to react upon it.

His hand moved ever so slightly, brushing against mine, and the brief contact sent a jolt through me. His voice was low when he finally spoke, each word deliberate, calculated. "Prove it."

The challenge in his tone sent shivers down my spine. 

I cannot let him win. 

With this, I leaned in closer until there was no space left between us. His eyes stayed locked on mine, but I ignored his heat gaze. My lips hovered just inches from his face, the warmth of his breath mingling with mine.

And then, in a moment of defiance, I closed the gap.

I kissed his cheek. I took a few more seconds, before I pulled myself from him.

I could feel my face heat up. I palmed my cheek trying to cool myself when my eyes met him.

His expresssion were blank, as if he did not know how to respond to it. I unintentionally licked my lips, his tasted like his demeanor—calming but at the same time, so overwhelming.

The corner of my lips twiched into a small smile. "You did not specify where to kiss," I replied, my voice laced with a quiet pride and an edge of challenge. 

He watched me with an unreadable expression but I could tell that he was not angry but— intrigued, maybe. 

Damien's lips tugged into the faintest of smiles, a rare flicker of something almost human in his gaze. His crimson eyes held mine, not with the cold calculation I'd expected, but with something more... thoughtful, like he was weighing me, reading me in ways I didn't want him to.

"You're clever," he said, his voice softer than before, but still carrying that edge.

His complement made inside of me warm. I don't know how and when his words started to get such reactions from me. I lowered my gaze not wanting him to watch me anymore. 

Knock. Knock.

I almost startled at the sound. I took two steps back when a voice came from the other side, "Damien, it's me. Maya," an unknown voice echoed. 

I raised my brows as my eyes fell on Damien. Confusion evident on my face but Damien's gaze did not move from the door. 

"Wait for me," as he spoke, he turned in my direction, "You can go now." His voice did not carry any emotions, just plain words. 

Unwantedly, it stung me. My eyes burned yet I held them and stepped towards the door. Keeping my head down, I opened the door. 

"Oh..I did not know you were busy with our guest." The voice contained a hint of sweetness yet I somehow could not ignore the words. 

Guest? Is that all I am to them? The thought echoed bitterly in my mind. A mere guest?