Adrian Blackwood

Chapter 4: The Little Mortal Who Talks Too Much (Adrian's POV )

Humans are fragile creatures. Predictable. Easily scared.

And yet, this one? She wasn't scared enough.

I had given her plenty of chances. A quiet warning. A knowing smirk. Even the deliberate touch of my freezing skin—something that should have made any normal person pull away and never come back.

But no.

She was still here. Still sitting beside me. Still talking back.

And, worst of all? She was entertaining.

—

I leaned back in my seat, watching her struggle to focus on the teacher. It was adorable, really. She was gripping her pen like it was a weapon, probably convincing herself that she wasn't bothered by me.

Too bad she was.

"You still haven't told me your name," I murmured, keeping my voice low enough that only she could hear.

She glanced at me, suspicious. "What, so you can write it down on a hit list?"

I smirked. "You think I'd waste a perfectly good hit list on you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "That depends. Do you have a hit list?"

I chuckled. "Would you run if I said yes?"

She hesitated. "…Probably not."

Interesting.

I tilted my head, dragging my gaze over her face. "You're strange."

"Thanks," she muttered. "Now stop distracting me."

"But I don't even know what to call you," I pressed, leaning in slightly. "It's rude, you know. You sit beside me, talk to me, argue with me, and yet…" I let my voice drop lower, just enough to make her shift in her seat. "I don't even know your name."

She exhaled, clearly trying to ignore me.

I waited.

She lasted all of five seconds.

Finally, she shot me a glare. "It's Amber..Amber Rose, okay? Happy now?"

Amber.

The name rolled through my mind, settling into place like it had always belonged there.

"Amber." I tested it on my tongue, slow, deliberate.

Her lips parted slightly, and I can see it . The way her heartbeat stuttered just a little. The way she swallowed, like she wasn't sure if she liked hearing her name from my mouth.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

I leaned in even closer, lowering my voice to a whisper. "You sure that's your real name? Or are you lying to me, little mortal?"

She stiffened, eyes narrowing. "Why would I lie about my name?"

I smirked. "Maybe you think I'll put it on my hit list."

She groaned. "Oh my God, you're impossible."

"Am I?" I murmured, tilting my head. "Or do you just not know how to handle me?"

Her breath hitched for just a second. But then, instead of backing down, she turned to face me fully.

"Oh, I can handle you just fine," she shot back, voice sharper now. "You, on the other hand? You don't know how to handle me."

I blinked.

Then, slowly, a grin spread across my lips.

"Is that a challenge?"

She crossed her arms. "Take it however you want."

I exhaled a soft chuckle, dragging my gaze over her again. She was fascinating. Bold. And completely unaware of what she was getting herself into.

I leaned in even closer, just enough that I knew my presence would send shivers down her spine.

"Careful, Amber." My voice was quiet, dangerous. "You have no idea what you just started."

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