Of Fire, Blood and Forbidded Touches

As soon as Rose comprehended what was happening, she abruptly pulled back. Adam stood motionless, struggling to regain his breath after their intense moment.

Before he could speak, the elevator doors opened and Kathy stood there, fuming at what she had just witnessed.

Rose walked past her, but Kathy grabbed her arm. Rose gently shrugged her off, which only enraged Kathy further. She pushed Rose forcefully. In response, Rose retaliated by throwing Kathy across the lobby. Her eyes were lit with a sharp yellow rim, blending with her brown irises, and a dangerous aura radiated from her.

Adam stepped in quickly to help Kathy, who staggered to her feet, stunned.

Fueled by rage, Kathy charged again. Rose ducked and, with swift precision, caught her by the neck from behind and slammed her onto the ground with bone-jarring force.

The crack echoed. Looking down with a cold smile, Rose said,"You think I'm some weakling you can push around?"

"You're not human. Not even supernatural. What are you?" Kathy hissed.

"Someone far above you all," Rose replied darkly.

She cast Adam a brief glance and added, "This might take a while for you to understand." Then she walked away without another word.

Adam stood frozen, haunted by what he'd seen. Even without her soul powers, Rose possessed extraordinary strength. If she ever reached her full potential, her power could decimate the entire planet.

Helping Kathy to her feet, Adam noticed her vampire healing already at work.

"Who is she?" Kathy asked shakily.

"The daughter of Great King Louis of Devana," he replied.

"The missing one? The one with the bounty?"

Adam nodded. "If she unlocks her power, she'll be untameable."

Despite knowing he should only use her as a vessel of unimaginable power, Adam couldn't ignore the lingering heat from the elevator. Her caramel-brown eyes, her soft lips... the desire was consuming him.

His heart was bound by prophecy; loving her could cost him his life. As a vampire and Devana's true royal, his powers too had yet to be fully unlocked. But she was different. Pure, raw, and untouchable. And still, he craved her.

Kathy left silently. Adam returned to the penthouse and poured himself a glass of crimson liquid from the freezer.

He was finishing his third when he heard Rose approaching.

"You didn't need to show off like that," Adam said. "A warning would've sufficed."

"She needed to be reminded of her place," Rose replied, her eyes briefly landing on the glass in his hand.

Adam noticed a change in her; her aura was now darker and more commanding.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Already told you. What's left to talk about?"

"I meant what happened in the elevator."

"Oh, that?" she said nonchalantly. "I just lost control. Nothing serious."

Adam watched her.

"You think that's normal?"

"Why put each other in difficult positions when we know the cost?"

"What if I want to?" he murmured, heading for his room.

"What?" she called out.

"Nothing, Princess. Get some sleep. You've burned a lot of energy," he replied, shutting the door.

Rose smirked at the subtle sarcasm, staring at a blood-drenched painting on the wall.

He thinks he can use me. But once I unlock the encryption to my power, I will ascend.

He doesn't even know what I'm capable of and without my soul powers, I can still crush armies. Once the Crimson Moon rises, I'll be unstoppable.

That night, at around 3 AM, a black figure appeared beside her bed. Smoke cloaked the room in suffocating darkness. Rose awoke, gasping for breath, her chest tight. A hooded entity in a tattered cloak crept closer.

Reacting on instinct, she raised the forearm bearing her soul pendant. A burst of white light erupted from it, striking the shadowy figure and making it shriek in pain before vanishing out the window.

Adam burst into the room seconds later. Rose sat upright, breathing heavily, the window wide open.

"What happened?" he asked, though he already suspected the answer.

"Just a nightmare," she replied.

"A nightmare strong enough to make you scream like a banshee?" he teased.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"So you know about them? I didn't mention it because I wasn't sure."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "What's your deal with them?"

Rose rose and walked toward the bathroom. "Nothing that concerns you. You should leave."

Adam, growing frustrated, blocked her path, backing her into the study table.

"You know more than I thought," he growled.

"You're not the only one who's lived through centuries. Now let me go," she shot back.

He leaned in, whispering against her ear:

"And what happened earlier... meant nothing to you?"

The closeness ignited something. The invisible thread between them tightened, threatening to snap.

Rose knew that if she gave in now, she would lose control her purpose, her power, everything. Still, her body betrayed her.

When she tried to pull away, Adam wrapped an arm around her from behind and bit her ear lightly. Her body responded before her mind could catch up, and she moaned loudly, shocking herself.

Embarrassed, she turned crimson, and Adam's restraint shattered.

He bit her neck gently, then trailed kisses down her shoulder. Their breathing quickened. His hand brushed her thigh, and she stopped him, grabbing his wrist.

But he held her more firmly this time, kissing her cheek and rubbing his stubble against her bare shoulder.

With all her strength, she pushed him away and darted into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Leaning against it, she collapsed to the floor, trying to calm the storm raging within.

Adam stood outside in silence. After two unanswered knocks, he walked away and took a cold shower.

He hadn't expected this. He'd lost control.

What they were playing with… was far more dangerous than desire.

Rose eventually stepped out. Seeing he was gone, she locked her door and climbed into bed.

The memory replayed again and again, her breath quickening as she felt the warmth between her thighs, unable to forget what had just happened.