BLOOD LEGACIES
Chapter 513: The Thirst Trap

Chapter 513: The Thirst Trap

My heartbeat pounded so loud it deafened me, drowning out the noise from the crowd. It felt like I was alone in a world of chaos inside my own body, splitting me apart in pieces. Every breath and every swallow felt like I was bracing for something to collapse. My hands gripped the seat like it was the only thing keeping me grounded, but nothing could stop the storming nerves rolling through me like a wave blown by a wind.

Why?! Why is he here? Standing there, speaking in that smooth, confident tone, chuckling and answering questions, as if nothing had changed. Like he hadn’t been absent from my life for a year, and now, there he was, in my class, of all places, giving life lessons to everyone like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Every girl in my class seemed ready to jump at the first chance to question or converse with him, eyes locked on him like he was the only thing that mattered. The guys, on the other hand, were either glaring in jealousy or captivated by the effortless attention he commanded. It was like the whole room revolved around him.

To his movements, his hand resting on the podium and the other buried in his pocket, it was hard to take your eyes off such a man. Despite everything, what stunned me the most was how he was able to conjure different expressions and reactions given his condition, it was like watching a whole new personality on display, carefully cultured to adapt to anything.

It may have seemed genuine to everyone else, but I could see through his facade. The way he masked his emotions only crumbled me further, and I was infuriated by the intensity of his undivided attention.

"Fuck! I would gladly have his babies"

I glared at the girl in the front seat, so hard I thought I might pierce her open with a look if given the chance.

"What the heck is going on?" I asked without daring to look because if I did I would take my eyes off Dace and do the unthinkable.

"Lioness"

His reply was all I needed. He’s from the Pride? Of course, he is, why else? His actions were suddenly a perfect explanation.

"My name is Samuel, but you can call me Sam. I’m Singe’s brother"

"How long?" I asked.

"Since your first day"

I muttered a curse under my breath as I squeezed my eyes shut. Of course, the strange feeling of someone watching me was not me being paranoid. Whenever I went for my early run, I always felt eyes on me but thought nothing of it.

But why? Why would he do this? Step back into my life like he saw fit? After a whole year of silence, it didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense.

"Mr. Devereaux!"

It was that girl in the front seat again. My irritation knows no bounds now.

"Yes," Dace responded with ease, leaning against the podium with his arms folded. Oh no. The defined lines of his pants didn’t escape my attention. Was he seriously putting himself on display like that?

"Is it true you’re married?"

The whole hall erupted in whispers, her questions were far from what he came for but it seemed like everyone was curious about the Devereaux relationship status.

Others might think he was looking at the girl who asked the question, but no, his gaze was fixed on me. The whole time, we were locked in a silent staring contest. He looked at me as though seeing me for the first time, everything else fading into the background. I didn’t know what to feel, but my chest burned with an unexplainable sensation as my thumb pressed harder against the pendant around my neck.

"Yes, I’m married" he answered and some disappointing groans followed. "Not official... yet"

"Does that mean I still have a chance?"

That’s it, I’m done! I gathered my things as the other girls began to throw flirty questions at him. Breaking eye contact I stormed out of the lecture hall through the back.

The moment I stepped outside it felt like I could finally breathe and the walls weren’t closing in on me anymore. The weather had changed and the dark clouds covered the entire sky and the rain came with force and no warning.

Maybe the skies were weeping about how miserable I felt right.

I can’t drive in this weather and I had no intention of testing my driving skills with it. So I chose to go to the library.

I threw on my coat and hurried through the shelves, my footsteps quick and light. As I reached the corner, I turned sharply and leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself. My breathing was jerky as if the air around me was too thick to inhale.

My hands didn’t stop shaking, even as I held onto the pendant. I didn’t know how long I stood there to recollect myself and regain my composure. Mentally deciding that this would take longer than expected

I pushed off the wall and turned to leave but gasped when Dace stepped in front of me.

With wide eyes, I stumbled backward, my back slamming against the cold window. The rhythmic pounding of the heavy rain rolled through the glass, and I could feel the chill seeping into my skin, crawling down my spine, sending shivers through my entire body. But it wasn’t just about the cold but the man before me staring at me with such intensity enough to make me fall to my knees.

Silence passed between us until he made the first step, deliberate and careful, hands buried in his pocket as he did, eyes on me as if trying to figure out my next move. We’re both on the same boat because I can’t read him too. In the lecture hall, he put up all these fake expressions but now I see the real him. Everything was blank. His eyes were hollow, and the beautiful color of his golden hazels was bland.

"Sam," I broke the chilly silence, my voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t respond, closing the distance between us until his towering height loomed over me. "Why?" I asked, the weight of the question hanging heavily in the air.

"I missed you" he voiced, completely ignoring my question. I didn’t know how to respond to it but the rising anger gave me the boost I needed.

"Do you even remember what that feels like?"

"I have an idea," he replied.

I can’t take this.

"You don’t get to come to my class, into my life, stalk me, and declare you miss me," I said through clenched teeth allowing my anger to surface.

A slow, wicked smile tugged at his lips like he had caught me in a sin. "Stalking goes both ways, baby," he replied, his voice smooth and teasing.

Shit! Did he know I told Emilia to give me details? Fucking Emilia wasn’t being discreet after all.

He leaned closer, his hands pressing against the window on either side of me. I expected him to make the next move and reach for me, but he didn’t. He kept his hands to himself as if he’d forced himself to hold back. "I’ve been watching you every single day," he murmured.

"You’re lying" I voiced out loud like I was trying to convince myself he was because there was no way he was telling the truth. How could he watch me when he completely ignored me for a year? With no contact or anything. The bond grew weak over that spasm of time, I was mentally preparing myself that our relationship would end, the distance drew naturally and my heart couldn’t take the gravity of it and I needed to move on.

Now he waltzed back into my life in the most bizarre way possible. How was I even supposed to react to that? My heart raced, caught between perplexity and a strange euphoria, as I tried to process his words and the heat radiating from his presence.

The heat gobbled me from the inside out, a warmth I missed every night I went to bed and the mornings I woke up cold. He had no idea how devastating it was to be completely alone, feeling the bond slowly weaken. I was haunted by the fear that each morning I would wake up to find it all had vanished, leaving me adrift in an ocean of apprehension and yearning.

To feel as if I had lost everything. That was my greatest fear and coming here was a means for me to grasp something. Yet here he was... saying these words to my face.

"Why would I lie about something like that?" he narrowed his eyes, tilting his head slightly. "Lie about how much I couldn’t stop thinking about you or how much..." He paused, his gaze drifting from my eyes to my nose, lingering on my lips, and then back to my eyes. "Did you honestly think I would abandon you?"

"Yes," I replied heartbroken.

His jaw clenched tightly. "You think so little of me. You hurt me," he said, straightening up. He claimed to be hurt, but I couldn’t see it in his demeanor.

"We’ll talk about that later, but right now, I need you to answer one simple question, baby girl," As if his frustration had finally reached its breaking point, his blank expression twisted into something dark and unhinged.

"What the fuck happened last night?"