NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31: This is insane
The cold stone wall pressed against Elysia's back, hard and unyielding, but the heat of Malvoria's body was all she could focus on.
The Demon Queen stood so close—too close—her grey eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made Elysia's pulse stutter.
The warmth radiating from Malvoria's skin, the subtle scent of scorched cedar and something darker, more primal, filled the space between them, crowding Elysia's senses until her thoughts turned into a tangled mess.
Shit.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, willing herself to breathe, to think, to act like she wasn't being unraveled just by the presence of this woman.
It shouldn't be like this.
It couldn't be like this.
This was Malvoria. The Demon Queen. The enemy who had burned her kingdom to ash, who had torn her from her home, who had pinned her here like she was nothing more than prey caught in a hunter's trap.
So why does it feel like my body didn't get that memo?
Her pulse drummed in her ears, her breath coming faster than it should.
Malvoria's hand still held her wrists against the wall, her grip firm but not painful, her touch sparking heat along Elysia's skin.
Fuck. Get a grip, Elysia.
She tried to shift, tried to pull away even an inch, but Malvoria only leaned closer.
The black fabric of her uniform brushed against Elysia's dress, the metal clasps cold where they touched.
The air felt too thick.
Elysia bit her lip hard enough to sting, trying to focus on the pain instead of the way Malvoria's breath ghosted along her neck when she spoke.
"A hug," Malvoria repeated, voice low, rough with something Elysia couldn't name.
Her tone vibrated against Elysia's skin, and she hated—hated—that her body responded with a sharp shiver.
"It was just a hug," Elysia said again, more forcefully this time. "Let me go."
Malvoria tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Why should I?"
Elysia opened her mouth to respond, but no words came.
Because that voice—that fucking voice—wrapped around her like smoke, lazy and confident and completely in control.
She was suffocating beneath it.
Or maybe she was drowning.
She didn't know anymore.
Her chest tightened, frustration and heat tangling together. "Because this is insane."
Malvoria's lips twitched in the faintest smirk. "Insane?"
"Yes!" Elysia tried to sound furious, but it came out breathless. "You're pinning me against a wall because I hugged my friend. What kind of psycho does that?"
Malvoria leaned in just enough for Elysia to feel the sharp curve of her horns near her temple. "The kind who doesn't like being disrespected."
Elysia's heart skipped.
Her skin burned beneath Malvoria's gaze, her body betraying her with every ragged breath.
She didn't want to admit it.
Didn't want to give any ground.
But Malvoria's dominance filled the room like a suffocating heat, pressing against every instinct Elysia had spent years trying to master.
Fight.
Run.
Or—
Submit.
Fucking hell.
She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to meet those predatory golden eyes. "It was just a hug," she said again, her voice softer but no less stubborn. "You're being ridiculous."
Malvoria's smirk vanished.
"Ridiculous?" she echoed, her tone turning sharp. "You think I care about how it looks?"
Her fingers flexed slightly around Elysia's wrists. "This isn't about a hug, princess. This is about understanding your place."*
Elysia's breath caught.
"My place?"
"Yes." Malvoria's eyes glinted with something darker, more primal. "And your friend seems to have forgotten it. Or perhaps you've forgotten it, too."
Elysia's stomach twisted. "I haven't forgotten anything."
"Haven't you?" Malvoria's gaze dropped briefly to Elysia's lips, just a flicker of movement before returning to her eyes. "Because I can smell her on you."*
Heat shot through Elysia's veins.
Fuck.
She hadn't thought about that.
Hadn't thought about the way demon senses worked.
Of course Malvoria would notice. Of course she'd latch onto it like a predator sinking its teeth into exposed flesh.
"It was nothing," Elysia said, her voice cracking despite herself. "I told you—"
"You told me it was a hug," Malvoria cut in. "But you don't smell like just a hug."*
Elysia's cheeks flushed, her body rigid beneath the weight of Malvoria's scrutiny. "You're being paranoid."
Malvoria's laugh was low and humorless. "Am I?"
Elysia forced herself to breathe through the rising tension. "Yes. Because I'm not yours, Malvoria. And I never will be."
The words hit the air like a spark dropped into dry brush.
Malvoria stilled.
Completely.
The playful edge vanished from her eyes.
The temperature in the room shifted.
Elysia's heart slammed against her ribs.
She had pushed too far.
She saw it the instant Malvoria's expression changed, the warmth replaced by a cold, sharp focus that sent ice along her spine.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Malvoria leaned in until their noses almost touched. "Not yours?" she repeated softly. "Who else, then? Zera?"
Elysia didn't answer.
She couldn't.
Malvoria's breath brushed her lips, her voice soft but cutting like a razor. "Do you think she can protect you from me?"
Elysia swallowed hard. "This is insane."
"No," Malvoria whispered, "this is reality."
Her grip tightened just enough to remind Elysia that she couldn't move, that she was pinned and helpless beneath the strength of someone who didn't just command power—she was power.
And the worst part?
Elysia felt the heat of it curl beneath her skin, coil low in her belly, spread through her veins like wildfire.
No. No. No.
Get it together.
She shifted her weight, trying to free herself, but Malvoria didn't budge.
"Let me go," Elysia said again, voice trembling with effort. "You don't own me."
Malvoria's lips curved into a slow, predatory smile. "Yet."
Elysia's breath caught.
The tension stretched unbearably.
Her body felt like it was betraying her with every pulse of heat racing through her veins, every shallow breath that filled her lungs with Malvoria's intoxicating scent.
She was trapped.
Fucking hell.
She opened her mouth to respond, to push back, to say anything—
GRRRGGGGGGGLLLL.
The sound came from nowhere.
Elysia froze.
Malvoria blinked.
The low, unmistakable growl of her stomach reverberated through the quiet space, cutting through the heated tension like a slap of cold water.
The silence that followed was excruciating.
Elysia's cheeks flamed as she realized what had just happened.
Her body—her traitorous, poorly timed body—had chosen this exact moment to remind her of lunch.
Malvoria arched a brow. "Was that... your stomach?"
"Shut up."
A beat of silence.
And then Malvoria laughed.
Not the usual cold, amused chuckle.
But a genuine, deep laugh that rumbled from her chest, breaking the tension in a way Elysia hated.
"I hate you," Elysia muttered, mortified.
Malvoria's laughter only grew. "I can see that, princess."