The call ended with a sharp beep.
Kyel's hand trembled as he flung the communicator to the floor, shattering it into pieces.
His palm dragged down his face, the weight of what he had just learned pressing into him.
The cookies. They hadn't been ordinary.
They had been laced with aphrodisiacs.
He cursed under his breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
Each step up the stairs grew heavier.
When he reached the bedroom door, he paused, his breathing ragged.
With a slow push, the door creaked open.
Eva lay on the bed, the sheets pulled up over her face, but he could see the tremors in her body, the way her breathing hitched unevenly as though she was fighting herself.
"Princess…" Kyel's voice was low, rougher than he intended as he sat down beside her. "Are you all right?"
"I—I'm going crazy," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Princess, let me see your face." His hand brushed the sheet. he gently pulled it away.
Her face was flushed, her eyes glassy, lips trembling.
And when her gaze finally locked with his, something inside her snapped.
"Eva—"
Before he could finish, she pushed him down against the mattress with a strength that startled him.
Her knees pinned him by the waist, her palm pressed firmly against his chest.
"I can't—" her words broke with a shaky exhale, her lips inches away from his, "I don't think I can take this anymore."
"Kyel…" she whispered, almost a plea. "Let's do it."
His heart clenched. "Do what?"
Her grip tightened on his chest,"Let's have our first night," she breathed, her voice soft but soaked with longing.
"Eva—" he barely got her name out before her lips crushed into his.
Kyel's eyes fluttered shut. Her kiss was deep, desperate, her tongue sliding against his, stealing the breath from his lungs.
But when her kiss grew hungrier, his eyes snapped open, panic cutting through the haze.
Kyel's hands pressed against her shoulders, his breath uneven. He pushed her gently. "Wait—"
But Eva wasn't listening. Her lips found his again, desperate and hungry, stealing his breath.
Her trembling fingers slipped lower, fumbling at the buttons of his shirt until fabric parted and his bare chest was revealed beneath her touch.
Kyel caught her hand abruptly, his grip firm though his own body trembled at her closeness. "Wait, Eva..listen to me."
his voice cracked, heavy with restraint. "We can't go further then this."
Her eyes burned with frustration. "Why not?"
She leaned in to kiss him again, but he clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Wait, Eva. Listen to me." His voice shook, half-pleading.
Her muffled words broke against his palm, and then she whispered against it, "But you said it to me, I could kiss you as much as I like…"
His chest clenched. "I—I take that back. You can't. You need to sto—"
"I want you," she whispered, her tongue sliding against his palm.
Kyel's entire body shuddered violently, a curse escaping his lips.
"You don't want to do it?" Eva's eyes were glossy, filled with need.
"Eva…" he whispered raggedly, his control slipping. "I want to"
"I want you... more than you can imagine. But not like this.You're not yourself, Eva."
"I don't want our first night to be like this."
Her lips curved into a trembling, daring smile. "If you want to do it too, then—"
She grabbed his hands with feverish boldness and placed them directly on her breast, through the thin silk of her nightgown.
"Then touch me," she breathed. "Please."
Kyel's breath caught. The soft, warm weight of her against his palms was like fire.
His fingers almost betrayed him, twitching to explore further.
But he jerked his hands back as if burned. "No… this is wrong," he growled through gritted teeth.
His voice cracked, raw. "Damn it...Eva, get hold of yourself."
"I can't…" she whispered, her lips dragging along his jaw, down his neck. She pressed hungry kisses across his neck and chest.
Kyel's fist clenched into the bedsheets, his back arching. His voice broke into a ragged shout. "Eva, stop!"
He pushed her back "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me? I'm barely holding myself back—but if you keep this up, I won't be able to."
Eva's lips quivered, her eyes burning with desperation. "Why are you holding back? Just love me."
His jaw tightened. "I'm going crazy…" he confessed through gritted teeth, his voice trembling. "Just stop saying those things."
But she didn't.
With trembling hands, Eva slid one sleeve of her gown down her arm, baring pale skin to the glow of the lantern light.
Kyel's eyes squeezed shut instantly, his whole body shuddering. "No… no, stop," he muttered, turning his head away.
Her voice, soft and breathless, cut through him. "Look at me."
"No…" His eyes stayed shut, lids pressed tight. "I don't want to."
She leaned closer, her lips hovering just above his, her breath warm against his cheek. "Why not?"
His voice cracked, raw with restraint. "Because… it's wrong."
Then, in a sudden motion, she pulled her sleeve back up. "There. I've put my gown back. Now open your eyes."
His lids parted reluctantly—and the world cracked open.
Slap.
The sound echoed through the room.
His face turned sharply with the force. The slap wasn't playful. It was real, laced with frustration and need.
"Eva…" he whispered, stunned.
She gripped his shirt, yanking him closer, her breath hot against his lips. "Why are you pushing me away?" she demanded, her voice breaking.
"Why are you saying this is wrong? Kyel, I'm your wife. We are married—there's nothing wrong."
"I'm asking—no, begging— you to love me. And you're rejecting me."
"Why?"
"Because you are not yourself, Eva." His voice broke, his throat tight.
His voice cracked with strain, his grip trembling as he tried to hold her still. "How can I touch you when you're not yourself?"
"Eva, have mercy on me… because I'm trying, but it's getting harder and harder to resist you."
For a moment, she went still—then suddenly leaned down and sank her teeth into his neck.
Kyel gasped, his body jerking as pain and heat clashed. His hand clawed into the bedsheet so hard the fabric threatened to rip. "That's it… I've had enough."
In one swift motion, he flipped her beneath him. Eva's back hit the mattress, her wrists pinned firmly above her head, Kyel's body hovering over hers, trembling with the effort of restraint.
His breath came in ragged bursts, his eyes dark, wild.
"I can't take this anymore," he whispered hoarsely.
Eva only smiled, lips parting as she closed her eyes. "Do it. I'm ready."
He leaned close, his voice breaking against her ear. "It's going to hurt."
"I don't care," she whispered, surrender in her tone.
A second later, she was no longer pinned—but completely wrapped up in the bed sheet like a burrito, her arms and legs trapped tight.
Her eyes flew open in shock. "Kyel—what are you doing?!" She struggled, the sheets straining under her effort.
Sweat trickled down his temple, his breath ragged as he staggered back from the bed. "You are staying like this until the effect is gone."
"Kyel! Let me go!" she cried, her voice shaking.
But he turned away, chest heaving.
"Kyel! Where are you going? Come back here!" Her voice cracked into desperation as he reached the door.
The door slammed shut with a heavy click as he turned the lock.
Inside, her screams echoed, pounding against the wood. "Kyel! Don't lock the door!"
But Kyel stumbled down the stairs, every step heavy, his body drenched in sweat, his breath coming harsh and uneven.
Reaching the bottom, he collapsed onto the floor, dragging a trembling hand down his face. His body still burned with a need he had barely contained, his pulse racing violently.
"I thought I was going to die…" he whispered into the silence, his voice raw.