Forbidden Mate Legacy

Amelia flipped through more pages, searching for anything–anything–that might remain. A single phrase stood out at the bottom of a page, faint but still legible.

"The blood of the lost will awaken the forgotten."

Amelia's breath hitched. The words sent a chill down her spine. Before she could make sense of them, a sudden noise shattered the silence. The unmistakable sounds of footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.

Her stomach dropped.

Someone was coming.

Amelia slammed the book shut and placed it back on the shelf, heart racing. She moved swiftly, slipping behind a towering bookcase just as the library doors creaked open.

A shadowed figure stepped inside.

She held her breath, pressing herself into the darkness. The figure moved with careful precision, as if searching for something. Or someone.

The glow of the lanterns revealed a familiar face–Instructor Varian.

Amelia bit her lips. Instructor Varian was one of the Academy's most respected scholars, but there was something unsettling about him. He was too calm, too observant, as if he saw more than he let on.

He strode toward the very section Amelia had been searching, eyes narrowing as he scanned the shelves. His fingers traced over the books before pausing on the very tome she had just touched.

Amelia's heart pounded.

Did he know?

For a tense moment, Instructor Varian simply stared at the book, then exhaled softly and turned away. "Some secrets are better left buried," he murmured to himself before striding out of the library.

Amelia remained hidden until the door clicked shut behind it. Only then did she let out a shaky breath. The prophecy had been erased. But the traces of its existence remained. And now, more than ever, she needed to find out why?.

She would uncover the truth. No. Matter. The. Cost.

Then, something caught her eye. A small, unassuming section tucked away between the grand histories and spell books. The delicate gold lettering on the spines shimmered under the candlelight. Romance.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Amelia glanced sideways, making sure no one was there before stepping closer. She traced the spine of a book titled whispers of the forbidden. A flush crept up her neck as she pulled it free and flipped to a random page.

"His fingers trailed down her bare skin, fire and ice at once, igniting something deep inside her–" she swallowed hard, her cheeks heating.

Ever since she was young, Amelia had been drawn to romance. The idea of love so deep it could defy fate, of passion so consuming it left people breathless–it was so…beautiful. But she knew better than to hope for such a thing for herself. She was a princess, bound to duty. Love, at least the kind she read about, was not meant for her.

Still, that didn't stop her from indulging in the fantasy.

Leaning against the bookshelf, she continued reading, completely lost in the words.

 "He pressed her against the cold stone wall, his breath warm against her ear–" A deep, amused voice shattered her concentration.

"Well, well…I didn't take you for the type to enjoy such literature, Little flame."

Amelia's heart slammed against her ribs.

She jerked up, clutching the book to her chest as she turned–only to find Kael standing mere feet away, arms crossed, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. Her breath hitched.

How had she not heard him approach? His presence was overwhelming, his grey eyes gleaming with amusement as he leaned casually against the bookshelf, dressed in his usual black attire, making him look even more dangerous under the dim library lights.

Amelia swallowed, trying to compose herself. "I–it's just a book."

Kael tilted his head, his smirk deepening. "Oh, I'm sure it is. Whispers of the forbidden, hmm?" He plucked the book from her grasp effortlessly before she could react, flipping through the pages with feigned interest.

Her face burned. "Give it back."

He ignored her, reading aloud in a low, teasing voice, "His lips traced down her throat, marking her as his own–"

"Kael!" Amelia lunged for the book, but he easily stepped back, holding it above her reach.

"Didn't think you had such interests, Little flame." His voice was smooth, taunting. "Tell me, do you imagine yourself as the heroine? Dream of some noble Prince sweeping you off your feet?"

She glared at him, ignoring the warmth pooling low in her stomach at his tone. "Why do you care?"

Kael leaned in slightly, lowering the book but keeping it just out of her reach. "I don't." His voice was husky. "But watching you blush like that is entertaining." 

Amelia clenched her fists. She was blushing–badly. The heat in her face was unbearable, and the way he was looking at her, dark amusement in his eyes, made it infinitely worse.

He took a step closer, and she instinctively stepped back, her back pressing against the bookshelf. Kael smirked. "You're really bad at hiding your reaction."

Her breath was uneven now. He was too close. The scent of him–something dark, smoky, and entirely intoxicating–was making her dizzy.

He leaned in, his lips hovering near the shell of her ear. "Do the books make you feel something, Amelia?"

A shiver ran down her spine.

She hated how her body reacted to him, how easily he could reduce her to this mess of heat and anticipation. He was taunting her, and worse, she was letting him win. Summoning every ounce of her composure she had, Amelia lifted her chin. "You're insufferable."

Kael chuckled, a rich, velvety sound. "And yet, you're still standing here, flustered."

She scowled, reaching up and yanking the book from his grasp. "Stay out of my business."

Kael watched her for a moment, amusement flickering in his gaze before he stepped back, hands raised in mock surrender. "As you wish. Little flame."

Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the shadows leaving Amelia standing there, breathless, heart racing, and undeniably affected.