Chapter 8 Temptation

Evi's Pov

After the incident, I went to the hallway. Julian stepped into my path, his easy smile doing nothing to hide the sharp intelligence behind his eyes. He was tall and lean, with tousled dark-blond hair and a way of moving that made him look like he owned every space he occupied.

"Evi," he said, his voice warm and familiar, like we were old friends. "I was hoping I'd run into you."

I stopped walking, my instincts screaming at me to turn around and flee. But I couldn't. Not with the bond tugging at my chest, not with Damian somewhere in this building, not with the weight of everything pressing down on me like a physical force.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice flat.

Julian's smile widened. "Straight to the point. I like that." He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne, something woody and expensive. "I wanted to talk to you about your... situation."

"My situation?"

"The fire." His eyes flickered, and for a moment, I saw something dark and knowing in their depths. "The magic you can't control. The power that's eating you alive."

My blood ran cold. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Evi." His voice was soft, almost gentle. "I can sense it. The fire in your blood. The power you inherited from your father." He paused, his gaze piercing. "I'm like you. A rogue, a magic user who doesn't belong anywhere."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. "You're a witch?"

He laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "Not a witch. Something else. Something older." He extended his hand, and I watched as tiny sparks of blue electricity danced across his fingers. "I can teach you to control it, Evi."

I was tempted. God help me, I was tempted. The thought of someone understanding what I was going through, of not being alone in this nightmare, was almost too much to resist.

But then I felt the bond pulse. Damian. He was close and he was furious.

"Get away from her." Damian's voice cut through the hallway like a whip. He appeared behind Julian, his eyes blazing with barely contained rage. "Now."

Julian turned slowly, his smile never wavering. "Damian. I was just having a conversation with your stepsister. No need to get territorial."

"You're the one who needs to get lost." Damian stepped between us, his body blocking Julian from my view. "Evi doesn't want anything to do with you."

"Doesn't she?" Julian's voice was mocking. "She seemed pretty interested in what I had to say."

I watched the tension coil in Damian's shoulders, the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I'm warning you, Julian. Stay away from her."

"Or what? You'll tell your daddy?" Julian laughed. "We both know the Alpha King doesn't care about you or your little pet projects."

Damian lunged, but I grabbed his arm before he could make contact. "Stop," I hissed. "Not here. Not now."

The crowd that had gathered was growing, students pressing in to watch the confrontation. And at the front of it all stood Natasha, her green eyes gleaming with murderous satisfaction.

Damian shook me off, his chest heaving. "This isn't over, Julian."

"It never is, Hawkins." Julian gave me one last look, his smile lingering. "Think about my offer, Evi. I'll be waiting."

He walked away, the crowd parting around him like he was royalty. Damian stood frozen, his fists still clenched, his breathing ragged.

I didn't wait for him to speak. I turned and slipped away through the crowd, my heart pounding, my hands shaking.

I made it to the bathroom before my legs gave out. I leaned against the sink, gripping the edge so hard my knuckles went white. The fire was burning in my chest, hot and restless, demanding release.

I couldn't control it. I couldn't control anything.

The door swung open behind me, and I spun around, my hands raised defensively.

It was Natasha.

She walked in like she owned the place, her heels clicking against the tile floor. Her smile was cold, calculating, the smile of a predator who had cornered her prey.

"Evi," she said sweetly. "I'm so glad I found you."

I pressed myself against the sink, my heart hammering. "What do you want?"

"To talk." She moved closer, stopping a few feet away. "About Damian. About your little arrangement. About the witch hunts."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me." Her voice sharpened, losing its sweet edge. "I've been watching you since the moment you arrived. I know what you are. I know what your stepfather wants from you."

My blood went cold. "Richard?"

"Your precious Alpha King." Natasha's smile twisted into something bitter. "He's been hunting witches for years. Collecting them. Using them for his rituals. And now he's found the perfect one." She gestured at me. "A fire elemental. The rarest of them all."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because I was one of his victims." Natasha pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing a jagged burn scar that stretched from her collarbone down to her shoulder. The skin was puckered and discolored, a permanent reminder of something horrible. "He did this to me. He used my magic until I was nothing. And then he threw me away like garbage."

I stared at the scar, my stomach churning. "You're a witch?"

"Was," she corrected. "He took everything from me. My power. My family. My future." Her eyes met mine, and I saw the pain behind the hatred. "He's using you too, Evi. Damian is his puppet. He'll do whatever Richard tells him to do, and when he's done with you, he'll throw you away just like he threw me away."

"Damian wouldn't…"

"Damian is a good boy," Natasha said bitterly. "He does what his father tells him. He always has. And his father told him to keep you close. To watch you. To make sure you don't escape."

I shook my head, backing away. "You're lying."

"I wish I was." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Run, Evi. Before he takes everything from you. Before you end up like me."

I stared at her, my mind reeling. Everything I thought I knew was crumbling around me. Damian. Richard. The bond. It was all part of some twisted game I didn't understand.

"I can't run," I said finally, my voice barely a whisper. "I have nowhere to go."

Natasha's expression softened, just for a moment. Then it hardened again. "Then you'll die. Just like the rest of us."