She shut her eyes and tried to ignore his presence, now glaring at the book in her hand as she tried to return her focus to it, but her body wanted the exact opposite of that. She cursed at Cedric internally for not understanding the effects of his actions on second thought. Maybe he did, that bastard.
Suddenly, Cedric was leaning over her, caging Marisol's body between the table and his as his warm breath ghosted over her neck, goosebumps breaking over the length of it as he peered down at the book in her hand, seemingly oblivious to Marisol's inner turmoil as he rumbled quietly in her ear, "What are you reading?"
A violent shiver ran down the length of Marisol's spine, her pulse quickening in tandem as her mind struggled to catch on. Brain fogged with desire, Marisol managed a reply, but all that came out was a jumble of syllables that Marisol herself could make no sense of.
Cedric chuckled softly at the reaction, the sound sending a thrill through Marisol's body, and seemed to take a whiff of her scent directly from her scent gland there before lowly, almost teasingly, he lifted a finger and began to trace patterns on her neck with his fingertips, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through her.
Marisol's breath hitched at his touch, sighing in contentment as her body instinctively relaxed into him. Her eyes fell shut, lost in the sensation of his gentle caresses.
Cedric leaned in closer, giving in to his own desire as he let his lips brush against her skin before leaving a single gentle kiss there. He heard Marisol sigh, the sound heavy and then her teeth sink into the plush flesh of her lower lip, the soft pressure of his lips against her flesh threatening to rip the most embarrassing sounds out of her throat.
She'd been doing a good job stifling any sounds as Cedric continued with his ministrations until she felt his teeth graze the skin lightly, a soft moan leaving her lips as he nipped her skin, a surge of arousal coursing through her veins and Cedric responded with a low growl of his own, the sound doubling Marisol's excitement as she leaned even further into him.
Marisol completely gave in, allowing herself to surrender to the overwhelming rush of sensation, her thoughts consumed by the intoxicating allure of Cedric's touch. Her body trembled with desire as Cedric grew bolder and explored more and more of her skin, leaving his marks on them as he went and this time, a loud wanton moan was ripped out of Marisol's throat.
Like the sound of a bell ripping him out of a hypnosis, that seemed to bring Cedric back to his senses. He pulled away like he'd just been burned by a raging fire and, just like that, Marisol was left in a daze, watching him walk out of the library in hurried steps, all of her senses protesting at the loss.
She stared at his receding back until it disappeared completely, her heart beating erratically against her chest as she struggled to make sense of what had just transpired.
Her body was still thrumming with the echoes of their encounter. As she struggled to regain her composure, Marisol couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of longing that consumed her, leaving her yearning for more of Cedric's touch and contemplating running after him.
She found herself cursing at Cedric again, but this time for an entirely different reason, as she sat there frustrated and unable to do anything else. Why'd he start something he wasn't going to finish?
After about an hour of nothing, she angrily stomped out of the hidden castle. She needed to put some distance between them and clear her head. It was already annoying that her body willingly succumbed to him, but finding out that she wanted him just as much scared her.
With every step she took away from the hidden castle, Marisol reminded herself that she shouldn't want this. Maybe just maybe she would talk sense into him.
In the next few days, Marisol discovered her resolve to be so much weaker than she might've expected, although, at this point, she should've expected it to be so, because nothing ever seemed to go the logical way when it came to Cedric.
For what felt like the nth time since their first encounter, Marisol had resolved to keep her distance from Cedric, believing it to be the best course of action to maintain her sanity.
Yet, to her dismay, she soon realized that the mere thought of his continuous absence left her feeling hollow and incomplete. Despite her best efforts to avoid him, Marisol found herself inexplicably drawn to him, seeking solace in his company even amidst the chaos that surrounded them.
There was a sense of comfort in the moments they spent together, even if they were often marked by silence. Whether they were sitting side by side or simply sharing the same space, Marisol found herself feeling at ease in Cedric's company.
Another thing she couldn't ignore was the once subtle changes in Cedric's behavior that started growing apparent with time. He had become increasingly restless, his demeanor shifting from calm and collected to agitated and volatile. There was a palpable tension in the air whenever he was around, a sense of unease that seemed to permeate every interaction.
Cedric's possessiveness and protectiveness began to border on obsession. He seemed to constantly hover around her, refusing to let her out of his sight even for a moment.
At first, Marisol had found his attentiveness endearing, but as time went on, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that Cedric's behavior was driven by something far more sinister than mere affection. It was as if he was teetering on the edge of losing control, and Marisol feared what that could mean for both of them.
In the past few weeks, since they'd started staying together, it was quite noticeable that he had been able to maintain control over his wolf form. He hardly transformed anymore, and even when he did, he was in control.
But now, Cedric's transformations have become more frequent and unpredictable. Now, even the slightest provocation could trigger a shift. It was as if his curse was tightening its grip on him, pulling him further into the depths of his primal instincts.