The gala glittered like a world I'd only glimpsed in dreams.
Adrian introduced me to more people, some were celebrities, business tycoons in various fields. I don't know how he was able to identify them all.
But the experience has been intriguing all night. Their masks shimmered, tuxes and gowns swirling, and every step I took felt like walking through a river of secrets.
I should have been overwhelmed, but my senses, my cursed blessing, tuned me in.
Every thought, every one of their intention, the undercurrent of desire, lust, and envy lay bare in my mind like live wires.
Adrian moved beside me with the ease of a predator in his own territory.
Every masked guest's thought was a beat of music he read with precision, and I clung to his presence like a lifeline.
And then I heard it.
I must ensure he takes the right glass. I need to act quickly. No one must notice.
My stomach dropped. My gaze darted to Adrian as a masked server approached us, a silver tray glinting in the candlelight.
I could almost see the moment of hesitation in the man's mind, the thrill weaving through his thoughts.
Adrenaline spiked in me. Not on my watch.
I focused, threading my mind toward Adrian subtly, a whisper he'd feel but not notice consciously. Switch your glass. Now.
His hand twitched. A tilt of his head, and the glass swapped mid-air without the server noticing.
He didn't look at me, but our minds brushed, a silent connection, fierce and electric.
The server's eyes widened in confusion, realizing Adrian had taken the wrong drink. The poisoning failed.
But the gasp of realization was enough; others seemed to have noticed, because a rotund man slumped to the ground; he took Adrian's poisoned drink. The mask hid their expressions, but not their intent.
"Move," Adrian murmured, voice low but urgent. My pulse surged; I was ready.
As we turned to leave, the crowd shifted, but a wall of masked figures was closing in.
Someone shouted orders I couldn't make out, but the thought patterns were clear: Catch him and kill them. Don't let him and the girl escape.
I shoved a waiter in my way aside with one hand; my super strength was evident, edifying, and intoxicating.
Every step I took sent waves through the polished marble, drawing attention but creating space.
Adrian's eyes flickered toward me, gratitude flashing as he projected his own psychic shield, bending the attackers' anticipation slightly, giving us a gap.
My fists struck with precise blows, bodies staggering, hitting tables and chairs.
I could feel the impact in my arms and legs, muscles straining beyond normal limits but fueled by fear and adrenaline.
One attacker lunged for Adrian; I slammed into him from the side, bones crunching under pressure, teeth gritting. He hit the ground before he could reach Adrian.
"Keep moving!" Adrian snapped, voice tense. His hand brushed mine as we spun, weaving through tables, chairs, and screaming guests whose thoughts I could hear in fractured snippets.
What's happening? Who is that girl…?
We reached a balcony, one of the large ornate doors closing behind us, but more assailants appeared.
I grabbed a thick bronze chandelier, swinging it with every ounce of strength.
Masks shattered, bodies flew, screams echoing through the hall like a twisted symphony.
"Are you insane?" Adrian shouted, though I could feel the thrill in his mind.
He was pushing his psychic limits, reading strikes, anticipating movements I couldn't see, guiding me without words.
"I can't let them touch you!" I hissed, smacking another masked figure away. Every strike sent vibrations through my body, every nerve ending alive.
We went down a grand staircase. I threw a coming bodyguard into the nearby fountain, water spraying into the air like silver glass.
Adrian crushed another oncoming bunch of attacks with a mental wave just in time, and together we reached the side doors. There was another set of masked conspirators.
I let my instincts guide me. My hands found the nearest reinforced doors, ramming my fists into them with a strength that left wood splintering.
Adrian followed, psychic shields bracing as the remaining attackers barreled forward.
Finally, the door gave way, and we hit the alley outside. The night air was chilly and acrid, yet energizing.
I could almost hear our hearts pound in time as our breaths came in heavy, ragged gasps. I looked at Adrian, half in awe, half in terror.
His normally controlled face was wild with adrenaline, hair slightly disheveled, eyes darker than ever behind his mask.
"You okay?" I asked, voice trembling but fierce.
He gave a half-smile, catching his breath. "Never better." And then, his hand brushed mine, not the fleeting contact from earlier, but a deliberate, grounding touch.
For a heartbeat, the danger, the chaos, and the world outside the alley vanished as our pulses met.
But then reality returned. Shadows moved around us. I could feel them; the others are still hunting. The threat wasn't over. The poison attempt had failed, but the perpetrator seems determined and unwilling to relent.
Adrian's voice was low, commanding, yet intimate. "We've bought a reprieve. But they'll try again. And sooner than you think."
I swallowed hard. I can fight. I can protect him and myself. I vow.
The air between us throbbed with another tension, something hotter and darker, even as our bodies buzzed from the battle.
I could feel a sizzle of energy that promises something beyond survival, more like desire, fear, and even power merging.
I felt the pull, the magnetic twist between us, and I knew that tonight had changed everything.
I glanced at him. His gray eyes, dark, intent, unyielding, met mine. There was no need for words.
Amidst the darkness of this alley and an oncoming danger. I came to terms with the fact that fighting alongside this man was both inevitable and intoxicating. And so was the pull I felt toward him, one I couldn't resist.
"We need to move," Adrian said, but the brush of his hand against mine lingered far longer than necessary.
I nodded, my senses already attuned to the shadows moving closer, the hidden threats waiting. I could feel it in my bones.
Tonight, was only the beginning, welcoming the thrill.
With that thought in mind, I followed Adrian into the night.
This man might have been a stranger but he becomes more familiar; for we are bound and united by strength, peril, and an unbreakable, strong attraction that neither of us can resist.