Tempted | Kai Parker

four: dreams

His noise woke me up.

The first scream I heard jolted my body awake, my heart racing as my tired mind scrambled to figure out exactly where the disturbance was coming from. Then I heard it again. Dull screams penetrated my ears, vibrating through my body with a shiver. It was coming from Kai's room.

I instinctively ran through to the noise, my nervous legs carrying me there a little faster than I had thought they would have.

As I entered his darkened room, I saw Kai in the bed, twitching under the covers, his brow glossed with sweat.

"Jo, don't let him do this to me." He whimpered, his face contorting in agony.

With wide eyes I raised my hand over my parted lips. Seeing Kai like this wasn't natural to me, it was the most emotion I'd ever seen him display.

After a few cautious steps towards the tormented figure, I knelt down beside his bed and softly placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Kai?" I said quietly as I nudged him.

The witch violently awoke to my touch, lungs desperately gasping for air. I was sure he still wasn't completely aware of what was reality and what his mind had made seem real when he noticed me over him. Then suddenly -

"Motus." He panicked.

His incantation sent me flying backwards, and before I even realised what had happened my back slammed against the far wall. Burdened groans escaped my lips as agony coursed through my spine before the pain began to ebb away and I felt the relief of my injuries slowly healing. Vampirism had its perks.

As the pain subsidised, I finally regained control of my raggedy breaths. Planting my palms on the floor to stabilise my still shaking body, I looked over at Kai who was now propped up on the bed. His breaths rasped through the silence as he shakily sucked air through his nostrils.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?" He spat defensively.

Really? He just catapulted me against the wall and that's his first thought.

My lips parted through a disbelieving scoff, forehead wrinkling as my brows pushed together.

"You were screaming."

Kai's lips pursed, the muscles in his jaw tightening.

"I wasn't screaming. And even if I was, why would you get that close to me? I could have fucking killed you."

I shook my head slightly. I shouldn't have expected any more from him to be honest, of course this was how he would react.

"You know Kai, you could apologise for hurting me. Or maybe thank me for coming to check on you."

His eyes widened as his eyebrows shot up.

"Thank you? You want me to thank you for invading my personal space? I don't know why you even came to check on me anyway." He sneered dismissively.

"I came to check on you because you sounded like you needed help!" I exclaimed, finally rising from the floor. My still shocked legs buckled slightly under my weight as I stood, but I didn't like the way Kai was looking down on me.

"You hate me. I'm repulsive and evil and everything else you've ever called me so why fucking bother?" He retorted, swinging his legs round and placing them on the floor.

That wasn't true though. Not entirely at least. I didn't hate him, not as much as I made out anyway. And truthfully, I don't know why his screams had affected me so much, but as soon as I heard them, I had to go and help. The pain that lingered in the air each time he shrieked, and the way his tormented body shook under the sheets. How could I not wake him up from that? I mean, how could I just let him experience that when I could stop it?