Chapter 138: Undeniable Changes
After waking up, Aliana had asked Gavriel exactly what had happened back in the penthouse. All she remembered from the incident was feeling a profound sadness for Rose and wanting to set her free from her suffering. She had absolutely no recollection of how she did it or what had actually taken place.
She only remembered Rose giving her one final smile, thanking her, and transforming into light before disappearing completely. After that, Aliana had felt her body burn hot, as if her blood were boiling to the point that every ounce of strength evaporated from her limbs before she passed out.
When she finally woke up late that night, Gavriel was sitting right beside her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, observing her with quiet intrigue.
"Just thirsty," she murmured before asking, "What happened?"
He poured her a glass of water, handing it to her before asking, "Don’t you remember what you did?"
"I... I only remember feeling so sad for Rose and wanting to tell her a few things. I remember a weird sensation in my body, like my blood was thrumming with something hot. After that, I only remember seeing her for one last time before it felt like every ounce of energy was drained out of me."
Focusing her attention on Gavriel, she noted how carefully he was studying her.
She asked in a quiet whisper, "What did I do?"
"You managed to release Rose’s soul from Jade’s body and set her free from this world," he replied, his voice calm.
"How could I... do that?"
"You have a rare, latent power inside you, Aliana. Apart from that, even I don’t have the exact answers you are looking for."
She had mulled over his words, releasing a helpless sigh as she wondered how she was ever going to figure this out.
But Gavriel had told her not to stress over it, advising her to just take it as it comes, and she could only agree with him. After all, it wasn’t as if they had a guidebook waiting for them titled How to Deal with a Supernatural Human 101.
But since that night, Aliana had felt her vision grow sharper, and her senses become hyper-attuned. It was as if she could hear better and smell better, and her body felt lighter, yet considerably stronger.
Aliana had always been a healthy woman who loved taking care of herself by keeping a strict check on her diet. Even in the past, when she occasionally missed meals due to overworking, she always made sure to eat cleanly when she did.
But the kind of strength she felt right now was entirely different.
It felt as though she could lift something immensely heavy without breaking a sweat, or run a couple of miles without ever losing her breath.
And that was not all.
There were subtle changes to her physique as well. Changes she likely would not have noticed herself if Gavriel had not pointed them out.
Things had certainly changed between them since the incident.
For one, he never failed to visit her every night before she went to sleep.
On the second day after their return to Valentine Residence, Aliana was making her way back to her room after checking on the still-unconscious Jade, who was resting in one of the guest rooms on the first floor.
As she approached her bedroom, she found Gavriel leaning against the wall beside her door.
He was wearing a loose black shirt with a couple of buttons left open and relaxed black pants, yet he still looked undeniably regal. There was a lazy elegance to him that made her realise even if he were dressed in rags, he would still pull it off like a high-fashion model.
She was wearing a long, sleeveless blue dress that hugged her figure in all the right places. When she stopped right in front of him, he simply tilted his head slightly, letting his alluring eyes travel down her body slowly before moving back to her face and hair.
She felt her pulse rise at the intensity of his stare, but she raised an eyebrow in question anyway.
"Did you wait out here all this time just so you could stare at me?" she asked, keeping her voice light as she made a conscious effort not to stutter.
But in the next second, Gavriel’s hand shot out, pulling her flush against his chest. Aliana let out a sharp gasp at the sudden movement, looking up to meet his gaze. He leaned close, one of his hands gripping her waist while the other moved lower, splaying across her ass to pull her closer.
"Is it just me," he murmured, his deep voice vibrating against her skin, "or have you noticed some changes in your body and features recently?"
Aliana, who was already blushing profusely and drowning in the haze of his proximity, suddenly scowled. Looking into his eyes, she questioned, "What do you mean?"
His hand shifted from her waist, travelling up the length of her spine all the way to her hair. He wrapped a silky lock gently around his fingers and whispered, "Your hair has become far more lush than before, and your features... they have grown a little sharper." His eyes darkened as his gaze dropped to her mouth. "Fuller."
Aliana narrowed her eyes, asking suspiciously, "Is this a new way of seducing me, or are you trying to give me a compliment in a twisted way?"
A light, deeply alluring chuckle escaped his lips before he released her hair. His hand slid to the side of her jaw, his fingers lightly cupping it as amusement danced in his eyes.
"Seducing?" he repeated. "Is it working?"
’Oh, hell yeah!’ Aliana wanted to scream that at the top of her lungs because whatever Gavriel did, it was never ineffective when it came to her. Still, she liked to think she had gotten better at resisting him. Or at least, that was what she kept telling herself.
"Of course not," she lied.
Placing her hands against his rigid chest, she tried to push him away. But it was as if Gavriel could see right through her facade. He gave her a devastating smile, the rare movement causing his dimples to appear, and Aliana felt her knees grow instantly weak.
"Maybe I should try harder," he rasped in that sexy voice of his, making her want to roll her eyes.
Yet before she could do so, he had already closed the flimsy distance between them and captured her lips with his. Aliana could not help the involuntary moan that escaped her throat. One that he swallowed, proving just how wild he could be.
Just how unfair was that?
