Alright... so I didn't expect this chapter to turn out this way. I planned on more plot-related things to occur, but it seems Elijah had other plans for you all. That being said, I hope you enjoy the chapter anyway.
Warning: Heavy Sexual Content ahead. If it makes you uncomfortable, please skip this chapter.
Chapter Eleven: Elijah
Kiara could feel Elijah's dark eyes on her as they walked into her kitchen. She was still on edge but clearly felt better now that she was back in her own house. Even if Holly wasn't home at the moment. There were so many things she needed to tell him. But with him looking at her the way he was, all she could think about were the dreams she had of him in the Salvatore basement. They had been comforting at the time, but now she just felt embarrassed. Romantic fantasy wasn't something she usually allowed herself to indulge in. Until recently.
"Kiara," he said, making her look at him. "Are you alright?"
She blinked. "I, I'm not sure. My throat feels kinda dry. I can't remember the last time I had something to drink," she said and opened the fridge. She picked out a bottle of cranberry juice and took a few big gulps directly from the bottle. When she noticed Elijah smirking at her, she stopped.
"Sorry," she said, putting the bottle down on the counter. "I should've grabbed a glass."
"Don't be silly, it's your home. You can do whatever you like," he said.
She felt heat rushing to her cheeks anyway so she turned her back to him and placed the bottle back in the fridge. "Are you… I mean, you must be thirsty."
Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering?" he asked.
She turned to face him. Her eyes uncertain. Her teeth nervously gripping her body lip. "Maybe…"
Suddenly, Kiara was laying on her couch with Elijah's mouth grazing her neck. She knew that she should be afraid. After Damon attacked her, the idea of having another set of teeth anywhere near her neck should have been terrifying. But this was Elijah. She relaxed under him and he trailed open mouth kisses on her skin. She sighed and he pulled her leg up over his hip, grinding down on her lightly, almost instinctively.
"Are you sure?" he murmured against her throat. "It appears someone already fed on you today. Would I seem jealous if I asked who had the pleasure before me?"
"Yes," she swallowed, not wanting to talk about that at the moment. She ran her fingers up the back of his neck into his hair. He hummed happily at the feeling of her hands on him again. "But I trust you, Elijah. I just... don't know how my blood will affect you."
It's not like she took the time to ask Damon, but it seemed to make him compliant to her at the very least. The last thing she wanted was to lose control of herself and take advantage of Elijah. But to her surprise, he said, "I can't imagine it will affect me any more than you already do."
Kiara's heart was pounding wildly against her chest. "I didn't realize I affected you that much." She felt him chuckle against her skin. His now sharp teeth scraping against her. Goosebumps bloomed up her scalp and down her chest.
"We both know that's not true, Miss. James." He ground down a bit harder as if to prove his point.
She whimpered. "You clearly need to feed. Just be gentle, please."
"Well, since you asked so nicely…" he said and slowly sank his fangs into her soft flesh.
After Damon's attack on her only hours before, Kiara had been mentally prepared for it to be painful. But it wasn't. After the initial sting, it felt almost good. However, it was possible she was just distracted by Elijah's hips lightly rocking down on hers as he drank.
He couldn't help himself. The moment her blood flooded into his mouth he realized his mistake. Her blood was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. An immediate aphrodisiac and it was nearly impossible to resist.
"Elijah?" she said, pulling his hair.
Instead of answering, he grabbed her wrists and held them over her head. He pressed himself against her core at a slow rough pace, craving more friction. She moaned and brought her hips up to meet him. The sound rolled through his body. Suddenly, his mind was more preoccupied with pleasing her than drinking her blood. Her breath became more labored as pressure built up from the stimulation and her eyes rolled shut. He paused his movements, carefully withdrew from her throat, and looked at her with heavy eyes. What he found looking back at him were beautiful glowing emeralds. He watched her throat heal and then glanced down between their bodies as if just now realizing what he had been doing.
"How do I taste?" she asked him.
His eyes met hers and he was instantly under her spell again. "Like an elixir of the gods."
She smiled and lifted her hips to meet him again. "And how do I feel?"
"Like pleasure itself," he said, his voice strained. He let his head fall forward. His forehead resting on hers.
"Do you want to kiss me?"
"More than anything."
"Then do it," she told him.
And his lips crashed onto hers.
She closed her eyes. Her mind momentarily blank. At that moment, it was just the two of them, safely lost in one another. Heat and pleasure overwhelmed her senses. She arched her back and Elijah's hands released her. They wandered over her body, then cupped her jaw and hips allowing her to tangle her fingers back into his hair where she liked them. He pulled her closer to him like he was afraid she might disappear at any moment. And she reveled in his desire for her. Happy to be consumed by his very presence.
The flirtatious dialogue. His beautiful intense eyes. The overwhelming chemistry between them. She had missed it, missed him. Now he was back and it felt like a dream, so much like the dreams she'd had of him for the past couple of days.
When he pulled back to let her breath, she stared up at him with her eyes now back to normal. "Are you," Kiara's mind raced. Hesitantly, as if afraid to know the answer, she asked, "I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Sensing her sudden anxiety, Elijah sat back on his knees and allowed her to sit up on the couch. His eyes watched her as she tried to keep from hyperventilating. "Why would you ask such a thing?" he wondered.
She went to answer, but the thought of possibly still being in that basement was too much for her to process. What if her conversation with Alaric, her escape, and this moment with Elijah wasn't even real? What if they never really happened and this was all just a dream?
When Kiara didn't answer, Elijah said, "I think it's time you tell me what happened."
But it was like Kiara didn't hear him. Her eyes flicked along the furniture. It all looked the same as she remembered. Could this all be an illusion constructed by memory?
She stood on unsteady feet and made her way back to the kitchen with a confused Elijah trailing behind her. A calendar was pinned up on the wall, next to the fridge. All the dates had been crossed out until it reached April 17th. Her eyes glanced up at the date she last remembered, April 9th. There, written in Holly's careful handwriting were the words, Last call from Kiara: 9:15 a.m. The Salvatore's have her.
Eight days? Could she have really only been there for eight days? It felt like longer.
"Miss. James!" Elijah's hand slipped over her cheek, gently turning her to look at him. His fingers slid down the side of her neck and stopped at her blood-soaked shirt. "You must tell me what happened. Now."
She sucked in a breath. "Just promise me you're really here," she said with tears building up in her eyes. "that we're really here, in this house."
"Yes," he nodded, taking her hand and kissing her palm a couple of times. "I assure you, this is real."
"Okay, good," she blinked. "I'm sorry, it's just, I started having trouble telling the difference between reality and fantasy for a while there…" she told him, admitting it for the first time out loud. "I'm not sure why. Maybe it was the starvation or the isolation… "
Elijah's face hardened. "From the beginning, if you please."
"Right, okay. Um, you were daggered on the 3rd," she glanced at the date on the calendar again as she could hardly believe it herself. "If this is right, it's now the 17th."
Elijah's jaw clenched. "Tell me everything."
And she did.
With Elijah holding her hand, she told him about April 8th, and the meeting Bonnie set up between the Martin witches and the Salvatore brothers. How they lied saying that Elijah was dead and that they should work together to kill Klaus. She explained that she refused to believe them and that Luka died trying to undagger him and how Kiara brought him back. Then she explained that she tried to get to him that night, but Katherine had been there and attacked her.
She recounted the next morning and how Katherine forced herself on her so she would feed. Something that she supposed she should be grateful for since she probably wouldn't have had the strength to get them out of that place if she hadn't.
Then it came time to explain that Damon had locked her in his basement so he could pump her for information. She kept it simple. Her refusal. His constant questions. The eventual attack. She didn't want to go into too much detail for her sake as much as his.
When she was finished, Elijah looked like he was ready to burn the house down. There was a rage behind his eyes that she had never seen before.
"So it was Damon Salvatore," he muttered, his eyes falling to the ground between them.
She nodded, hugging herself.
"He is really going to regret causing you harm. They all will."
"You're angry," she said.
His face softened when he looked back at her. He hated the idea that she might be afraid. Slowly he stepped toward her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Yes, mostly with myself," he hugged her, leaning his face against her hair. "I'm sorry that I wasn't here to protect you. Please forgive me."
"It wasn't your fault," she balled the tattered material he wore in her hands. "I just, I missed you."
He tensed, holding her tighter to him. "I dreamed of you too," he told her.
Kiara leaned her head back to look up at him. "You did?"
"Yes. The entire time, I'm afraid," he said. "I suppose that means I missed you as well."
"Well I'm happy you're back," she smiled. "Sorry about your suit. Was it expensive?"
"Yes, but it's nothing that can't be replaced," he smiled and eyed her clothing. They were dirty, stained sweat, and covered in blood. And still, all he could think about was kissing her again. "I imagine you want to be out of that outfit now."
She nodded, glancing down at the ruined outfit that Katherine had picked out. After a moment of consideration, she pulled him by the hand and said, "Come on."
They went up the stairs to her bedroom. A room he hadn't been in since he stayed the night in her bed with her hugging his arm against her chest.
As soon as he stepped through the doorway, he was surrounded by her scent. It was lovely. Like a spiced rose. A perfect mix of musky softness. Now that he had tasted her blood, he knew it was just as tantalizing. As was the taste of her skin and her mouth. Every bit of her that he had been exposed to, he enjoyed and wanted more of. His body was still humming with excitement and he wondered if he would feel like this until her blood passed through his system.
"Believe it or not, I might have something you can fit in…" she told him, snapping him out of his indecent thoughts. She was fidgeting self-consciously as she spoke. "I kinda went through this phase last year where I only wore men's clothing… they were way too big for me and looked ridiculous. And I know it sounds stupid, but I thought it would make me stand out less. You know, camouflage all this," she gestured to herself.
"It doesn't sound stupid," he told her. "Naive maybe"
She laughed and shoved him playfully. "Well regardless of the reason, I might have something you can wear for now until we can find you something else."
Elijah wasn't sure about the idea, but he watched her search the drawers of her dresser without complaint. She threw garments of clothing onto her bed until they had a few options.
Kiara scrunched her nose at him, making him smile at her nervousness. "I know we don't exactly have the same taste or anything… but I do have boxer shorts and these jeans that were way too big for me. I could barely keep them up with a belt so they might fit you." Then she picked up a button-down flannel shirt. "And this."
There was something so endearing about the whole thing. It was like he was seeing the girl she was before, rather than the succubus she became. She was flustered and he wasn't entirely sure why, but he quite enjoyed seeing this side of her.
"Thank you. I appreciate it," he told her.
"You're welcome," she said and looked down, trying to pat down her wild hair. As if his staring had been making her feel self-conscious. "I'm sure we'll both feel better once we've showered."
"Once we've showered?" he repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yeah," she said, losing confidence as he took a couple of steps toward her. "But I didn't mean, not at the same time or anything. I just thought you've been daggered for the past two weeks, and lit on fire by the looks of your suit. Don't you want to shower?"
"Yes, of course…" he said, his eyes fluttering over the tight clothing she was wearing for what felt like the hundredth time since he had woken. He found himself unable to keep his mind from wandering to the possibilities of what could happen if he found himself in a shower with her. The thought of her soaking wet and naked before him was enough to make his pants feel tight again. And once the images started, they wouldn't stop.
She bit her lip, unintentionally drawing his attention back to her mouth, and said, "Okay. I'll get the bathroom ready for you then."
"Thank you."
He watched her go to the bathroom that connected to her room and pull out a towel from the cabinet for him. It wasn't until she looked over at him again that he moved toward her. He was almost afraid to take a step. He didn't want to scare her, but he could feel his control slipping. All he could think about was touching her.
"This shower valve can be a little tricky," she told him, leaning down to turn on the water. "I think the guy that installed it, put it on upside down or something."
Elijah nodded, his eyes trailing up the length of her legs. He slipped off his ruined jacket and when Kiara went to exit the room, he blurted out, "You can stay, if you'd like."
Kiara froze. When she turned around to face him, she found he was right in front of her, staring down at her with earnest eyes. She wasn't sure what had gotten into him. He was suddenly much more forward than before. "Elijah…" she took a couple of steps back. "I don't think that would be a good idea."
"Hmmm..." he nodded, stepping toward her. "Perhaps you're right."
But he didn't seem to mean it.
"It's just, we hardly know each other," she tried to explain. Her face now a gorgeous shade of red as she backed away from him.
He nodded, feigning understanding. He continued to walk towards her as she backed herself into a corner. The predator in him excited by her timid excuses to keep him at a distance and her subtle attempt to flee.
"I mean, don't you think that's moving a little too fast?" she asked. Her back hitting the bathroom door.
His eyes danced around her face as he said, "I'm not asking you to have sex with me, Miss. James, only to take a shower. I'd like to repay you for all the trouble you went through." He licked his lips. "Perhaps you'd like a massage or… " He stopped when her hands pressed against his stomach and then wandered up to his chest. He tried not to let it affect him, he did, but he was so on edge, even the ghost of her touch was enough to make him shiver in anticipation.
"I, I don't know if I can handle that," she said, her breathing was quicker now. "I can hardly control myself when you're fully clothed."
"I don't expect you to."
"Elijah…"
"I mean it," he leaned towards her like she was a magnet and he was a helpless piece of metal. His mouth skimmed her ear. "Do whatever you like with me."
She squeezed her eyes shut. "Don't say things like that…"
"Hm," he bit his lip and leaned back to look at her. "You're absolutely filthy and deserve some pampering." He twirled a piece of her hair around his finger and said, "Please, let me take care of you."
"This is because you have my blood in your system, isn't it?" she said, her hands falling back to her sides.
He placed her hands on either side of her head. "You know very well that's not the case. I've been wanting to do much more to you for quite some time," he told her. His eyes held her hostage as veins danced over his face. "However, I will admit your blood seems to have intensified my desires, working as an aphrodisiac of sorts. All I can think about is pleasing you and I feel like I will go mad if you deny me now."
Kiara gulped, at a loss for words. She knew it had to have been some kind of side-effect of feeding off her. There was a desperation in his eyes that made his next move difficult to predict. She didn't know how she had managed to forget before, but he was an Original vampire. One of the most powerful creatures to ever exist and he was looking at her like she was his prey. And for the first time, she felt like it.
"You know," he pressed his leg in between hers. "I've enjoyed your teasing, but I think I like you this way even better. You look so innocent. I can hear your heart beating wildly in your chest, smell the excitement building between your legs."
She squealed as he moved his leg upward towards her center forcing her onto her tippy toes. "Elijah," she whined, her hands dropping onto his leg between them to steady herself. "Please stop talking like that!"
"Why would I do that?" he cupped her cheek, forcing her to keep eye contact with him. "When you so clearly enjoy it?" he smirked down at her as she blushed again.
She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the door. Every time she moved, she rubbed her against him. It was too much. "The water, it's going to get cold," she said, eyeing the steam that was starting to fill the room, hoping to bring his attention to something other than her.
"We wouldn't want that," he said, but he didn't move.
"You're making me nervous, Elijah," she finally admitted. "I don't know what to do when you're like this."
"Don't be nervous," he told her, pressing his forehead against hers. "Just tell me what you want. Nothing will make me happier than to see your needs fulfilled."
She blinked and her eyes shifted. "Then take off your clothes," she said.
"Yes mam," he smirked, backing away from her so she could watch as he shed off the remains of his shirt. When he noticed she wasn't moving, he said, "Do you want some assistance with yours?" he asked, pulling off his belt and watching as her eyes looked him over appreciatively.
Once his pants were around his ankles, he kicked off his shoes and she nodded.
Elijah stepped towards her now fully nude, but she kept eye contact with him. "May I?" he asked, as he reached out to help her pull off the tight shirt.
Although he was anxious to finally get to see what she was hiding beneath her clothes, he peeled off every layer she wore slowly as if committing the moment to memory. He got down on his knees to help her step out of the pants and she could feel his eyes skimming over every inch of her skin. Sometimes he would plant a kiss on her. Like he couldn't help it. He kissed her collarbone, her hip, the inside of her thigh, her ankle. Each time it sent chills through her.
"Perfection," was all he could manage to say when he was finished.
When they stepped into the shower. Kiara stood under the large showerhead and sighed. Her muscles instantly relaxed under the hot water. She closed her eyes as the water crusaded down her back. Elijah busied himself by examining the products on the shower shelf and pumping some shampoo onto his hands. He stood behind her and washed her hair a couple of times until he stopped seeing blood wash down the drain. Then she insisted on doing the conditioner herself. While she finished with her hair, he grabbed the lime green loofah and got it soapy so he could run it along her skin.
Although Elijah wasn't the kind of man to usually compare women to past lovers, he couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Not just in her appearance. In her character as well. She was enticing but humble. Clever and kind. The more he learned about her, the more he liked.
She had suffered for his sake. This moment of intimacy was both a reward and a distraction from that fact. What Damon did was unacceptable to him and he would make the young vampire pay, but for now, Elijah wanted to enjoy her.
"I think I'm clean, Elijah," she said. Her eyes fading back to their normal color. "It's your turn."
Unwilling to deny her, he let her switch with him so he was standing under the water. Even on her tippy toes, she couldn't reach the top of his head to wash it so he did it himself. As he closed his eyes, he could feel her eyes timidly wandering over his figure once more and he tried not to let his excitement show.
"Have you always looked like this?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," her fingers trailed the lines running down his hip and he struggled to remain still. "did you look like this before you changed?"
He smiled. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Being a succubus changed me," she said. "And all the vampires I've met are beautiful," she shrugged. "I wasn't sure if it was just a requirement or a side effect of the vampirism."
"It may be a little of both," he told her. "I'm glad you enjoy what you see."
"You seem a little calmer now," she pointed out, letting her hand drop back down to her side. "Does that mean you're feeling… better?"
"Perhaps," he said, rinsing his hair off. "Or perhaps I'm doing everything I can to concentrate on the task at hand rather than the insatiable need to run my tongue along every inch of your body." He twitched at the thought.
And she gulped.
Hesitantly, as if afraid he might suddenly pin her to the wall, she stepped forward and began to lather his body with the loofah as he did for her. She could feel his eyes skimming her front, taking in the image before him.
The swell of her breast was ample, a bit bigger than he had anticipated, but lovely all the same. And she was well proportioned. Wide hips, thick thighs, and a tight stomach. The smell of her arousal was all around him now. Without thinking, he found himself reaching out to touch her.
"Elijah," she hummed warningly as his hand slipped down her wet stomach.
"Yes?" he asked, reaching out to turn her around so she was standing with her back to him again. He wanted to look over her shoulder as he worked.
"Elijah?" Her voice was more alarmed now. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry." He brought a hand up to her throat to gently hold her in place, then he slid his hand further down. "But I'm afraid I can't help myself."
Unable to speak, she lifted her right hand and gripped onto his hair. He ran his tongue along her earlobe in response. He felt her other hand dig her nails into his leg as he ran his fingers between her legs and he groaned at the stinging pleasure it sent through his lower body.
"So perfect, look how wet you are already," he nuzzled his nose against her jawline. "Is this all for me?"
"Yes," she gasped.
At first, it seemed like she was trying to resist him. Her bottom lip was pulled into her mouth, muffling any sounds emitting from her throat. While her back was arched, pressing her lovely behind against him, it made it harder for him to get where he wanted to be most. But finally, she swirled her hips for him.
"Good girl," he hummed, moving her foot to the side with his so she would open her legs more for him. A scream was caught in her throat when he rubbed his fingers up and down her slit. "I want to hear you. I won't continue unless you stop biting your lip." When his eyes met hers, she was glaring at him in frustration so he stopped his movements and asked, "Do you want me to stop?"
She released her lip and licked it soothingly making him want to kiss her all the more. "No," she admitted when she realized he wouldn't continue unless she answered him. At that, he slid his finger into her. She sucked in a breath as her whole body tensed at the invasion. Slowly he pumped in and out until she relaxed again.
"How does that feel, sweetheart?" he asked, unable to look away from her scrunched up face. "Tell me."
"Ah, good," she said, rolling her hips against his hand. "So good."
"You certainly smell delicious," he said, bringing the offensive fingers to his mouth. He sucked on them a moment and said, "And you taste even better."
He stepped around her body so she was standing in front of her now.
"What are you doing?" she asked as he released his hold on her neck and lowered himself down onto his knees. She seemed unsure but didn't resist when he lifted her leg and placed it over his shoulder. "Elijah—"
She cried out when his tongue made contact with her skin. Her hips jolted forward and Elijah grabbed them to keep her from moving too much. She gripped onto his hair with both hands, which only egged him on more. He kissed and licked her most private area like it was sugar, but he felt like he'd been in the desert for weeks and this was his first sip of cool water. The moment his tongue touched her skin, every fiber of his being came alive and ached for more of her. And soon her legs started to tremble around him. Knowing she was quickly reaching her end, he slid his finger back into her and he upped the intensity of his movements, sucking and pumping at the same time until she shuttered before him. The sight was so erotic that he came within a few strokes of his hand.
When she stilled, he licked her clean and stood back onto his feet. She leaned back against the shower wall, looking ready to faint at any moment so he reached out to give her something to hold onto.
"I," she was still trying to catch her breath. "Wow."
"The pleasure was mine," he smirked.
She laughed. "Feel better now?"
"Much better," he nodded. "Thank you."
She blushed. "I don't think you should be the one saying that right now. My legs are still shaking."
"Allow me," he said, lifting her into his arms. He carried her out of the shower, carefully dried her off, and brought her to her bed.
They had been lounging on her bed for about an hour when they heard the front door open. Kiara perked up at the sound, eager to see Holly and let her know that she was alright but also anxious at the idea of having to explain Elijah's presence in her room. Especially since he was currently only wearing her boxers.
"Stay here," she said, throwing on some pajamas and racing down the stairs.
Holly froze at the sight of her. Her purse slipped from her shoulder and onto the floor. She looked tired like she hadn't been sleeping, and guilt rose up into Kiara's throat.
"Kiki?" she whispered, tears building up in her eyes.
Kiara nodded. "Yeah," she told her. "It's me. I'm back."
Instantly, Holly's arms were around her neck. She hugged her so tightly to her body that Kiara could hardly breathe. "Oh thank God! I was so worried about you!" she cried. "I was about to go to the police."
"I know, I'm sorry."
Holly pulled back to look at her. "What the hell happened?"
"It's a long story, but Elijah got daggered and when I tried to get him, Elena's vampire doppelganger Katherine attacked me. When I woke up the next morning, the Salvatore brothers wouldn't let me go. Damon even locked me in their basement."
"Why would he do that?"
"He was trying to get me to spill Elijah's family secrets."
"And did you?"
Kiara scoffed. "No. What kind of fool do you take me for?"
"Then, how did you escape?"
"I tricked Damon into biting me, put him to sleep, got Elijah, and just ran."
"Elijah?" Holly raised an eyebrow. "Is Elijah here right now?"
"Um," Kiara shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe?"
"Is he staying the night?"
"Maybe?"
Holly sighed. "I'm totally failing at this parenting thing, aren't I? First, you're held hostage and tortured by vampires. Now you're having sleepovers with an Original?"
Kiara shrugged. "Every teenager has a rebellious phase," she joked, deciding not to tell her that she also just showered with the vampire in question among other things. Especially since he could hear everything the two of them were saying.
The two of them talked a little bit longer and then went to bed, both thoroughly exhausted.
When she removed her pants and slipped under the covers, Elijah wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her as close as he could to himself and said, "Good night, Kiara. Sleep assured that you are safe now and that I will be right here when you wake."
To the Reviewers (sorry I can't respond to everyone):
DiLayla: Thank you so much! Your review made me beyond happy.
WeLiveForTheMoment: You're welcome! And thank you for the kind words! It's so flattering and really motivated me to push through writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
ValarMorghulisDohaeris: I'm sorry it's taken this long to update. Reviews like yours make me want to write this all day long. I haven't been getting much of my manuscript done because of it. Lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
19vanelkc: Thank you. :) I love the tension too, but I hope this chapter left you feeling a little more satisfied.
WriterAtHeart21: Thank you so much. Reviews like yours make all this effort worth it. I hope this chapter does the story justice.
So... that's Chapter Eleven. It's 2:30 in the morning so if there are any mistakes I didn't catch, please message me and I will fix them. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. But I can't know if it's any good until you guys read it and let me know... I hope it was okay and Elijah didn't act too unexpectedly. As I said before, I want to keep him as true to character as possible and I don't want the sexual moments to cheapen the story or anything, but it seemed right for something like this to happen between Kiara and Elijah at this time. I hope you all agree.
I've gotten some messages from you guys already, but I wanted to let you all know that you can message me if you want, especially since it's getting harder to respond to all the reviews.
Also, I'm thinking about maybe looking for a Beta reader. Having another set of eyes on the story would help. So if any of you are interested in that, please let me know.
As always, thank you for reading!
