Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 333: Silent Desire

Braelyn’s POV

I stared at Elliot’s last message for a few seconds longer before locking my phone. His words lingered in my mind in a way I could not quite shake. ’ You are always a Voss.’

A quiet breath slipped past my lips as I went offline. A silence settled over me for a moment before my nose caught a whiff of something delicious. Her attention immediately drawn towards the kitchen as her stomach rumbled..

The rich aroma drifted from the kitchen filled with spices wrapped around me and made my mouth water. For a moment, I just sat there, letting it settle over me before finally pushing myself up.

I followed it.

By the time I reached the kitchen entrance, the aroma had grown stronger enough to make my stomach tighten slightly. I paused at the doorway, and watched him.

Lucien stood by the cooker, his back slightly turned, his sleeves rolled just enough to reveal his forearms. The pan in front of him let out a soft sizzle, and the entire scene felt oddly calm compared to the man I had just seen earlier.

There was no trace of that cold, calculating edge he had in that alley. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He must have sensed me because his head tilted slightly, and he glanced over his shoulder. It was quick, almost fleeting glance, but his eyes still managed to spell bound me for that moment before he turned back to what he was doing as though it meant nothing.

Like I had not been standing there watching him.

He finished plating the food with practiced ease like he had done this a million times. When he finally turned around, his attention settled fully on me.

"Come eat," he urged me..

There was something in his tone that made it sound less like a suggestion and more like a command I didn’t have the strength to go against.

I walked over without arguing and took a seat by the island. It was only when I settled in that I noticed the obvious..There was only one plate.

I frowned slightly, glancing between the food and him. "Why is there only one serving?"

His gaze dropped slowly, until it landed on my lips. The intensity of it made my face heat up before he even answered.

"I am not hungry," he said calmly. "At least not for food." My throat went dry instantly.

Of course he would say that.

A faint smirk curved his lips as he watched my reaction, clearly enjoying it. "Wine or juice?"

"Juice will be good," I replied quickly, hoping I sounded more composed than I felt.

He did not move immediately. Instead, he leaned just slightly closer, his eyes still fixed on me in a way that made it hard to breathe properly.

"Are you sure you would not need a little liquid courage," he murmured, his voice laced with amusement, "to tell me about everything you love about me?"

I nearly choked on air.

Heat rushed to my face, and I quickly looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer. There was no way I was entertaining that.

He chuckled softly, clearly entertained by my reaction, before finally stepping away. He walked to the fridge, grabbed the juice, and poured it into a glass before placing it beside me.

Then he found a comfortable spot to stay more like to watch me. He leaned casually against the table, looking relaxed as his eyes remained on me like the most interesting thing in the room

Like he was trying to memorise every little reaction I had and it made eating almost impossible.

I picked up the fork and forced myself to take a bite, but under that kind of attention, every movement felt exaggerated. I swallowed quickly and reached for the juice, taking a longer sip than necessary before clearing my throat.

"The way you are looking at me is uncomfortable," I said, trying to sound steady. "Do you not have anything better to do? It is making it hard for me to eat."

One of his brows lifted slightly, but his gaze did not shift. "I cannot help it," he replied smoothly. "Besides, a day ago I thought I might never see you again. You cannot blame me."

Something in his voice made my chest tighten in a way I did not expect. He did not look away, he was too lazy to pretend.

I dropped my gaze back to the plate, trying to focus on eating again, but my thoughts had already started drifting. Everything that had happened earlier pressed at the edges of my mind, refusing to stay buried.

I glanced up at him. "Did you completely stop attacking Volkov Apex?"

His expression remained composed, but there was something darker beneath it.

"Let’s just say we called a truce," he said. "After all, Raphael is already losing his mind trying to find you. He refuses to believe you died in that fire."

My hand paused slightly. What fire? I wondered. Did Genny cause a fire at the mall to cover my disappearance? I wondered but honestly I did not know what to feel about Raphael. Just this ache that refused to leave when I think of him

Lucien continued as though it was nothing. "Besides, he will need his strength for what I might do to him next."

The coldness in his tone did not go unnoticed..It reminded me exactly who I was dealing with.

Before I could respond, his attention shifted fully back to me, and the atmosphere changed again.

"Enough about outsiders," he said quietly. "You should be thinking about what I am going to do to you tonight."

My heart skipped, and I quickly looked down at my plate again, forcing myself to eat. My pace picked up without me meaning to, and I hated how obvious it probably was.

When I finally finished, I barely had time to set the fork down before he moved.

Lucien stepped closer, his hand sliding the plate out of the way as though it no longer mattered. The next moment, I was trapped between his arms, my back lightly pressed against the island.

The shift in proximity stole my breath.

"Are you scared?" he asked, his voice lower now.

I lifted my gaze to meet his. "Should I be?"

A faint smile touched his lips, but there was something unreadable behind it.

"Who knows," he said with a smirk that made my heart race.