CHAPTER 429: THE DRIVE TO UNKNOWN

Evaline:

I had expected Kieran to take me somewhere within the Academy grounds. Maybe one of the quiet gardens behind the administration wing or that glass-roofed room at the top of the library tower where professors sometimes took advanced students for individual mentoring.

But instead... he led me somewhere else entirely.

He didn’t say a word as we walked through the empty corridors of the administration building. His long strides were measured, calm, the sound of his boots faintly echoing through the stone hallways. The air felt colder here, stiller... like even the walls knew we weren’t supposed to be here.

I followed him silently, my heart pounding faster with each turn we took until we reached what looked like a dead end.

And then... Kieran pressed his palm against the huge portrait before sliding it to the side and revealing a narrow passage hidden behind it. I immediately knew we were about to enter one of the secret passages that were built throughout the academy - unknown to everyone but Thornes... and me now.

I blinked, speechless. "There’s a secret passage built behind a painting? Isn’t it too dangerous?"

He glanced at me and his lips curved slightly. "Trust me, love, no one has tried to play around with this painting to see if it’s hiding any secret in the past six years."

That smile. It was enough to make my pulse stumble.

Without another word, he stepped into the shadowed passage, and I followed. The air inside was cool and smelled faintly of moss. Our footsteps echoed softly, accompanied by the faint hum of old magic pulsing through the walls.

We would have walked for about ten or so minutes before we finally reached the end. The moment we stepped out of the trapdoor next to massive gargoyle statue, I realized we were in the forbidden garden near the back gate of the Academy.

I wondered if he was taking me back to the house.

But as we stepped out of the back gate, I noticed the sleek black car waiting there.

And I recognized it immediately.

It was one of Kieran’s. Rarely used, but impossible to forget because of its smooth lines, tinted glass, and that subtle gleam that screamed expensive and refined, just like him.

He opened the passenger door for me. "Get in."

My brows rose, and I ended up asking something that was quiet obvious at this point. "We are... leaving the Academy?"

"You’ll see."

That wasn’t an answer. But I got in anyway.

The interior smelled faintly of sandalwood and something distinctly his - clean, crisp, and warm. He slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and the quiet hum filled the silence between us as we drove off the dirt path and onto the narrow road cutting through the outskirts of the Academy forest.

For the first five minutes, neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t peaceful either. It was the kind of silence that made my thoughts too loud. My mind was chasing one question after another, each more chaotic than the last.

Where was he taking me? Why the secrecy? Was it about my training? About last night in the tunnel? Or was this some kind of strange professor-student errand that I had somehow been chosen for?

I finally gave in. "Are you going to tell me where we are going, or am I supposed to keep guessing?"

His lips twitched, though he kept his eyes on the road. "You are impatient."

I huffed quietly. "Anyone would be curious if they were being led out of the Academy by their professor through a hidden passage and into a car they haven’t seen him use in months."

That earned me a low chuckle - deep and quiet, but enough to make warmth pool in my chest.

"What’s funny?" I asked.

He spared me a glance, and I immediately caught sight of the amusement glimmering in his golden-green eyes. "I finally understand why Oscar and Draven love teasing you so much."

That caught me off guard. "Excuse me?"

His smile deepened, though he tried to hide it by looking forward again. "You are cute when you are lost about something."

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "That’s your reason?"

"Hmm." He nodded once, still focused on the road. "That expression you make - the way your brows knit together, and your lips part just slightly when you are trying to figure something out - it’s... very distracting."

I didn’t know what to say to that.

So, I sighed and sank back into my seat, trying not to let my face burn as I looked out the window. The world outside was blurring past - a stretch of tall trees and faint mist curling along the edges of the road.

After a while, I found myself speaking again, softer this time. "Why were you so harsh earlier? In class."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze flicking to me before returning to the road. "Did you expect me to be lenient just because you are... you?"

"No," I muttered. "I just meant... you have never used such a... cold tone before. At least, not in class."

His tone gentled. "You have never zoned out in my class before either."

I bit my lip. "Well, it’s not like I usually have memories of walking through a secret underground tunnel and getting ambushed by my mates."

That earned me another small smile. "Fair point."

The silence returned, but this time it was lighter, softer. I turned my head to study him as he drove. His side profile was calm, his jaw sharp, his hair slightly tousled from the wind that slipped through the half-open window.

Without realizing it, I asked the question that had been haunting me since last night.

"What were you really thinking... in the tunnel?"

He didn’t answer right away. His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel, his gaze hardening in thought.

"You seemed different," I continued quietly. "Compared to Oscar and Draven. They were... bold. But you... you just stood there. Watching. Like you were holding something back."

Finally, he spoke.

"I was."

The low rasp of his voice sent a shiver down my spine.

"I’m no different from them, Evaline," he said after a pause. "The moment I saw you step into that tunnel, I wanted to push you against the wall and claim you right then and there. Just as badly as they did."

My breath caught.

"But..." He exhaled deeply. "I held myself back. Because I can. Because if I gave in, I might not stop. So, I held onto my self-control."

The honesty in his tone made my stomach flutter.

I swallowed, glancing at him again. "So you are saying you wanted to join them?"

His lips curved faintly. "Badly."

I didn’t realize I had stopped breathing until I forced out a shaky laugh, only to hear him adding - "Maybe I should be like Oscar."

"Oscar?" I asked, confused by what he meant.

Kieran’s eyes flickered with amusement again. "He has control too. He just enjoys joining in on Draven’s chaos."

I couldn’t help but smile at that. The image of those two together - one wicked, one wild - was far too fitting.

But then, my smile faded as I looked around. The road ahead was almost deserted now, stretching endlessly between rows of dark pines.

I turned back to him. "Can you at least tell me how long this mysterious drive will take?"

"Roughly half an hour," he replied casually.

"And you are still not going to tell me where we are going?"

"Not yet."

I groaned quietly and slumped in my seat again. My mind was running wild with guesses... and then, out of nowhere, an insane idea crossed my mind.

I glanced at him. His left hand rested easily on the steering wheel, his right on the gear. He looked effortlessly composed... too composed.

"Can you drive with one hand?" I asked suddenly.

He blinked, clearly thrown off by the question. "What?"

"Just your right hand," I clarified. "Can you drive like that?"

He gave me a puzzled look but nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"Just wondering."

Except I wasn’t just wondering.

My heart was pounding too fast. My thoughts weren’t making sense anymore.

Maybe it was his voice. Or the way his jaw tightened whenever he focused. Or maybe it was that faint smirk still tugging at his lips from earlier.

Whatever it was, I knew I was about to do something reckless.

Before my courage could evaporate, I unbuckled my seatbelt and shifted slightly closer to him.

"Evaline," he said warningly, glancing at me. "What are you-"

I reached out, gently taking his left hand off the steering wheel.

He froze, his eyes darting from me to the road. "What are you doing?"

I didn’t answer right away. My hand hovered over his thigh, the heat of his body seeping through the fabric of his trousers.

Then, softly, I whispered, "I’m going to check just how good your self-control really is."

His breath hitched.

For a moment, the only sound in the car was the hum of the engine and the faint thud of my own heartbeat echoing in my ears.

His fingers tightened on the wheel, his jaw clenching hard enough to make a vein pulse along his neck. His voice was low... almost a growl.

"Evaline..."

I smiled faintly, though my own pulse was going wild. "You said you had more control than your brothers. Let’s see if that’s true."

His eyes flicked toward me - dark, dangerous, and burning with a heat that made me tremble.

He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

But the tension between us was electric... thick enough to feel in every breath.

And as the car glided down the deserted road beneath the deepening twilight, I realized something terrifying and thrilling all at once...

Kieran might have self-control.

But I was more than ready to test its limits.