Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 432: Love in Madness

Rea stared at Kaden like he'd sprouted an extra head, her crimson eyes blazing with intense surprise.

Her fingers still clutched his blood-smeared hand, and she failed to notice how fiercely she squeezed until her knuckles popped audibly.

Silence hung from Kaden as he endured the faint ache, his face showing outward serenity even as his mind raced with confusion over his sudden urge to confess about Meris, Vaela, and Inara today of all days.

The timing couldn't have been worse, yet Kaden behaved in ways that surprised even himself these recent times.

Rea seemed to have drawn out a hidden part of him, like drawing back a veil to reveal bright daylight, exposing his truest self.

This side he normally concealed and rarely revealed, since he tended to overanalyze and prioritize others' emotions over his own.

But not on this day. Not when it came to Rea.

Whether that was a good thing, he couldn't decide.

"Can... can you say that again?" Rea finally uttered, her tone oddly rough and tense. "What did you just say, Kaden?"

"Don't force me to say it twice," Kaden winced. "Saying it once was tough enough."

"Tough enough?" Rea frowned, inching her face threateningly near Kaden's. "It's tough for you but not for me? Kaden, you just confessed to betraying me! And this isn't some unreturned affection like mine for Einar..."

She halted, her throat clenching like a clenched hand, her teeth grinding so fiercely that Kaden feared they might break.

Moments of heavy, awkward quiet passed before Rea forced herself to go on.

"...you truly care for them. Oh, Sorrow burn me, you... Meris?" Her tone dripped with contempt. "That spoiled princess who has it all? What's there to care about in her? She's just an ordinary royal!"

A flicker of annoyance sparked in Kaden's gaze. "You don't truly know her, Rea. She's far beyond your assumptions."

"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful, Kaden. So now you're defending your other woman right in front of me?" Rea cocked her head in an odd, unsettling manner. For an instant, Kaden spotted dark tears welling in her eyes. "What if I decided to end her life?"

"I figured you had feelings for me."

"That's exactly why I'd end her," she snapped. "Would you stand in my way?"

"I would," Kaden affirmed with a nod. "But tell me, could you even manage it?"

Kaden provoked Rea in an unusual way, meeting her stare with bold challenge. The God-Touched clearly despised his words.

"Who do you think I am?" she demanded, not pausing for his reply. "Does she have any fears?" She hissed like a deadly serpent.

"I suppose she does."

"Then I could take her down, Kaden." Her mouth hovered mere inches from his. "Trust me on that. And if her face remains as aggravating as before, I might just unleash the goddess entirely."

"You wouldn't go that far." Kaden's brows furrowed.

"Test me if you doubt it." Rea offered a chilly smile.

Kaden recognized she meant it. In the most basic terms, Rea was utterly mad.

"And she's not the only one," Rea pressed on, her words laced with fury. "A serpent tribe beast and an ex-Cerveau. What game are you running? Trying to stir my envy?"

"Are you envious?"

"I am."

"Good to hear. But no, this is real."

"How did your family go along with it?" Rea questioned once more, her voice weary now, as if her energy drained away. "They're famous for valuing single partners!"

"They can't say no to me," Kaden replied, sounding a bit too pleased for Rea's liking. "Your father is aware, and he offered his blessing."

"But what if I refuse?" Rea snarled. "Where do I fit in this mess? My father forced me into marriage with you against my will, and now he approves this without my say!"

Rea grew weary of the whole affair. From the start, her romantic matters had been dictated solely by her father, leaving her no option but obedience.

It had been intolerable, yet despite that, Rea had developed real emotions for Kaden and prepared to play the devoted fiancée and partner by eliminating any threats too near him.

But now, learning of three other women in the picture left her reeling.

A wave of emptiness washed over Rea, leaving her unsure how to handle her aching, wailing, weeping heart.

Kaden noticed it plainly, the sight wounding him deeper than he'd admit aloud. This was the nightmare scenario he'd feared forever, and watching Rea's complexion drain confirmed his dread.

He gnawed the inner cheek, pried his hand free from Rea's hold—the woman resisted like a furious beast until he prevailed—then enveloped her in a firm embrace.

Rea's pulse raced at once, her gut churning oddly from Kaden's heat. Against her wishes, she shut her eyes on instinct.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, aware of how often apologies escaped him these days, "for letting you down."

"An apology won't fix things," Rea replied sharply.

"True enough. I realize no excuses can make this right. All I can do is beg you to endure it alongside me."

"You're a cursed, self-centered, two-faced jerk, Kaden. Realize that?" Her words trembled. "You're demanding my everything while holding back your own!"

Kaden's chest sank, guilt surging through it, nearly overwhelming him.

"Yes," he admitted, his tone strained, with no other words to offer. "That's what I'm asking. And I promise you, Rea, I'll love you with all I have; I'll stand by you through anything. Still..."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued softly,

"...I'll respect it if you choose to walk away."

"Naturally you would," Rea mocked, quiet for a beat or two before adding in a hushed tone. "But curse it, Kaden. Words like that come far too late."

She eased out of the embrace gradually, almost hesitantly, turning to meet his gaze, her ruby eyes fixing on his.

"I doubt I could feel this way about anyone else. And I'm not tough enough to throw away one of the few joys in my existence."

A resilience Kaden lacked entirely. One he'd never possess.

Yet again, Kaden marveled at her. Yet again, he felt like garbage.

With a deep breath, he shut his eyes as Rea's forehead leaned against his.

"I sense your remorse and guilt," she whispered, her own eyes fluttering closed. "It's..." She pressed her lips together. "...it's sufficient."

"We both know it's not," Kaden breathed.

"Allow me this self-deception for your sake, blast it, Kaden!" she snapped, then exhaled in frustration. "I only need to set one boundary."

Kaden paid close attention.

"I'm the primary one," Rea declared firmly. "Me, and nobody else."

"That's true," Kaden agreed with a nod.

"You've provoked my wrath. I hope they're as formidable as you say. I won't hold back my strength against them," she warned, then tacked on a blatant lie, "purely to gauge their worth."

Kaden merely grinned, recalling Meris's ancient bloodline, Inara's horde of beasts, and Vaela's legendary essence.

"You won't regret it—!"

Kaden's statement cut off as Rea claimed his mouth with hers. Her kiss was impulsive and clumsy, like a novice discovering passion on the spot.

She pressed further, even sinking her teeth into his lip hard enough to draw blood, which she savored.

Rea drew back, crimson streaks from his blood trailing her mouth, tinting her teeth.

Kaden observed her in bewilderment. But her following demand puzzled him further.

She inched closer once more, offering her mouth.

"Return the favor," she insisted.

"Huh? For what reason?"

"To seal it properly," Rea explained, tasting the blood from his lip. "You and me, Kaden Warborn, until existence itself fades away."

Her tone shifted oddly, as though not Rea alone spoke, but an entity that ignited Kaden's veins with fire.

"Taste my blood, Kaden," Rea commanded, her words carrying otherworldly weight, cupping his face with her stained palms. "And let us unite as one."

Blood smeared the pair of betrothed, a heart nearby paired with the remains of a Forbidden Alchemist.

"The Church has truly warped your thoughts, Rea," Kaden remarked at last.

"Does my true nature scare you?"

Kaden flashed a wild smile, his eyes gleaming with a frenzied spark. "Far from it." He leaned in, claiming her lips, nipping her and sipping her essence.

Rea let out a blissful sound, clutching him tighter, as if a void within her finally brimmed full.

Completeness washed over her. Completeness enveloped Kaden.

Together... they felt complete.

Thus, Rea's mouth moved with heated allure against Kaden's, their blood blending in an enigmatic swirl.

—End of Chapter 432—