Chapter 98: Giving In
[This is bad.]
System Theta sounded almost shrill in Elias's head. It was plainly convinced that he and Serena were about to come to blows at any second.
That was what it expected.
Instead, Serena moved first in a completely different direction.
She reached out in one swift motion, caught Elias by the arm, and yanked him forward hard enough to pull him straight into her chest.
Elias struggled on instinct. His shoulders twisted, his body tensed, and for a second he tried to wrench free, but Serena had already locked his arms down with practiced force. The moment he realized he was not getting out of it cleanly, he stopped fighting altogether.
Their bodies pressed together from hip to shoulder.
At that distance, there was no room left between them. Their faces were close enough that each of them could feel the other's breath, warm and shallow and far too intimate for the way they were glaring at each other.
Serena lowered her head.
