Kai Villalvazo’s Nemesis (The Kalon Tetralogy #1)

Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

LOST LOVE — LUV SCARS

? YASMINA ?

“ W hy aren’t you ready? Why are you in bed with those sappy novels?” Yelena came barging into my room with a bunch of makeup and clothes before dumping them on my bed.

I removed one side of my headphone, removing my bunny Winter from the heap of chaos that Yelena had brought.

I tried to ignore the shiver that threatened to show when I thought of how Kai loved calling me little bunny.

“Ready for what? I'm staying in bed, look at the weather,” I groaned, pulling the covers close to my body. There was a light snowfall outside and I internally wondered what was being hosted in this weather.

This was the weather to stay indoors and watch a movie. Drink hot chocolate. Make love, or whatever.

It's been months since we came from France, and Kai was acting…different. He was much more open with me and a little bit more clingy. Not that I was complaining. We snowboarded together, studied together, and now, he was teaching me Russian every single day.

He was tough when it came to the language. He'd pick a day where he explained the homework or snowboarding techniques to me in Russian, and when I started to look miserable, he’d finally switch.

Day by day, I was starting to catch onto the frequent phrases and speaking much more than when I began. Presently, we were able to have a full conversation in Russian after going through the hell of learning everything about Russian.

It was one hell of a complex language, but Kai was an excellent teacher. I had become so good that he no longer spoke to his people whenever I was around.

“Kryptonite is officially back to the academy from jail. And he is hosting this sick party tonight.” Yelena had so much excitement in her eyes as she scrambled for something in my closet. "This is a really freaky party. So, the guys are competing for a position in this game where they chase a bunch of girls and fuck the one they catch, if it's the one they want. I opted in," Yelena explained to me and my eyes widened.

“I opt out of that nonsense.”

A cold chill of both excitement and intrigue sluiced down my body as I remembered a member of our group. If you thought Kayden and Kai were bad, then you clearly hadn’t met Kryptonite.

He was a thousand times worse.

He was what we called the devil’s heir. He was by far the most dangerous and thoroughly unhinged guy in the squad, and Yelena’s best friend. After me, of course.

Kryptonite knew it all and did it all. His parents were the co-owners of the academy and also heavily associated with the dark world. He was a Mafia heir and fell easily into his position.

He killed. He did illegal shit like street racing and drugs. He did almost every dark deed on Earth. He was an adrenaline junkie. No one in the academy dared to ever look him in the eye or talk to him or about him, because both had fatal consequences.

Not to mention he was one of the hottest guys in the school with his beastly, muscular body that was covered in tattoos and all sorts of art I didn’t understand. He had dark hair with platinum highlights, well, the last time I saw him. The colours are always changing depending on his mood that day.

Aside from that, he was fiercely loyal and secretive, and that’s why he took the fall for everyone and went to jail. One tragic night, he was street-racing with his friends and other Mafia heirs, and at the time, their adversaries were working tirelessly to throw them off.

The reality is that one of his close friends sold them out and tipped their alliance anonymously, and well— the cops were waiting for them at the finish line. He got there first and warned the others to escape since he couldn’t, then refused to give the cops any information.

He was supposed to serve twenty years in jail, but he was only in there for three months. His parents wouldn’t let their precious prince suffer and pulled a lot of strings to get him out as soon as possible.

And in that time, he never uttered a word to the police or any high authority. We went to see him every other week and whenever we did, he always seemed to be getting so much more bigger, stronger, calmer, and colder. And so much more terrifying.

I was always safe and protected around Krypton. We were very close and he was very cheerful with dark humour around the squad. That’s usually why Yelena and I got away with pranks and unfinished homework in high school. No one dared to mess with Kryptonite’s friends. At all. It would be a death wish.

I unlocked my phone, seeing some texts from Kai. I opened them, and an electric chill cruised down my spine.

Kai

I wanna chase you, then fuck you afterwards

You coming to the party?

Me

Only if you catch me first. Who knows, someone else might beat you to it

You might get lucky

Kai

Try me. I won't hesitate to shed some blood just for you, if that’s your kink

Let’s see how far you run from me before I catch you, little bunny

I was going to attend the party. I wanted to push Kai’s limits and see his reaction when someone caught me before he did. To see just how far he’d take things. He was my nemesis, after all, I ought to test his patience on a regular basis.

“I'm sure Kayden is having a field day.” I smirked, remembering that they were the most feared and one of the worst combinations in the academy. It was going to be so much worse with Kai in the equation now.

“They actually brought him from home. He was apparently ‘restoring his mental health’ for the past month.” Yelena snickered because we all knew he didn’t give a shit about his mental health.

“That’s bullshit.”

“Exactly. And guess what? He fucking loves your man. The three of them spent the entire day together.”

"My man?" I snorted while closing my novel.

"Yep, your man. Speaking of Kai, you should have seen the murderous look he had when Austin talked about how hot your recent post was. Kayden had to hold him back before he beat the shit out of him." She smirked.

“On second thought, I'll go to the party. What better way to spend the rest of my night.” I shrugged, and she grinned mischievously, throwing a black dress in my direction. She knew I was going for Kai.

I smiled when I realised it was the sexy dress that I had bought and tried out a few months ago with her.

She tossed me some lingerie to go with the dress. "We have to make sure your man is enticed when he is about to go down?—"

"No need to say it, Lena, I get it. And he's not my man." I glared, but she simply ignored it, continuing her search for clothes in my closet with a stupid smile on her lips.

I took a long shower before moisturising and heading back to the room. Yelena was now making some finishing touches to her make-up and to say she looked stunning was an understatement.

I got dressed and layered a few warm, dark sweaters then wore some black thigh-high boots to finish off the look. I styled my hair into a bun, knowing very well that Kai despised that style.

He loved it whenever my hair was loose. I admit, I always tied my hair on purpose just so he could remove the clip and stare down at me with so much intrigue and admiration.

I liked it whenever he looked at me like that. His gold and silver eyes solely focused on me, as though he wanted to devour me on the spot.

I did my liner, mascara, and lip-gloss before following Yelena out of my room and entering my protection code to lock the door so that anyone without my fingerprint couldn't access it.

I deeply inhaled the cold, fresh air as soon as we stepped out, and sure enough, the air was buzzing with excitement. Kryptonite just had that effect. Everyone loved and feared him at the same time. The elites were not a fan of him, hence why his parties were highly exclusive and selective.

Most of the students at the academy were posh and most likely to enjoy a high tea event rather than a dangerous hunting party. My father had raised us in the elite society to keep everything under wraps, but the Mafia blood ran in my veins, too. He could not take that away from me, no matter how much he tried.

Kryptonite brought out that side of me.

"Let's go, Tyrone is waiting for us." She mentioned her bodyguard and sure enough, the expanse of man was patiently waiting by the SUV.

He opened the door to the backseat as soon as he spotted us, giving us a brief greeting before entering the driver's seat and taking us to our destination.

We took a lot of selfies, had some snacks, and laughed over stories on the way. When we got to the destination, I wasn't surprised to see cars spinning and making so much commotion in the middle of the track. At the very end, there was a high table with people playing cards, and everyone was gathered around it.

This was illegal, but Kryptonite basically owned the academy, hence why we were able to leave the gates without so much as a question. When you were accepted as a member of the party, you would be able to leave the academy freely, which was so rare due to the high security measures.

It surprised me that his parents had been able to reach a compromise with the elites and co-own this place with some socialites in the elite society. The elites knew they had limits to their power and money, so they couldn’t resist the offer for a collaboration from the dark world that had way too much money and connections.

Kryptonite didn’t bother trying to fit in and showcased his true colours with no remorse whatsoever.

The guys had different masks they had on. Some had zombie masks, neon-stitched masks, happy and sad face masks, and so many more.

A blue neon-stitched mask and a sad face mask were the ones playing the game, and the tension between them was so palpable as people watched them closely.

"Wait, what? They're competing through cards? Count on Kryptonite to come up with the craziest games ever."

“I know, right? I don’t think I'm going to run, I told Krypton who I want to chase me tonight.” She bit her lip, and I followed her gaze to a huge, muscular man with an orange neon-stitched mask.

“Who is he?” I whisper-yelled to her. He seemed mysterious and very sexy.

“Kodey. He’s new to the academy and he’s dark-skinned. Turns out, I have a fetish for black men.” She giggled and I rolled my eyes.

“I thought Coach was your type, Yelena.” I sighed and she gave me a sheepish smile.

“Kodey is challenging. He’s not giving me the attention I want, and I like that.”

“He does look hot, though. What happened to your obsession with blue eyes?—”

“He has them! I know, he's unique. I fell in love with him at first sight. He doesn’t speak much, it's sexy.” I shook my head with a smile, eager to meet this guy. Yelena sounded far too enthusiastic about him, and it didn’t help that she had a psychopathic edge to her.

That’s exactly why she was close with Kryptonite. Most guys couldn’t handle her dominant energy, and that’s why she had no stability concerning romantic relationships.

“Let me go and say hi. And remind him that I'm the only one he’s going to fuck in those mountains.” She flipped her hair with a smile and gave me a kiss on the cheek before leaving. I shook my head in amusement before scanning everyone.

I felt light-headed as the realisation dawned on me. A bunch of masked guys were going to chase after me and if one of them caught me, then they'd definitely fuck me. What if I didn't like them?

Or worse, what if it turns out to be the worst sex ever?

This wasn’t the time to chicken out. Kai would love it if I did, but I was my father’s daughter. I wouldn’t back down for shit.

"Yo, dynamite, you're here! People are about to lose their shit, I swear. Are you participating? You'd be the main character of the show." I heard a deep male voice from behind me and I turned to give him a huge smile, then jumped onto him.

"Krypton! You're back! I missed you." I squeezed his strong body to death and when I got down, I punched his chest. He didn't even flinch. Instead, a slow, diabolical smile tugged at his lips as he looked down at me in amusement.

He looked much more massive than last time, standing out so well that all eyes were on him. He hadn't bothered with a mask; his face was scary enough to intimidate anyone.

Kryptonite was a passionate boxer and had lost an eye about five years ago to some street fight, so he had gone for surgery and had a black, bionic eye to replace the lost one. The original one was a light, pretty chartreuse colour. Not to mention he had almost the same facial scar as Kai, but the scratch ran down his bionic eye's side. It looked purposely carved, and it was a jagged lightning shape.

So in simple terms, he looked like a fucking cyborg. An evil one, to be precise.

And now, he had some neon green highlights in his hair, and the shaved sides had all sorts of shapes.

"I missed you, too, you didn’t respond to my text." He folded his arms, his monstrous biceps popping out upon the action. A text he sent while I was in the car and already aware of his presence in the academy.

"Sorry, but it's payback for not telling me you were back a month ago. I'm mad at you," I mumbled, reaching my hand into his jean pockets to take the two thick wads of cash. Probably his profits from hosting this party. I stuffed the money in my bag with a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry. Girl, you give me such a fucking headache. But concerning the party, just make sure you actually stay safe, dynamite," he whispered, opening his palm to show me razor sharp bullets. He pulled a gun from his back pocket and loaded them in before handing it to me. "If anyone you don't want forces themselves on you, bust their tiny fucking brain or their tiny dick. The last one is highly recommended."

I laughed out loud, receiving the gun nonetheless and putting it in my bra. Kryptonite was my brother from another mother, and he was most definitely my favourite.

Yes, Kayden and Kendrick didn't know that.

"Is this your way of apologising for not telling me you were back?" I scowled as he wrapped his huge arm around my shoulders.

"Maybe. Are you still into those weird romance novels? Because I can have the whole fucking bookstore delivered to you if it means you get off my goddamn back." He rolled his eyes and I squealed happily, wrapping my arms around him.

How did all these guys smell so good?

"I'll send you the list, I can't promise you won't need a truck." I giggled and he shook his head in amusement.

"I dread the day I get a girl like you. That will be the official death of Kryptonite Vauxhall." He sucked his teeth. "Speaking of which, I heard you're dating Mr. Sci-fi. Is that why you're competing in this?"

"Please, not you, too," I groaned and he laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the wind.

"What? That's what everyone around here seems to call him."

"That's rich coming from someone with a bionic eye." I smirked, studying his face that was all sharp angles and smooth skin with scars here and there.

"Now, now, we don't have to go there, dynamite. My eye is the sexiest of all eyes." He lifted an eyebrow, and anyone who didn't know him that much would most definitely run away.

He represented a fallen angel.

"It's hideous, just like the rest of you. Anyway, what time does the hunting party start?" I tilted my head high to stare at him, and I could see his predatory smile as he looked at a girl in a tiny skirt. "Krypton, eyes down here, please."

"What? A man has his needs, after all." He gave me a big toothy grin, showcasing his perfect white teeth, his bottom diamond grills nearly blinding me when they sparkled under the influence of the car headlights. "The party starts right after those two finish playing—oh, well now it has fucking started."

I turned my head and sure enough, blue neon stitched mask was celebrating his success.

People dispersed like the Red Sea as he moved and I kept close to him. Life with Kryptonite was so much easier. We got to where the other girls were standing, and there were quite a number of them. All of them were so pretty, that was for certain.

"Catch you later, dynamite, gotta see if my target is here." Kryptonite was gone in a second and I studied my surroundings. All the girls were so excited as they pointed at the huge snow mountain in the distance.

Hmm—

"Are you scared?" a sweet, soothing, feminine voice spoke and I turned to face a stunning blonde. Mainly because she had a posh, aristocratic accent.

Her hair was covered in a furry hat and she seemed to be disguising herself. She was in a black bodysuit with a leather jacket and some tinted Chanel glasses. She looked like someone straight out of a Vogue magazine, more so with her gentle features and aura.

An elite.

She looked so familiar, but I couldn't think of where I'd seen her.

"Not really, I'm used to the mountains because of my snowboarding career." I shrugged, her powdery, creamy perfume engulfing me.

What was a light, undisturbed soul like hers doing here?

"Indeed. Nice to officially meet you, Yasmina. I'm Yara, we snowboard together." She held out her hand and I laughed. Of course, that's where I knew her from.

She was from a very high society and was the daughter of some King in the North. She was the girl everyone wanted to be: famous, gorgeous, wealthy, and talented at almost everything she did.

Not to mention that she was a prominent social media influencer.

She looked very confused by my action before I gave her a big hug.

"It’s nice to meet you, too." I squeezed her slightly and she matched my action before we both let go. There was something about her that I really liked. "What brings you here? You don't look like the type to do this."

"I know, but I wanted to…get out of my comfort zone. But I kind of regret it now. A bit too late to back out now, right?" Yara let out a nervous laugh and I pursed my lips.

"Kinda, but you'll be fine. Here, use this if you don't feel safe at any point in time." I handed her the gun Krypton gave me and she stumbled back in shock. Her hand shook as she reached out to take it, inspecting it with wide eyes. She looked horrified and I smirked.

“I can't?—”

“You can, here. You pull the top part back and press the trigger, super easy. If anyone defies your safe word, just shoot and run.” I gave her another hug and this time, she smiled.

Girls looking out for each other was something I took seriously.

"You're such a darling. I appreciate it. I hope we can be friends after this?" Her polished accent made it slightly hard for me to hear her.

"Of course, by all means. We can have lunch sometime." I offered her a smile and she squealed.

"Absolutely—"

"Okay, girls, thank you for showing up today. The chase starts in about five minutes but here are a few guidelines," Kryptonite spoke through the mic and the entire place went quiet. Those who weren't participating had already left and I hadn't noticed that the place was close to empty now.

"Whoever catches you has the right to fuck you. Don’t worry, they're all hot. You may have a safe word: chains. It's recommended. However, if you use it, you’ll be banned from all my events for the rest of your life. You have a five-minute head start to make it to the mountain. If you get to the end without being caught, you win a million. We will not be held liable for any damage or murder, this is at your own risk." There were a few murmurs in the group, but more silence occurred when Krypton announced the final words.

"The hunt begins now. Run ." A commotion occurred as everyone scrambled and ran towards the mountain, and that's when I realised that I had lost Yara.

Wherever she was, I hoped she was safe.

My heart thudded against my chest as I finally started running, too, taking a different route from the one everyone else had chosen. It was steeper and far more dangerous, but I was a snowboarder. That wouldn't faze me at all.

The cold wind bit into my skin as I picked up a pace, the anxiety making my stomach tighten. It was very dark with only the moonlight to assist. The tall, threatening trees stood ominously, making the atmosphere far scarier especially with the nocturnal creatures making all sorts of sounds.

Count on Krypton to come up with the most life-threatening activities.

I climbed on the rock and ran up the narrow path, ignoring how the snow dug into my knees and elbows. My clothes were already damp, but I easily ignored that. Something bigger was coming for me and my goal was to make it to the top before any of the predators made it out here.

They were all far bigger and faster than us. Krypton would never accept any physically unfit person into the challenge. He wanted the game to be as life-threatening as possible.

Adrenaline rushed through my body as I went further up, and I heard a piercing scream below me. My breathing increased and I had to calm myself and swallow the lump in my throat.

The predators were here.

And they weren't fucking around with anyone.

After regulating my harsh breathing, I sprinted down the trail I had found, my legs effortlessly driving me forward until I couldn't feel them anymore. It didn't matter that I was wearing thigh-high boots, I still ran like my life depended on it.

Actually, it kinda did.

The screams, cries, and howls were now frequent, but I didn't stop for shit. It was a survival of the fittest, and I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

I easily hoisted myself onto another steep platform, and in a blur, I realised that I was halfway to the top of the mountain. I had made it so far, probably further than most of the girls that took the easy route.

The path was much wider and it was cave like, meaning I was now able to shield myself from the snowfall and rain that were gradually getting heavier.

It was getting so much colder, way below normal temperatures, but I had to keep going. I quivered, shivered, you name it, but not once did I stop and breathe. Now wasn’t the time.

My life was what most called an epic shitshow. I knew Kai was on my tail, and he probably knew that I didn’t run with the masses.

The thunder rumbled loudly in the distance, the trees swaying violently against each other as I whimpered, wondering how the conditions would be once I got to the top.

The powder was getting deeper the further up I went, and now my legs were sinking deep as I fought my way through it.

If only I had my board; life would be so much easier right now.

I couldn't run in this powder, but it was getting shallower as I got to the next obstacle.

Someone was behind me, and before I could make a move, he trapped me against the cold rocks of the cave.

This most definitely wasn't Kai. His touch wasn't this foreign, but maybe I could buy time before Kai showed up.

Whoever it was, they were so much stronger than me, and through the holes of his stitched mask, I deciphered that he wanted me.

“Hmm, I've gotten the hottest catch. The guys are going to be so jealous, they’re all looking for you right now.” He tilted his head and I snorted.

“Sorry bud, but we’re not going to fuck.”

“But I caught you.” He pushed against me until I could feel his hard bulge. I felt absolutely nothing when he did so; in fact, I was repulsed. He must have sensed that I was about to say my safe word, which I was, because he covered my mouth while his other hand fumbled with his belt.

I was about to pull out Kai's switchblade when something warm sprayed against my face. I gasped in horror when I noticed a much larger figure standing behind him with a bloody axe in his hand.

It was him, at my rescue. And he was wearing a ghost face disguise.

He meant what he had said about bloodshed, and I grimaced when the guy choked and whimpered in pain due to his slit throat.

I watched as Kai effortlessly dragged him into the woods, the crimson blood trailing after the guy’s body and seeping into the snow. He was definitely not going to make it.

But I was. And I couldn’t let Kai catch me yet.

I quickly recovered, scrubbed the droplets from my face and jumped onto the upper cliff, where there was a glacial cave with mirror-like glass that was slippery and soft.

As a former ice skater, I would make it.

I glided into the cave, marvelling at the rarity of the view. The clear glass reflected from all angles and I couldn't tell where I was anymore. It seemed I was lost in a haze of mirrors the further I went.

I winced when I bumped into one of the walls, cursing at myself when I realised that I wasn't focused and obviously too mesmerised by the rare view before me. Who knew places like this existed?

But I didn’t have time to sightsee. My nemesis was on his way, and it wasn’t going to be a friendly encounter. I knew he meant every word he had said in his texts and a part of me was so ready for that.

I was in the process of figuring a way out of the maze when I realised that someone else was in the reflection, too.

I was too fucking late.

The familiar tug of his dark energy swirled around me, and it made me quiver in both fear and arousal.

It was someone much bigger and intimidating, and definitely hungry for my soul.

Ghost face.