Page 5 of The Sea Witch’s Son (The Villains of Wolf Hollow #1)

Chapter 4

MELODY

So, this is Marlin Seaborn.

He’s cute in a disarming way, the boyish smile painting his face with easy humour. There’s a freckle near the corner of his lip, the gentle slope of his nose sitting a little too big for his face. Sandy-coloured hair brushes the collar of his shirt, his broad chest filling it out nicely.

A thin scar breaks through the thick curve of his left eyebrow, pulling my attention back to the brown eyes watching me.

“Unlike many of the students here, I don’t bite.” Amusement laces his voice, “You can come closer.”

My cheeks flush as I take a step forward.

He tilts his head, watching me with twinkling eyes, “I take it the first day is not going well?”

“It’s not bad, actually. Almost made it to lunchtime without hiding in the flowerbed, so I’d call that a win.”

He laughs, the boisterous sound bouncing off the stone walls around us. I feel a smile break free from my lips, the easy sound of his laughter loosening the tension in my shoulders.

“I’ve never had the pleasure of hiding in flowerbeds, so I will have to take your word for it.” He chuckles, those dark eyes roaming over my face, “Although you did miss a spot. May I?”

Before I can respond, he closes the distance between us and gently rubs my cheek with his thumb. I stare at the curve of his lips, watching the dimple pop out when he pulls away.

“There. All better.”

“Thank you.”

We stare at each other, smiling and standing far too close for strangers. Butterflies erupt in my stomach and I quickly take a step back.

“Is his father in prison?” I clear my throat, breaking eye contact, “You mentioned he was in a cell.”

“Xavier’s father is in Hollow House. It’s an insane asylum on the other side of town.”

“Oh.”

The dimple makes another appearance, “Voodoo men aside, it is lovely to formerly meet you, Melody. I have heard many things about you.”

“I could say the same about you, Marlin.”

The dimple and boyish smile vanish the moment his name leaves my lips. Disgust curdles his features, transforming the handsome boy into an angry one.

“Marlin? You think I’m Marlin Seaborn? ”

My eyes go wide, “I didn’t know-

“You didn’t know what, exactly? That I wasn’t a cold-hearted psychopath?” A harsh laugh escapes his throat, “If you knew the kind of things Marlin has done you would not for one second think that I am anything like him.”

The fury in his eyes has me slowly backing away.

“Look, I’m really sorry-

“Finley!” The crisp command echoes down the hall, making me jump.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Sebastian needs you. He’s over in the gardens.”

Finley clenches his jaw, his dark eyes no longer twinkling when they look at me.

“Best of luck, Melody. I hope the flowerbeds bid you farewell from this day forward.”

Unexpected guilt hits my chest as I watch him turn and leave. The blue and yellow striped shirt disappears down the hall, leaving me alone with yet another stranger.

“A bit touchy today, isn’t he?”

Amusement dances through the newcomer’s voice, the low pitch sending a shiver through me. He’s standing just beyond the stream of sunlight, letting the shadows mask his features.

I sigh, touching my waist to make sure the knife is still there, “There was a case of mistaken identity. I thought he was Marlin Seaborn.”

A low rumble echoes through the room and it takes me a moment to realize he’s laughing .

“You thought that floundering fool was me? Now, that is upsetting.”

He steps forward, out of the shadows and into the daylight, and I bite back a gasp.

“You must have been disappointed to find out such a simple man was the one everyone feared.” Flawless skin pulls into a smile, “I know I would have been.”

My stomach drops as I stare at the man in front of me. Dressed in an impeccable suit, the white edges of his dress shirt pull tight against a muscular body. Wide shoulders flow into a narrow waist, the perfect fit of his dress pants tapering to an equally developed lower half.

Finley had a few inches on me, but it was nothing compared to this. The real Marlin Seaborn towers more than a foot over me, his dominating presence enhanced by the shocking colour of his hair.

It’s the palest blonde I have ever seen. Almost white, if not silver.

And those eyes. I have never seen such a vibrant shade of violet before.

Finley was a handsome boy, but Marlin… he’s a man. A man blessed with a beauty cruel in its perfection and a body built to match.

“I wasn’t disappointed.” I swallow, trying to tear my eyes away from his face, “I was surprised. Finley was a gentleman. ”

“I’m curious.” He slithers closer, the height difference forcing me to crane my neck back, “What makes a man a gentleman?”

Those violet eyes trail down my body, burning through the layers of clothing and leaving them in a pile of ash at my feet. I’m an insect under a microscope, hopelessly waiting for the scientist to peel back the layers and study the flesh and blood underneath.

Which he does. Painfully slowly.

Starting at my neck and working his way down to my legs, Marlin takes his time dissecting me. His eyes linger at the slope of my collarbone, the curve of my breasts and waist, the length of my legs.

By the time he makes it back to my face, my body is on fire and my breathing is far from regular. Awareness throbs from every corner of my being, the unsteady beat of my heart serving as a warning.

This man is dangerous.

And really fucking hot.

“He helped me.” The words are thick balls of cotton, barely making it past my throat, “Finley saved me from a potentially bad situation.”

“He saved you, did he?” Marlin licks his lips slowly, drawing my attention to the sharp cut of his jawline, “Sounds like a hero."

“I didn’t say he was a hero. ”

“I should hope not. That would mean you’ve already forgotten the most important rule in Wolf Hollow.” He chuckles softly, looking down to roll up his sleeves, “There are no heroes here.”

A glimpse of dark ink on pale skin captures my attention. Half-hidden under Marlin’s sleeve is a tattoo. A swirling mass of ink that consumes his flesh in what looks to be a sailboat crashing down into the sea.

Cold fingers graze my jaw, tilting my head back to look at him.

“This place is full of bad people, little saint. Cruel, selfish men who would love to hear you scream until that pretty voice of yours is all gone.” His grip tightens when I try and pull away, “But you already know that, don’t you?”

His knuckles graze the edge of my sweater and I suck in a breath. Marlin smiles, watching my reaction when his fingers dip beneath the material.

“I didn’t say you can touch me.”

The words come out garbled from the cage locked around my mouth.

“You didn’t say I couldn’t either.”

His smile widens when I flinch against his touch. He strokes me again, his fingers making a lazy yet purposeful trail across my skin.

“Tell me to stop.” Leaning down, he purrs into my ear, “Tell me to take my greedy hands off your precious body. ”

I jerk against his grip, but the hold doesn’t loosen. A growl escapes my throat, the rising frustration taking away the fear.

“Take your disgusting paws off me.”

A low rumble fills my ear, the sound of his laughter making my stomach clench for an entirely different reason.

“Ask me nicely .”

I glare back at him, my jaw starting to ache from his grip.

“Take your hands off me.”

“Please, little saint. You forgot to say please.”

His free hand skims the edge of my waist, toying with the band of my skirt. I grit my teeth, feeling him tug the zipper.

“Stop touching me. Please. ”

“Only because you asked nicely.” He chuckles, releasing my jaw and stepping aside. I reach up and touch my jaw with a wince, feeling the skin already starting to bruise.

“Finley was right. You are a psychopath.”

Marlin sighs, “The most dangerous men are the ones who fool you into thinking they are something they are not.”

I narrow my eyes, “And I’m supposed to believe your honest ill intentions mean you’re one of the good guys?”

“My little saint, there are no good men in Wolf Hollow.” A wide, breathtaking smile splits his face, “And I’m the worst of them all.”

I stumble back, desperate to put some space between us. Marlin watches me with hooded eyes, those violet orbs never leaving my face .

He’s magnetic. A dark force you can’t help but get sucked into.

“I’m not your saint.”

The words hold less conviction than I would have liked, but I keep my head held high as I meet his gaze, “Do your best to remember that.”

“Not yet.” He grins, tucking his hands into his pockets, “You’re not mine yet .”

The age-old sound of a church bell chimes through the hallway, signalling the start of the communal lunch hour. Students begin trickling through the hallway, making a wide berth around us.

I refuse to turn my back on this guy for even a second, so I’m stuck waiting for him to make a move.

“You are quite something to look at. Soft and delicate in all the right places.”

I can barely hear him over the students funnelling past, but there’s no way in hell I’m edging closer. Made that mistake once already and got a bruised jaw out of it.

“Wear the black skirt tomorrow. The one with the little bow.” A smirk plays at the edge of his mouth, “I think your legs will look particularly ravishing in that one.”

“How did you…”

My question hangs unanswered as Marlin disappears into the crowd .

I blow out a breath and adjust the straps of my backpack. My mind feels scattered from the interaction while my body feels like it’s coming down from an adrenalin rush.

Fuck. And I still have three more classes to survive today.

Out of instinct, I brush my waistband, searching for some reassurance. My hand presses flat against my sweater, the familiar lump nowhere to be found.

A growl rips from my throat as I rejoin the mass of students weaving down the halls.

That bastard stole my pocketknife.