Chapter 497: Interesting woman

And Julian?

He wanted her.

Annie walked towards him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in his appearance. She slowed, almost hesitant, like something about him didn’t sit quite right.

"Rael... did something happen?" she asked softly, eyes scanning him from head to toe.

There was something different. His posture, the faint glow in his skin, the way his body hummed with something unexplainable.

Julian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he exhaled and stretched, raising his arms above his head. Then he twisted side to side, casual and playful, like he hadn’t noticed her intense gaze on his.

"What’s the problem,

mo~ther

?" he asked, intentionally dragging the word with a teasing tone.

Annie came to a stop right in front of him, her arms crossed under her chest. Her gaze lingered longer than usual, and not entirely in a maternal way.

"Hmm... I don’t know. You just seem... different. More vibrant. Radiant," she murmured, stepping a little closer.

Julian chuckled, closing the small gap between them. "It seems," he said, flashing a charming smile, "you’ve finally fallen for my charm, Mother."

Annie blinked, flustered just for a second—but he didn’t miss it. She turned her head away almost too quickly, but not before Julian saw the flush painting her cheeks.

"Stop... I have seen many with such charms," she said, trying to sound composed, but her voice wavered just slightly.

Julian’s smile deepened, the glint in his eyes growing sharper. He took another step forward, the air between them thinning until she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"But I’m sure," he murmured, his voice low, "you’ve also seen something... that only I possess."

Annie froze, her eyes snapping back to him before she could stop it. Her fingers curled tighter around her folded arms, and her gaze shifted—not away from his face, but downward... exactly where

he

wanted it to go.

She had seen it. God help her, she

had

.

Not just the bare skin, but his

whole

, thick cock.

And it haunted her.

At first, she convinced herself it was nothing—a teenage impulse. A natural mistake. She told herself he was just a boy, exploring himself. That it was just an accident. She tried everything to rid herself of the image. She thought of Kain, her husband. She imagined his hands, his warmth, and their old nights together.

But it wouldn’t leave.

No matter what she did, that moment lingered in the back of her mind.

"Rael—" she began.

But he cut her off—not with words, but with a look. That same innocent grin that once made him adorable now curved with a darker edge. He wasn’t a boy anymore. And she couldn’t pretend not to see it.

"You didn’t have to stay that day," he murmured. "You could’ve shut the door and walked away without looking. But you did. You even came back."

She swallowed—hard. "You were... vulnerable. I was surprised. That’s all."

"Was it?" he asked, stepping even closer, now so near their bodies nearly touched. "Because I swear... the way your eyes locked with mine,

just for a second,

it didn’t feel like surprise. It felt like something else."

Annie backed up half a step—then stopped herself. She didn’t want to look weak. But she could feel the tension growing inside her.

"Rael, enough." Her voice broke a little. "This isn’t a game. You don’t understand what you’re doing."

Julian’s smile slowly faded, the atmosphere between them thickening.

Without breaking eye contact, his hands slid gently down to her waist. The warmth of his touch spread like wildfire beneath her skin, sending a shiver up her spine.

For a moment, neither spoke. His fingers curved slightly, caressing the outline of her hips.

Annie’s breath quickened, a silent tremor betraying the calm she fought to maintain. The world outside their small bubble seemed to pause—time slowed, heartbeats thundered louder, and the weight of everything unsaid hung thick between them.

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotion, her body trembling with a mix of desire and panic.

She didn’t pull away at once. Instead, her fingers twitched, her skin begging for the forbidden pleasure that his touch was igniting within her.

But the moment didn’t last long.

With a sharp breath, she gripped his wrists tightly, breaking the suffocating silence.

"No, Rael," she growled. "This cannot happen. It

must never

."

Her fingers dug in, stopping his hands from wandering further.

"You’re my son," she said, her voice low and trembling with something fierce. "I see that fire burning in you—strong, raw, ready to break free. I know what you’re becoming... a breeder, a man of lust and hunger. But none of that changes what you are to me."

Julian’s eyes darkened, frustration shimmering behind them.

Annie leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear. "I won’t let you drag me into those flames. I can’t. You will always be my son... and I am bound to keep us apart."

She pulled his hands down firmly, her fingers trailing lightly over his skin one last time.

"This line between us—it’s sacred. If it breaks, it will destroy us both. I won’t let the lust you stir in me... corrupt what little purity remains."

Julian’s body tensed, his cock hardening under his trousers—aching for release, for something she couldn’t give.

She could feel it as well. The way her own pulse raced, the quickening of her breath, the sudden heat pooling low and fierce in her belly.

She was fighting a war inside herself.

"I’m sorry, Rael," she whispered, her voice cracked but determined. "No matter how much you want me... or how much I want you too... this cannot be."

She stepped back, breaking the impossible closeness.

Julian’s shoulders sagged slightly, the fire in his gaze dimming.

"I understand," he murmured.

With that, she turned her back to him and walked away. The morning light fell alluringly over her frame, outlining every graceful curve of her body.

Julian’s eyes burned with hunger as they followed her retreating form, drinking in every seductive motion.

"Hmph... What an interesting woman."