Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)

The girl nodded again, her eyes flicking to the cottage.

She dropped from the branch to the forest floor with a soft thud, landing gracefully, and returned quickly with two thin sticks clutched in her hands.

She held them up like dolls, moving them side by side, then tilted the "female" stick toward the "male," making a faint, breathy mmm sound, her lips pursed in imitation.

Liss's jaw tightened, her teeth grinding as understanding hit.

"They're kissing," she muttered, her voice low and laced with irritation.

The girl nodded innocently, her wide eyes flicking between Liss and the sticks, as if confirming her point.

"Enough," Liss snapped, smacking the branches from the girl's hands with a quick swipe.

They clattered to the dirt below, the sound sharp in the quiet forest.

The girl flinched, her shoulders curving inward, her face dimming with a flicker of hurt, but she didn't argue, didn't make a sound.

Liss exhaled sharply, brushing her hair back with a rough hand, her fingers sparking faintly.

"Sorry. Just—" She clenched her fists, the electricity fading as she forced herself to calm.

"It's Kael. And her."

Silence stretched, the forest humming faintly with the chatter of bugs and the soft shift of leaves in the breeze.

The girl tilted her head, curious, and made a small motion with her hands—palms up, shoulders shrugging slightly.

Why wait? Why not go?

Liss understood the gesture, her eyes narrowing as she shook her head. "Because I'm tired. And so are you."

The girl frowned, her brows knitting together in confusion.

Liss looked back at the cottage, her gaze hardening.

"And because fighting Lital at night is suicide. She's strongest when the dark's on her side—her shadows blend into it, move faster, hit harder."

The girl's brows furrowed further, her emerald eyes searching Liss's face for more.

"During daylight, we'll have a chance," Liss said, her voice quieter now, calculated. "For now, we just… watch. And hope nothing happens to Kael in the meantime. You, keep listening and tell me if anything goes wrong in there."

The girl nodded reluctantly, her expression softening as she tucked her knees up under her chin, her ears twitching faintly as she settled against the branch.

Her green hair caught the moonlight, shimmering like polished jade.

Liss leaned against the tree trunk, her body aching from hours of relentless movement—sprinting, burning through her reserves with no pause.

She hadn't eaten properly since morning, and her stomach growled, low and audible, a reminder of her limits.

The green-haired girl's ears perked instantly, her head turning toward Liss, her wide eyes curious and concerned.

Liss flushed faintly, waving her off with a scowl. "Don't."

But the girl tapped her own stomach, then pointed into the woods, her ears flicking again, catching something beyond Liss's senses.

She rose, padded a few steps across the branch, and gestured sharply—pointing into the underbrush, her expression insistent.

Liss frowned, confused. "What are you—"

The girl closed her eyes and let out a sound—a soft, barely audible whimper, not human but eerily precise, mimicking the cry of an injured animal.

The forest shifted in response, branches cracking faintly in the distance.

From the underbrush, a shape emerged—a deer, small and lean, its ears twitching as it stepped cautiously into the open, drawn by the sound, its eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

Liss blinked, then smirked, catching on. "I get it. Thanks"

She raised her hand, faint lightning sparking across her palm, blue and hungry, coiling like a living thing.

Crack!

The bolt struck fast, precise, dropping the deer instantly, smoke curling faintly from its flank as it collapsed without a sound.

The girl flinched at the flash but didn't look away, her emerald eyes steady as she watched the scene unfold.

"Dinner," Liss said simply, her voice rough but tinged with approval.

They worked quickly, moving to the forest floor.

Liss's lightning seared the carcass clean, skinning and cooking it in one efficient burst of controlled heat, the smell of roasted meat rising to mingle with the pine and earth.

Within minutes, the clearing was filled with the savory scent, warm and grounding.

The girl sat cross-legged in the grass, her wide green eyes locked on the sizzling meal, her hands folded in her lap.

Liss handed her a strip first, the meat still steaming.

The girl took it hesitantly, then bit into it, her expression softening as if she hadn't eaten in days, a quiet relief spreading across her face.

Liss chewed quietly beside her, tearing into the meat with efficient bites, the warmth filling her chest, steadying her nerves after hours of strain.

Her body felt steadier now, the food anchoring her, giving her the fuel to keep going.

The girl ate slower, savoring each mouthful, her movements careful, almost reverent.

But her ears never stopped twitching, always listening, always alert.

Her eyes flicked back to the cottage, a faint blush crossing her cheeks as she gestured toward it again, two fingers tapping together in that same suggestive motion.

Liss followed her gaze, her jaw tightening as she saw the house glowing faintly from within, shadows moving against the curtains—subtle, intimate silhouettes that made her stomach twist.

What the hell are you doing in there with her, Kael?

The girl swallowed the last of her meat and sat straighter, her emerald eyes narrowing with focus.

She closed them, her head tilting slightly as she stretched her hearing toward the cottage, sifting through the sounds of the forest to latch onto the voices within, the heartbeats, the whispers.

Liss leaned back against the tree, arms folded, her blue eyes locked on the house, her body calmer now but her mind burning with restless energy.

Her stomach was steadier, her strength returning, but the waiting gnawed at her.

She hated waiting—hated the powerlessness of it.

Hated knowing he was in there, with her, wrapped in shadows and secrets.

The cottage flickered in the dark, a place of warmth, of shadows, of something unfolding that Liss couldn't reach.

Inside, something was happening—something intimate, something binding.

And outside, two girls watched—one seething, her lightning simmering beneath her skin, the other listening, her ears straining to catch the echoes of a man she owed her life to.