"Focus." The wooden staff slammed across my back, making me wince from pain, but no sound escaped me. I had been training all morning, but my mind was still replaying yesterday.
Aleron had left me alone in the room of frames, letting me linger for hours, reading and remembering every single face of my ancestors. None of them looked like me, even just a little. My father was different from them. Their eyes had been cold, and unfriendly. None smiled, not until Emrys. Only he looked like pure joy. As if he was looking through the painting at me, at someone.
After, I strolled the palace for hours trying to find my room. When I finally did, a warm dinner was waiting on my bed.
"Elora," a breathy voice cut through, and I shielded my face before the wooden staff struck down colliding with mine.
"You're not with me." Xander retracted annoyed, backing up, picking up a cloth and wiping his forehead before letting it run over his bare chest. I sucked my cheeks as my focus redirected.
"Why can't you wear clothes?" I asked, flustered. My frustration was misplaced. I felt it for him, but that's not what this morning was about.
"I am," he responded blankly.
I exhaled, annoyed.
He narrowed his gaze before delight glimmered in his eyes. He saw through me.
"Did your stroll with the general rattle your feathers?" he asked, ignoring my irritation.
"Rattle my what...How do you know that?"
"I'm yours."
Damn him.
"I know everything."
"I doubt that." I sneered back.
He made a careless expression that only annoyed me even more.
"Why haven't you asked?" I wanted to know. I needed to know.
Ask. For the love of the gods.
He looked at me like really looked at me. Nothing amusing occupied those gorgeous eyes.
"Because you don't want me to." He said knowing exactly what I meant.
"But I do."
Ask, please.
He paused, challenging my silence, waiting for me to retract or change the subject.
"Alright then," he surrendered. I swallowed my breath, waiting.
Ask.
"Did you mean it when you called me a monster?"
I released the air pushing on my lungs. He was teasing me. I didn't care what I had called him, or at least not right this second.
"Why haven't you asked me to release you?"
One side of his lip curled up and he stroked his neck with the sweaty rag.
"I enjoy your company."
"You enjoy no one's company."
His eye flinched, "If I ask, will you say yes?"
I tensed up, biting down so hard it hurt.
He threw the rag, stepping towards me.
"No, you wouldn't. You can't deny what it makes you feel having me in the palm of your hand. You like my punishment." He was nudging my patience, pushing it an inch at a time.
"You like the power." He stopped, so close the heat of his body surrounded me. His chest was almost against me, not touching but coming very close. He looked down, with pure pleasure as my breaths started heaving.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
My Darkening Ember
एड्वेंचर"This bounty is mine, Xander," He said. It was the first time I ever heard his name. Xander smirked, "Kill me first, then take her." He proposed arrogantly, a silver knife resting confidently in his hand. The man only nodded once as his hand slithe...
