His Little Fae

Seeds of Doubt (II)

Right from the start,

You were a thief, you stole my heart,
And I, your willing victim.

I let you see the parts of me,
That weren't all that pretty,

And with every touch you fixed them.
____________________

Gabriel's analysis bore a hole in my mind, even after I took a long shower, my pale hair sticking to my forehead as I shrugged on a pale white robe afterwards.

I wasn't the type to jump to conclusions, and create my own answers as to why people did things. I'd just ask him, like I always did. It's not like he was secretly planning on rejecting me after all this.

Still, the thought of Livius having some lingering bias towards me was easily the worst thing I could ever imagine.

My heart thrummed while I slipped my feet into a pair of slippers, already knowing that my mate was lounging on the couch outside. He'd made good on his promise not to work late. The pile of papers I'd seen him bring along with him however was proof that he'd found a loophole.

He'd be here, with me, but still working.

I had given him an eye roll when he'd shot me a lazy grin, ignoring the questions that were burying me in thought. But the fact that I couldn't get them off my mind was just another reason to simply ask.

I hated how Gabriel was able to prod me in all the right places. To make me question things that I would've never noticed.

With a sigh, I pulled open the bathroom doors and stepped out, my hand running through the damp strands of my hair.

Livius glanced over his shoulder from his place on the lush couch. I didn't miss the way his pale eyes took me in, my heart skipping a beat at his intense gaze. "Took you long enough. I was starting to worry."

I arched a brow. "I thought you were too busy with your paperwork to even notice," I retorted bitterly.

His lips twitched. "For the Louboutins, baby."

I sighed, ducking my head. "For the Louboutins."

And when he turned back to his work, I paused, wondering whether now was a right time. Today was such a good fuckin day, the last thing I needed was something that would ruin it.

The answer came a moment later when Livius looked back at me, noting my silence and the way I stared at him with a question in my eyes.

Honestly, I should've known he'd notice before I even said a word. He knew my tells as well as I did his.

He tilted his head, the silky strands of his hair falling to the side as his eyes flashed with concern. "Something wrong, moon?"

"Can I..." I hesitated again, my brows creasing as I remained standing where I was. "Can I ask you something?"

This time Livius set down whatever documents he had in hand, his eyes trained solely on me while he fully turned in my direction. "What is it, love?"

I swallowed, gripping the fluffy edges of my robe. I didn't know what I expected him to say. It could very well be that he didn't think we were ready. Or that so much was going on and he hadn't thought much about it.

Or it could be something deeper...

I cleared my throat, my head tilting. "Why haven't you marked me yet?"

Livius' expression morphed into one of confusion before dimming into something unreadable. His silence unnerved me. I didn't know what he was thinking, or what words were brewing in his mind and that... that frustrated me.