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"You have my consent, Your Highness."

The moment those words leaves her mouth, all the confusion, frustration and conflicting emotions I've been feeling ever since I came to know Layla is Laira seems to dissipate right then and there.

All I could feel was the sense of rightness as Marilla's arms twine around my neck and her fingers loose themselves in my hair while mine pull her body closer.

I wait for that pricky feeling of guilt or immense dread of doing something utterly wrong wash over me just like how I'd felt when I was with Layla earlier.

I wait for the waves and waves of confusion I'd felt when Layla had stared into my eyes telling me she loves me and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't say the words back.

I wait for my body to panic and detach myself from Marilla and rush away from her just like how I'd done when Layla had leaned in to kiss me.

Nothing happens.

If anything, as the moments pass with just holding Marilla, all I feel is content. Like I'm finally where I actually belong. Like this is finally something right I'm doing.

And it was more scary than being horrified at the realization earlier when Layla had tried to get closer to me that how suddenly. . .

How suddenly the love I had for Laira wasn't there anymore. As if it never existed. . . .

I wanted to blame it on my knowing Laira aka Layla's true evil side. I wanted to blame it on the injustice she did on Marilla by giving her a choice she had no other way than to oblige. I wanted to blame it on the other mission I'd planned right when Layla had asked me whether I'd come along with her to the Black Sea.

I wanted to blame it on everything that might make some sense but deep down, I knew something was wrong. Something was so very wrong.

I'd fallen for Laira at the very first sight of her. The feeling was so sudden and so strong I couldn't decipher anything except the sudden love I felt for her. And I'd believed it to be so true and deep.

I'd grieved over her supposed death long enough to never allow myself to fall for anyone else.

But then I met Marilla and Charlotte died and I wouldn't say I missed Laira any less but somehow, it'd been a dull ache than a fresh wound rubbed with salt.

Every argument with Marilla from that moment onwards made the ache duller and duller but not quite washing the pain away. The loss I felt at Laira's death was always there somewhere deep.

But then when Laira actually appeared in front of me that day at Marilla's parent's penthouse. . . .

I shut my eyes hating myself for the lack of anything I'd felt that day.

When Laira had called out my name, it was suddenly like....like I was seeing her for the first time. Like I....like I didn't even know her.

And it hurt more than anything.

I shouldn't have felt so empty then. I'd loved her all this while afterall!

But no, I'd come up with a plan to betray her right then without even consideration of what she had meant to me before. All I saw was a new person who was Marilla's sister and she was hiding something.

I just wanted to know what the truth of that day when Laira supposedly 'died' and my mother was captured was.

I knew if I wanted to find out the actual truth, I had to make Layla trust me enough and make the truth slip past her tongue unbeknownst to her. I knew she was lying and I didn't mind a flying fuck about betraying her.

That thought terrified and confused me to no ends. It made me feel so insensitive. It made me want to scream out in frustration. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings—nor Marilla nor Layla—even if something is definitely wrong with my own feelings right now.

I did really love her.....didn't I?

But then why did it not matter what happened to Layla anymore? Why did it matter more if that stupid Dilin touched Marilla? Why did make my skin crawl with unease when Layla declared someone would marry Marilla?

The heck is wrong with me?! I couldn't make sense of anything!

Something in my face must've shown just how conflicted I felt as Marilla stepped back from me.

Her eyes stared at me curiously before she held my face and tilted my head to the side, "What's going on in your head?"

The simple gesture warmed my heart and it confused me even more how when Layla had professed her love for me earlier, all I had felt was a suffocating emptiness. And Marilla just had to look at me for me to feel all sorts of things.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

I was supposed to be forever in love with Laira and hate Marilla for taking her away from me.

Even if Laira hadn't really been dead, something felt so very stupid.

I loved Layla but....why?

There seemed to be a blank sheet after that question.

My gaze zeroes in on Marilla's face and I feel a tug at my heart as I realize that if I asked the same question and just changed the sister's name, I actually have an answer.

The realization makes me feel too many emotions at once and I yank myself away from Marilla as if her presence....

"I'll just...." I blink when I see her observing and my words falter me at once at the weird sinking feeling in my chest at what I want to say, "Go?"

Marilla raises her brow at me probably sensing how starkly and clearly I was avoiding her question. Crossing her arms over her chest, she gives me an once-over before shaking her head, "Do whatever you want. I never initiated anything anyway."

Shifting back to her human form, Marilla turns around as if to leave the lake and the sinking feeling starts becoming choking.

Zander, get a grip on yourself and walk away from her before you throw yourself into a bigger mess!

But ofcourse, when have I ever listened to my own advice?

"Fuck this!" I groan and reach Marilla in three long strides.

She whirls around but before she can throw me the nasty look I know she meant to, I grab her face and smash my lips on hers.

I kiss her like I'd never done before. One moment, my hands are in her hair tugging at the strands, the next they're roaming down her neck down her curves and everywhere over her body.

Marilla let's out a surprised gasp but soon she's kissing me back, equally frenzied. Her hands tangle in my hair before they slide down my chest. Her legs wrap around my waist and I feel her tug at the buttons of my shirt.

She manages to tug at the first two but then her patience seems to snap and she quite literally tears the material. I smile against our mouths at that angling her face with one hand so that our lips moved in sync.

Just when her hand roames the bare skin of my chest, my free hand glides up the smooth skin of her ankle and up her knees to her inner thighs before pausing, asking.

Marilla pulls back, eyes midnight coloured with desire. I stare like a creep not being able to take my eyes of off her as the droplets of water trickle down her wet blue strands down the side of her cheek down her collarbone before dissapearing into the lake's water. God, she's gorgeous.

My eyes connects with hers in question as I sense her place her hand over mine where they rested against her thighs. My gaze doesn't leave her face even for a second as she guides my hand higher and higher to the very core of her before agonizingly slowly slipping it under the lacy material of her undergarment giving me the consent I'd been seeking.

My thumb gently rubs against the sensitive skin of her feminity and I see her shut her eyes biting down on her bottom lip way too hard. I free those lips from her sharp teeth with the hand that's holding her face and the next time the exact moment my lips meet hers, I slip a finger inside the very core of her.

Marilla let's out a soft breath, her lips parting and the grip on my hair tightening. I lick the seam of her lips before letting my tongue delve into her mouth just as I slip in another finger.

The breathy moan that escapes her lips is like music to my ears and it makes me feel more smug than I certainly shouldn't.

Her head falls back as my fingers circle the bundle of nerves, her heart thumps rapidly in sync with mine and her breaths grow erratic with every swirl of my finger inside her.

I observe every exhale of her breath, every tightening of her limbs around my body and the way her eyes snap shut in ecstasy as she comes undone.

Despite the coolness of the water, everything in me felt warm and scorching hot just watching her loose herself into pure bliss. It set my veins so so on fire that certain 'parts' of me ached like never before.

But then I sense something, as if someone is watching us. I cover Marilla from the person's gaze while she's still catching her breath before glancing towards the source.

I bite back a string of curses as I spot that prick of a to-be-fiance of Marilla's standing on the....roof? His eyes are a sparkling gold so bright it could blind a mortal as he winks down at me.

But when I blink, he's gone. As if he wasn't there to begin with.

My brows furrow at that. No way could he dissapear like that, unless he is a royal demon and that is not possible.

But even if it was a fraction of my imagination, it leaves me with an alert feeling.

I pull back from Marilla and find her eyes barely open, dark as ever. It leaves me in awe and even though I know the wise thing would be to let her go and leave if he actually was there, I just couldn't bring myself to let go yet.

So I lean in towards her ear to whisper, "Hold me tight."

She blinks at me in confusion but obliges anyway resting her head against my bare chest. I smile pushing the wet strands of hair away from her face before ducking us both underwater.

But once the water covers us completely, I pull at my powers winnowing us to Marilla's room.

Better safe than sorry.

Marilla is silent when her room comes in view. Even when I lower her onto the bed and pull the duvet over her body, she's quiet as ever.

Her silence bugs me more than anything so I lean down to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and gently touch her cheek, "Are you okay?"

Marilla looks up at me and those eyes, they're the palest shade of turquoise I'd ever seen with a mixture of electric blue as if she were sad and angry at the same time. . .

"Marilla-"

"We shouldn't have done that, Zander." She cuts me off, her words rushed.

"Wh-"

"I don't want to risk Avyanna and Ursula's life by getting into scandalous situations with you. Layla loves you, I've seen it in her eyes. She'd go furious if she knew what happened today and I don't want to think what she might do to Avyanna and Ursula as revenge. Also, you'd chosen to come here to the Black Sea with Layla for a reason. You should keep your word instead of approaching me. And I should've known better than to...." Her words waver as she looks away and it's clear what she wants to say, kiss you back. Give you consent.

'I'd done chosen to accompany Layla for a reason! Not deliberately! I had no choice! I wanted to find out the truth!'

I wanted to yell that out loud but before I could she spoke the words I dreaded,

"I know mate bonds can get overwhelming and make us do things we might not do other times. So let's let this incident slide. This was a mistake." Her eyes don't meet mine as she says the words.

I feel a painful sink in my heart.

It wasn't a mistake. . .not for me. I'd finally felt the least conflicted I had been in the last few days, finally been able to find some clarity from the mess of emotions in my head.

Silence envelops us again as I watch Marilla turn around facing her back to me and cover herself to the neck with the duvet. Her blue hair is still wet and my hands itch to dry them with a towel so that she doesn't catch a cold.

But I hold myself back and take a step away from her then another feeling my heart clench with every step.

Just when I reach the door and hold the knob, I say the words building inside me, "I didn't do it because of the influence of the mate bond, Marilla."

Her back is still facing me but I see her go still as ever. I squeeze my eyes close as I twist the knob to get out but not before saying,

"It wasn't a mistake. Not for me."