Ares

She became rigid in my arms. I thought she would try to pull away, but she didn't. When she grabbed my forearm with trembling fingers, I was sure she was going to try to push my arm away. When, still, she did nothing but rest her hand on me, her fingers digging in to try to hide their shaking.

I could feel her heart thumping harshly against my chest, through her back. The sound of it pumping blood viciously in fear beat on my sensitive hearing like a drum.

I frowned.

I waited another moment to see if she would do anything, but all she did was swallow and wait for what she thought would come next in surrender.

My muscles flexed under her hand causing her to sharply pull hers back to her chest.

I sighed softly.

It wasn't fun when she didn't bite back. The fear was only enjoyable when it wasn't so palpable. When it only served to make her heart race in anticipation for what I would do next. When she understood that though I was technically capable of hurting her, I would never do such a thing. She had begun to understand that after the first few times I had forcibly undressed her barely mobile body to treat her injuries.

But had my conditions undone the trust that I was able to gain?

I was serious when I proposed then to Nea. I wanted a real mate bond. I wanted a family.

But I also wanted to die.

It was better to accept death than let Zev win.

I had thought she would never have excepted the bed warming condition. I could tell from her reaction to touch that she probably had experienced sexual trauma of some sort. I thought the thought of me bedding her would have been enough to scare her away. After all, she is a tiny little thing compared to me, but she had surprised me.

I wished I had the decency to turn her cornered acceptance down, but as much as I wanted to deny it, I became greedy in the moment.

The fleeting flash of a possible life she had given me with her selfless acceptance, a life out of the shadows with her at my side, was too tempting to let go of. After finding her near lifeless body and nursing it back to health, I had to admit, I had developed an affection for the girl. What had begun as a simple good deed in an attempt to right the wrongs I had committed in the past had ended up bringing a hint of brightness and excitement to my lonesome days. I knew our time together was temporary, only planned for a few months once we had reached earth, but...

The hauntingly beautiful dreams of a future with her were too tempting to turn down. Even if they forced me to include the one man I would love nothing more than to run through with a dagger. Turns out I had come to love Nea more than I thought I did.

I had to have her.

And now I did.

I dragged my hand down her stomach, over her shirt. When I reached the hem by her hip sticking in the air, I slipped my hand underneath.

Her body shook softly in a shiver as my icy hand met her warm skin. I could have channelled some heat and warmed it, but I enjoyed seeing the slightly pebbled peaks that rose the loose material of her shirt.

I trailed my hand up her bare skin and cupped her side just under her breast. I was tempted to go higher, but I held myself back.

Patience.

I knew what she was expecting. And like when she was injured, I was going to show her that although I had the power to overpower her, I wouldn't use it against her for harm. Any kind of harm.

I wasn't like my brother. I didn't hurt those I loved.

I pulled her flush against my front, forcing her to rest her head in the crook of my arm. She had hidden there for comfort in her sleep last time she slept by my side. Nestling my face into her neck where my mark lay, I closed my eyes and let out a breath, relaxing my body.

The light stones lighting the room went out at my direction.

Seconds ticked by slowly. They were stretched, weighed down by the heavy silence in the darkness.

My body was loose and languid, at ease with Nea's soft and warm body pressed up against it. She, on the other hand, grew more rigid with each passing moment. While she grew more restless, I fell further into the comfort she provided. I had realized how much I liked sleeping near her that night in the first inn, but I hadn't realized I'd be enjoying it for the rest of my days until this moment.

My arm tightened possessively. The move made her jump, breaking her silence with a squeal.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Hmm?" I hummed in question, sleep audible in my response.

"What's happening?" She repeated.

My lips curled up. "You're warming my bed."

Silence rang loud for a few moments as she tried to make sense of my words.

The delay had me frowning. Was the idea that the words had such an innocent mean so difficult for her to believe? I had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of her already. If I hadn't done so or even attempted to yet, why was she so afraid I would start now?

Because someone has gained her broken trust just to break it again.

"What?" she asked, the uncertainty clear in her voice.

"You're in my bed, warming it. It's enough," I said before closing my eyes again.

"But I thought..." she started quietly, her voice trailing off.

I chuckled. "Not yet, little one."

At my words, she noticeably relaxed turning to putty in my hands with ease. She needed to hear the words more than I had realized.

I thought it was enough to relax her enough to drift off to sleep after such a long and taxing day, but I guessed I had thought wrong.

"Why..." her soft, hesitant voice sounded, fading into the darkness as she second-guessed her decision to speak aloud.

I sighed, exhaustion from the long day getting to me.

"If sleep is alluding you and you'd rather talk, we could use this time to finish that conversation you had started that was been rudely interrupted," I said referring to the past she was about to reveal before Zev and his dragon had interrupted. Now that conversation I had no issue staying up for.

She tensed again, a clear sign of her reluctance that I had expected. She was only willing to share her secrets then because the threat she feared was too near. Now that it was eliminated, she didn't hold the same urgency.

I sighed. "You can wait until you're ready, but I need to know what you've been through if you want this to happen correctly. I need to know where the lines lie and how to push them without breaking you."

It was true. I needed to know what actions would cause more damage than it would heal. I believed in tough love at times, but some cases were too sensitive to attempt such tactics. Though I was enjoying teasing Nea, I wasn't going to continue to if it was detrimental to her health.

After a silent moment of contemplation, Nea responded with a single word.

"Okay."

She didn't say anything else. Instead, her hand found my arm again, grabbing it hesitantly.

I quietly listened to her soft breathes as they slowly evened out as she fell deeper into sleep. It wasn't long until I had followed her into the dark abyss, more at peace with the bundle in my arms than I could remember last being.

* * *

I made my way down the halls like a man on a warpath. Startled faces moved fast as they stepped out of my path, my face sure to give them a fright.

It had only taken a moment of distraction by the damned incubus for the bloody King to sweep in and steal Nea from under my nose. They had ruined a perfectly tranquil morning and relaxing afternoon.

In the last two hours, I had nearly swept through the castle from head to toe. Ryder was searching the exterior of the large structure in his mythical form while I searched the interior.

If I were to hazard a guess, I would say I had opened a few hundred locked doors and had heard thousands of shouted obscenities, but still, I could find Nea nowhere. The other bastards were missing too.

Probably staying out of my way for fear I'd trample them.

Or torture. They would be sure to start singing once they got a taste of my art. Killing wasn't my only skill. The minor and temporary discomfort it would bring Nea would be worth having her safe and in my sights again.

Nearly punching the double doors with fists encased in shadows, I threw them open. They swung open and hit the walls on either side with a sharp crack. They didn't swing back, dislodged in the stone.

A scrawny-looking boy looked up with wide eyes at my entrance, the only occupant in the large room. He scurried to his feet and grabbed the few books scattered around him in a hast, shoving them in his satchel before hugging it to his chest and skirting around me in escape. The sight of me seemed to have frightened him, but not enough to abandon his books. I didn't look over my shoulder to watch him run out the door with his tail between his legs, no, I was too busy looking down the rows between towering stacks for my mate.

With each empty row I passed, my anger and frustration grew, building dangerously. When I had reached the end of the tall dark walnut shelves with disappointing results, I couldn't help but punch the antique-looking globe that was on display.

The thin material collapsing under my fist did nothing to quell my rising frustration.

Pulling my fist from the damaged item, I rolled my shoulders and took a deep breath, preparing myself to continue my search. If I don't find her the first time, I would need to do another round around the castle, continuing until I found her. I had left a note in our room instructing her to stay put if she returned. My reoccurring checks wouldn't make her wait long and would end my search quickly if she did return.

As I released my breath slowly, the sound of soft footsteps reached my ears. They were padded by the carpet that ran down the halls. The light sound was enough to tell me that the individual was small. Not a threat.

I turned around right as the sound of the footsteps grew louder, leaving the padding of carpet and meeting the wooden floors of the library that was revealed between decorative rugs.

It took me a moment to process that I was looking at the target of my search, Nea. She was bent over slightly as she tried to catch her breath, supporting herself against the doorframe as her eyes darted around wildly. When they passed over me, they were quick to return. She locked them on me with a hitch of her breath.

Rather than decreasing, the sight of her only made my anger rise. Though she appeared unharmed physically, her eyes were red and glistening with tears. The same tears that decorated her cheeks and neck.

She looked ready to break down.

Running into the room, she headed straight for me. If the circumstance were any different, then I might have had a chance to enjoy the sight of her running towards me.

But they weren't different.

Her run towards me wasn't because she wanted me, it was because she wanted to escape what was on the other side.

I widened my stance before she barreled into my body, keeping us both from falling over from her momentum.

I looked down at her in concern. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong, but I didn't get a chance to get a single word out before her lips clashed with mine, stunning me, a rare feat. Her arms reached up and wrapped around my neck. Jumping up, she wrapped her legs around my hips.

My hands reached up, grabbing her waist to ensure she didn't fall. All the while, her lips attacked mine with abandon. Her tongue dove past my lips, dancing with mine in violent need.

I just wasn't sure if it was the right kind of need to continue.

She separated her lips from mine, pulling back a fraction. Her wide, red eyes looked up into mine.

They were eyes I was willing to give the world to, to light.

"Ares," she said, her voice coarse with tears. I never realized how little she spoke my name until the rare moments where she did. "Please," she begged, making my brows furrow in concern, but the following words that left her mouth had them shooting up. In surprise, and concern.

"Please, I need you to fuck me."