*Daphne*
I woke up tense, lifting myself up from the cold cave floor. I wiped my hands over my face tiredly, trying to figure out why my whole body was tense, especially my jaw.
I sat up, crossing my legs beneath my skirts, and glanced across the cave. Upon seeing Rion rummaging through a small pack he was holding, the mories from the night before ca flooding back.
I wished that it had been a nightmare.
I didn’t even realize I was staring at him until he just happened to glance my way. We held gazes for about half a second before he turned away quickly, stalking off to help the others prepare so food.
I felt my chest constrict at the cold exchange. He seed hard-set on keeping his distance as well, which was completely fine since I was still beyond pissed at him.
I wished that I was simply pissed. I could do without the pricking in the back of my eyes, a tell-tale sign that tears were threatening to break free.
It certainly didn’t help when Jasper approached Eva, who was sitting with her back against the rocky wall. He sat down beside her and handed her a plate of food before scooting closer to her so that their shoulders were touching. I watched Eva glance up at him shyly, her deep eyes shimring slightly even in the dim lighting of the cave.
An intense jealousy spread through my core, no matter how hard I tried to stamp it down. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Rion’s sister and best friend as they got all cozy with one another.
I pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on the top of them. I watched Rion and the other guys dig through their bags for so breakfast. It looked like a few of them had gone hunting earlier in the morning. They had so at and were able to find so fruit as well.
As I sat by myself on one side of the cave, I couldn’t help but feel isolated. I was still in a lacy gown provided by Alpha Gareth. The others were in dark pants and thick shirts that were made for fighting and travel. Even Eva was dressed like a warrior in her tight black pants and athletic lilac-colored shirt.
It was visibly obvious that I didn’t belong with the crew, and if Rion was thinking the way he was acting, he likely didn’t want there either.
Perhaps it was foolish of to hope that Rion and I could raise our child together. The thought put a painful knot in my stomach. I lowered my hand, stroking the slight swelling beneath my dress. I thought about how isolated and out of place I felt with Rion’s crew and realized that this could be how he would feel if he was forced to live in the palace because of and the baby.
I doubted that my parents would completely forgive Rion so easily for everything he’d done. Rion probably sensed that as well.
How could I ask him to live with that kind of treatnt?
Anger and despair rose up inside of as I was reminded of the fact that Rion hadn’t even given a chance to explain my thoughts fully. I was willing to go with him if he didn’t want to live in the palace with . I just wanted to raise our child together.
It hurt to look at Rion now as he moved through the cave, carefully avoiding my gaze as he chatted with so of his crew mbers. I hated how heartbreakingly handso he looked as he pushed so of his dark wavy hair away from his forehead.
I shouldn’t have to explain myself to him anyway. My actions spoke for themselves. I openly defied my parents to find him and put my life on the line several tis to save him. He was acting as if that ant nothing to him. Couldn’t he see how hopelessly devoted I was to him?
He should know that I would have been willing to follow him anywhere.
What else did I have to do in order for him to see that?
I had been so lost in my dark thoughts that I failed to notice that Rion was approaching until he was just a few feet away. He was carrying a plate of food and was holding it out toward , his expression unreadable.
I just looked at him for a mont, taking a bit to process that he was actually paying attention to now since all morning he seed determined to ignore . Red tinted the edges of my vision and I leaped to my feet as he approached, swiping my hand out as if it were a blade, extrely determined to knock the plate out of his hand. I nearly stumbled when Rion’s eyes flashed and he stepped to the side, cleanly dodging my assault on the food.
Everyone quieted, watching the tense exchange, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I was hardly acting like the princess that my parents raised to be, but that hardly mattered as I stared up at Rion’s face.
I was fully expecting him to glare at , say sothing hateful, and then turn and take the food away. I would have welcod that at the mont, but he shocked by raising an eyebrow, a smirk toying at the corner of his lips.
“Nice try,” he said in a low voice, shaking his head. “But I saw that little trick of yours coming from a mile away, Daphne. So things never change, do they, Princess?”
I blinked at him, montarily confused by the knowing look in his eyes and at his words. It took a second to realize that he was referencing the first ti I knocked the food out of his hands in the middle of his apartnt all those months ago.
I felt my cheeks color slightly, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile at the jest.
Rion’s eyes swept over my face as if waiting for to crack a smile. When he realized that that wasn’t going to happen, he set the food down on the floor by my bed and gently took my wrists in his hands, urging to sit back down on the floor. “You should rest,” he said in a gentle voice that just barely had resisting the urge to shiver.
I couldn’t let on how much his simple, casual touch affected . I wasn’t going to play this ga with him anymore.
I tried to resist him and refused to sit back down. I was too riled up from my pain and anger to be compliant. That’s what I thought anyway, but the exhaustion from the emotional turmoil and all the running we had done the day before seed to have built up exponentially overnight.
I felt my knees begin to shake. Rion’s eyes rounded with concern and his hands tightened on my upper arms. He slowly lowered to the floor, sinking to his knees in front of .
I gritted my teeth, the tears threatening to surface once again as fatigue spread over . This was the worst possible mont to feel weak. I was too angry to feel like I had to depend on this jerk. I blinked the tears away and gave Rion a nasty glare, hoping that it properly conveyed just how much he’d hurt .
He blinked down at , his gray eyes searching my face carefully. “I’m obviously no expert in the area of your condition,” he said slowly, seeming to choose each word carefully as he spoke them. “But I can safely assu that you should probably take it easy and rest whenever you get the chance.”
I wanted to give in and succumb to his sweet, caring words, but I just couldn’t seem to break down the protective emotional barrier that I had surrounded myself with. I wouldn’t delude myself into thinking that everything was suddenly okay between us now.
“Daphne,” he said in a hard voice that I really wasn’t in the mood to hear. “I’m also fairly certain that you would co to regret it if you let yourself go hungry in your current condition.”
I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes further up at him at the tone he used. He definitely didn’t have the authority to start ordering around like he was my father or even my boyfriend. He was very obviously neither.
He stared at for a mont, pursing his lips slightly at my unyielding expression. He put his hands up in surrender.
“Sorry, sorry,” he anded quickly, seeming to finally read my expression correctly. “I’m not trying to order you around, Daphne. I just want you to think of the baby. Please, eat sothing.” He picked up the plate of food and held it out to .
I stared down at the food before looking into Rion’s eyes again, trying to read his intentions. His gray eyes were suddenly endless depths, and I thought I really could see straight into his soul.
I saw the grave intensity of our situation as well as fear and anxiousness at the very real danger that we were still in. Just beneath that was, to my shock, so actual concern for . It was clear in the way that his thick eyebrows were furrowed as he stared into my eyes.
I tried to see if I could detect anything deeper, wanting to feel more affection, but the anxiety and concern were the most potent emotions swimming in his suddenly very expressive orbs.
I hesitated for another mont before slowly reaching out and taking the plate, settling it on my lap before beginning to pick at the slices of fruit that were placed there.
“Thank you,” Rion said after watching eat a couple of bites.
I was montarily stunned by the genuine tone he used.
Then, he chuckled. “Just focus on taking care of yourself for now. You can strangle all you want later.”
I scoffed around a mouthful of food, feeling more energized with each bite that I took. I had hardly eaten anything during my ti in Gareth’s mansion. I had tried multiple tis, knowing I needed to keep my nourishnt up for the baby, but the fear kept from being able to keep much in my system.
It took a mont to realize that Rion was watching closely as if wanting to make sure that I actually ate enough. I was about to open my mouth to snap at him, but he suddenly pinned with a stern look, his eyebrows knitting together as he glared at .
“Also, you should know that last night was the last ti you’re going to bed without , whether that is to sleep or do other things.” He smirked at , his gray eyes darkening.
I felt my cheeks heat up, but I rolled my eyes. “Dream on,” I muttered, but I averted my eyes shyly and continued to eat my breakfast under Rion’s watchful eyes.
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