*Soren*
After sending Payne on another recon mission, I headed back to the hotel. Instead of following Mila directly, I sent him to keep an eye on the bounty hunters.
I made my way to the top floor and headed toward my room. Halfway down the hallway, I paused.
A slender, brunette beauty leaned against my door. She wore a familiar white sundress, her brown hair rippling down her back like a chocolate waterfall.
She had her ankles crossed and leaned against my door casually, but also in a way that made it impossible not to see the perfect shape of her body.
“Rosalie?” I murmured, thinking that maybe I was dreaming again.
The woman turned around and smiled gently, nodding to .
I scoffed and rolled my eyes at myself. No, it wasn’t Rosalie. It never would be.
Instead, Mila stood there. Inwardly, I chastised myself. What the fuck was I thinking? Why was I still thinking about Rosalie? There was seriously sothing wrong with .
I approached Mila, crossing my arms.
“Why are you here? What do you want?” I asked sharply.
Mila licked her lips and tried to smile again. I saw her jaw tense, her lips strained. She forced her smile wider.
“I was waiting for you,” she said in a soft, sultry voice.
I pursed my lips and arched an eyebrow at her. Less than an hour ago, she yelled at to stay away from her and ran off again. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with and nothing from .
And yet, here she was, at my door, wearing an outfit obviously ant to entice .
I narrowed my eyes at her.
The dress wasn’t all that was different. She’d showered. I could sll the nice fragrance of her shampoo.
What was she up to? Most won who tell a man to leave them alone and run off don’t co back an hour later looking for sothing... deeper.
I looked her over and shook my head. It bothered that she could make think of Rosalie so easily. It bothered that I couldn’t stop thinking about Rosalie! I’d tried to let her go. I even hopped dinsions to get as far away from her as possible.
Had Mila co into my life simply to be a reminder of what I longed for and could never have?
She was free to leave from the temple. I hadn’t followed after her and I hadn’t tried to stop her once she ran. If she’d just taken that chance then her issues would be long gone, along with the aching in my heart for Rosalie.
Had she co back just to tornt further?
Of course, Mila didn’t know anything about Rosalie or how she impacted . Maybe this was my punishnt for running away and abandoning my family. The Moon Goddess would never let forget or move on.
Well, if Mila was my punishnt, I didn’t have to make her existence any easier.
“Do you know what kind of won dress up and show up at a man’s door in the middle of the night?” I asked coldly, narrowing my eyes further.
Mila took a half step back and pressed her hand to her chest. She looked offended for a mont, then her face flushed. I thought it was embarrassnt until I saw her clench her hands at her sides.
She’d attacked with a knife before, I wouldn’t put it past her to try and hit .
I raised an arm, ready to block her, but Mila relaxed her fists.
She took a deep breath and gave a sweet, challenging smile.
“I didn’t know you would read that deeply into my actions,” she said, arching an eyebrow. “You’re free to perceive however you want, but if that’s what you think of won, that sounds more like a you problem.”
I scoffed but held my tongue. The insult I threw at her ca from my own anger at myself. It wasn’t like I was really mad at her. I knew I was overreacting.
I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smirking. Her reply was... unexpected and intriguing. She was definitely after sothing.
But that was just how she was. Whatever she wanted, I knew it was about her own survival. She wouldn’t be here unless she was desperate and that made curious. What could have happened in the past hour to make her suddenly so desperate to put herself back in my presence?
Waving her aside, I opened the hotel room door and went inside. I left the door open, giving Mila the chance to co in if she chose to.
***
*Mila*
Soren disappeared into his room but he left the door open. I stood in the doorway for a mont wondering if I should follow.
Well, I wasn’t going to get what I ca for by standing out in the hallway all night. I went in and closed the door behind .
Soren moved around the room and I leaned against the doorfra. He hadn’t really invited in and he hadn’t offered a place to sit, so I wasn’t sure if he was going to turn around and tell to leave.
He was upset about sothing. I thought it was at , but it felt deeper than that. He lashed out in anger, I’ve seen that happen again and again, but I got the feeling that he wasn’t directly angry at .
Thick silence hung between us as Soren moved around the room, busying himself with picking things up and moving them around. It didn’t look like he had an actual purpose to anything he was doing.
“So... Do you have anything to drink?” I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Without glancing at , Soren went straight to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.
My stomach twisted nervously. That was a little more intimate than what I was thinking. I just wanted a glass of water because my throat was dry.
Still, without speaking, Soren sat down on the couch and nodded to the seat beside him. He set the glasses and wine bottle on the coffee table.
I rubbed my hands together and bit my lower lip. Drinking wine on a couch together was pretty... intense.
Shaking my head, I walked across the room and sat down. I had made up my mind that I would do whatever I needed to in order to get his help tonight. This was all about survival and there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to survive.
Soren shifted slightly on the couch, making a comfortable space between us. I sighed and relaxed slightly.
While he uncorked the wine, I looked him over. The light in the room was dim but I was close enough to see the lines on his face.
Sure, I’d looked at him before and I’d seen how handso and attractive he was. I’d never really seen him before, not until I looked at him in this lighting.
I’d always looked at him as an enemy, so I was guarded and refused to see deeper than his physical features. The room was so relaxed and I could finally see more of him.
He was good looking, there was no dancing around that. Who was I kidding? He was more than good looking. He was absolutely gorgeous! But behind his attractiveness, I could see strength and fierceness.
The way he went through the motions of uncorking the wine and deliberately pouring it into the glasses showed focus. But I also sensed aloofness. Like his focus on the wine was a way to take him out of the current situation. He used that action to keep himself distant from being in the room with .
Soren swished the wine around in one glass and tasted it. He sighed and his eyes softened slightly.
It was the sa look he’d had in his eyes when I turned to face him after he’d called Rosalie. I couldn’t really rember, but I felt like he’d called that before.
Underneath that cold, distant, fierce exterior, he had a soft heart and tenderness. Maybe he was even a little gentle.
Of course, I knew that softness was reserved for soone else. The mysterious Rosalie. It had nothing to do with . When he looked at like that, it was because he was seeing her.
It didn’t matter who he longed for or who he reserved that tender, gentle part of himself for. I was here to make a deal with him and if the fact that I reminded him of soone else played to my advantage in this situation, I’d take it.
Soren topped his wine glass off and then handed the second one to . He leaned back on the sofa and relaxed. I could visibly see the tension lt off his muscles.
I looked into my wine glass at my distorted reflection on the surface of the crimson drink.
“So, tell , Why are you here?” Soren asked.
His eyes slid sideways until he was looking directly at .
I chewed the inside of my cheek, my face heating up. My hand tightened around the wine glass and I sighed. How did I want to ask him this question?
I had to tread carefully here or Soren would just laugh and throw everything back in my face. If I could appeal to that gentleness within him, I could probably make him do whatever I wanted. I just needed to find the right words.
In the graveyard, he seed intent on protecting . Maybe, if he saw as helpless or weak, he’d be willing.
Sighing, I nodded to myself, determined, and t his gaze.
I took a deep breath and said, “You know there are people after ... bounty hunters,” I started. I kept my voice soft and ek.
“Yes. Payne and I are the ones that told you that,” he said tartly, sipping his wine.
“Right. Well... after I left the graveyard I realized I wouldn’t be able to fight them all. I wouldn’t even be able to run from them all,” I said with a dramatic sigh.
I watched Soren’s face. So far, he showed no sign of buying my innocent, helpless routine.
“Another point I made to you in the graveyard,” he added.
“I know. And you were right. I didn’t realize it at the ti but the Black Fire poison is still... it acts up now and then and makes really weak. I don’t know how long it will be until I’m fully healed. I guess... what I’m saying is... Soren, I need your help,” I said, letting so desperation seep into my voice.
Soren arched an eyebrow at . He tilted his head to the side, seeming intrigued by my request. Suddenly, he chuckled.
“Why should I help you?” he asked.
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