VALORIA WILDEROSE
My heart is racing, beating out of my chest like drums, and I am breathless. Gasping for air even after I’ve gotten back into the mansion, far away from Azrael.
Even with the distance, his existence continues to hover around like a curse.
The warmth of his lips resides on mine, his touch still tickles my skin, and every second I lose focus on counting my steps, my mind relapses again—replaying that kiss and the feeling of his tongue, so sinful.
So... good.
It felt good, but that is all I’ll let myself read into that.
I admit I let myself fall into his gas and get into my head.
I let myself react to his taunting and kiss him, but it was to prove a point that I could seduce him if I really wanted to, and I haven’t because it’s not what I want to.
Because my plan no longer resides on making him bend to my will, if it were ever possible.
Yes... my plans to find the dagger and kill him.
The fresh reminder is like a bucket of ice that hits right in the face, stripping away the foolishness of the mont.
What are you even thinking, Valoria... playing around with the enemy, letting him make you laugh and let your guard down? Kissing him like that...
I smack myself on the forehead, strengthening my resolve again. Reminding myself that Azrael is a monster that needs to be vanquished, and all of this is just sweetness ant to guide off track.
He still has plans of killing the mont I lose importance, after all.
My walking finally leads to the floor my room is on, at the very end of it, and unfortunately, standing just outside my door is Ronan—my forr mate and my younger sister’s husband and baby daddy.
I freeze a few steps away from him, just as he looks up and ets my eyes. A small smile stretches across his face, and he leans off the wall, taking a step closer to .
"Hey."
I take a step back instinctively, building up a defensive wall in re seconds of seeing him.
He reads my reaction, thankfully taking the hint and retreating backward again, maintaining the distance between us.
"I’m sorry for showing up unannounced," Ronan apologizes.
Not like it ans anything.
All that pain and sorrow I have managed to bury thanks to Azrael cos surfacing back again simply from looking at him and eting his eyes.
mories of what we had and how easily it all fell co rushing back, and I can’t handle it right now.
I can tell he has sothing to say, standing there and waiting, but my gut stirs painfully. Whatever it is he wants to say, I don’t want to hear it.
I take another step back, turning around—deciding to go sowhere else or maybe wander the hallways until he leaves—but he rushes for , grabbing ahold of my arm before I can leave.
"Where are you going?"
Fingers dig into my naked skin painfully.
"D-Don’t t-touch !" I snap violently, slapping his hand away from . Reeling away like I’ve been burned by the slightest contact.
He raises both hands in surrender, rushing backward again, treating like a terrified exotic animal: giving space but refusing to let leave.
"I just wanted to talk to you. You look prettier," he begins nervously.
"I d-don’t w-w-want t-to t-ta-talk."
"C’mon, Valoria. Are we going to do this for the entire week that you’re here?" he sighs, disappointed.
All it does is add to my repulsion.
How dare he act like I should just wipe everything that’s happened between us under the rug?
"Didn’t you miss ?" He takes two steps forward again.
Reflexively, I flinch again, putting both hands ahead of myself like a shield. He sees it, turning hurt and offended. With a tired sigh, he rubs his temples, stepping back again.
"Fine. You want to apologize? I’ll apologize. I’m sorry."
"I-I d-don’t n-ne-eed your ap-po-ology."
"Okay, then what’s it going to take for things to go back to how they used to be before?"
Are you kidding ?
He wants us to go back to before—when I hung on every lie he uttered with so much falsified charisma, pinned my hopes on him like a fool even though nine tis out of ten, I was let down by all his promises?
"I want to apologize. I an, we had sothing special. I was all you had, and I just abandoned you to be with your little sister and strung you along up until our wedding before, but you have to understand. You of all people know what Marcella is like. If she wants sothing, she absolutely must have it."
The more he speaks with that smug, unapologetic tone, the more infuriated I beco.
And to think once upon a ti I loved his smug, prideful attitude—the way he wore his arrogance like a badge and felt entitled to things that didn’t belong to him—all just because I was desperate for a love I hoped he would give .
The idea of matehood amazed : a being crafted just for you, to love you, was everything I wanted after living a life void of it.
I made it a point back then, loving every odd, irritating thing about him, hoping he would do the sa thing for .
"I d-don’t n-need you t-to te-ll wh-what Marcella is l-like."
"Then you should know. I had no choice."
There’s no point listening to all this bullshit.
I try to leave again, but just like before, he holds onto my arm—this ti without letting go.
"For what it’s worth, the attraction is still there. Marcella is my wife, but you’re my mate," he spits, forcing nauseatingly close to him.
I try to push him away, my small fists banging against his chest that seems broader than the last ti I’d seen him; even his height seems considerably increased.
Like he’s hit so kind of secondary growth spurt in three weeks.
"Do you want to make it up to you? I can, if you want. The Alpha and I have been undergoing this secret project, and I swear I’m telling you—it’s going to answer all my prayers. Now I can have anything, everything I want."
He squeezes harder, and I can’t help but yelp in pain.
"L-let m-m- go."
"I just want to look at you for old ti’s sake."
His hands crassly fall on my waist, pressing my upper body against his so our faces are just inches away. More repulsion takes over, and I’m tempted to puke.
My entire body rejects him violently as if we were never mates at all.
"See, we fit like a glove. And when our plans are complete, I’ll be coming for you, Valoria."
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