Aria listened to him and heard him, even as she got up from her seat and headed toward the bed, the faint rustle of cloth fabric the only sound she made.
Done with her food and seeing no reason to linger by the now-empty plate, she left Zyren still kneeling there, not a trace of concern on her face as she moved back to the bed and sat on it, the mattress dipping slightly under her weight as she exhaled.
Zyren rose to his feet, smooth and unhurried, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You should walk a bit for your food to digest," he told her, his tone light, almost teasing, as if this were any ordinary day.
Aria looked at him with a deeply skeptical expression, one brow arching ever so slightly.
"What do you know about that?" she asked, shaking her head. Especially considering the fact that he was a vampire and mostly just... pooped out his food as waste.
She fell back onto the bed, the pillows shifting beneath her as she settled in, continuing to speak. "...I need so space, though. I need so ti to mourn my sister," she said seriously, her voice quieter now as she turned her face toward him.
Zyren stood by the bed with his arms resting loosely at his sides, his posture relaxed but attentive.
He still looked every bit as nacing as the first ti she had ever seen him. His long black hair fell past his shoulders in dark waves, framing his pale face, and he still wore the black outer coat he almost never took off, the fabric heavy and regal. His features were still outrageously handso, sharp and striking in a way that felt almost unnatural, even as his red eyes silently bored into her, glowing faintly in the dim light of the room.
Their gazes t and held.
Then he asked a question that genuinely astounded her.
"Are we good?" Zyren asked. " and you?"
For a beat, Aria was stunned. The question lingered in the air, fragile in a way she hadn’t expected from him. Then she let out a low laugh, the sound rough but real, a crack in the tension.
"...So you do feel sothing," she said in a slightly teasing manner, fixing her gaze on him before rolling onto her side, the sheets whispering beneath her movent as a small smile curved her lips.
"Of course we are," she continued. "Have you forgotten that I’m carrying your baby? Why would I be if I didn’t love you too?"
She shook her head lightly, as if the answer should have been obvious.
Another human might have been angry, sad, or both—that she hadn’t imdiately returned his confession of love when he had said it. But Zyren clearly wasn’t. He simply watched her, patient, unoffended.
He’s a vampire that has lived for decades. I’m sure he has no problems waiting, she thought to herself.
Her expression sobered as she went on, the teasing fading from her eyes.
"I just need so space," she said firmly. "Not you crowding around every day, watching like I’m going to do sothing drastic. I’m mourning, not stupid."
She paused, then continued, her tone calr, steadier.
"I’ll eat properly and even head out to walk in the sun. You can co along too."
With a long sigh, she turned her gaze to the ceiling. Murals stretched above her—ancient designs etched into stone, depicting battles, beasts, and forgotten legends she had never truly taken the ti to admire until now.
"...In the anti, go do other things," she added, a hint of frustration slipping back into her voice. "I’m tired of seeing your handso face."
Despite her words, she lifted a hand and beckoned him closer with a sly, unmistakable smile.
A smile that widened when Zyren didn’t hesitate even for a second. He moved closer until he was right beside her on the bed, the warmth of his presence undeniable, his body hovering over hers. Aria raised her head, reached up, and pulled him down to kiss him squarely on the lips, firm and unyielding.
"We’re fine, so leave," she said with a chuckle, breath warm against his skin.
Zyren, however, leaned down further, trailing soft, lingering kisses along her mouth and then her neck, his lips brushing her skin in a way that made his intentions painfully clear—he didn’t want to leave at all.
Not until she pushed him away, telling him no, her hands firm against his chest. She was more than aware of where things would lead if they kept kissing, which was exactly what Zyren wanted.
Zyren finally pulled away, though not before asking her one last question, his tone careful, almost respectful.
"You don’t mind if I take care of the hunters?" he asked, as if he were genuinely making sure it wasn’t a problem for her—sothing Aria knew he never would have considered asking her before.
"...Are you worried that I would care about them?" she asked, arching a brow. Especially when so of her extended family were most likely still alive and part of them.
"I don’t care, though," she added with a tired sigh as she fell back into the bed, the mattress creaking softly beneath her.
Zyren nodded lightly, accepting her answer. He backed away slowly, still holding eye contact with her, his red eyes lingering on her face as if morizing it, before finally turning and leaving the room, the door closing softly behind him.
Only then did Aria turn her gaze downward.
Her hand moved to her belly, resting there gently as she rubbed slow, absentminded circles over it. She had begun to realize—slowly but surely—that her belly was growing much bigger, much faster, than she had expected, the curve beneath her palm undeniable.
"I hope you’re a boy," she whispered under her breath.
The thought made her smile faintly. A baby with even the slightest resemblance to Zyren—those sharp features, that dark hair—would probably be the cutest thing she had ever seen.
She let out a low sigh.
Her lashes fluttered closed as exhaustion finally claid her. Before fully drifting off, she made sure to inform the guards not to disturb her for any reason. At that point, even if the world itself was falling apart, she wanted nothing to do with it.
And as she slept, unaware—
A storm was brewing on the horizon.
One that the overall leader of the Zygon beast had already decided would place Aria right at its center—whether she wanted to be there or not.
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