4

SIMONE.

I was visibly shaking; cold sweats trickled down from my temples as he pulled away from me. I could see him grinning widely, yet I couldn't tell what was going on in that pretty head of his.

“Have you two met before?” Marcel was quick to ask, and I saw how pissed off he was at the sight of the Lycan king and me kissing.

“I don't answer to lowly miscreants like you; I came here for my bride, and I'll be leaving with her.” Giovanni responded curtly; his voice, gesture and words all demanded respect. Marcel had gone white from fear yet seemed to be so green from envy, gotten cut short by Giovanni's words.

“My betta would have the alliance settled; I do not wish to spend a minute more in this pack... I'm leaving; it's nice meeting you all,“ he asserted again, turning on his feet while grabbing me by my arms and dragging me behind him.

“Simone. Wait” Marcel yelled out after me. I stopped for a brief moment, turning to face him, my heart racing in my chest. He hesitated for a bit but resigned from speaking.

Of course I was a fool. What was I expecting? He didn't care that I was a stand-in for his lover. He didn't care that Valerie ought to be married to the Lycan King. Not me. He doesn't care, and nothing would change, what was I expecting?

I shot each one of them daggered gazes before clearing my throat.

“This isn't goodbye,“ I muttered to myself. I felt Giovanni intertwine his fingers with mine as we headed out towards the garage. 

Four sleek black cars were parked outside. I took in the beauty of the scenario and I headed towards the car. Giovanni held out a door for me, and I settled inside. He turned over to the other end and settled right next to me. Soon the engine was ignited, and we began the drive.

My heart ached briefly. I didn't feel this way even during my marriage to Marcel, but I guessed this was it. I was leaving, or rather I was being disposed of and tossed aside; my father never wanted me to begin with; I was nothing but a daughter raised for this very moment. A necessary sacrifice.

“Don't go all silent on me now, princess. You sure had a lot to say about me last night.” Giovanni's voice rang through the air, and all my memories settled in clearly and perfectly fine. I really did a lot of nonsens about him to him.

I fiddle with the hem of my dress, still too startled to look at this man whom I had begged to thrust faster into me the previous night; I called him a monster. I begged to be saved. I did all sorts of terrible things to him. What a bloody moron I had been. Spilling what came to my mind.

“Look at me when I speak to you, simone. Your eyes...don't keep them from me; they are beautiful,“ he asserted once. A certain dominance in his words, I did just as he asked, the silence that followed his words weighing on me. 

Luckily there was a barricade between the front seats and the back, saving me from embarrassment from the mere thought that the drivers could hear my words.

“I deserve death... I should never have spoken like that; I didn't know... I only heard a lot of rumors about you... I thought you... you…” I stuttered, finding it hard to complete my sentence.

But I could see an amused smile stretching on his lips as he crossed his legs, settling his head slowly into his palms before slowly  curling his fingers around my hair.

Tension coursed through my body, not knowing what thoughts were in his head at the moment.

“You thought what? That I'd be ugly? With so many scars? Walking with a limp? Bald perhaps?” He asked with a light chuckle. Teasing me, but my throat ran dry. 

And I sure as hell knew he could hear how fast my heart was beating in my chest; this wasn't making sense; the Lycan king was heartless. Cold, ruthless, a killer whom many feared. I pictured him to be anything but this man who looked breathtakingly handsome and was smooth-talking. 

“Your eyes!” He retorted, taking me by surprise, I was quick to fix my lingering gaze back on him. My heart is beating even faster... louder.

“I deserve death, Lord Giovanni." I chanted in haste, scared for my life.

He said nothing for a moment; a stoic and cold expression settled on his face.

“Why would you beg? ... Why should you? Everyone who did this to you, who watched you and mocked  you,I would break them for you; they should be the ones begging and not you.” He asserted once again that he had a way with words, and I could sense how much anger they carried, even when I had been the one who they had hurt.

He stroked my cheeks fondly again.

“You look tense, princess... relax…"  He ordered, and just like I had been sired by him, my body had done just that, relaxing into his touch.

He pulled me closer, his arms against my wrists while reaching towards my lips; however, he moved his lips against my eyes. And placed light pecks against them.

“You will never shed a tear again, Simone... Not when I am alive; I will protect you from everyone and everything. I will make them beg for their deaths; they will fall to your feet; anything and everything you want, I will do for you, Simone, but I ask of you... just one thing.”

My cheeks flushed red as I listened to his words. Was this man confessing a twisted love for me?, or was I merely hearing things.

"What... what am I to do in return for your help?" I asked, bracing myself as I spoke, No price was too much to pay for those who had mocked me; I would do anything to bring them down; even if the man wanted my life after everything, I would gladly give it to him.

“All I want is for you to remain by my side, Simone. ! All I want…’ he said, grazing his thumbs over my lips, firing up all the neurons in my mind to respond to it.

“All I want is for you to love me; keep me on a leash, and I'll remain your dog, loyal to you. I want you, Simone...all of you, to be mine and mine alone.”