Chapter Two: Let me touch you

"Closer wife." 

She pressed her lips tighter and despite the moment of hesitation, she still obeyed, causing Romeo's eyes to lighten up even more. 

Roselle steeled herself as she continued to approach Romeo. They were already too close, and their faces were only inches apart! She didn't dare look up at him and just kept her eyes staring straight at his chest while waiting in anticipation. He finally bent over, so close that his lips felt like they lightly brushed past her ear. She knew it didn't, but his cool breath caressed her ear and she couldn't help but feel disoriented. "My wife finally made a move on me." 

She drew back, looking at him. "What?" 

He bent again, this time, his breath swept past her cheek. "She nearly kissed me. That's her first ever move on me." 

Roselle was so speechless her jaw dropped. And then her face became red as a cooked lobster as Romeo eased back with a satisfied and somewhat seductive smile. "You don't need to do it sneakily my wife, you are always welcome to just jump on me and devour me anytime. I am yours after all." He added with a wicked chuckle and Roselle felt like her entire body would blow up due to overheating. 

"I… I wasn't… that was –" she stammered so badly and before she could even form a coherent sentence and regain her bearing, Romeo moved back and yanked on his collar as if he were in a hurry to take off his clothes. 

Roselle's eyes immediately widened, and her body stiffened but when she looked into his face, he had his eyes closed as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"Where is this place?" Roselle asked.

"This is Darcia, it is the only safe place we could stay for now." The prince replied.

Dacria, the northernmost City of the werewolf's empire was not an unknown place to Roselle. A few months ago, Roselle had taken a look at the map of the Northern Empire and this place named Dacria had caught her interest. It was because it's the only place in the entire empire that seemed to have nothing there, but an abandoned land covered with ice. 

When Roselle asked her father if anyone lived in that place, she was surprised when her father told her that it was probably the most formidable place in the whole werewolf empire. He had told her then that they had no other detailed information about this place as no human had ever set foot in it. She had understood then that the reason why the estate was a blank canvas on the map was because of the lack of intelligence the humans had about it. Lucius had thought out on multiple worst-case scenarios and had considered Dacria as a place they needed to take seriously, probably more so than the werewolfs' imperial capital, because he had the sneaking suspicion that it would be the last area which they had to conquer in order to destroy the Werewolf' empire. 

Hearing Romeo mentioning Dacria as a safe haven had Roselle swallowing hard. She remembered what one of the human generals had declared about the place. He had mentioned that the werewolves could be hiding something in it. Something they could only call as a horrifying secret and that was why all these years, no human had ever set foot on that land. She had also heard that none of the spies who tried to infiltrate into the city of Dacria hundreds of years ago and even until now had ever returned alive. 

The reminder of that thought made Roselle subconsciously tense up and her heartbeat suddenly picked up. She was wondering what made him call a place no human had ever seen a safe place for her. What could it be that was hidden away there? 

Romeo seemed to have felt the slight changes in her and he halted. Carefully, he wore his clothes back and gestured for Roselle to sit down.

"What is it? Are you angry at me?" he asked, searching her face for something to give him a hint. 

Roselle blinked. She struggled to look away from him and looked around. "No, it's not that I'm angry. I just don't understand why we're not staying in the Werewolf Empire."

"We're already in the empire but not in the capital. I have some issues with my father and I had to escape just to protect you." 

"Protect me? Why? Is someone planning to hurt me." Roselle's eyes widened.

"They might. If you stay longer in the capital. You know, I'm quite different from other Werewolves because I'm a true blood, the rightful one to the throne of the Werewolf Empire. But the emperor hates me because of this and he's making plans to kill me. I had to move away from the capital and him to protect you and myself. Darcia is safer for us, so don't be scared." Prince Romeo assured Roselle before standing up to remove his clothes again.

"I'm not a bad guy Roselle... I already promise to protect you at all cost. My life is on it."

Watching him, Roselle was surprised at how human he looked and acted right now. His appearance was as godly as usual, but he felt a little more human when he was dishevelled.

And before she knew it, she had approached him and reached out to help him remove his shirt. Romeo immediately paused in his movements, staring down at her in shocked surprise. His little shy and wary wife was helping him remove his shirt? 

Roselle remembered her parents. Every time her father arrived home after a meeting with the emperors or from a war, her mother was always there to support and aid him in every little thing. She did not allow the servants to help her husband take off his robes and shirt. Her mother had told her that this was not just because it was her duty as his wife, but also because it was her way of showing her support and care for her husband. 

Roselle did not know whether or not she was doing the right thing. She was well aware that her marriage with Romeo wasn't like her parents which was grounded in their love for each other. Theirs was a love match, while hers and Romeo wasn't – it was a transaction. And she was not supposed to end up caring about him. She sighed in her mind and thought how messed up her situation had become just this short time of being here in the Werewolves realm. 

But no matter what, she was still his legal wife and remembering the fact that Romeo had chosen to take her away from the capital for her safety and ended up being labelled as traitor, Roselle could no longer bring herself to keep hardening her heart against him and to keep thinking of him as her enemy. 

All of a sudden, he bent, and he buried his head in the hollow of her neck. "Roselle…" he uttered her name, his voice became hoarse. Roselle felt goosebumps form on her skin as never had her name sounded so tantalizingly seductive from another's lips. She waited for what he would say next with bated breath, but nothing else came. He just stayed still and remained in that position. 

"Y-yes?" Roselle managed to say. Her heart starting to thud harder. "Are you alright?" 

He shook his head and Roselle was slightly alarmed. 

"Wha… what's wrong? Should I–" 

"No." he cut her off, still not moving at all. 

Roselle slowly lifted her hand to touch his arm. She felt his muscle contracted at her touch. And he was cold. 

Her eyes widened and her heartbeat accelerated because she knew that he wasn't like other Werewolves. Romeo was never cold to the touch but comfortingly warm. 

"I think you're not fine." panic was evident in her voice. 

"Are you worried?" he asked and even his breath against her skin was cool she couldn't help but shiver. 

"Of… course. Please let me go call someone…" 

She felt him smile and he eased back, his eyes glimmering as he gazed down at her. 

"No need, wife. I don't need someone else to help me." 

"But…" she was about to protest but she somehow knew that any number of objections she raised would be futile. "Then, what do you want me to do? How can I help you?" she asked, unable to hide her panic anymore. 

"Let me touch you."