HERLO: Why Would He?

Romare’s nostrils flared. He was mad, more than angry, but I wasn't going to let him go, not until he handed the suppressants over to me.

“Herlo,” he said at last. “Take your hand off me.”

I shook my head at him, my eyes lowered to avoid his soul-crushing gaze. “Give me the suppressants and I will.”

“You’re being very daring and you don’t know—“

“I don’t care.” I met his eyes. “Just give me what I want.”

Silence.

Seconds ticked by.

“Let go,” Romare said. “Or I’ll break your little fingers.” He stared at my fingers which twitched at his threats. Still, I stood my ground, grasping him much tighter.

“I don’t really want to stand here, holding you. It’s not helping me at all and it’s making my heat worse.” My stomach lurched, my legs unsteady. “Just give me the pills.”

“Why should I do that? Giving it to you or not is up to me,” Romare said softly.

My eyes widened. “So, you’re going to let me die?”

“No.”

“You’ll help me with my heat then?”

Disgust crossed his face immediately and he shoved back from me. “Of course not. I will never touch you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, reaching for the door to hold myself up. “Helping me doesn’t necessarily mean you have to touch me. Giving me the pills is one way. Why are you making this difficult?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“I’m not going to let you die. But I’m going to let you suffer a little bit, then I’ll give it to you.”

“Pathetic. Y-you’re trying to punish me for your own mistake,” I said firmly and dropped to the floor on my knees, weak. My hand fisted my chest as I breathed steadily, shutting my eyes for a few moments. He wasn’t just leaving, right?

But he did. He smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile and left, his footsteps growing distant.

I stared at nothing, my shoulders rising and falling in heavy breathing. There was no way I was going to suffer through the entire night until he decided to give the pills to me. I would lose my mind to the pain and discomfort.

My eyes trailed over to the well-made bed in the room and needing to lay down, I crawled over, climbing into it, my eyes stinging with tears. It hurt, It really hurt, no matter how tough I was trying to be, no matter how long I was trying to endure it.

I wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed by now, but the sudden knock before the door pushed open had me lazily lifting my head.

There, two maids stood, one ginger-haired, while the other was a brunette. They were both staring at my weakened form, whispering to each other as if too repulsed to approach me.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

“I’m not going to walk over there,” the blondie grumbled.

The ginger-haired shook her head. “And you think I want to. What if something goes wrong with me too?”

“Someone has to do it!”

“Yes, but it’s not going to be me. Did you know she came here in heat and trapped Sir Romare into marking her?”

“Ew.” Blondie sneered at me, both discussing as if I wasn’t in that room. I was sure they knew I could hear them, but it didn’t stop them. “She doesn’t even have a wolf. I don’t want to go near her.”

“Me neither.”

“So, who's going to do it?”

“I don’t—-“

“What is that?” I asked, forcefully setting myself up on the bed. Romare wasn’t in the room, but I could smell his strong scent. Where was it coming from? My gaze swept around the room before halting on the folded clothing the ginger-haired held. “W-what is that in your hand? Give it!”

I wanted it. It smelled of Romare, they belonged to him.

Disdain flashed in her hazel eyes and she cleared her throat. “Sir Romare said to give you these.”

I reached out a hand for it, but she tossed it onto the floor and took an immediate step back with her friend. “You can pick it up from here.” And they turned their backs on me before I could say a word. “Sir Romare says you are on lockdown and you can’t leave this room until your heat is over. So we are posted outside this door. If you need anything you call.”

They left, slamming the door shut behind them.

My gaze darted back and forth in disbelief. He didn’t just deny me the pills, but he was putting me on a lockdown tool?

‘I hate him, urgh, I hated him so much’

I took a shuddering breath and crawled off the bed, towards the folded clothing. It was a duvet, neatly folded, but it completely reeked of Romare. Was this really for me? To build a nest?

But why would he do that?

Sure, giving me his clothing was much better than any suppressant, as it wouldn't just help me through my heat, but it would serve as a comfort too. I just couldn’t understand why. For someone claiming to want to punish me, he wasn’t trying, not that I wanted him to.

I didn't even bother to go back to the bed, I just spread the duvet there and sprawled right into it, a deep sigh of relief involuntarily fleeing my mouth. My eyes felt heavy and even as darkness closed in on my vision, I heard the door click shut as if it’d been locked.

Was it?

And then little mumbles I couldn’t make out. Still, my ears perked up.

“…Remember it’s tonight, once sir Romare leaves! Keep an eye on her, don’t fuck this plan up or you two are dead. We need the girl dead, one way or another. And we mustn't get caught? Do you two understand?”

“Answer me!”

“Yes sir!”