Himari’s POV.-Zorien pulls back a little while I whimper. He presses his lips against my forehead and when I look up at him, I find his eyes dim as they seem to contain emotions I can’t quite place a finger on. He leans in closer to brush his face against mine and drag his cool words along. “I brought you nothing but pain, and yet, you never once regarded me with hatred.”“I was too hot-headed and it prompted me to take the steps I’ve taken. I got consumed in my selfish rage and sought to kill you right the moment I felt you enter into my territory...and I got what I deserve” He pulls away, his face contorting into a rueful expression.I shake my head to negate his words, working my lips to speak when he shuts me up with a finger placed on my lips. Staring into my eyes, he whispers hoarsely, “You drove me crazy, pup. I lost my mind months ago, even after resolving to myself on the day you first entered my mansion, that I would bring you a miserable death...”“...but I’ve
Himari’s POV.-I gulp with tension as Claire rolls a food trolley into the bedroom. With pensive eyes switching between the bathroom door and the bedroom exit, I’m stuck in dismay, unable to decide if I should obey or disobey Zorien. I look at the bathroom door, he’s not stepping out yet. I can just run out now. Yes, I should do that.“Where do you think you’re running off to, pup?”A cold shudder twists down my spine and I yelp from the weight his voice barrages on me. With tears in my eyes, I turn around to see Zorien walking away from the bathroom door. Claire bows to him in humble greeting to which he replies. She straightens and begins to make in the same direction towards me.I stand erect, my heart crying as Claire smiles at me and makes it out of the bedroom, leaving me behind. I look at the door at once, biting my lip in dismay. Zorien’s intimidating presence plants itself right against my back and large arms wound around my waist as he begins to pull me up until
Himari’s POV.-“Zorien, do you wish to mark me?”The way he promptly jerks, tells me of his surprise, and I rise slowly in his embrace that breaks loose. Zorien stares at me in bewilderment. Did I sound too desperate just now? I just wanted to know, since he’s been very particular about me lately. Did I seem assertive?His expression quickly changes, and he mutters a huff with his lips stretching into an appealing smile. I blush consciously, squirming into myself when his palm comes cradling my cheek and giving me the confidence to look right into his shimmering eyes.“It’s quite different with us Demons. We engrave a mutual sigil onto the skin of our mates. It could be anywhere, there’s no fixed place” He tells me, and I nod, “Oh, that’s how it’s done here? Is it painful?” I lean forward expectantly, and Zorien blinks at me for a moment before chortling in the next.He brushes his thumb across my brow, “Are you afraid?” He leans in, his breath mixing with mine while I pu
Himari’s POV.-“Ciel?”I come to an involuntary halt without me noticing. Not until he comes to perch in front of me and snap his fingers to shake me out of it. Ciel chuckles at me and teases, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Where have you been these days? Zorien mentioned about you and Welma returning to her hometown….”‘Oh dear, Himari, how do we get out of this mess? He’s gushing nonstop and his feelings for you are only lightening up the more’ Runa squirms and I break into a cold sweat.What do I do? How do I tell him? I’m not prepared to face him yet, my resolve is only half-baked.“Uh...Ciel, um, I want to tell you-”“Hey”Someone comes interrupting, and my ears ring at the sound of the familiar voice just before he comes draping down on me. I frown and hiss at Zorien who only nonchalantly wounds his arms possessively around my torso, nuzzling against my neck and driving my nerves ringing nonstop.‘Zorien, behave yourself!’ I scream through our mind-link and
Himari’s POV.-“Your Alpha is only one of those controlling the Darklings with the agenda of capturing you and handing you over to the actual enemy who resides here”.I stagger and Zorien’s hands are quick to respond as they grab my shoulders to steady me. He pulls me into his arms while I continue to relish in jarring shock. “Pup, don’t be scared. I’m here with you. I’m never relinquishing my duty to protect you, and you know that”.I grip his arms, using them to cushion my ache. I never expected it to be of such a grand scale like this. All of this information is making me dizzy. Oh, goddess, I can only count on you to protect my Pack and the others long enough for me to go salvage them.“Are you okay now?” I hear Zorien ask worriedly and nod, bringing my body up into a sitting position. His hands don’t leave me and I manage a quivering smile, “Yeah”.My voice comes out too shallow and I lower my gaze to my hands on my thighs. I still feel stricken with a hurricane of w
Himari’s POV.-“I’ve heard enough now! I won’t tolerate any badmouthing against my mate!”Fiery tears spill down my face and my limbs rattle from my sobs as I clench my teeth. How can they just ignorantly go ahead disrespecting my mate like this? I wonder if Zorien must’ve felt like this when all I held for him was aversion. I suddenly hate myself for it...but how could they even accuse him of enchanting me?“Mari”“No, Elsa” I shake my head at her, “You all know nothing about Zorien, I’ve been the one who lived ten whole months by his side and not any of you. He treated me better than that so-called Pack I come from. I can never pay back my gratitude for all he’s done for me...and then he turns out to be my mate, someone I’ve always yearned for. And you want me to let go of him?”Elsa lowers her eyes guiltily, and I look to my parents to find them still holding onto their disapproval. My friends look crestfallen and my brother, confused. I take pause and sniffle, opening
Himari’s POV.-I pick on my nails anxiously and receive a curt swat of someone’s hand against my hands. I flinch to see Claire frowning at me with disapproval. She scolds, “Don’t ruin our work, Mari. You’re overreacting unnecessarily”. I cower into myself, shying from my transforming appearance reflecting in the mirror. I mutter in a timid voice, “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it”. I hear her sigh, and I feel Tess’ hands retreat from my hair. I lift my head with a flustered face and they both chuckle softly.Tess steps away from behind me to stand next to Claire and she says to me, “You know, it’s an annual Ball and the guest scroll seldom changes. You don’t have to be on the edge, master Zorien did assure you it’ll be alright. Besides, it’s not like you don’t have us there as well when you start to itch to escape”.My head sinks between my shoulders to hear that, and they both laugh at me. Claire claps her hands, “Bring the dresses in!” At her call, I’m also turning arou
Himari’s POV.-“They’ll be thrilled to meet you.”Zorien prevents me from saying anything when he begins to bring me through the crowd of guests and toward the main entrance of the mansion. We stop right here, with Zorien acting ignorant of the paparazzi taking endless shots and making my eyes flood with lights.‘He’s here’ Through the chaos in my mind, I hear his sleek voice and feel his hand clutch my shoulder to press my side into him. I bring my eyes to peer forward and notice the flooding lights seem to have changed their brutal target to someone else.Zorien leans to tell me, “You’ve met him before. He’s Ashton’s father”.‘I knew it’d be him’ Runa scoffs in my head and I frown. That’s one Demon I don’t wish to meet. I’ve got no issues with his son, but I still can’t sympathize with my first encounter with him. I drag my frown up to Zorien, “You didn’t mandate I go to greet any of the guests that arrived, so why do you have to bring me to welcome him?”Zorien simp