21

Word Count: 1721

~Kiva

I'm going to get in trouble for this in the morning, I already know it.

Thankfully a maid owed me a favour, so I convinced her to slip what I insisted was just a crushed up vitamin into Ark's drink tonight.

She wasn't convinced on the vitamin excuse, but she did it anyway.

Nothing can come between me and meeting my mate tonight. And nothing does, as I step over Ark's unconscious form lying against the wall beside my door.

I'm tempted to kick him in the ribs for all the brutal training sessions he's inflicted upon me, but him waking in the morning with a bruise won't bode well for me.

It takes me minutes to get out of the house and into the dark, snowy labyrinth of the forest.

Once I reach our previous meeting spot, I stand and wait, leaning against the frozen trunk of the tree.

He doesn't come.

I'm not sure how long I wait, pacing incessantly until my boots have worn a perfect line in the snow.

Eventually I tire, trekking back toward the manor, guided only by the silvery moonlight that drenches the backyard.

Guilt, shame and disappointment accompany me as I make it back upstairs. Ark is still knocked out, as I crouch down to his level, tilting my head to see under the soft black locks of hair that have fallen over his closed eyes.

"I should draw a cock on your face, asshole," I mutter.

He doesn't move, breathing softly.

He looks so odd sleeping. I never see him vulnerable, peaceful. He's beautiful...

Part of me can imagine turning over in bed to see him sleeping, entirely naked under watery dawn sunlight. It would douse his perfect, muscular abdomen and...

I shake my head. What is wrong with me?

I leave my forbidden thoughts at the threshold of my room before crawling under my sheets, allowing only thoughts of my mate to plague me until morning.

By the time it's rolled around, I know only one thing.

I do not want to train today.

Regardless, I trudge downstairs and outside to the gym where Ark awaits, already sorting out the equipment he plans to use.

"I have an idea for an exercise we can do to aid your training," he says, not looking up.

I rub my hand over my face. "Sure. What is it?"

"I need to make sure you're up to it first." When he looks up at me, there's concern in my eyes. I frown, not sure I like what he is implying.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask warily.

"You look withdrawn recently. Distracted," he observes.

I laugh bitterly under my breath. I haven't had a thought not plagued by either him, my mate, Caspian or my life as Princess in days.

"I'm fine. Seriously." I don't need to burden him with what haunts me.

"It's about your mate. That you went and met up with," he guesses, tilting his head to study my expression.

"Huh? That's not-"

"I woke up the other morning feeling like I had been drugged. Figured you slipped me something to go see him." He says it so casually, like he's not angry at me.

I feel so pathetic, so embarrassed about last night. Of course he wasn't there. Whatever Ark has planned for me as punishment, I welcome it.

"He wasn't there..." I admit.

He lowers his gaze, frowning. "Oh. Good."

"He wouldn't have known I was coming, but it still hurts." I sigh, turning away from him. I'm not going to cry, even if I'm tempted.

This is never going to work. I'll never know my mate.

"It's time to concentrate on your training, alright?" Ark says gently. I appreciate him pulling us away from this topic, giving me something else to worry about.

He knows my mate is gone. I wonder if he pities me.

"Yeah. Okay," I mumble.

When I turn back around, there is no emotion left on Ark's face. He stands straighter, back to that ruthless, stoic trainer that I know so well.

"Learning how to fight here, where you're comfortable is one thing. But learning how to defend yourself when you're under pressure is an entirely different feat."

I shift from foot to foot. "So?"

"So, I want to simulate an intrusion," he says, no turn in his expression. A flash of panic seizes me, remembering the horror of being attacked that first night.

They may have been my mate, but I've never felt fear like I did that night.

"You're going to hire someone to try to kill me?" I tense, stomach hollowing out. I'm nowhere near proficient enough for that.

"No...I'm going to do it." He rubs his hands together. I level a look, considering his quiet excitement.

"I won't be scared if it's you."

He gives me a raw, aching stare. "Oh you will be."

Something deep inside me flutters to life. I can't tell if it's just anticipation, or if I'm fearful. Ark is an intimidating, frightening person, but he isn't going to hurt me.

At least not physically...

Ark notices the conflict in my expression, frowning. "If it's too much..."

I force a smile onto my face. He's right, this could be beneficial. Instead of wanting to hide or run, I need to learn how to fight back when another intrusion happens.

"Make it look real, Ark."

"Sleep like normal tonight. I won't tell you the time, it cannot be something you anticipate," he hastens to add.

My smile trembles a little. "I'm looking forward to kicking your ass."

Something glistens in his eyes before he turns toward the weight rack.

"We'll see."

As soon as training finishes, I dash upstairs to my room to prep it for the night.

Ark didn't seem to notice me smuggling an extra couple knives in my jacket pocket that I've now taken to my room. I hide them in various spots throughout my room inanticipation for any kind of attack.

One goes under my pillow, with my usual dagger beneath the mattress.

For the rest of the day I try unsuccessfully to busy myself with other tasks to get this invasion out of my head.

Ark has taken the afternoon off, which has tripped up my usual routine, and has added to my anticipation.

I'm scared, but I'm also excited.

Once night finally falls, I dress in shorts and a tight shirt and slip under the covers.

I don't fall asleep. Instead, I lay for hours staring up at the ceiling. Eventually I reach under my pillow and pull out the knife, keeping it clutched in my hand as I wait patiently.

I shouldn't be excited about tonight.

It's so wrong, yet my heart patters rampantly against my ribs.

I swear I'm paying attention. I'm aware of everything around me, even as I'm bathed in darkness, and yet I don't notice Ark is in the room until he is on top of me.

He grabs my wrists with painful force, pushing them into the bed beside my head. The knife clatters to the floor, panic freezing me for a brief moment.

He's strong. Really strong, and I doubt he's even using all he is capable of.

I can't see his face as I fight against him, trying to force the weight of him off my body. I manage to disrupt him enough to dislodge one of my wrists, but he quickly rearranges it so that he has both my wrists in one hand, the other wrapping around my neck.

I freeze.

The grip isn't tight enough to hurt me, but it's a simulation of what could happen where I actually about to be murdered by an intruder.

For a long moment, I don't move. I don't fight back.

I can feel Ark staring down at me, even though I can't see his face. Something has shifted between us...

I should be concentrating on this simulation, on how I might escape, and yet there is something painfully intimate about the way Ark is pressed against me, the way his hand is wrapped around my neck.

Something dark and forbidden buzzes between us. I know he feels it too, as he leans faintly closer.

"Do it. Kiss me," I whisper.

Ark leans forward, however instead of brushing his lips against mine, I can feel them near my ear.

"And give you what you want?" He murmurs, his tone sounding like a sinister threat and a sensual promise.

Using this moment of distraction, I use my body weight to push him off me. The moment his grip loosens, I jab him with my knee in the stomach before rolling off the bed, pushing myself away until there is a good distance between us.

Ark coughs once, leaning over to switch the lamp on.

"Well done, Kiva," he says, pulling the hood down. "Although, you weren't meant to enjoy that."

My heart flutters at the sight of him. His dark hair is all messy and he is dressed in black clothes that are far more sinister than his usual training attire.

I smile coyly. "Who said I did?"

Ark laughs breathily, pulling his gloves off. My mouth dries as I take in his bare hands. It's an unusual look for my guard.

"Your intruder won't want to be kissing you," he reminds me.

My heart stumbles over itself as I consider the idea that Ark wants to kiss me. And then I think about my mate, the intruder, who did kiss me.

"Yeah. Probably not," I say uncomfortably, dipping my head down so Ark can't see my cheeks flush bright pink.

"You did well, though. You're learning."

I smile triumphantly. "I beat you."

He stalks toward the door, ruffling a hand through his hair. "Uh huh."

I stare at his back, realisation dawning on me.

"You let me win. Really?" I sigh. Of course he did, he is a mercenary trained for the purpose of killing. If the purpose of this exercise was to kill my confidence, then he could have.

Ark doesn't turn as he walks from the room. "Like I said. You're doing well."

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! and as always it is available 10 chapters ahead on Radish!

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~Midika 💜🐼