"Aditya, leave me! Put me down! I swear, Iâll scream if you donât put me down!" I thrashed in his grip, my heart racing in panic.
His arms tightened around me like iron. "No, you fucking wonât," he growled, voice low and dangerous. "You donât take care of yourselfâthatâs why Iâm here. Iâll do it for you. Iâll fucking protect you from everyone."
"Adityaâ"
Before I could finish, his lips crashed onto mine. My body froze. My eyes widened. And all the while, he kept walking, carrying me effortlessly like I weighed nothing.
Minutes later, he kicked open a door and stepped into an empty room inside the castle. His footsteps echoed, his grip still firm around me. Thenâ a noise. Footsteps outside. He tensed, his body instantly on alert.
I came to my senses and tried to yellâ "Whâ"
His hand slammed over my mouth, cutting me off. His dark gaze locked onto mine, intense and possessive. "Shut up, unless you want me to do it again with my fucking mouth," he whispered, voice thick with raw warning. "And this time, you wonât like how I do it."
Heat shot through my veins, my face burning. His breath was hot against my skin, our bodies pressed together, no space, no escape.
"Itâs Aunt Bella," I whispered against his fingers. "I saw her hiding something. When I asked, she looked scared, like I caught her stealing."
His expression darkened, grip tightening as he scanned the room. Thenâ clatter. Something crashed outside. Panic gripped me. Without thinking, I grabbed him, yanking him closer. Too hard. Too sudden.
Our bodies collided.
His lips brushed the corner of mine.
I froze. My breath hitched. His dark gaze locked onto me, filled with something deep, something primal. And then, like something snapped inside him, his hand fisted into my hair, the other wrapping around my waist, yanking me flush against himâ and he devoured me.
His lips slammed onto mine, fierce, punishing, desperate. His tongue pushed against my lips, demanding entry, but I was too shocked to move. He growled, impatient, before his teeth sank into my lower lip. I gaspedâ and he took it. His tongue slid into my mouth, exploring, dominating, owning. Sucking, biting, soothingâ again and again.
My thighs pressed together, a needy ache pooling low in my belly. I pushed against his chest, breathless, dizzy, but he wouldnât stop. His grip tightened. His kiss turned even rougher, hungrier, filled with a desperation that made my heart pound.
Finally, he pulled back, panting, forehead resting against mine. "Donât fucking tease me, princess," he rasped, voice wrecked. "I canât resist you. Iâm already fucking whipped for you."
My eyes widened, my breath stolen. He suddenly looked around, making sure we were alone, then without a wordâ he scooped me up. Walked out of the castle. Placed me inside his car. Clicked the seatbelt into place. And then he got in beside me.
The car was silent. Tense.
I didnât look at him.
I couldnât.
Thenâ his hand slid over mine. Large. Warm. Claiming.
I stiffened. Looked at him.
He smiled. Small. Soft. Dangerous.
My face burned as I turned away, trying to pull my hand back. His grip tightened. "Princess," he murmured, voice pleading, "give me one chance. To love you. To protect you. Please, princess..."
I shot up in bed. Panting. Sweating. Heart racing. I whipped my head aroundâ my room. I was in my room. A dream. It was just a dream.
I stumbled to my vanity, pressing a cold hand to my burning cheeks. Fuck. I donât want to think about it. I canât think about it. First the car ride, now this? How the hell am I supposed to face him now? Not that I ever didâ I always hid in my room when he came over. It wasnât that I hated him⦠but he was intimidating. Too big. Too intense. Too much. And I didnât want him to see how much of an idiot I was.
Shaking it off, I took a long bath, drowning myself in the scent of watermelon-scented gel, slipping into a white silk dress. My infinity braceletâ Shivankâs giftâ dangled on my wrist. Almost everything I owned came from my mother and brother. Dad never really knew what I liked, only that I wore white, so he let them buy things for me. Stillâ I loved my family.
I headed downstairs, curling up beside my father as he watched the news. His arm wrapped around my shoulder, holding me close. I closed my eyes. Let myself relax.
Thenâ
"Breaking news! A massive fire broke out in an abandoned building, killing a group of young adultsâ"
I blinked, barely paying attention. I hated the news.
Thenâ
The screen changed.
Images of the dead.
Bodies burned beyond recognition.
And Iâ
I froze.
My vision blurred. My hands trembled.
Those faces.
Those fucking faces.
My bullies.
The ones who tormented me.
Two days agoâ they were laughing. Alive.
Nowâ gone. Dead. Burned.
No bodies left. No remains.
I should be happy. My panic attacks should be gone.
Butâ
I wasnât.
I was scared.
Shaking.
Tears burned my eyes.
My father pulled me closer, shielding me, soothing me.
But I couldnât stop seeing their faces.
Couldnât stop hearing their laughter.
And I couldnât stop wonderingâ
How the hell did they die so suddenly?