Mark of the Erios

Chapter 8: Laress

Damien Blueblood Point of View

Her hands are soft and warm as she walks with me through the millions of stairs that sit throughout the castle.

We reached my room soon enough, Krys huffing from the large number of stairs. She seems to take notice on how close her room is to mine but makes no comment.

I throw the towel over a drying rack grabbing a pair of shorts from the drawer. After finally finding my mate, it's nice to be able to display my mark and walk around without covering myself. She gave no reaction when I walk back into the hallway shirtless quietly following when I start to lead again. I continue to twist and turn through the corridors reaching the private kitchen. Turning to my mate, her eyes are wide looking around. I assume this is much different than what she grew up with, "What would you like darling?"

I watch as a light blush rushes to her cheeks, but she forces it down answering the question.

"I like tomatoes." Her voice is very quiet looking over at the crates of fruits in the corner, tomatoes gleaming in the light.

"Then, my queen, you can have the whole box!"

"I am not your queen, but I will take the tomatoes. But not the box, I only need a couple." She doesn't let me respond running over to the crate grabbing the three biggest tomatoes she could find. Her small feet pad over the salt bucket, scooping herself a bowl.

"Salt on tomatoes?" My eyebrows raise in question.

She sighs and slowly puts down her food upset that I interrupted her feast, "We all have weird things, and this happens to be mine. Lay off."

I think back to my habits of eating and try to think if I have anything similar. She bites into the tomato like an apple pouring salt over it. She looks cute, something so small making her so happy that she dances on the stool.

"When I eat my oats I have the milk and oats separate and take a dry bite of the oats and then drink the milk right after so none of my oats get soggy." She gives me a look of horror and puts down her tomato.

"Mine might be weird, but you are psychotic." She finished off the last of the tomatoes she picked out going over to the crate to grab more, but I held my arm out stopping her. Her eyes sit level with the bottom of my bicep, the glare almost cutting into my skin.

"What Prince Damien." Her voice is harsh as looks up at me.

"Tell me something else about yourself and you can have more tomatoes."

Her jaw set, "You're telling me, that I can tell you anything about myself and you will let me get more tomatoes, anything?"

I nod at her, her sweet smile covering her features.

"My hair is blue and pairs well with my brown eyes."

I was floored, she walks right by grabbing three more tomatoes. She came back and stood in front of me.

"I can get back to my room from here I remember the staircase. Thank you have a good night." Her wink is what drove me over the edge. When she turned away I had to followed her... did follow her.

"You tempt me like you want, then leave me like you don't." My heart aches as she stops in the hallway breathing in deep.

"Is that a statement or a question?" Her voice is stone cold.

"It's what it needs to be."

She turns around slowly her tomatoes bundled up in her arm like babies.

"Prince Damien, I..."

"No. Stop talking. For once stop talking. You can't push me away again. You can't... We can't be avoided unless you outright reject me, but you haven't," My chest heaves but I continue, "If you don't want me, reject me. If you only want sex, tell me. If you want me to be your personal tomato supplier till the day I die, I will. Tell me what you want from me... I just want to be there for you in some way... with you."