Book I: Near Death Experience (18+) ✔️

19.

Entering the vessel's interior, I embraced the enveloping warmth, sensing an intensified heaviness in the air clinging to my skin. The interior boasted deep crimson walls and a plush carpet, granting an ethereal sensation while traversing. Despite the warmth, an icy chill permeated me, compelling me to tighten my coat. Guards stationed throughout the vessel became inconspicuous with the passing of time. Offering faint smiles to those I crossed paths with, I directed myself toward my designated quarters.

Knox, Cassandra, and Fredrik were elsewhere aboard, yet the weight of my interaction with Xander necessitated solitude.

My chamber, albeit modest, exuded coziness. Adorned with a single bed cloaked in blue and white striped linens, a diminutive dresser, and a desk complemented by a chair, it overlooked the vast expanse of the ocean through a window suffused with sunlight. The walls were painted in a soothing pastel blue contrasted with the light gray carpet. A diminutive bookshelf harboured an array of books, offering sanctuary from the world's travails.

Removing the fur and laying it on the bed, I felt the ache within my heart intensify. Descending to the floor, my dress fanned around me like a billowing cloud. Tears streamed down my face, my chest convulsing with the weight of contained emotions. It felt as though my heart had shattered into innumerable shards, and I yearned to curl up and cease all movement. The oppressive warmth enveloped me as I lay there, grappling with the aftermath of our encounter. Why had he spurned my advance despite marking me? In his definition, a mere kiss paled in comparison.

Did he no longer desire me?

Was reality too overwhelming for him?

As my heart shattered, the mark on my neck seared with pain in response. Tears flowed incessantly, and my chest heaved with sorrow, feeling as though my heart had fragmented beyond repair.

"Addy?" a knock startled me, and I held my breath, restraining the tears in my grasp. Recognizing the Norwegian accent that filtered through, I recoiled from being seen in such a vulnerable state. His muffled voice persisted, "My love? I can hear you." Hastily, I wiped away the tears, endeavouring to compose myself, hoping to conceal the reddened puffiness in my eyes. Straightening my dress and brushing aside my hair, I approached the door, steeling myself for what lay beyond.

"My dear..." Knox murmured to me as he glanced down at my figure. I endeavoured to maintain my composure, masking my true emotions despite my reddened eyes and a telltale sniffle. Stepping aside, I granted Knox entry into my room, softly asserting, "I'm fine."

Knox emitted a brief chuckle as he positioned himself before me, placing a hand on my cheek with a gentle smile. "Clearly, you are not, or else you wouldn't have those tears in your eyes," he observed.

A surge of intense emotions welled up within me, a tumultuous mix of feelings that encompassed all the anger I had harboured over the past few days. I pushed away his hand and swiftly closed the door before turning around, my voice raised in agitation. "Why didn't you mark me?"

"Adelaide," Knox hushed, his eyes reflecting a medley of emotions, yet my heightened feelings overshadowed any consideration. Tears welled up, fueled by a combination of anger and confusion coursing through me. "What? Are you going to reject me too!?"

"What are you talking about, Addy?" Knox inquired, his brow furrowing as he approached, and my emotional defences began to crumble. A sob escaped my throat, despite my efforts to contain it, and the words spilled out, "Xander, he..." I faltered.

"He wouldn't kiss me! And now my heart feels like it's breaking into a million pieces," I exclaimed, frustration and bewilderment flooding my tear-stained face as if my heart had shattered into fragments. Knox reached out, holding onto my waist as I started to collapse, steadying me as he murmured, "You feel rejected?"