Captive

12 // Promise? Promise.

// Cyan's POV // 

"What?" I felt my breath catch in my throat. 

"I see the way he looks at you. The way he rakes his eyes over your body, the way only I should look at you," he growled. "He wants to take you, to win you over. You're his next prize." 

"So what's his plan? Whisk me off on his white horse and cause a war?" 

"You are not going anywhere with him," he spat, rolling me onto his bed. He hovered over me, heaving angry breaths. His skin was getting warm to the touch, and I feared what he might do next. Me, him, alone, in his room, on his bed. That's not a good recipe. 

"It would cause a war, wouldn't it? You would wage a war over me?" I felt meek. I understood that I was his mate, but a war over a girl? We weren't in Ancient Greece. 

"I would wage a thousand wars if it meant you might one day come back to me," his voice was soft now. He traced the outline of my jaw. 

"Why are you letting him stay?" 

He rose off of my body in annoyance. I sat upright, tugging my knees into my chest. 

"He says he want's to organize a treaty. The Council is meeting tomorrow morning to hear him out, and he wants you to be there." 

"Do you want me to be there?" 

"Most certainly not. God knows what he'll attempt to do. I don't want you exposed to that." I kept my eyes trained on the comforter surrounding me. 

"What happened to being your equal? Your Queen?" 

He looked at me, deep in thought. Was he changing his mind? Did handing me over to Xander seem like the easier option? He paced his way back over to me, kneeling to my level as he took my face in his hands. 

"Keeping you safe is my top priority, Cyan. Being the Queen will come second, always." He stood from his position on the carpet, still entranced by me. "Does that mean you're considering becoming Queen?" 

"I was being hypothetical..." I murmured, my gaze falling from his. 

"Of course you were," he laughed sickly. It was dry, and I could sense the tension coming back. The tension always came back. We had our moments, but that was all they were. Moments. "It's getting late, you should sleep." 

He made his way over to the door, and I couldn't help myself by calling out his name. 

"Where are you going?" 

He turned to me, wide-eyed, surprised that I was asking that. I was terrified. 

"To the office, to finish some work." 

"Don't leave me," I pleaded.  

// Damien's POV // 

"Don't leave me," her voice croaked. I felt my heart tug at the terror in her voice. She had been afraid of me since the day she had met me, but her fear of Xander seemed even more prevalent. It was powerful enough to overpower me, because she was doing things she had never done before. She was touching me, calling my name, asking things of me. She was talking about being my Queen. 

"Bring your sketchbook, I'll only be an hour," I sent her a soft smile. She leapt from the bed quickly, hurrying into her room to get her sketchbook. She emerged, trailing slightly behind me as we made the short trip from her room to my office doors. 

She settled in on the leather couch on the side of the room, opening the doors to let in the fresh air. Although I opened my laptop and made an attempt to work, I was distracted by her presence. Her beauty was effortless. Not in the physical sense. She had curled her hair, and tinges of makeup still dusted her face. The way she bit the inside of her cheek while her stern gaze was locked on the page in front of her was mesmerizing. 

Eventually, she caught me, peeking up at my desk through her long eyelashes. I don't think she expected me to be staring back, because her cheeks got bright red and she quickly lowered her gaze from mine. She closed the book softly, sliding it onto the wooden table as she stepped outside onto the balcony. 

Like a lost puppy, I followed. Her hands were perched on the railing, but I still saw the slight shake in them. 

"What if he takes me, Damien." 

"He won't," I promised quickly, taking my place by her side. She turned to face me, and before I could react, she buried her face into my chest. The sparks rippled through my body. I wonder if she felt it too. I ran my fingers through her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm going to keep you safe, kitten."

She pulled back, my body aching for her embrace again. She looked up at me, swallowing deeply. 

"Promise?" 

"Promise."

Our moment was broken up by the shuddering of thunder in the night sky. Her eyes darted above us immediately. Lightning flashed, perfectly illuminating her skin. I could be mesmerized by the woman in front of me for the rest of my life. 

"You're afraid of lightning?" I chuckled. 

"Lightning, and the big bad wolf," she shrugged. 

"Let's go to bed." I kissed the top of her forehead, and rested my hand on the small of her back, guiding her inside. She didn't tense up this time. 

Progress. 

She crawled right into bed, but I chose to take a shower. It had been an extremely long day. As I stepped out of the bathroom draped in my towel, I saw she had already fallen asleep. Just when I thought she couldn't get any more angelic, the Moon Goddess had proved me wrong. How had I been so blessed with her? 

I crept into bed beside her, wrapping my arm around her waist as I pulled her into me. In her unconscious state, she recognized me as her mate, and she turned and snuggled into my chest. I let a small smile escape my lips. One day, she would do that all on her own. 

One day. 

_________

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Hey guys! I've been in a write-y mood, so I blessed y'all with another update in less than 24 hours.

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Kaitlin