The Bastard Princess

65.

-HER-

The reflection of the sun played on the surface of the cold blue water. I laid in its depth whilst I watched the phenomena. Occasional small air bubbles would escape my lips before they would race to the surface of the water.

Several shadows hovered right outside the water. I tried to concentrate on them to make out what they were but to no avail. Several fishes floated by me but I kept my eyes stuck to the shadows. Suddenly, one of them moved abruptly. The water moved and the fishes diverted before I finally heard the loud bang. It happened to have come from right outside.

I stayed still and continued to stare to make something of those shadows. More sounds of bangs followed but their intensity was somewhat lowered by the density of the water. They didn't seem to stop and got louder.

My heart hammered in my chest as well. Suddenly, I was restless and there was this voice in my head telling me to swim away because something was coming for us. I tried to rake my brain to remember what I was doing there but I found nothing.

My memory seemed to have abandoned me but my instincts didn't. Something was wrong and I felt the warning right in my guts. Before I could move, an arrow pierced the water surface and came right at me. My eyes widened before I swam away, missing the arrow just by a few inches.

The bangs outside the water got louder and I soon saw several arrows piercing the water at the same time. My lungs were screaming due to the lack of air. I was overcome by this urge to break the water and fill my lungs but I contained myself from doing it. Death was just outside the water, waiting for me on a boat.

I swam with every ounce of energy that was left in me but it already seemed to have been too late. The loudest bang penetrated the water and after it followed a fireball right towards me. Instead of swimming away, I was left paralyzed with fear. All I could do was stare at it as it approached me...

My eyes snapped open and the first thing that I saw was the ceiling of the run-down house in which we were living. My breaths were laboured and I was drenched in my own sweat. My mouth and throat were painfully dry and my heart was palpitating in my chest.

It took me some moments to notice that I was lying in his bed and he wasn't anywhere to be seen. I slowly sat up but I instantly collapsed on the bed when I heard the loud bangs again. My heart threatened to burst while I looked around to get something for defence.

Although, it soon registered to me that the bangs were actually the sound of hammer landing on wood. They stopped before Ares walked inside the house. His silver eyes darkened as soon as they fell on me. Meanwhile, the first detail that registered to me was that he was shirtless and sweaty. He must have been working outside.

"You're awake," He spoke as he approached me. I laid back in the bed and sighed deeply. My heart was still racing and I was still sweaty. He noticed it right away before placing his palm over my forehead to check my temperature.

I shivered at the intensity of sparks and the way his possessive eyes were trained on me.

"Your heat is gone," He stated while taking his hand off my forehead but it descended down to my neck. I moaned slightly as soon as he touched the puncture on my neck. It was when the realization dawned upon me that he had marked me last night. He must have felt it too because he groaned and bent down to capture my lips.

"Water," I grumbled while shoving his face away from mine and instantly felt my chest fill up with possessiveness. It took me by surprise because I knew that this feeling didn't belong to me. It was flowing into me from somewhere else... from him?

His silver eyes blazed with the same possessiveness, proving my doubts rights. He groaned at being denied the kiss before getting up from the bed and getting me some water in a goblet. While I drank the water, he sat beside me and shifted me into his lap.

I gasped at the suddenness of his actions but I didn't move away from him and quenched my thirst instead. Meanwhile, he ran the tip of his nose along my neck, leaving a strong trail of sparks. I had to concentrate on drinking water to contain myself from choking.

When I had finally finished the water, he took the goblet and kept it away without letting me shift from his lap.

"How are you feeling, my pharaoh?" He asked gently while resting his chin on my neck and pressing his lips at the side of my neck.

"Lethargic," I told him while I fought a yawn.

"That's because of the marking," He explained before his lips rested on the punctures on my neck. I moaned without my whim and it encouraged him to continue kissing my mark. My stomach clenched very painfully and something wet trickled out of my southern lips. Even though these closely resembled the signs of being aroused, I knew wasn't aroused. I was bleeding.

I remembered bleeding after the heat had ended the last time. I was sure that the same was happening right now.

"Let me go," I told him weekly but he continued placing kisses all over my neck.

"Mine," He growled in response and his hold around my waist tightened almost possessively, pulling me flush against his body. I shivered at his touch and the way he was making me feel. I could feel his desires through the bond as well.

Had it been sometime else, I would have acted upon by desires and kissed him back but at that moment, I felt sick and more lethargic. I wanted to throw up as my stomach clenched painfully again. I soon realized that I hadn't had anything since last night.

Last night. I would never forget how dangerous he looked and how he killed Chefren. It would always haunt my soul. Today he seems like an entirely different person but more possessive and needy. Although, I am somewhat grateful that of all his traits, he didn't choose to be cocky today.

"Ares," I groaned in pain. "Let me go. I am bleeding and I am hungry and I don't feel good," With that, I suddenly felt a high wave of emotions wash over me. All of a sudden, I wanted to cry and scream as flashbacks of last night's incidents took over my vision.

"I want to die!" I cried before breaking off into tears. I suddenly felt so overwhelmed by everything. I was finding it hard to process anything. My brain seemed to have stopped working. I felt more and more restless.

"What happened, my pharaoh?" He stopped and asked with great concern. I felt a bit calm as serenity drained into me through the bond.

"Just leave me alone for now. That's all I ask from you!" I grit at him as I tore his hands off my waist and walked out of the house. He followed me outside as well.

"I said leav-"

"I am going for a run," He cut me before walking into the woods. I made sure that he was gone before I took a bath and arranged some clothes to soak the blood. I was still weak but the hunger made me cook some food before I settled down to eat.

He was back soon with some dead animals to cook for dinner. He put it in the kitchen before he went out for a bath. When he returned, I had finished eating and set his food on the table and went upstairs. I wanted to be alone.

"Why are you doing this, Arsinoe?" I heard him ask out loud from downstairs but I didn't answer him. I couldn't answer him because I myself wasn't sure why I was still acting like a brat when he saved my life. Maybe he was right. I was worthless.

...

vote. comment. share. follow me

Read up to chapter 92 on patreon.com/Benita_16

Read the next 6 chapters for free on inkitt.com/parttimewolf

the links are also in my bio.

follow me on instagram for updates on my new stories. instagram: ptf_16

thanks for reading <3