Bonds And Betrayals

20.

The ride home was quiet, but not the uncomfortable kind of quiet.

She turned to face me suddenly, and caught me staring at her with a smile on my face. I must have looked crazy to her, like a lunatic who was drunk on love. And maybe I was.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked softly.

I nodded. “Of course.”

Then she bit her lips, wringing her hands and looking everywhere but me. It was a nervous tick I had picked up from her since meeting her yesterday.

“You can talk to me, Bellis.”

She hesitated again, but this time, only for a few seconds before she spoke up. “Was there a reason you didn't tell them I was your mate back there?” The question was quiet, but I picked up the edge in her tone. A hint of hurt, caused by me. “Do you…like…”

“Don't please,” I cut her off before she could finish. “There is nothing wrong with you, and I have no plans of letting you go ever. Please never think that way again.”

“Then why? Why did you just call me your…woman? Why downplay what is between us?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “I am sorry. That wasn't my goal. I was just trying to protect you.”

“From whom?”

“My brother.” I answered, gripping the steering wheel. “I don't want him to know you are my mate, at least, not until he gets married. I don't want his obsession of being recognised as the real Alpha to affect you. Him knowing is sure to bring unwanted attention towards you.”

I could feel the heat of her gaze burning through the side of my face, but I didn't turn to look at her. I wasn't sure I was ready to see the expression in her face.

“Okay,” came her quiet response. “I understand now. Thank you for letting me know.”

I turned to look at her then, and my heart soared at the smile on her face.

I cleared my throat, then pointed at the small bag from the food court that I’d stashed earlier.

“Eat,” I said. “It's getting late and you haven't had dinner yet.”

She blinked at me, then at the food, and shook her head gently. “I want to wait until we get home,” she said.

“Why?” I asked, though I already knew she was about to say something that would punch me right in the chest.

Her voice was soft and almost shy when she answered, “Because you haven’t had dinner either. And I don’t know what it feels like to eat with someone else. So I want to have dinner with you.”

For a second, I just stared at her. The words sank deep, like they were written straight into my bones. Something so simple, something I’d taken for granted my whole life, and for her, it was new. The idea of sharing food, of sitting at the same table and not being alone while she ate. My heart actually stuttered in my chest, and I had to turn back to the road so she wouldn’t see how wide I was grinning.

“Bellis,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head, “you’re going to be the end of me.”

I must have been grinning too hard, because Conri spoke.

‘You look ridiculous. You know that, right?’

‘Shut up.’

‘All giddy over her like some pup chasing his first crush.’

‘I said shut up.’

‘You want me to remind you how you looked at her back at the mall? You were practically drooling, Bello. If she asked you to bark right now, you’d bark.’

I rolled my eyes and stared out the window, saying, ‘I’m not listening to you.’

‘Oh, you’re listening,’ he chuckled. ‘You can’t help it. She leans on your shoulder for one second, and suddenly you’re smiling like an i***t. You’re whipped.’

I growled low in my throat, but it was useless. The damn wolf was right. Because just then, she yawned and rubbed her eyes, then she leaned her head gently against my shoulder. My entire body froze, and then melted at the same time.

“You’re exhausted, right?” I asked quietly.

She nodded, her voice a whisper as she said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been awake this late, the way I’ve been yesterday and today. Normally… my father would send me to bed at exactly eight. Even when I wasn’t sleepy. Is it okay if I rest my head on your shoulder? I just like your scent so much.”

That single sentence ignited something ugly in my chest. Her father again. The bastard who thought locking her up was parenting. The man who snuffed out her childhood and replaced it with rules and cages. I swore silently that I’d find him. Even though she never gave me his name, I’d find him. And when I did, I’d make him pay for what he did to my beloved.

I softened my tone again when I looked at her and said, “Of course you can, Bellis. Sleep it off. I’ll wake you when we’re home.”

She gave the tiniest nod, her hair brushing my arm as she settled against me, and within minutes, her breathing slowed down and she fell asleep. I stared at the road for the rest of the way home, and my mind burned with several thoughts. Some were tender, but some were savage.

I thought about finding her wet mother too, the only one who treated her kindly. She deserved to have that part of her life back, and I’d make sure of it.

‘Whipped!’ Conri teased again.

‘You act as if you aren't whipped yourself,’ I snickered.

‘Oh, I wasn't denying that. I am absolutely whipped!’

I chuckled. ‘I know.’

Then his tone turned serious. ‘What do you plan to do about the site issue? Someone deliberately signed off the materials.’

‘I know. I'll get to the bottom of it.’

‘Soo…’

‘I will let you know when I decide how we're doing it.’

‘You don't plan on using…’

‘If it means getting to the bottom of this mess, I would.’

He was quiet for a while. ‘As much as I want to discourage you, finding who it was is best. We never want to give Turk a chance to come at us. But there has to be another way, right?’

‘Perhaps,’ was my clipped reply. I didn't want to talk about this right now, and Conri seemed to get the hint.

By the time we arrived home, Sasha was deeply asleep. I eased her head off my shoulder and carefully rested her against the headrest of her seat. Then I slipped out of the car, rounded it and gently picked her up so I wouldn’t wake her up. She looked so peaceful and vulnerable, and she was all mine. She stirred a little bit, but didn’t wake up

The guards at the entrance bowed as I walked in. “Sannu da zuwa, Yallabai.”

“Quiet,” I ordered, keeping my voice low and sharp as I carried her into our room. I then laid her gently on the bed, pulling the blanket up around her and watching her chest rise and fall before I slipped off her shoes.

Then I went back to the living room. The female servants were lingering in the dining room, probably waiting for us to come down and eat. They straightened up when they saw me, but I didn’t give them time to speak.

“From today,” I said firmly, “you do not cook anything in this house without her consent. If she doesn’t tell you, you ask her. You wait until she finally decides. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Yallabai,” they chorused.

“And another thing,” I added. “Never cook beans in this house again. She hates it.”

They exchanged nervous glances but nodded quickly.

“Clear the dining table. I won’t be eating tonight.”

I turned and left before they could respond.

I returned to our room, and stood by the bed, just looking at her. The way her hair spilled across the pillow. The faint crease between her brows even in sleep, like she’d spent too long carrying things she shouldn’t have. Forced to endure things she never should have.

A sudden heat started to crawl over my skin, slow at first then sharp and insistent. The weather was cool, cool enough that I didn't turn on the air conditioner when we returned, so why was it hot?

And then I began to sweat, the heat increasing. I tugged at my collar, cursing under my breath, and headed to the bathroom. Maybe it was just exhaustion.

I yanked my shirt off and jumped into the shower.

The water pounded against me, cold and relentless, but it didn’t help. The heat wouldn’t go away no matter how long I stood under the shower. It just kept building, spreading from my chest and down my arms, curling tight inside me.

‘Something’s wrong,’ Conri muttered, uneasily this time.

I braced my hands against the tile, gasping for air as I suddenly felt like I was suffocating. But before I could make sense of it, a sharp cry cut through from the bedroom.

Shit! Sasha!

I didn’t think. I just ran.

When I burst into the room, she was writhing on the bed, clutching the spot where her birthmark was, just like yesterday, with tears streaking her face.

“Bellis,” I breathed, rushing to her. I gathered her into my arms, her body burning hot against mine and trembling. It was so hot that I felt like I was touching a hot piece of metal. And the moment I touched her, the heat consumed me as well. No, it doubled. Or perhaps, tripled what I felt earlier. But I forced myself to ignore the pain, choosing to focus on her instead.

“Bellis, I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” I whispered, even as the fire spread to me. The pain ripped through my chest, blinding and savage. It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside, but I clung to her tighter. She was crying and shaking, and I couldn’t let go. My body screamed and Conri howled, but I forced it all down and held her anyway, desperately and helplessly.

And then the fire consumed us both.