Forbidden Lovers

Things I Know About You

"Arthmael isn't the biggest fan of royal balls, since we were kids he'd always only dance with me despite how many ladies would obviously eye him up," Estelle told Evelyn with a smile on her face and Evelyn had to fake one of her own, despite the lump of anger and desperation on her throat at seeing the way her friend was playing with her mate's hair.

"It's cute how close you two have always been." The grimace on her face was almost too obvious. "How bad I haven't had someone like you two to grow up with."

"Yeah, I'm so happy Arthmael... came here, when he did," Estelle hesitated, however Evelyn didn't even look up at Arthmael. It was like pretending he wasn't even there would be much easier, even though it actually wasn't.

"Stelle!!" Little Luis shouted from outside the living hall, and immediately, they all knew he had ended up in some kind of trouble.

Estelle sighed, unhappily. "See you soon, guys."

"I have to go now too, your father has handed me some documents I have to sign," Evelyn said, wanting to not be left alone with Arthmael, but as soon as Estelle had left, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her from walking away.

"Let go of me," she whispered, not meeting his gaze, but he only tightened his grip more.

"No I won't let go of you." His low, deep voice sent a shiver down her body. "I don't want to let go of you, you've been avoiding me for days, dammit!"

"I have not avoided you," she stubbornly lied.

"Look at me." The longing in his voice was unbearable, but she still didn't. She couldn't. "Evelyn, look at me." Slowly, her ocean eyes finally met his awaiting black ones. "What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on." Evelyn was thankful she could still muster the strength behind her voice. 

"Then why have you ignored me for days?" Arthmael brought her wrist to his lips, kissing the inside of it softly as his eyes never left hers. And until now, Evelyn had never known someone kissing her wrist would've felt this intimate, but the way it made sparks erupt all over her body, the way it took her breath away, it was too much. All too much. "I cannot bear with you ignoring me, Evelyn."

"This has to be the last time, Evelyn, I can't do this anymore. I just can't, you have to understand me. Please." She repeated out loud the words he had said to her that night. The words that haunted her for days and nights now.

Arthmael froze with her hand in his lips, shock invading his features. She had heard. She had been awake.

"I'm just making things easier for you, Arthmael, so why don't you run back to her, huh?" Anger and jealousy had suddenly bubbled up inside her. "Why don't you run back to my best friend? Everything is easier with her, believe me. You've been close to her half your life, you don't have to hide with her, you don't have to feel guilty so why don't you just—"

Suddenly, Arthmael pulled her by her waist, gently grabbed her face and kissed her in her forehead. "Stop this, alright, just stop," he said softly, his hands buried on her hair, his lips brushing on her hair. "I won't run to your best friend or any other woman for that matter, Evelyn, so stop." Something inside him, something selfish that desired her and her only was happy that she was jealous, even if it was for Estelle, which was stupid in the first place. "Estelle is my sister, only my sister." Making sure she had heard him, he brushed her hair behind her ear, meeting her eyes. "Do I look like a man who wants anyone else but you, Evelyn? Do I?"

Evelyn shoved his hands away from her face stubbornly, actually angry at herself for not having any will-power whatsoever when it came to Arthmael. He could say a sweet word or two to her and she'd find herself falling deeper and deeper. "It's just the stupid mate bond, you don't want me. Hell, you don't even know me, you know absolutely nothing about me!"

"I know nothing about you, huh?" Arthmael ran his hand through his hair. Apparently he did that every time he was furious or anxious, and admittedly, Evelyn wanted to be the one to run her hands through his hair next time. "That's what you think, Evelyn?" Evelyn only looked away, but he grabbed her chin gently so she could look at him instead. "I know you're twenty and I know you're one of the best elf healers there are," he started. "Your favorite color is white. You've never tried eating meat in your life, it disgusts you. You love flowers and romance happy-ever-after novels. You love playing harp, your father has taught you to and you've played his favorite part ever since so you could remember him. You look a lot like your mother and I know you've wished your entire life to have a sibling. A brother, your twin that died when you were born. I know you have a birthmark on your shoulder in the form of a crown that probably only the royal-blooded elves have. You love children, I've seen the way you look at Luis. And you're good at swords-fighting. You're feisty and strong and courageous and you never back down. You just stay there and look at me and I'm absolutely lost and terrified I won't be able to... to resist the urge to have you."

To say Evelyn ended up dumbfounded wouldn't cover even the half of it. Honestly, she couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but stare at him and wonder how deep she had already fallen.

He knew all these about her. And he knew all these not because she had told him, but because he had been observant to every little detail of hers, every small pointless conversation she had had with Estelle or Julian. When she had thought all he had wanted to do was stay as away from her as possible, he had actually taken the time to listen and learn all these about her.

"I know these aren't much," he dragged her out of her own thoughts. "I know there are a million more things I don't know about you, but—"

"Arthmael," she whispered, cutting him off. "Why didn't I meet you sooner? Where were you my entire life?"

He sighed, the desperation in his eyes so obvious. "Oh, Evelyn, I—"

"Hey guys, what's going on?" It was Estelle's voice that made them put a distance immediately, fortunately lucky enough for her to not notice anything.

"N-nothing," Evelyn answered. "I was just showing Arthmael some of my powers."

Estelle smiled. "I came to tell you that some of the Lunas have already come and they're waiting for you."

Today, Evelyn had to meet up with the Lunas of the biggest packs of the Wolves Kingdom, and she couldn't let them wait for long. "Alright, thank you, Stelle." Giving him one last look, she reached her best friend's waiting hand and walked away from the hall. From him.