I love my wife
1187 Words
“Tessa?" I limped towards her ready to understand what just happened when the door pushed open.
"There you are.” An unpleasant voice said.
I whirled around to see the Governor's wife inside, she had her hands clutching her purse as she stared down at Tessa with pure disgust in her eyes.
"Good day…Ma.”
I raised my brow at Tessa's sudden shaky voice.
Turning back to face her, I bit my inner cheek at the way she was bent at the waist, her hands clutching each other nervously behind her.
"And you are?”
I turned back to the woman with a cold stare.
"Draven.”
She raised a brow at me.
"Draven Dexter.” I completed, hating the fact that she looked superior.
"You aren't from City X, are you?” She moved slowly to the couch Blair got up from minutes ago.
"No.” I hissed between my teeth.
What does she want here?
"I heard you got married to our Tessa.” She smirked, her eyes swiftly landing on Tessa's still bowed frame before staring straight into my eyes.
"Yes.”
"And that you are a crazy crippled beggar.” She stifled a laughter as she covered her lips with her handkerchief.
My eyes flashed and as if predicting my next action, Tessa moved to stand beside me.
"Yes Ma'am.” She responded as she held my hand.
"Yes what?” The woman crossed her legs, clearly enjoying the show.
“Yes, my husband is a crazy crippled beggar who doesn't even know his origin." Tessa responded, her lips set in a thin line and her eyes downcast.
I felt a sudden pinch in my chest but her grip on my hand tightened.
“What can you do?" She asked, inspecting her claws for imaginary dust.
“Nothing." I responded and stared right back into her eyes when her head snapped up at my blatant response.
‘If you weren't disabled, I would have considered you a plaything. Tsk! Too bad.’ Her thoughts floated into my head as she openly sized me up and I shook.
I felt Tessa's questioning gaze on me but I stared straight ahead into the woman's eyes.
“Did you just say you are useless?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Yes. My husband is pretty useless and doesn't know how to do a thing Ma'am.” Tessa quickly responded with a forced smile.
What was all this about?
"Good. Good.” She laughed as she nodded in approval.
"Just the perfect man for you, Tessa. Don't you think so?”
"Yes Ma'am. My parents made the right choice.” Tessa continued and I knew I was going to snap if she said one more degrading word.
"But he can't just laze around Tessa.” She slurred, easing into the couch as she watched us, a sick smile on her lips.
"He's helping me out with chores.” Tessa let go of my hand at that moment and stood alone.
"And the monetary aspect?” The smile dropped from her lips and she looked like she just walked out of hell with a purpose.
“He…” I watched Tessa shift from foot to foot before she turned to look me in the eyes.
‘I am a sculptor. What can you do?’
“Paint." I responded aloud.
“You can paint?" The woman's back straightened, her eyes gleaming with greed.
I felt my stomach churn.
“Very well." I kept my tone clipped, looking down at my feet to hide the raging fire in my eyes.
“Good." She clapped her hands.
'I know I could put you to a better use.’ She thought and I clenched my fist even tighter.
“Tomorrow we'll put you to a test." She crossed her legs and offered me a smile but I stood stiffly.
“How wonderful! If you can really paint like you said, we'll make the headline in the daily news.” She spread her hands like wings about to take flight.
"My daughter in-law, Blair the great sculptor, gets married to my son, Dax, the most talented painter. Wouldn't that be great Tessa?”
I narrowed my eyes at her words. That didn't sound right.
“It would." Tessa agreed and I grabbed her hand forcefully, hoping to get her attention but she just kept a straight face staring ahead at the woman who now had her eyes narrowed on us.
“What, boy? Do you have a problem with being in my son's shadow?”
I looked the woman in the eyes, my eyes growing fiercer by the seconds.
'Stop doing that.’ Tessa begged through her thoughts, this time she sounded really scared.
But I couldn't stop even as I felt fear seep into me through the mate bond.
"What do you mean by being in your son's shadow?" I blurted in a tensed voice before I could snap my mouth shut.
The woman's eyes grew hooded, her bright red lips setting into a thin line as she slowly stood up from her chair.
This time, I felt pure terror spread through my system from the bond.
I wanted to yell at Tessa to quit being scared so I could have a clearer mind but I felt like my mouth was taped shut.
My eyes grew large as I watched her walk slowly towards me.
“What did you just say boy?" She asked, her lips curled back into a mean smile that didn't reach her eyes.
“I…” my mouth hung open but the words got stuck in my throat.
'See what you've caused! See what you've caused!’ Tessa screamed in her mind as she began to physically tremble.
I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her back to life but I let go of her hand instead and leaned heavily on my cane.
“Did you just ask me a question?" She came to stand right in front of me.
I clamped my mouth shut and gritted my teeth.
'Apologize.’ The djinn ordered.
My eyes widened, bile rising to the back of my throat that I would be forced to bow yet again to another human.
I watched the woman's dark face begin to soften as she blinked at me, then at Tessa.
If what I felt before was terror, what I felt at that moment became extreme dread.
“Tessa." The woman cooed as she walked away from me to stand right in front of Tessa.
“Y…yes.” She stuttered.
"Your husband asked me a question.”
"He…he di…didn't mean it, ma'am."
With her increasing stutter, I felt myself get starved of air.
When the woman's claw grabbed Tessa's chin, the room around me spun but I held my ground.
“Do you love your wife Mr. Draven?" Her sudden question caught me off guard.
'Say no. No you don't. You do not love me. It's obvious and a simple fact so just say no.’ Tessa's thoughts came to me, void of emotions.
“Yes, I do. I love my wife very much." I responded, my eyes hardening.
- Writer
