Chapter 6
1355 Words
Theo’s POV:
I didn’t even try to hide the deep breath of relief that escaped me as I sank back against the bed.
“God, it feels incredible to finally get that off my chest,” I admitted, stretching my arms above my head before resting them beneath me.
It was strange—almost surreal—how I could feel the tension physically leave my body, like I could truly relax for the first time in a long while. I supposed all the vampiric instincts that had been screaming at me to claim her had finally settled.
Well… mostly.
They certainly weren’t thrilled that I wasn’t holding her right now.
Still, it was probably better for both of us if I took a moment to calm down after everything. The last thing I wanted was to act on impulse and do something I’d regret.
And none of that changed the one undeniable truth.
She was mine. She was actually mine.
The conversation had gone smoothly—better than I ever expected—and now she was mine. The thought felt unreal, almost too abstract to fully grasp, but there was no way I was denying it.
That realization alone was enough to stretch a grin across my face that refused to fade.
Aurora let out a quiet giggle as she turned toward me, drawing her legs back onto the bed. The same smile mirrored on her lips.
“Oh yeah?” she asked, a hint of confidence threading through her voice. “How long has it been?”
I laughed at the near-smugness of her question. After everything, I figured she’d earned the right to be a little smug.
“I first noticed it the night you tried on your ball gown,” I confessed. “But honestly? Who knows how long I’d been thinking about you like that before I even realized it.”
Her eyebrows lifted in shock. “Really? That long?”
I nodded. “Yeah. That long.”
Propping myself up on my elbows, I tilted my head toward her.
“What about you?” I asked, deliberately matching—and amplifying—her confidence. “How long have you been completely infatuated with me?” I added a wink and a smirk for emphasis.
My victory came in the form of the blush spreading across her cheeks, along with the mock glare she shot me, scrunching her nose and pursing her lips.
We both laughed at our silent little game before she finally answered.
“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “Having feelings for you felt pointless from the start, so I think my mind just… buried them. Until you kissed me.” Her voice dropped, embarrassment settling in.
“Wow,” I muttered, staring up at the ceiling. “We really were lost causes.”
A guy who spent every day fighting his feelings, and a girl who didn’t even know she had them.
“Yeah,” she said with a soft laugh. “But we figured it out.”
I turned to look at her.
“Hells yeah, we did.”
Now I could finally give her the life she deserved.
Even if this had to stay just between us for now, I was determined to make it work. And judging by how that kiss went, I was more than certain she felt the same way.
“So… what happens now?” she asked.
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
Her brows knit together, like I was missing something painfully obvious.
“I mean, you slapped the Lord’s daughter, strangled her, and kicked her out of your room. I don’t think that’s something that just… disappears.”
My eyes widened.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t completely forgotten about that. It had all happened in a burst of rage I’d much rather not revisit.
But she was right—it was a problem.
Knowing Lilith and her unresolved daddy issues, I could safely assume she wouldn’t tell him right away. At least not until the renovations on her floor were finished. She’d know better than to add another issue to his already full plate before explaining what happened.
That bought me at least a day to figure something out.
Aurora watched silently as I sat up again, thinking it through.
Once Lilith finally did tell him, I doubted he’d take it lightly. I honestly didn’t care what he did to me—but I wasn’t willing to risk him hurting Aurora or even Ali.
Suddenly, my back straightened as something clicked.
I stood quickly and crossed the room to my desk, grabbing the letter my father had sent me. Extending one nail into a sharp point, I sliced it open just above the wax seal.
I tossed the envelope aside and read through the long letter in silence, my smile growing wider as I reached the final paragraph.
Perfect.
I looked up to find Aurora staring at me, confusion written all over her face.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, walking toward her with the letter still in my hand.
“What? Where are you going?” Concern edged into her voice.
“I need to talk to Ali,” I replied. “I think I just found our way out.”
I gently tilted her chin up and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
“This’ll only take a few minutes.”
She nodded quietly, her face flushed—still not fully accustomed to my affection.
I didn’t mind. If anything, I found it endearing.
Forcing myself not to linger, I rushed out of my room, closing the door firmly behind me before heading straight for Ali’s.
I knocked twice, surprised when the door opened almost immediately.
“Oh,” he said, clearly caught off guard. “Hey. What’s up?”
Without a word, I handed him the letter.
He stepped aside, letting the door swing open enough for me to see inside as he read. Claire sat cross-legged on the bed, watching us with curiosity. From the way she moved, it didn’t seem like her injuries were bothering her anymore.
Good.
“So Dad wants us to visit for his birthday,” Ali said, handing the letter back. “What’s the big deal? He sends this every year.”
I stared at him flatly and pushed the letter back toward him.
“Did you actually read all of it?”
His lips pursed as his eyes dropped back to the page. I waited patiently until his eyes widened.
“He’s inviting us to move back? Again?!”
I nodded.
I’d thought about returning home countless times over the past twenty years but could never bring myself to crawl back to my father. This time, though, he was inviting us himself—and after everything that just happened, there was no way I was turning down such perfect timing.
Not to mention how much Aurora would love it there. With my standing in that castle, she’d be able to explore freely without fearing someone might hurt her.
“Yeah,” I said. “And I’m accepting. We leave tomorrow.”
That immediately grabbed both Ali’s and Claire’s attention.
“Tomorrow?!” Ali exclaimed. “Why so soon?”
“I’ll explain later,” I replied. “The question is—are you coming or not?”
Ali glanced back at Claire, meeting her eyes before turning back to me with a crooked grin.
“Hell yeah. I hate it here.”
My smile widened.
“Perfect. Be ready by morning. We’re leaving at nine.”
He nodded, then paused.
“Wait—how are we getting a limo? That’s a nine-hour drive, and there’s no way Lord Lucas authorizes one of his servants on such short notice.”
He wasn’t wrong. That was exactly why we weren’t asking for authorization. Lord Lucas wasn’t going to know we’d left at all.
I just hoped the servant I had in mind would cooperate.
“Don’t worry, brother,” I said calmly. “I’ve already got it handled.”
- Writer
