Chapter Five — Be My Bodyguard
1050 Words
White light was the first thing Ariana felt.
It pressed against her eyelids, soft but insistent, pulling her out of a deep, dizzy darkness. Her body felt heavy, as if she had been dropped back into herself too quickly. A faint beeping echoed somewhere nearby, steady and rhythmic.
She groaned softly and tried to move.
“Ariana.”
The voice was low. Familiar. Too familiar.
Her eyes fluttered open.
The hospital room came into focus slowly—the pale walls, the scent of antiseptic, the quiet hum of machines. And then she saw him.
Kai sat beside her bed, one elbow resting on his knee, fingers curled tightly together as though he were holding himself back from touching her. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, his expression guarded but intense.
For a moment, Ariana wondered if she was still dreaming.
Then her wrist tingled.
Her breath caught.
“You,” she whispered.
His eyes lifted instantly. “You’re awake.”
She swallowed, her throat dry. “I fainted.”
“You collapsed,” he corrected gently. “There’s a difference.”
She studied his face, searching for humor, danger, lies—anything. What she found instead was exhaustion. And relief.
“How long?” she asked.
“A few hours.”
Her gaze drifted to her arm.
And then she saw it.
Black ink curled just beneath her skin, elegant and terrifying, etched into her arm like a living thing. The same mark she had seen flash briefly before everything went dark.
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs.
“What is that?” she demanded, voice sharp despite the fear creeping in.
Kai followed her gaze.
Silence stretched.
Finally, he stood. “You should be angry.”
“That’s not an answer,” she snapped.
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “It’s a demon mark.”
Ariana let out a breathless laugh. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
She turned her head slowly to face him. “Tell me the truth. Now.”
Kai hesitated—then rolled up his sleeve.
The matching tattoo glowed faintly on his arm, darker, older, more powerful.
Ariana’s breath hitched.
“You fainted because the mark responded to you,” he said quietly. “Because it chose you.”
“Chose me for what?” she whispered.
His eyes softened. “To survive.”
---
The doctor entered moments later, breaking the tension. After reassurances, explanations, and a firm insist that Ariana rest, the room emptied again.
Only Kai remained.
Ariana exhaled slowly. “So. Half demon.”
“Yes.”
“Supernatural strength.”
“Yes.”
“You killed a man in seconds.”
“He was going to kill you.”
Her gaze flickered. “And the tattoo?”
Kai met her eyes. “It binds power. Protection. And sometimes… fate.”
She absorbed that quietly.
Then she said, “You’re staying.”
Kai stiffened. “No.”
“You are,” she insisted, pushing herself upright despite the weakness in her limbs. “You caused this.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I don’t care,” she replied coolly. “Something is after me. Something powerful enough that even demons are getting involved. And now I have this.” She gestured to the mark. “Which means I’m already part of your world.”
His jaw tightened. “That world will destroy you.”
“Not if you’re there,” she said softly.
The words hung between them.
Kai looked away.
“Be my bodyguard,” she said firmly. “Protect me. Train me. Explain this mark. You don’t have to like it—but you owe me.”
He laughed bitterly. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Then show me,” she challenged.
He turned back to her, eyes blazing. “If I stay close to you, enemies will come. Demons. Hunters. Things worse than death.”
Ariana didn’t flinch. “I’ve faced worse than monsters.”
His gaze dropped briefly—to her lips.
The air thickened.
“This isn’t a game,” he murmured.
“I don’t play games with my life,” she replied. “Or my heart.”
Something in his expression cracked.
---
They left the hospital together just before dawn, paparazzi kept at bay by security. The car ride was silent, heavy with unspoken thoughts.
When they arrived at Ariana’s penthouse, Kai hesitated at the doorway.
“This is as far as I go,” he said.
“No,” she replied calmly. “You’re coming in.”
He arched a brow. “Inviting a demon into your home?”
“I’m trusting the man who saved my life,” she countered.
He stepped inside.
The moment the door closed, the mark on Ariana’s arm pulsed warmly, sending a strange wave through her body. She gasped softly, gripping the counter.
Kai turned sharply. “What do you feel?”
She swallowed. “Like… you’re standing too close. Even when you’re not touching me.”
His voice dropped. “The bond is active.”
Her eyes lifted to his. “Bond?”
His gaze darkened. “That mark ties our lives together. It reacts to danger. Emotion. Proximity.”
“And marriage?” she asked suddenly.
He froze. “What?”
“My grandmother,” Ariana said quietly. “She’s old-fashioned. If you’re living near me, protecting me, staying close—people will question it. My position. My company.”
Kai stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“You want to marry a demon.”
“On paper,” she clarified quickly. “A contract marriage. Protection. Appearances.”
“And the bond?” he asked softly.
Her pulse quickened.
“That,” she said, meeting his gaze, “we figure out later.”
A long silence followed.
Finally, Kai nodded once. “I’ll be your bodyguard.”
Relief flooded her.
“But understand this,” he continued, stepping closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Once I stay… I don’t leave.”
Her lips parted.
“Good,” she whispered. “Because neither do I.”
The mark burned warmly between them.
Fate had sealed its grip.
And neither of them was ready for what came next.
- Writer
