Chapter 63: .•26•.

She let out a little squeal as he suddenly manoeuvred her around with his hands as if she were a weightless doll, making her straddle his lap as he sat on the grass with her.

Her hands were pressed against his chest, feeling that steely arm securely wrapping around her waist and holding her in place as she blinked that mild dizziness away.

There were few strands of hair covering her face so she used a hand to push them away, coming face to face with his still scarily-painted visage.

"You need to get rid of that before it gives me a heart attack and makes this journey pointless," she joked, earning herself a narrowed look from him.

"Sure. Let me know when you find some water around this place," he sarcastically replied, making her actually giggle with amusement.

That frighteningly scowling look on Nicholas' face suddenly vanished, replaced by evident surprise at the sight of her reaction.

Diana felt her cheeks pinching up with a little bit of heat in return, not really used to him looking at her like that. Like he was mesmerized by what he was seeing. He'd been doing this ever since she'd woken up in this meadow, with him carrying her around as if she were a frail and precious little princess.

She still had no idea what exactly happened there, back in his manor. She could remember that scarily monstrous look on his face, and that he was just about to kill her. She'd heard the demon's commands, that soulless look in Nicholas' black eyes. She had no idea what stopped him. How he managed to snap out of it. All that she knew was that there were chants all around them, uttering words that she couldn't even make out. One sentence however remained. The only sentence that she'd managed to register.

The soulmate bond is sacred. Evidently, she had no idea what that meant. Why would anyone even utter such nonsensical words. But she secretly felt so grateful for whatever it was that stopped him. She was still alive because of it. However the question still remained.

"Am I still in danger around you?" She timidly peered back into his dark and captivating eyes. Proceeding to further explain herself when he didn't answer.

"I mean, is it possible for you to be possessed once again and try to kill me like you did back there?" She nervously bit her lower lip. Struggling to remain as calm as possible, even though she was evidently afraid of the answer. She was alone with him once again. With no one around to save her. Who was to say that he couldn't fall prey to that demon's satanic spells like he did back at the manor?

"Not if we get there sooner," he simply answered with a mild shrug. The girl thickly swallowed at the sound of that. What if they didn't?

"The gods' realm is the only place where that bastard's nasty little tricks don't work," he added with that equally flat and uninterested tone, making the girl curiously stare back at him as another thought suddenly popped into her mind.

"Why don't you live there then? Wouldn't it have been safer, for you, if you just lived there instead of that scary and haunted manor?" She asked, genuinely curious now.

"The gods' realm is not a place intended for vampires," he said, a mild frown pinching at his brows as if the mere mentioning of that fact happened to somehow bother him.

The girl's large green eyes immediately went wide as soon as she heard that, growing so incredibly anxious as a dark thought suddenly entered her mind.

Was he...?

"Wait... Are you planning on leaving me there?" She couldn't help but ask, the mere idea of her going to a strange and completely unknown place without him actually scaring her so much. She didn't want him to leave her there and just...leave, no matter how safe he'd described it to be. What if there were other creatures that she needed to defend herself from? She had no idea what there was like! What she'd encounter. She was just a simple human, she couldn't protect herself from the gods or whatever else there was!

"Please don't do that," she helplessly begged upon noticing his prolonged silence. The way that he was staring at her now. Contemplating.

"I'll do whatever you want me to do like I promised, I...I promise I'll be good and-and offer you my blood whenever you want me to, but please, please don't leave me there," she rather desperately blurted out, blinking back those tears that threatened to form at the corners of her eyes. She didn't want to be thrown into a new and unknown world all alone and at the mercy of some apparent gods. What would she even do there?

"I don't want to go there if I'm going without you," she quietly admitted after a moment, peering between his eyes with nothing but growing alarm and despair.

Nicholas continued to look back at her with that cold and impassive expression written all over his painted face. Having yet to utter a word. Make a decision.

"You say that you will do anything?" She suddenly blinked upon hearing him say that. Evidently taken by surprise by his words. She timidly nodded nonetheless, too afraid of what could possibly happen to her into that new and unknown world to even think about hesitating.

"What if I said that I want to have you right now, would you offer yourself to me?"

The blood drained from her face as soon as she heard him utter those words to her. Their specific meaning. Her heart immediately started to beat faster as she stared back at him for a moment, noticing that deadly serious look on his face. Waiting for her answer.

She gulped, timidly nodding once again. She'd already done that once. Offering herself to him just to be rid of this never-ending nightmare. It made no difference now. She'd already made her peace with what was to happen to her, the pain that she would surely feel. What did it matter if he did it now or later?

"Well then let's just get this over with once and for all and make you undesirable for that fucker, shall we?" The sound of him uttering those cruel and uncaring words actually made her wince a little, but she didn't dare say anything. Show him how much it bothered her. How scared she really was. She just wanted to be done with this. Finally free herself of that threat constantly looming over her head.

So she let her body go slack as soon as he slowly laid her down on the soft grass, forcing herself not to think about it. It will be over soon, she told herself. She only had to lay still and endure. Power through it.

But she couldn't contain that frightened little mewl that escaped her as soon as all those buttons from the shirt on her body flew open, baring so much of her to him. No. She couldn't do this. She needed to look away. So she turned her head aside and balled her hands into tight fists at her sides, willing herself not to move. Not to make a sound. Not even when the unmistakable sound of that belt buckle being ripped open made her aware of what was to happen. What would follow. She simply laid there completely still, waiting for him to do it. To feel him there.

Nicholas couldn't help but stop and stare at her, for a good while. He sat there on his haunches, fingers still gripping at his belt as he looked at her. Admiring her. Gods above and beneath, she was so fucking beautiful. Even whilst shaking like that underneath him. She was a vision. A fucking wet dream created by Morpheus himself. She was so fucking sexy. So incredibly enticing. He wanted nothing more than to just free himself, free his painfully throbbing dick from his constraining pants and bury himself to the hilt into that tight and wet little heat between her legs.

The thought was so tempting. So incredibly teasing. He could do it. He could simply rip those panties off of her and then shove himself right into her, rendering her undesirable for Mephistos. Hell, everything would suddenly become so simple for him after that. He wouldn't have to continue with this stupid journey anymore. Wouldn't have to crawl into that palace begging for those stupid fuckers to grant him and his...mortal mercy. Sanctuary. He would be free of all that. Liberated. Well, maybe still cursed but free anyway.

He only had to go through with this first. This small little task. Taking his...mortal's virginity. She was already there, lying in the grass beneath him. Ready. Wet. He could smell her arousal. That mouth-watering and intoxicating scent.

But there was also fear. Freezing and mind-numbing fear. He could feel it so strong. Taste it on his tongue. It brought a sour taste into his mouth. She was afraid of this. She didn't want this to happen. She was trembling so hard into that soft grass, her plump and full chest heaving with every ragged breath that she took. Hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Eyes closed. It bothered him so incredibly much. It tugged at his insides. His dead heart. It made him feel so disgusted with himself.

"Fuck..." he breathed, dragging a hand over his face. No. He couldn't do this. No matter how much he loathed the idea of soulmates, or how much it irked him, the fact that he would have to go crawling back to his family now, because of her. He wouldn't do it. He couldn't. Not with this gut-wrenching feeling twisting at him so insistently. Not with the sight of her like that. Helpless, trembling and vulnerable.

Shit.

"Stop. Just..." he let out a shaky exhale, nervously running a hand through his hair. No. He couldn't look at her like that anymore. It sickened him.

"Open your eyes, Diana. Look at me," he softly pleaded. Watching her slowly turn her head and rather hesitantly open her eyes. He offered her a small and equally uneasy smile. Fuck. This was so hard for him. Why was this so freaking hard?

"Come here," he beckoned her, urging her to rouse from that spot as he held his outstretched palm out, patiently waiting for her to accept it.

She hesitantly placed her much smaller and delicate hand in his, those vivid green eyes of hers watching him so intently. Confusion written all over her features.

He simply tugged at her hand a little, coaxing her to just sit on her knees and shuffle closer, his intent pretty clear. He wanted to feed her now, like he'd originally intended. Help her feel better.

He peered between her eyes for a moment, gauging her reaction. Making himself sure that she didn't feel so afraid anymore.

"Here, let me just..." he was just about to bite into his hand and offer it to her. Have her drink as much as she needed.

But she surprised the hell out of him by sitting up and wrapping her arms around his neck, her much smaller body slamming so carelessly against his. Tightly hugging him with those thin and feeble, mortal arms of hers.

Hearing those fast and deep breaths of hers as she evidently struggled not to cry.