Chapter 50 Chapter Forty-nine
ARA
My hate for Nadia intensified tenfold with every passing second. My place in Thayne's world was no longer certain. I had no words of reassurance to give my sisters.
They were starting to get used to receiving princess treatments from Thayne, and it hurt me to the core that it would be snatched from them so soon.
We were doing just fine until Thayne came along. I had nothing back then, but at least I always knew what to expect.
It was only a matter of time, I could sense it, smell it from a mile off. Thayne would end this silly arrangement and I would end up at square one.
I stared at the ring on my finger. It was time to return the ring. I would do it before he even thought about ending our arrangement.
I would still have my dignity intact if I returned it myself. But, if I gave it back to him, where would I go? I couldn't ruin my sisters' lives because of my wounded pride and ego.
I blinked back the tears welling in my eyes. This was a nightmare, alright, but I would find a way to wake from it.
I was just about to retire for bed when the door slid open with a loud buzz. My soul nearly left my body at Thayne's unexpected entry.
As usual, he strolled into the bedroom with languid strides. I tried to ignore him, to pretend that the tug between us was a figment of my imagination. But it was so strong that my body shivered.
I said nothing, my heart fluttering in my chest. Not from excitement, but from nervousness and uncertainty. Was he here to ask for the ring? Would he propose to Nadia with the same ring?
“Arayna." He called out softly.
Slowly, I turned. He looked just as restless and emotionally tortured as I felt. His hair looked like he'd been running his fingers through it the whole evening.
His eyes were ablaze with a hunger that I both craved and feared at the same time. Sunset cast the room in a honey, soft glow that made it feel as though it was imagined straight out of fantasy novel.
Thayne was standing in that soft light, his tanned expression giving him the perfect Adonis look. The ring around his pupil glowed a bright amber, a beautiful contrast to his frosty green eyes. They mirrored the tingling sensation churning in my gut, and I couldn't find it in my gut to look away.
Tonight, he wore all black. And when I say he wore it, I mean he fucking wore it. His tight leather pants showed off his toned, powerful thighs. His hair, an obsidian mane thrown into a messy topknot, a few
strands left out, fell around his face, framing his masculine features which were currently set in stone.
He'd grown his hair out, and now he looked hotter in a way no mortal had any right to.
I needed to bash my head against the wall, for noticing these details whereas he likely wouldn't notice that I'd nearly shaved off my brows in my attempt to distract myself.
“You promised my mother you would stop by to visit her." He said, moving closer.
I took wary steps backwards. What did that have to do with anything?
“Last time I checked, the arrangement—which by the way I don't know what it is now—stated that I cannot leave the penthouse without your permission.” I said, unable to hide the sassiness from leaking through.
“And last time I checked, you sneaked out on your own just fine. The arrangement didn't stop you.” He stated dryly.
“I didn't have much of a choice." I countered, still walking backwards because damn, the man wouldn't stop stalking towards me.
“We are leaving tonight." He announced.
“By ‘we’, do you mean you and Nadia? Because oomph!" My back hit the wall and air burst from my lips in a pained, silent gasp.
The air shifted. No, it cracked. Thayne was looming over me, his intense gaze watching me, waiting for me to try to squeeze my way out of whatever was going on.
I mean, he'd claimed I wasn't to be allowed close to Nadia, and now he was here with me. He needed to pick a damn side and stay the fuck there.
“Don't be silly, Little Lamb. You and I, as it has always been. You want to get rid of me so bad. Is that why you pushed Nadia? To give me an excuse to stay away from you?” He asked, his minty breath warming my face, my traitorous body craving for more of that fragrance from his hot mouth.
“If you're expecting me to apologize, goodluck with waiting.” I told him, craning my neck to get a better look at him.
“Get dressed, we are visiting State Yard tonight."
“Not in your wildest dreams." I said without even waiting for the last consonant sound to land.
“I’m not accustomed to being disobeyed, Little Lamb.” He raised his arm over my head and pressed it against the wall, locking me between two
exceptionally hard things—one made of cement and the other of hard, warm flesh. “But as infuriating as I find it—it is your most attractive quality.”
I rolled my eyes and was about to tell him off when he pressed his torso against mine.
“You can just come with me willingly, or I'll swing you over my shoulder and carry you out of here.” He threatened.
Against my own advice, I nodded once. He moved away to give me space.
I dressed up quickly, partly because it was uncomfortable trying to hook the straps of my bra with him watching.
The visit was short, and Liliana was mostly asleep all through the conversation. According to the nurses, she'd been crying for hours, yelling for Lola—my mother's name—to come keep her company.
On our way back to the penthouse, Thayne hardly said a word. It was like he hated to see his mother vulnerable, especially with me in the equation.
In the elevator, I made sure to keep a reasonable amount of space between us. He'd been acting all moody since after leaving Liliana's ward.
Just as the elevator door was sliding open, Thayne reached forward and jammed the button. The door was sliding close, and when I tried to wedge my heel in it, a muscular arm drew me back.
I was turned around like a ballerina, and I took a step back, driven by a moment of uncertainty.
He tipped his head in that predatorial way of his. “Oh no, little lamb, there will be no retreating from me now.”
He moved so fast, there was no time for me to react.