Chapter 18

No One's POV
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Zayden stopped the car a little distance away from the society in which Grace used to reside because she did not want to be seen with him. Otherwise, people would start talking nonsense about her character. She quickly reached for the door handle and tried to open it, but the door did not budge. She wanted to escape from him as soon as possible, but just like always, he had other intentions. She looked at him as if asking him why the door was not opening.
'You promised to fulfill one of my wishes. If I will not drop you near your home.", Zayden reminded her with a naughty intention in his mind.
‘What does he want now?'
'I...I am sorry that you had to witness all those things last night.", Zayden muttered thinking, it might have frightened her a lot. 'And you are not allowed to share my little secret with anyone otherwise…"
'I...I understand. Y.You will eat me.", Zayden could not help but smile at Grace's innocence. Only if she would know the truth that he would never ever hurt her. But as for now, he let that fake fear in Grace's heart and mind.
'Great, you know. I will pick you up on Sunday morning at 10 AM. I want to take you somewhere.", He announced, flashing a smile.
'I...I can not take leave from my job.", Grace lied.
'Sunday is off for everyone, Grace, including yours, but due to your financial situation, you work overtime, so stop making excuses.", he stated in a serious tone. 'I will ask your manager to not cut your pay even for Sunday, okay?
'S.sorry.", Grace lowered her eyes like a thief who was caught red-handed. ‘I can not tolerate him even for an hour. Hell! I do not want to see his face, no matter how handsome he is, and he is asking me to spend a day with him AGAIN."
'Be ready on time."
'C. can't you take someone else?"
'I am not asking you, sweetheart. I am telling you. Be ready, or else I will eat all your family members.", He joked, but Grace's eyes widened in shock.
'O.Okay", She whispered in fear, imagining how that black wolf, or to say Zayden, would kill her family members mercilessly. 'C. Can I go now?"
'Sure. But where is my goodbye kiss?", He asked in an amused tone but being dead serious.
Panic rose in her heart.
Not again!
'Zayden, please!"
'My name sounds so nice from your lips.", His gaze lowered to her lips, and he decided to claim it today. Grace scooted towards the door as if it would stop him. He advanced toward her and could feel her panic and….blush? He smiled, seeing her like that all his.
He placed his palm over her cheek and turned her face so that he could see her clearly. Very slowly, he closed the distance, keeping his gaze fixed on her lips. She kept backing her head when he placed his hand on the back of her head and held her in one place.
'Don't resist me.", He said slowly.
'T.This is wrong.", She whimpered. She didn't want him to kiss her.
'What's wrong?", he asked, getting confused.
‘Should I reply? What if my answer hurts his ego, and then he will be an angry man?' She started thinking.
'Sweetheart, you don't have to be afraid about it. I promised I won't hurt you after listening to your answer.", Zayden assured, still holding her cheek with his palm.
'This kind of….closeness or intimacy is wrong. In our culture, only marriage allows it.", Grace muttered. Hearing her out, Zayden realized that he had to control himself and his beast from claiming this beauty now. Everyone had their own sentiments, and he definitely didn't want to hurt her.
'If this is so, then I will wait till the day of our wedding.", He replied.
‘What? No way in hell! I will marry this criminal. Maybe he is just trying to trap me in his words.' She thought. At the same time, she couldn't help but get shocked by his response. Marriage was definitely out of the question for her. Zayden noticed her expression and chuckled.
'No need to be shocked. It will happen one day.", He smiled.
'What if I. I don't want to?" She asked. Zayden's smile vanished, and the old possessiveness came back. Was she trying to leave him? His thoughts always stopped there, and that angered him.
'Then I guess you don't have any other choice, sweetheart. You are mine, and you have to be mine.", He said.
'But marriage can't be forced.", She answered back for the first time without stuttering.
'I know. So, you better agree to this marriage." He smiled and looked at her. Finally, she was speaking like a usual person.
'But….my parents will not agree.", She figured out one more reason to stop him from thinking about all this marriage thing."
Talking about her parents, she realized that she had to leave. God! She forgot that between this argument.
'That can be arranged.", Zayden replied, and kissed her forehead instead of her lips. He caressed her forehead with his lips and felt content. Whereas she just closed her eyes to swallow the sickening feeling that a criminal and a monster kissed her.
After a minute of sharing the intimate moment, he parted and smiled. Grace didn't look at him in embarrassment as she felt something cold over her wrist. She looked at her right wrist, and she saw a diamond bracelet.
'It's a small gift for you.", Zayden announced. He had slipped it when he had kissed her.
'Why?"
'I wanted to."
'I...I can't accept it. It seems expensive."
'You will accept it and wear it daily. And if I ever see you not wearing it, I will personally make sure of it. And trust me, you will not like what I will do then." His eyes glowed golden for a while. Grace looked at him in shock. How could she wear it in front of her parents? Her father would kill her if he found out that his daughter was spending time with a criminal and a monster, Ofcourse. She saw the door getting unlocked from her side.
'Okay" Muttering this, she quickly ran toward her house. Zayden waited till she went inside her home safely. He was about to leave when he realized that Grace's mobile was still in his pocket and he forgot to return her. Never mind. He could give it now.
Thinking this, he stepped out of the car and started walking toward Grace's house while Grace had no idea about the storm, which was coming into her life.
#TBC