Chapter Twenty-Three

I knocked the Kaimari Warrior on his ass. And gods, it felt fucking good.

The impact was both exhilarating and cathartic as I knocked the Kaimari Warrior off his feet. A surge of satisfaction surged through me, a fleeting triumph that stirred something deep within. He had challenged us to spar, dared us to face him, and I, with the fire of defiance burning in my veins, had managed what others hadn't. I had managed to knock him off balance. Because I knew him – perhaps better than anyone else.

After the training, he approached me once again, seeking conversation or perhaps something more. And once again, I disregarded his presence, enfolding Irina in my arms instead, an intentional snub.

His gaze, relentless and unapologetic, followed me throughout dinner, a magnetic force that drew my eyes away from him, seeking refuge in the solidity of Ezra's gaze.

"Escape with me," Ezra's whisper was a siren call that I couldn't resist. My eyes held captive by the Kaimari, I nodded subtly. Our lips found each other's hungrily, a desperate collision of longing and need. The deserted hallway welcomed us, a private sanctuary amidst the chaos.

“Gods, I've missed you," Ezra's words resonated through the air, his touch eager as he traced the curve of my shoulders. The rapid rhythm of his heartbeat thrummed against my ear as his fingers worked to release the tension that had built within me. The connection between us was unbreakable, like a lifeline cast amidst a storm.

His lips found my skin, his kisses igniting a blazing path from my calves, up my thighs, until the throbbing ache deep within me consumed my senses. Pleasure, familiar and heady, spiraled through my body as his touch ignited flames that only he could tame. His fingers explored every inch of me, a melody of sensations that left me shivering.

A primal growl marked his ascent, leather and steel thudding onto the floor. His silhouette emerged in the night, his form outlined by the darkness. An elemental force, fierce and intoxicating.

"Claim me," I whispered, a plea laden with longing. His erection strained against his pants, evidence of his hunger for me. "I need you."

Ezra's hands encircled his cock, the touch a promise of what was to come. His fingers scorched a trail along my skin, and as his grip secured my wrist, his intent was undeniable. With each thrust, exquisite and magnificent, he transported me to a realm of sensation I couldn't escape.

His hand claimed my throat, then my mouth, eliciting moans that filled the air. "Good girl," he praised between ragged breaths, his fingers delving within me. Pleasure surged through my veins, my hips moving rhythmically against him.

"Ezra," I choked out, my voice a fervent plea. "I'm going to cum."

But a voice, dark and commanding, pierced the fragile bubble of our intimacy. "Ezra," the Kaimari's voice rumbled a predator's growl. "Irina."

The command was ignored; Ezra and I were lost in each other. His hands tightened around my thighs, his eyes dark with desire. Yet the Kaimari's words seethed with authority, an unwelcome intrusion.

"Continue," I urged Ezra, my gaze fixed on the visor concealing the Kaimari's features. Ezra's grip on my thighs tightened, but before we could surrender completely to our passion, the Kaimari's next words cut through the air, infuriating and commanding.

"Half your royal guard is behind me."

Abruptly, we were torn apart as if by an invisible force. Our tangled limbs found distance, our breathing erratic. The Kaimari's reprimand struck like a whip, his scolding condemning us for our recklessness in a time of war.

The Kaimari's voice, a stern reprimand laced with the weight of authority, cut through the charged air like a blade. "What are you thinking? Running off like this in a time of war?" The harshness of his scolding held no trace of mercy, and for a moment, I felt like a child chastised for a grave misdeed.

Ezra, ever bold, wasn't about to stand down. "Hey, back off," his retort was a challenge flung at the Kaimari's imposing armor. The Kaimari turned, his silence a foreboding response, and the two formidable men locked eyes in a silent battle of wills. The tension simmered, escalating with each heartbeat until, in an instant, Ezra found himself trapped, his body forcibly slammed against the mirrored wall.

"Don't you ever touch her again," Kaimari's voice was a lethal growl, a promise of swift retribution? In a heartbeat, Ezra was reduced to a crumpled heap on the floor, a stark reminder of the Kaimari's ruthless strength.

I could feel my anger rising, a wildfire consuming everything in its path. "How dare you?!" My voice trembled with a mix of fury and frustration, my instincts urged me to confront the Kaimari head-on. But the telltale echoes of approaching footsteps, the rhythmic thud of soldier boots down the corridor, brought me back to reality.

The Kaimari's rebuke had disrupted the fragile cocoon of our stolen moment. The footsteps drew nearer, and just as the storm within me seemed ready to explode, the doors swung open to reveal Nerida, Amaya, Saija, and a contingent of our castle guards, their weapons trained and ready.

"I'm fine, Amaya," I quickly assured her, feeling her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over me. "I just got lost," I lied, trying to maintain an air of innocence.

The tension in the room was palpable, made even more intense by Prince Azhrel's voice as he spoke with my mother. His words carried a subtle accusation, a veneer of concern masking the threat he implied. "I find it highly concerning that the Princess could become so lost in her own home," he began, his gaze a pointed arrow aimed at Nerida. "That such loyal Shadows could lose sight of their princess," he continued this time casting an accusatory glare toward Ezra. "Given the princess's hallucinations, might I suggest my guard? The Kaimari? As a protection for the Princess. Such instances could spark rumors of scandal, that my potential future wife could… have lost her purity."

Nerida's eyes, icy and piercing, met mine. I knew what she was about to say before the words left her lips. "Prince Azhrel, I assure you, my daughter is pure," her voice carried a steel edge, her eyes darting to my slightly disheveled attire, then to Ezra's. "I agree, it is a good idea, for your comfort and the Princess's security, to have a safeguard while you are visiting us."

A groan escaped not only me but also Amaya. The weight of the situation was sinking in, and the implications of the Kaimari's interference were far-reaching.

"Didn't you say you had exams?" The Kaimari's voice snapped towards Amaya, his tone dripping with both irony and annoyance. "Now you may focus more on schooling," he added in a biting remark.

I could feel my cheeks flush with indignation, a rush of embarrassment and anger flooding through me. "What a kind thought, warrior," I retorted, my voice laden with sarcasm. The room was charged with hostility and unspoken tension, a clash of wills and desires that showed no signs of abating.

“Let us begin now,” the Kaimari suggested to Azhrel. “I will escort the princess to her chambers.”

I bit my tongue so hard I drew blood.

—-----
Back in the chamber, the atmosphere was a battleground of unresolved tension. Every move he made seemed calculated, a predator stalking its prey. The door sealed us in, and I was acutely aware of the confined space, my heart pounding like a captive bird desperate for escape.

His presence was a tangible force, a looming shadow that dominated the room. The dim light painted his armor in shades of obsidian and steel, and each step he took seemed to resonate like a war drum in the silence. The air itself seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of what was to come.

"You acted recklessly," his voice was a low rumble, the kind that sends a chill down your spine even before the words register. "Running off like a naive child."

I squared my shoulders, but his gaze, a mixture of hardened steel and flickering flames, cut through me like a blade. "I can take care of myself."

He scoffed, the sound laced with a dangerous edge. "You've always had a stubborn streak, but it was never this reckless."

A flicker of memories danced at the periphery of my mind, images of our time on the island. The Kaimari's presence had been both a shield and a source of warmth during those days. Yet, his words contradicted the strength of our past connection.

"You're deluding yourself," he continued his gaze an unrelenting force that seemed to strip away my defenses. "You still deny it, even after all this time."

I met his gaze head-on, my voice steady even as turmoil churned within me. "I don't know what you're talking about."

In a swift motion, he closed the distance between us, his gloved fingers encircling my jaw with a grip that was both firm and unyielding. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, igniting a storm of emotions that threatened to consume my carefully constructed facade.

"Don't lie," his words were a low growl, his eyes boring into mine with a ferocity that left me breathless. "I know you, more than you think. I know the girl who stood by the shore, who shared secrets and dreams under the stars."

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in the charged silence that enveloped us. The memories he spoke of surged to the forefront of my mind, moments I had tried to bury beneath layers of denial. But his touch, his words, ignited a spark of recognition that refused to be extinguished.

"You're wrong," I whispered, my voice betraying the inner turmoil I fought to suppress.

His thumb brushed against my lower lip, a caress that sent shivers racing down my spine. "I've known you, seen you at your most vulnerable. And now, here you stand, a princess who thinks she can outwit fate."

I wanted to pull away, to escape the intensity of his gaze and the emotions it stirred within me. Yet, a part of me longed to surrender, to embrace the truths I had denied for so long.

"Let me go," I managed to say, my voice a shaky plea.

But he held me captive, his grip unyielding. "You can run, you can deny, but you can't escape the truth."

The chamber felt smaller, the air thick with the weight of unspoken desires and the gravity of our shared history. Every instinct told me to pull away, to reject the vulnerability he was dragging into the light. Yet, in the midst of his unyielding hold, there was a magnetic pull that tugged me closer, tempting me to embrace a truth I had long denied.

"Release me," my words were a soft plea, but his grip tightened like iron, refusing to relinquish its hold. The darkness in his touch promised a dance that had only just begun, a dance where he led and I had no choice but to follow.

His grip found its way into my hair, his fingers tangling in the strands, tugging at the roots with a hint of dominance that sent a shiver down my spine.

"I want you, Irina," his words were a low growl, the timbre of his voice sending a shock of heat through me. "I wanted you then, and I will have you now."

I forced myself to meet his gaze, the defiance in me rising to the surface. "I am not the girl from your past," I protested, though my voice wavered under the weight of his intensity. "And your loyalty to Prince Azhrel, the man you are sworn to protect, is noted. If I were to marry him, I would have you removed from your post."

"Marriage is just politics, princess," his voice was a dangerous whisper, the words laced with a hint of challenge. "You know this better than most."

My breath hitched as he stepped closer, his helmet dangerously close to my face. I could feel the heat radiating off him, a palpable force that enveloped me. "Yet what man would offer himself to another's wife?"

The Kaimari's growl reverberated in the confined space, and suddenly his hands were around my throat, a grip that was both possessive and electrifying. A part of me wanted to provoke him, to test the boundaries of his control, to feel the rush of his dominance coursing through me.

"I will have you," he growled, his words dripping with primal desire, "in any form."

With an assertive push, he pressed me against the wall, my body responding with an involuntary whimper of pleasure. His touch ignited a fire within me that I had tried to ignore, a fire that burned with a mix of anger and longing.

"I can sense your desires, little one," his hands trailed from the column of my throat to my shoulders, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. "I will spend a lifetime tearing down the walls you've built until you beg for me to claim you."

"I don't know you," I gasped my defiance a feeble shield against the tempest of sensations he ignited.

A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes, hidden behind the visor of his helmet. "Then we," his hands captured my jaw, tilting my face up to meet his gaze, "will become acquainted."