50. Are you kidding me?
"You're lucky tonight, human," Darius snarled, letting go of the woman and bolting straight after Ally. The Princess could try running, but there wouldn't be anywhere to hide since the male following her was her mate.
Ally ran through the poorly illuminated halls, passing many women, ignoring whatever greetings were thrown at her. She noticed how some women smiled at her while others snarled and showed off some type of disgust. Was their attitude like that because Ally was a Princess, or was it because of whom her mate was? The Princess hoped that Wrath could give her some time alone; perhaps thinking about everything was better than just running off. Of course, trying to find out what exactly was happening would be the correct, more mature choice, but she couldn't stand there and watch the closeness between her mate and the woman.
She didn't get to see his hand wrapped around the woman's neck, but their closeness was enough to misunderstand his intentions. Both looked more like lovers than enemies.
The Princess stopped when she reached a dead end. She tried to look for a secret door since most temples had one, but she hadn't been in Selena's temple nor heard about it before a few days ago.
The young woman grabbed the sides of her head, thugging on her hair in frustration. She didn't notice how the tears fought their way out, nor the way she instinctively bit onto her lip, trying to stay quiet. Ally knew that emotions were seen as a sign of weakness in her world, and no one would ever see their Princess being weak. She sat in the darkest corner, pulled her knees to her chest, and hugged her legs, hiding her tear-stained face.
"Why did you have to do this to me? I trusted you, let you mark me for the fucking life, yet it wasn't enough. I fucking hate you." Ally sobbed, talking out loud. She didn't care if someone could hear her, not anymore. Strong or not, she had the right to feel hurt for her mate's doings. Darius put on a mask of an amazing man and shattered it right in front of her eyes.
A large hand landed on her knee, startling the young woman. Of course, he was there, how couldn't he? If Ally decided to leave him, Darius would lose more than he'd be ready to risk losing. Having your destined mate next to you meant that you became more powerful, nearly unstoppable.
"Ally, baby, look at me," Darius kneeled in front of her, his voice dripping in fear. The Princess had never heard him sounding scared or terrified, yet here he was- shaking like an autumn leaf.
"Go away." The Princess didn't want to talk, and she wouldn't face the male either. Perhaps marking didn't mean anything for Darius, but for Ally, it meant everything and more. The young woman grew up watching her parents, hoping that she might find love one day- such as theirs.
"I won't, please, just look at me." His voice cracked, the monstrous man knelt in front of the Princess, begging her to look at him. If someone told Ally that something like this could ever happen- she would laugh in the person's face.
Slowly, she lifted her head, their eyes locking. There were so many emotions running through his orbs; the young woman couldn't catch on or follow all, even if she wanted to. She bit onto her lip, keeping her facial expression as serious as she could. No way in hell would she cry even more; well, maybe she would, but not in front of Darius.
"No, please don't cry, baby. Whatever you think happened back there- it isn't true." He tried to cup her cheek, but the young woman slapped his hand away, throwing death stares at him. She wouldn't give in so easily, not until he had proven the truth behind his words. Every other cheater could say that he didn't cheat, looking straight into one's eyes, without any remorse or shame. No, Ally wouldn't let herself fall for his charms. All she wanted was for him to hold her, to tell her that everything would be okay- that things between them would be alright. But she couldn't allow herself to break and jump onto him until at least some kind of explanations would be given.
"Don't you baby me now! Of course, it wasn't what it looked like; that's what all cheaters say! It's the same woman who entered your bedroom as if she owned the place, isn't that? Don't you take me for a fool; I might let you mark me, but it doesn't mean that I don't remember what happened before I passed out. What about her, Darius? What about the two of you, huh?" Ally's voice rose louder with each word leaving her lips, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes, but that didn't bother the young woman. She let out all of her pain and hatred, demanding for him to speak. Maybe it was different with women he used to date, but the Princess wasn't any other woman you could meet everywhere. She didn't believe in the "I'm not like other girls" movement since the young woman always thought that women must support each other rather than put down. She did, however, know her worth and the importance of her life and happiness. If her parents wouldn't raise her like a modest persona, she might end up like the biggest, most spoiled woman in history. Yes, Eros loved spoiling his daughter, but Ally knew that everything she got had to be earned by specific actions. Nothing in life came for free, same as love.
Everything has a price.
Darius sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. The male wondered what their future would hold if this damn misunderstanding was just the beginning. He felt proud, despite the situation- Ally turned her back on him and ran because she couldn't stand aside and watch him near any other woman. On the other side- his actions, as unintended as they were, hurt his precious mate. Darius had to come up with an idea of how their life would lead on from now, how to keep all enemies away and make sure that Ally wouldn't get hurt.
He opened his mouth and closed it almost imminently, unable to find the right words. The thing that truly scared him was that he could chase Ally, repeating how the human woman didn't mean anything to him, but she might still think he's lying. He didn't have actual proof of what happened in that dark hall, and unfortunately, he let the woman go.
An idea popped in his mind- quite risky, but getting slapped across the face by the woman he loves was worth every moment of it.
So, instead of talking, Darius smirked, leaned forward, and pressed his lips against Ally's. She didn't resist him, nor slap the male- the Princess wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
The kiss was nothing like anything they shared before; the Princess took dominance over his lips, pushing all of her emotions on Darius. The kiss wasn't forced, yet all those times when they shared one- there weren't as many emotions as in this one. Passion, hurt, love, need, lust, and desperation. They broke the kiss only when both were out of breath, panting and flushed. At this point, Ally was happy for running into this dead-end, at least they had some privacy, and no one was staring at their most intimate moments. Darius took her hand in his and placed it on his chest, meeting Ally's eyes.
"This is what you're doing to me, Ally," he whispered, implying on the wild heartbeat. If he weren't somewhat dead, the male would fear his heart breaking the ribcage and escaping his body. "You make me feel alive, as alive as I've never felt. Even when I was just a nobody, an ordinary shifter with a promised mate somewhere out there, I never felt as fucking alive. Believe it or not, but my heart beats only for you. Fuck it; you can take it and keep the damn thing in a fucking box for all I care. I love you, and I wouldn't have a reason to cheat on you. Please, just this once, listen. Let me explain before you make any decision, don't jump to conclusions before you have heard me out. It's a lot to ask, I understand how it might have seemed from your point of view, but this," Darius pointed a finger between them, "This will never work if we don't talk shit out. And there is nothing more I'd wish for than us being together. Waking up and falling asleep next to you is bliss; I want it forever. I want us to be happily ever after everyone keeps dreaming about; the only difference is that I won't be an idiot, wrapped in a fucking tinfoil." The male let out a deep breath, waiting for Ally to speak up again. Seeing her in such a state pained the male, her tear-stained face leaving a significant impact on him. Years ago, Darius thought that there was no such thing as nightmares since he had been said to be one himself, but now he was sure that the look on her face could haunt him.
"You have five minutes, Darius. I know what I heard and what I saw. You probably don't know how much you mean to me, but I won't let you keep going around as if you were single. If I am yours, you are mine. If there is such a thing as "us," we stay loyal to each other; respect, support, and love are all both of us need. A relationship doesn't depend on one person; both are responsible for things they do and the decisions they make. Think about this. If you're not ready to settle down, just tell me. I will understand and won't judge you. Some of us aren't meant to spend the rest of our lives with one person, and I fully get it, if you can't either." The Princess held her head high, ready to accept the truth, even if it would leave her broken and lonely. Being angry and hurt at her mate's actions was one thing, but she couldn't hold him down with force if Darius didn't want to stay. Whatever the outcome was- she silently prepared herself for heartbreak. Why did they even bother to do the full marking process if one might end the things before they started? Ally started thinking about her life if she ever wronged someone so much to deserve her mate turning his back to her. She did; just moments ago, she did the same thing to Darius, which she was most scared of. If he leaves, Ally knows that she accepted the cold treatment.
"I'll try to explain everything as fast as I can. The woman did invite herself into the bedroom soon after I marked you. She did yell out some unreasonable shit, asking questions, and demanding answers. The funniest thing is that this was the first time I've ever met her. That human was as much a stranger for me as she was to you. When you fell asleep, I approached her, asking why she arrived and who the fuck she was. The human didn't want to answer while we stood by the door, saying that it was something about you, but I don't remember everything in detail. By then, my blood was boiling, and I truly wanted to kill her on the spot. But I'm an honest man; I keep my promise and avoid an unneeded bloodbath. So, this human told me she would explain in the hall, but of course, the dumbass tried to run. Everything happened pretty fast- I caught her, questioned, gained a couple of answers, and toyed with her fear. I was about to kill her when you appeared; what reminds me of something." Darius slid a hand in his pocket and grabbed the little box Ally dropped on the floor. He placed it in her hand as she smiled. "Even if you leave, I want you to have it. Accept my gifts; I've been hiding and cherishing this tiny thing since the day I found out about your existence. Trust me, if there is one person who deserves it- it's only you." Darius got back on his feet and offered Ally his hand. The male decided that her reaction would be the answer he's waiting for. If the young woman follows him, they can make it right. If she doesn't- he has to stop instantly, leave the Princess alone, and keep away as far as possible.
Ally didn't seem to think for too long as she took his hand and smiled as Darius helped her up. She tried to lead the way back to the large bedroom, but the male swooped her off her feet and carried the Princess bridal style. "One day, I will have the honor to carry you to the bedroom while you wear white," Darius smiled down at her, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.
"All you're missing is conversations about children." Ally laughed, imitating his previous actions. Darius stopped on the spot, staring down at his mate. Instead of the joyful and smiling Darius, she noticed a completely different male. He was joking just seconds ago, and now, out of nowhere, he seemed to act way too severe.
"Do you mean it?" Darius whispered the question, his intense stare burning holes in Ally's skin.
"I mean, yeah, one day. If you want to, not like I'm trying to force you or anything, but yea... I'd love to have tiny babies running around our house one day. It's okay. IF kids aren't quite your thing, I can live without them as well." Ally mumbled, looking anywhere but at her mate. His sudden change of dementor made the young woman question if he would ever agree to build a family.
"Are you kidding me?" Darius had a hard time keeping his facial expression rock solid. The male wanted to see how his precious little mate would deal with his sudden changes of emotions.
"No," Ally whispered, finally meeting his eyes. At that moment, the woman understood that she had to do that before- even though his face was emotionless, his eyes sparkled in joy.
"I'm in whenever you're ready, love. I don't mind having you wobbling around like a cute penguin even tomorrow if that would be possible." Darius smiled, slowly getting back on the track with his previous plan. Ally needed to sleep some more; marking took a lot from her. Yet, he would lie if she said that he wasn't ready to mate her on the spot. Her, being the one who speaks about kids, aroused Darius. Not only could they enjoy the whole process of getting one annoying little thing, but he could admire the way Ally sparkles while expecting. The male had seen many pregnant women during his lifetime- the magical process of creating life did change women, for the best.
"A little too fast, don't you think?" Ally giggled, hiding her flushed cheeks behind her palms.
"Well, we always have the option to train a little," Darius grinned, giving out more hints as soon as he noticed the confusion all over Ally's face. "You know, train, get ready for the moment when I actually get you pregnant. Until then, we can just enjoy ourselves." He laughed out loud when Ally's palm covered his mouth. The Princess felt as if all blood her body possessed suddenly moved to her cheeks. Some people were passing them; she didn't want strangers to listen to how Darius offered her to have sex in a ridiculous manner.
"Shhh, try to be at least a little careful when we speak about such topics. I don't want people to talk about, you know, our.."
"So what if people get to know that I want to make love to my mate, huh? That's not a crime, love. Now, please stop rubbing yourself against me like this; it's pretty hard to keep the control when you do," Darius smiled, kicking the bedroom door open and then kicking it closed behind them.
"I-I'm so hot; why is it so hot here?"