Chapter 42: Chapter Forty-two: Why is my husband so shameless?
"What do you mean you lost her?!" Calithar thundered at the witch who had just burst through the portal. He gripped his arm as a strong, burning sensation surged through his flesh. His right forearm was burning with small leaf-like structures decorating it. They had failed to get her through the portal and because of that, the part of his body that crossed through, had been burned seriously.
He knew it was useless but still placed his hand over it, pouring out his divine energy into it in the hopes of healing the wound even a little but it was all useless. He groaned in frustration as the burning only got worse, opening up more leaf-like structures on his arm. He was gravely irritated and annoyed by the way it looked at him that he felt like tearing them off his skin.
"Your highness. A vampire attacked me and snatched the girl from my hold." the witch said, trying to defend herself.
"And you could do nothing?!" he growled at her in unrestrained anger. The force from his voice made his arm burn with another level of pain and he clutched it tightly, staggering. The wound on his arm seemed to be draining his very energy from his body because he had gone through the portal to the human world.
The witch lowered her head at him, feeling the thickness of his rage swimming in the air.
"He was much stronger than me, your highness. I almost had the girl pass through until he showed up."
Calithar grabbed her by the neck, bringing her to face him. Her hood had fallen off in the process, revealing the mole on her face.
"Y-your highness." she coughed out, clawing at his hand that was tightened sharply at her neck. Though she was a witch, she had lost majority of her abilities while battling with Calithar hundreds of years ago.
Calithar gritted his teeth angrily as he tightened his grip on her neck, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm.
"You had just one job to do. One job! And you failed. Do you expect me to have mercy on you?."
"P-p-please your highness. Give me another chance."
"And if I do, how am I sure you will succeed this time?" he asked calmly without reducing the force on her neck.
The witch opened her mouth to reply when suddenly, Calithar flung her across the room and into a cage with maddening force. She landed painfully on the bare ground and immediately clawed forward to get out but he already had his hand out stretched. With a snap of his fingers, heavy metal bars clanked down on the cage, trapping her in before she could even make a move out. He felt the marks burn into him harder like fire as if etching themselves into his very flesh
The witch made to pry them open but in return, the bars burned raw red, scalding her fingers. She let out a terrifying cry, begging to be released.
"You said you’ll free me! You said so your highness!" she cried out.
Calithar approached her in the cage, lowering himself to the ground with death in his eyes. "If you had done your job well then I wouldn’t have needed to lock you up." he said simply.
Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the room admist her beggings and protest.
...
Elena stood by the window, watching the palace servants go by. She was deep in thoughts about her encounter with Severin the other day and was dying to ask him about it. As she stood there unmoving, a strong pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist. Elena gasped suddenly at the touch but relaxed soon after. She felt his bare chest resting on her back, sending a flush of pink through her face.
She placed her hand gently on his arms and he nuzzled his face into her hair. "Good morning." he said with his head buried in her neck.
Elena shivered at the feel of his hot breath against her neck. "Good morning." she replied back smiling. Damien kissed the back of her neck faintly before pulling away. A blush crept up her cheeks at his actions but she didn’t stop him.
He then moved up to her hair, placing lightly kisses on them softly before combing through them with his fingers.
"I-I have to speak with Prince Severin, your highness." Elena spoke after a while of remaining in that position.
Damien creased his brows together and stopped his action. "You don’t have to. It wasn’t him."
Elena turned around for a second before turning back"I know that. I-I just have something else to talk about."
Damien inclined his head at her with his brows still creased. "And I can’t know about it?."
Before she could reply him, he unwrapped his arms from her waist and walked to the drawer by the bed. He pulled out a small necklace and turned back to her.
"Here." he said as he neared her. He stood behind her, lifted her hair up and hooked the necklace together. Elena looked down and felt its small gem embedded in an iron crest. She looked up at him, confused "What is this for?"
"Whoever it was that attacked you yesterday was able to sniff you out. Without that ability, even if you were hiding in the same room as them, they wouldn’t be able to find you." Damien explained.
Elena took the gem in her hand, running her fingers over it. By the time she looked up, Damien was already dressing up. She ran over to him and unconsciously grabbed his hand in her small ones.
"Are you leaving?"
"Don’t you want me to?" Damien stopped unbuttoning his shirt and moved closer to her. Elena looked warily at him, walking backwards as he continued to move closer to her. She bumped into the dresser and Damien cornered her with his palms on
either side of her. "Or would you prefer we continue from where we left off?." he said, tracing his hands on her thighs.
Elena slapped his hand away, her cheeks burning as she turned aside in shock. How shameless was this man getting?! Damien only chuckled softly at her reaction with a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. He leaned in and tenderly brushed a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.
"I’ll be gone all day," he said quietly, maintaining his focus on his task. "Be a good girl and don’t wander off or get into trouble, alright?"
Elena bit her lower lip and nodded, though her eyes still couldn’t look up to his face.
"Answer me, darling." Damien repeated, taking her chin smoothly in his fingers.
"Mm," she hummed softly, looking directly at him now.
"And one more thing," he added, tilting his head slightly.
She blinked up at him curiously. "Yes?"
"When we’re alone, don’t call me ’Your Highness,’ okay?"
She stiffened up at his words. Who knew they say would come when he would say that to her?That the proud and ice Prince Damien would say such a thing to her?
She smiled softly at his words and her eyes shone with unspoken warmth.
"Then how should I call you?" she asked innocently, her lips curving into a mischievous smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her boldness surprised even her.
Damien raised a brow, smirking as his gaze remained fixed on her face. "You’ve grown bolder, haven’t you?" His voice came out huskily "I like it."
He slid his hands around her waist, drawing her closer until their breaths mingled. Elena’s heart skipped.
"How about ’darling’ then?" he teased lightly. "Or... my dear husband?"
His words hung between them like a spark then she realized what he had said and gasped, slapping his chest playfully before covering her mouth with both palms with her face redder than a rose.
Damien laughed before catching her wrist. His grip on her was firm but gentle and he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a slow hot kiss on it. It felt strange yet intoxicatingly good, spreading a flush of warmth through her arm and into her chest.
"Careful now," he murmured against her skin, his eyes glinting with dangerous amusement. "Unless you want to spend the whole day here."
"J-Just go already," she stammered, trying to sound annoyed, though her trembling voice betrayed her. She pulled down her arms from his neck and fiddled with her night dress.
He chuckled again, leaning down to place a another kiss on her forehead before turning and walking toward the door.
Elena stood there for a long moment after he had left, smiling to herself like an idiot. She leaned back against the dresser, watching his figure disappear through the doorway. A half-smile played on her lips, and she shook her head slowly, brushing her fingers over the spot where his lips had touched her hand.
"What a shameless man," she murmured under her breath when he was finally gone.
The room suddenly felt emptier without him. She glanced at the window, where sunlight poured in, clutching her dress nervously. Was she... missing him?
And though sh
e would never admit it aloud, part of her wanted him to make her stay the whole day.