Chapter 264: Chapter 264 Commanding My Pet (2)
His eyes flicked open at my words. For the first time since he had woken, genuine surprise cracked through his calm mask. His head tilted slightly, like he wasn’t sure if I was serious.
"You want me to... fan you?"
I crossed my arms. "Yes. That’s my command."
He studied me for a long moment, his black eyes unblinking, as though he could peel my words apart until the truth was bare. I kept my chin high even though heat prickled my ears. This was payback. If he thought I had forgotten what he’d made me do the first night I was trapped with him, he was sorely mistaken.
Finally, his lips curved up into the sharp smirk he usually wore, and he looked almost amused. "Very well, Master."
The way he said it made my stomach twist in knots. I had wanted annoyance, defiance... something to feed on. Instead, he gave me calm obedience, and that unsettled me more than any fight could have.
’Look at the bright side Ember, Obedience is expected of a pet... yes.’
I laid myself on the flat rock where he had been resting before. My body still ached, my chest throbbed with every beat, but I refused to let him see it although I knew he might be aware of my emotions through the bracelet. I lay back and looked up at the stars. "Well? Get to it."
He rose to his feet with slow, deliberate movements, like a predator stretching its limbs. His height loomed above me, and for a heartbeat, I regretted my command. But then he crouched by my side, plucked a broad leaf from the ground, and began to wave it with a steady rhythm.
The night air already carried a chill, but the soft current brushed across my face and strands of my silver-white hair. I closed my eyes briefly, relishing the comfort even as my pride screamed at me to resist it.
’Relishing what comfort? I’m dying from the cold... I’m freezing.’ I screamed inwardly.
"This is ridiculous," I muttered.
"Then why are you smiling?" he asked.
My eyes snapped open. "I am not smiling."
His leaf fanned lazily, almost teasingly. "You are."
"I told you not to talk back unless I give you permission." I rolled to my side, glaring at him.
He raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t argue. He simply kept fanning, the corner of his lips twitching like he was holding back a laugh.
The silence stretched, filled only by the sound of the waterfall and the steady beat of the leaf cutting through the air. My anger began to ebb, replaced by something I didn’t want to name.
Finally, I sat up. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"
’I don’t know exactly what is wrong with me? I should let him continue right? But I’m about to freeze to death... if I stop him... I might not wake up to see the next day.’
"Yes," he admitted without hesitation.
I blinked. "You’re not supposed to admit it."
"Why not? You’re my master, I’m your pet. Shouldn’t I enjoy pleasing you?" His voice was low, carrying no mockery.
My chest tightened. Damn him. He was turning the whole thing back on me again, twisting my own claim until I didn’t know who was really in control.
I looked away, my voice barely above a whisper. "You’re insufferable."
He leaned closer, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off his skin even in the cool night. "And yet, you keep me by your side." He smiled knowingly, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction.
The words brushed against the walls of my heart like a blade. I hated how they made me falter. My breath hitched, and I quickly shoved him back with my palm. "Enough. You’ve fanned me long enough. Lie down."
’Mission accomplished.’
His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, unreadable, before he obeyed. He stretched out on the ground beside the rock, his hands folded beneath his head.
I turned away from him, hugging myself tightly. My heart was beating too fast.
The forest seemed calmer now. The waterfall hummed like a lullaby, and the moon shone over the mountain. Yet my mind refused to rest. His words replayed again and again... ’If being your pet means I stay close enough to feel you, then so be it.’
Why did he make it sound like I was the one being trapped?
I clenched my fists and forced my eyes shut. ’No. I’m the one in control. I’m the master.’
But sleep didn’t come easily. Every time I drifted, I felt the steady rhythm of his breathing beside me. It anchored me in ways I didn’t want to admit.
...
When morning came, the sun smiled brightly across the mountain. I woke up stiff from lying on a stone. Damon was already awake, sitting at the river’s edge, his reflection rippling in the water.
He didn’t look at me as I sat up, but his voice rang through the air. "We should find Alaric and Theo today."
I rubbed my forehead. "You’re still giving orders? And is that a way to greet your master?"
"They are not orders," he corrected calmly. "It is merely a suggestion. You’re the master, remember? And good morning, Master Aeris."
I threw a pebble at his back. He caught it mid-air without even turning. My jaw clenched. "Bring me some water."
He rose without a word, went to the river, and scooped water into his palms. By the time he returned, most of it had already slipped through his fingers, leaving only a thin shimmer in his hands.
I stared at his empty palms, then raised a brow. "That’s your idea of fetching water? There’s barely a drop."
His jaw ticked. "The water ran fast, it slipped through my fingers."
"Then run faster next time," I said coldly, folding my arms. "Go again. And this time, don’t return until there’s enough to drink."
For a heartbeat, his eyes flickered with something I couldn’t name, was it amusement? Or irritation? Before I could figure it out, he bowed his head slightly. "Yes, Master."
He turned back toward the river, this time moving quickly.