Chapter 99: Kiss
"What are you doing?"
Emira almost jumped out of her skin as she felt two strong arms suddenly wrap around her waist. Her heart kicked in her chest, and she twisted around in shock, only to stumble back when she saw who it was. Prince Zen.
She hurriedly put space between them, bowing her head as she muttered, "Your Highness."
But Zen only smiled at her reaction and instead stepped forward again and pulled her back into his arms. His voice was calm, almost teasing as he spoke near her ear, "I think it’s time you call me Zen."
Emira blinked at his words... and hurriedly tried to step back. She needed to remember that this man with his smiling face was not as straight forward as he appeared to be. He wouldn’t be here, if he was not upto something!
But her attempt to step away was wasted, only working to push her further into the shelves, leaving her trapped between the racks and his tall figure. A soft sigh slipped from her lips.
She really did not have the time for him today.
Her mind was far too heavy. All through the long hours of the day, she had been caught in the same storm of thoughts, unable to shake free from what she had uncovered that morning.
The weight of Prince Kael’s story pressed down on her until she could barely breathe. She’d even found herself crying at the most random times. It was also why she had not noticed Prince Zen’s arrival when the man came..
Somewhere during the day, as she sorted the scrolls by their dates, her thoughts had continued to go back and think of Prince Kael and what had happened then.
In an odd way, she realized that Prince Kael and she were not so different.
Their circumstances were worlds apart, yet their experiences overlapped in ways that left her unsettled.
Kael was a prince of the strongest werewolf pack that ever existed. Yet, instead of being celebrated, he had lived surrounded by coldness. He had been pushed aside, ignored, treated as though he was less.
And she... she was the opposite. The lowest of the low, an Omega. She should have belonged, at least among her own kind. But she had not. Even within the Omega ranks, she had been an outsider. The others had bent their heads and accepted the cruelty poured on them, as though they deserved it, as though it was written into their blood. Emira had never been able to do that.
And suddenly, Prince Zen’s plan to force Ramona Vye to look past the cold image of Prince Kael made sense. If a man could not find love with his mate, then what was the point of having a fated mate? She just hoped that the plan would work.
Though there was not much hope, especially after what had transpired last night....
"I wonder if I should be insulted." Prince Zen’s voice broke through her thoughts, and Emira hurriedly realised that she had ended up ignoring him...
She looked up at him and blinked. Had he become more handsome since their return?
And then she realised... His hair had been cut short instead of being slightly longer like in the past.
"I was just distracted, Your Highne..."
Before she could finish the words, her lips were sealed in a kiss. Emira’s eyes widened and she hurriedly tried to push him away, but before she could, he moved back and said," Call me Zen."
Emira shook her head. No. She would not call him Zen. It would give her a fake sense of intimacy again.. Of being close to him. She’d almost fooled herself once... What if she forgot and fooled herself again...
"Your Highness.. It is not appropria....mmmmmmm" Well, how was she supposed to tell him it was inappropriate if he kept kissing her?
Emira closed her eyes. Fine. She’d just accept the kiss and... but then he stepped away again. Emira opened her eyes. What did he want to do?
"Little fire, every time, you ’your highness’ me, I will kiss you..."
Emira’s eyes widened at his words, the promise in them sinking into her like a stone. Any time, any where... That definitely sounded like a threat.
Her mind betrayed her instantly, giving her ideas of anywhere with a lot of alacrity. No! She didn’t want that...Prince Zen was shameless. She knew that. He would really kiss her anywhere!
Her heart thudded hard and she shook her head sharply to refute his words, but that only made another memory come rushing back, one she had fought to bury.
That night in the forest when he had first captured her and then presented her like a piece to Prince Kael.. And then later, when he had kissed her senseless, torturing her in the woods so that he would be able to distract the soldiers of the Moonville Pack.
He had known there were surrounded and being observed by others, but that had not stopped him...
Even now, her skin burned with the shame of remembering how her body had responded against her will and thoroughly confused she had been...
Her breath caught, and she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. There was no point in provoking this man. Hurriedly, she looked up at him and said his name on a shaky whisper, "Zen..."
She watched him smiled at that and breathed a sigh of relief. He was satisfied. But then, his hand came up to cup her cheek, tilted her face higher up, and then his mouth was on hers again, harder this time, stealing the air she had left. She pushed at his chest, but her strength faltered against the surety of his kiss.
When he finally pulled back, she stared at him in confusion, her lips tingling, her thoughts in a blur. "I... I called you Zen this time," she breathed, almost accusingly, because saying his name should have been enough to stop him.
His eyes glinted with satisfaction and a small smirk curved his lips. "Exactly," he murmured, brushing his thumb along her jaw. "You said my name. And it sounded so good coming from your lips that I couldn’t help but kiss you again."
Emira wanted to argue at this point. So, he would kiss her if she took his name and kiss her if she addressed him formally? Did the end result mean... that he would kiss her come what may?
But before she could open her mouth to argue, she heard him ask," How is everything going on between you and Kael?"