Chapter 100: Silly
"Between Prince Kael and me? Everything is the same..."
Even as she said it, Emira felt her cheeks heat up. Why was she blushing? It really was the same, wasn’t it?
He’d told her he liked her kiss to make his mate jealous, then kissed her until she had forgotten everything and then picked her up, carried her to her bedroom, threw her onto the bed and then... walked out of there. Not to be seen again...
She quickly reminded herself that this was the reason Zen had come here. He wanted an update. He wanted to know how far his plan had gone. He was not here for any other reason! Definitely not for her.
And of course, instead of just asking, he had chosen to kiss her until she forgot herself and then expect her to tell him everything. So that she would be distracted and not make the connection.
What a jerk! she scolded herself inside her head. Yes, he was handsome. Yes, he kissed well-just as well as Prince Kael, even if the feeling was different. But still, he was a jerk. He should be called Prince Jerk, not Prince Zen.
"I can see you calling me names in your head," Zen murmured near her ear, making her jump. His voice was too close again. She had to stop spacing out like this whenever he was around, she reminded herself.
Emira cleared her throat and looked away. "It really is the same. I don’t know what else to tell you."
Zen tilted his head slightly, his eyes steady on her. "Then why not start," he said, "by telling me what happened yesterday?"
Emira scoffed and crossed her arms. "Oh, you mean you want to know why your mate ran away from Prince Kael’s house crying?"
That made Zen’s eyebrow rise. His face shifted, not with a smirk or a sly look, but with real surprise. "Ramona went to Kael’s house? Really?"
Emira paused. She had expected him to already know, be happy about his plan working a bit. But the way he looked now told her he was serious. He hadn’t known at all.
She stared at him for a moment longer. "You... didn’t know?"
His silence was answer enough.
Emira let out a long sigh. Of course. He really didn’t know about their mate’s visit or the way she had left in tears afterward. Now it looked like she would have to tell him everything herself.
Moon Goddess! Why was this happening to her? She really only wanted to focus on her mission...
"Yesterday, Ramona came to visit, Prince Kael...I didn’t know she was there when I came out of the bathroom..."
Zen smiled then and raised an eyebrow... " Really? Then what happened?"
Emira pressed her lips together, not liking that look one bit. "She saw me. She was quite shocked that I was living there. Then Prince Kael ordered me to kiss him. While she watched. Her face was pale, her eyes wide. She looked... shattered."
The memory made Emira lower her gaze. She could still remember the sound of Ramona’s footsteps as she ran out of the house, the slam of the door echoing behind her and her own shame.. Because despite everything, in that moment, all she’d wanted to do was get closer still to Prince Kael. But Prince Zen was not interested in her feelings so she looked up and mentioned, "She ran, after that. Straight out of the house. Crying."
Zen’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he made no remark, only confusing her. Shouldn’t he be angry about his mate running away instead of chasing her away?
Emira rubbed her arms nervously. She needed him to understand what she meant, so she forced herself to keep talking. "So yes, your plan worked in one way. Her jealousy, her possessiveness, it brought her there. But can’t you see? It is also what pushed her away. If this keeps happening, if you and Prince Kael keep using the same trick, you will lose her for good. No one wants to be humiliated again and again."
Her voice shook slightly, and she tried to emphasize. "Both of you are going about this the wrong way."
For a moment, silence filled the scroll room. Emira thought maybe he would frown, maybe he would be angry at her for speaking so openly. But instead, Zen leaned back a little, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"You think too much, Emira. And sometimes are too smart to be likeable.. Who said this was about wooing her? Hmm. Don’t think, Just do..." His eyes glinted with a strange amusement. "I am quite pleased with how things turned out."
Her shoulders slumped. Of course. He was satisfied. He didn’t care that Ramona had cried, or that Kael had been left staring after her in silence. Were all men really jerks? She had believed that fated mates were different. The few fated relations that she had witnessed in Moonville Pack had at least been different...
She didn’t understand why this was so different. He turned then, as if ready to leave, and Emira felt panic rise in her chest. "Why are you doing this?" she asked suddenly, wanting to understand.
"There are other ways of making the bond stronger... Other ways that don’t hurt your mate. Don’t humiliate your mate. Why not try those instead?"
For the first time since coming here, his smile disappeared. His back stiffened, and when he turned to face her again, his eyes were no longer playful. Instead of answering, he cocked his head and asked, "Emira,. Why the scroll room?"
She froze.
His gaze pinned her in place. "Why have you chosen this place of all places? Care to tell me the truth?"
Her throat tightened. She looked away at once, pretending to busy herself with a rolled parchment on the shelf, but her hands shook. "I... I just wanted to help," she said quickly. "The scrolls were a mess. Someone had to sort them."
He didn’t move. She could still feel his eyes on her, heavy, as if he could see straight through her words.
Then, slowly, Zen’s smile returned.
He stepped close again and tapped under her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his.
"Don’t ask for my secrets," he murmured, "until you are willing to share yours."
Her lips parted, but no words came. And then, as suddenly as he had come, he stepped back, leaving her with her racing heart.