Chapter 103: Sour
"You are staring."
"I am not," Emira said quickly, trying to keep the bowl steady on her head. Her neck was already aching, but she forced herself not to move too much. If the bowl fell... she would receive some punishment... though he had not mentioned what today.
Prince Kael opened his eyes at that, his golden gaze sharp even in the dim light. "I can feel your stare with my eyes closed."
Emira’s lips tightened and she stubbornly shook her head. "I am not staring. I really am not." She was but there was no way Emira was going to accept that.. "I was just trying to concentrate, so that I don’t drop this bowl..."
Kael tilted his head slightly, as if weighing her words. His expression gave nothing away, but his eyes lingered on her longer than she would have liked.
Emira forced herself to hold her ground, even as her arms twitched with the urge to lower the bowl and run. She met his gaze stubbornly, refusing to blink first.
Just when she thought she might give up, his lashes lowered, and he closed his eyes again. Relief spread through her chest, so sudden and strong that she nearly dropped the bowl anyway.
Of course she had been staring. She couldn’t help it.
Every time she thought of what he had endured, her throat tightened. She wanted to walk over, hug him tight and pat his head to reassure him that everything was okay. Maybe not comfort the now him but the him from the childhood...
But she knew better. If she tried something like that, he would probably toss her over his shoulder and bury her in the back garden without a second thought.
Her lips twitched at the ridiculous image, but the ache in her chest stayed. She wanted to help him, but she didn’t know how. She’d thought that maybe helping him get close to his mate would help him. After all, a mate, given enough time, could soothe even the deepest of hurts.
But Ramona Vye wanted nothing to do with him and would rather ’throw’ him to her. What a shame to have such a mate.
Emira glanced at the time. Only fifteen more minutes to go! And then she could eat. Why had she been so foolish as to miss lunch? Of course it was because she was in too much of a hurry to organise the scrolls and find out what she was looking for. And now, her stomach was reminding her that it was empty... She looked down at herself and comforted, ’Soon. We’ll go have dinner soon."
But her stomach was not happy. And so, of all things, it betrayed her.
A loud rumble broke the silence, echoing in the room. Emira froze in horror as she felt her face start to heat up instantly.
Kael’s golden eyes snapped open again. Emira hurriedly explained," Uhh. I was so busy with the scrolls I forgot lunch..."
Kael didn’t say a word. He only stood up and walked away. Emira rolled her eyes. Was he really offended by her stomach rumbling?
"Wait-" she started, but he was already gone. The door closed with a quiet thud. So, was she allowed to go now or wait until the requisite time was up. Usually, he only went away when her training time had been finished...
She made a face. Even though it had gotten easier to hold it longer, her shoulders were already screaming from the effort, her arms stiff and aching. What was she supposed to do now?
A sigh escaped her lips, and her wolf took this time to come and taunt, ’Pity yourself. Not him.’
She tilted her head just enough to glance at the door, half-expecting him to come back, half-hoping he would stay gone and she would escape from here sooner. But then, before she could think too much, the door opened again.
Kael returned, a small wooden box in his hand and stopped in front of her. Even though she was curious, she hurriedly looked back down. Curiosity killed the cat...
Without a word, Prince Kael lifted his hand and placed it under her chin, tilting her head upward.
Emira stiffened at the sudden touch. He did not usually touch her unless absolutely necessary. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared up at him.
His thumb brushed against her lower lip, pressing gently as she realised what he wanted. He wanted her to open her mouth...
Emira swallowed hard. The bowl on her head wobbled slightly, and she clenched her jaw to steady it, even as her lips parted under his touch, his thumb slipping into her mouth.
She felt him staring at her mouth and felt her breath caught. What was he planning? As their gazes stayed locked, he reached into the box with his other hand and pulled out a small candy and pressed it past her lips with his thumb.
Emira hurriedly closed her mouth around the sweet candy. He’d gone to bring her something to eat! She smiled up at him as his thumb brushed against her lower lips before he withdrew it...
The simple act made her face heat all the way to her ears. She wanted to blame the sugar, the exhaustion, anything but the strange awareness flooding her body. He hadn’t said a single word, yet somehow it felt more intimate than anything they had done. Emira was about to thank him but before she could... the flavor suddenly shifted.
The candy turned sour. Not a little sour. Painfully sour.
Her eyes widened in shock as the sharp tang spread through her mouth, attacking her taste buds. She nearly flinched, the bowl on her head wobbling dangerously, and almost causing the water to spill over. Her shoulders trembled with the effort to keep it balanced, her teeth grinding as she tried not to make a sound.
She looked at him quickly, her cheeks puffed out, lips pressed tight to hold back her reaction. Her brows drew together in a helpless, accusing glare.
Kael’s lips curved into the faintest smirk. "Punishment," he said simply, his voice low. "For skipping lunch."
Emira’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, the sourness nearly making her eyes water. "That-" she choked out, trying to swallow it down without losing the candy entirely. "That’s cruel!"
Prince Kael shrugged. He’d never been accused of being gentle, after all...So, he was cruel...