Chapter 14

14

W e don't speak in the morning.

I brush my dogs' hair while Nykander is studying some ancient map a distance away. If he won't make an effort to discuss what happened last night, then why would I try to do it? He's made it perfectly clear that I am just his portable food source, so what happened last night can be successfully written off as him feeding off me.

My lips curl in a scowl.

Damn you, Nykander! Damn you and your sleepwalking tendencies and damn you for making me lose my mind with one touch.

How is this fair?

I wonder if our accidental mating has anything to do with why I am so drawn to him—why I crave his touch and presence more than anything. If only I knew more about his kind and what mating means for them. So far, I only have what Nykander has told me, and he could very well spin the information to suit his nefarious purposes. As in, he might be aware that there is no way out of this and I am basically tied for all eternity to his grouchy-ass self.

Ugh!

Why am I so unlucky?

I only wanted a taste of adventure and maybe an epic love story along the way. Instead, what do I get? A domineering asshole who can't stop reminding me that he would have never been with me had it not been for those pesky fates.

And if that wasn't enough, he also had to feed from me and touch me and kiss my neck while calling me by a different name. If our lives weren't technically tied together, I would be busy figuring out a way to dispatch him to his next life.

The audacity of this man to not even explain himself.

I get angry the more I think about it, and to make him feel my silent wrath, I glare at him every now and then.

Too bad he has no eyes for me—literally and figuratively.

I mutter a string of curses under my breath, making my own incantation of bad luck aimed straight at his dark hide.

Even then, he ignores me.

PomPom whines as she comes closer, brushing her head against my leg. She can sense my annoyance and wants to make it better, bless her fluffy heart. BonBon is still getting to know me, but he takes his cues from PomPom, so he inundates me with love too. I may not have my epic love, but I have the undying affection of these cute babies.

"You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen," I coo at them as I give them a small treat.

Nykander might be an asshole, but he is an acceptable asshole. Whenever he teleports himself to God knows where, he always comes back with some food and treats for the dogs. That is the only reason why I have not attempted bodily harm yet, or maybe some type of castration (though he would deserve that after the stunt he pulled last night). But I have a policy of being nice to whoever is nice to my dogs. So for as long as he keeps PomPom and BonBon happy, I will not do anything…extreme in his sleep.

If he offends my babies, then all bets are off.

I turn my head and give him another glare that is once more ignored.

"Yo, Dark One," I call out.

He slowly turns, raising a brow at me.

"I have already told you, human. We will not discuss what happened last night again," he adds in a stern voice.

My nostrils flare. Why does it seem like he's chiding a child?

"Whoa, easy there. You don't even know what I was about to say. You're not all that, you know?" I mutter under my breath, annoyed.

He tilts his head to the side, pursing his lips. Disbelief is written all over his maddeningly handsome face.

Damn you, Nykander! Why do you have to make my heart flutter even when I'm mad at you?

"In fact"—I clear my throat as I push my chin up—"I have had better."

He narrows his eyes at me.

"And what is it that you have had better?"

"Oh, you know." I shrug. "Those kisses on my neck. They were rather sloppy. I would think a man of your age would have more flair."

"Is that so?" he asks in a grave voice.

"Yes, indeed." I nod. "You could use more practice. Not that I'm offering. But just so you know, they were rather subpar. Guys my age do it better."

The lie burns on my tongue, but the last thing I would want him to know is how much those sloppy kisses affected me, or the fact that I was about to let him have his way with me—well, not all the way, I still have standards—if he hadn't messed it all up.

I'm still bitter about that Mo , whoever she is.

"Guys your age," he repeats, unconvinced. "And you have been with many guys your age?"

"Tons," I hurry to reply. "So many I have lost count."

"Hmm."

"They were all much better," I continue, needing to convince him somehow, as if that would lessen my mortification in any way. "One did this tongue trick that had me in a puddle on the floor," I say with a sigh.

God, I sound like the biggest player for someone who's never held a boy's hand before—well, except for his.

"Really? And this male wouldn't happen to be the same as your Dark One boyfriend?"

"Of course," I say without realizing. My eyes widen as I slap a hand over my mouth.

He smirks.

"Hey!" I get up and point at him. "You tricked me!"

"Me? When did I do that?" he asks, amused.

"I'll have you know I am very popular in my world. Guys line up to date me. Why, you should see my social media. It's full of hot guys sliding in my DMs."

Well, technically, that is not a lie—or, not a full lie. My DMs are full, but it's not hot guys. It's creeps and incels who think sending a dick pic is the way to get a girl.

He stares intently at me.

I swallow.

He takes a step forward.

"Sliding in what?" he asks in a low, gravelly voice.

"Uhm… DMs? You wouldn't know since you don't have social media in your world and all that," I add, forcing a smile.

He takes another step forward.

"There will be no sliding of anyone anywhere . Is that clear?"

"You don't get to dictate?—"

Before I can finish my sentence, he's in front of me.

I wobble back, slowly raising my eyes to meet his.

"There is one thing I forgot to mention," he starts in a dangerous voice. "Mated males are…territorial."

I blink rapidly as I try to process his words.

"Uhm…"

"There will be no mention of males your age, hot males, or any other males for that matter. Do you understand me?"

"I don't think I do. You don't even like me?—"

"Do you understand me, Barbi?" he repeats, his hand coming to rest on my neck.

I gulp down as I try to keep my composure.

"I—"

"Yes. You will say yes."

"But—"

"Yes, Barbi. You will say yes."

His hold on my neck tightens as he pulls me closer. His fangs elongate, his features darkening as he stares down at me.

A sliver of fear goes down my back.

"Y-yes," I stammer.

His eyes don't leave mine for moments on end.

"Good." He nods, taking a step back.

I release a deep breath, my body trembling lightly.

What… What was that?

I don't get to ponder on it, though, as he suddenly stops, his jaw tensing.

"We have visitors," he notes.

"What?"

"Stay behind me and do not speak unless I tell you to."

Although my first instinct is to argue, I also have a pretty strong self-preservation instinct, so I grab my dogs and hurry behind him.

It's a few minutes before the bushes in our proximity start rattling and footsteps echo in the forest.

"How many?" I whisper.

"Ten."

"Do you think Damien sent them?"

He grunts.

"Will they want to hurt us? But you're strong, right?" I say as I lightly pat his arm. "You will not let them harm my babies," I mention as I glance at PomPom and BonBon looking around in confusion.

"You do not know how to listen to commands, do you?" he mutters dryly.

The thick foliage parts to reveal a group of men, all carrying heavy bags on their backs. Their expressions are haggard, their skin sallow and marred by lines. The clothes on their bodies are dirty and worn, holes poking through the material.

When they see us, they stop in shock.

"Mika, look! More people!" the one in the front exclaims as he points to us.

Nykander stares them down. He extends his arm protectively around us.

"Who are you?" Nykander grinds his teeth. He resembles a feral dog protecting his master, and my heart flutters in my chest—unwittingly, of course. I am still angry that out of all the men in the universe, my body decided to react to this one.

The men take a step back, fear clouding their features as they look from Nykander to me. They scramble away, ready to run in the other direction before they catch sight of our food, and hunger fills their gazes.

"I don't think they're the enemy," I whisper to Nykander.

He doesn't listen to me as he commands his dark cloud to envelop us. His expression turns murderous as he gets ready for attack.

"Who are you and who sent you?" he demands in that scary voice of his. Black tendrils slither from him, making their way toward the men.

"Oh…we…" one of the men, the leader, stammers, fear echoing in his voice.

"We mean no harm. We are merely passing through," another one says as he comes forward. He's older, his hair mostly grayed. "We have heard of a village that is free of the plague and we are searching for it."

"See, they're not bad guys," I whisper again.

Nykander doesn't move.

The men stumble over their words in an attempt to explain that they've barely escaped alive from the plague, but Nykander isn't convinced. The dark cloud around him grows in size, and if this continues, I fear he might turn these men into dust before they've even had a chance to defend themselves.

His dark tendrils are almost upon the men. They step back, huddling together in fear.

No, this won't work. Nykander may be the Dark One and all that, but even he shouldn't stoop so low as to harm some innocent passersby. It seems he needs saving from himself. Otherwise, his dark soul will become even more blemished—not that I worry about his soul. He can go to the deepest pits of hell for all I care, but that would mean I need to follow right behind because we're tied together now and I don't do well with extreme heat. My babies would hate that too since they like a temperate climate. No, hell isn't an option.

"You must be hungry," I quip loudly. I let PomPom and BonBon down, and I grab Nykander's arm. "Stop it, Nykander! You will not hurt them," I tell him and surprisingly, the dark mist immediately recedes.

"We have spare food if you would like some," I offer with a kind smile.

Nykander stares at me in disbelief. His nostrils flare as his body tenses.

I ignore him as I give the men a reassuring smile.

Heading to our tent, I take out the rest of our food and hand it out to the strangers, making small talk and inquiring about their families. Nykander stands there, still as a stone, staring at our interactions. His shadows might have disappeared, but his murderous intent did not. If looks could kill, I would already be in my grave.

Moments pass and he finally snaps from his brooding. He comes closer, his lips curled in a snarl. If I expected him to suddenly turn into a great host, I am sadly mistaken. As the men are wolfing down our leftovers, he yanks my arm and pulls me by his side.

"My female is very generous. You will do well not to abuse that generosity," he growls, his voice a dangerous warning.

A chorus of thank yous erupts in the air, and Nykander leans in to whisper in my ear.

"What do you think you are doing, Barbi?"

"They're starving." I point to the group as they're ravenously eating everything I laid out for them. "We have enough food. Besides, you can catch more game later."

"And you think a group of ten males cannot catch game for themselves?" He raises a brow. "The forest is teeming with creatures."

"Look at them! Do they look capable of anything to you? The poor men must have been walking for days to escape the plague."

"Oh, Barbi." He shakes his head at me. He rakes his eyes over my face, seemingly deep in thought. Eventually, he releases a deep sigh as he steps away from me. "Fine. I will leave it to you to learn the hard way that not everyone is deserving of kindness."

I frown.

"What are you talking about?"

He merely smiles.

When the men finish eating, the leader of the group comes to us to thank us for the food.

"You have been most welcoming when others would not have done so. If we could return the favor, please let us know," he says with a smile.

The older man nods.

"Where are you heading to? You could join us in our search for the plague-free village."

"Oh, no, thank you…" I bite my lip. Even I don't know where we're going.

"My female and I are enjoying some personal time away from the capital. I trust that you can now be on your way?" Nykander interrupts, emphasizing our relationship in a strange way.

Just what is wrong with him? He has told me repeatedly how displeased he is with our situation , but now he's publicly claiming me? Not that I mind it. In fact, the words my female sound rather delicious coming from his mouth. But the sad reality is that I can't trust them.

I release a disappointed sigh.

"We thank you for your kindness." The man inclines his head. "If we shall ever meet again, we will return the favor."

"Don't worry about it," I tell them with a smile, ignoring the way Nykander is sending them death glares.

I wave at them as they leave, and when we are finally alone, I turn toward Nykander.

"What is wrong with you?" I grit out. "Are you so heartless you wouldn't help people so clearly in need?"

He merely turns to pack our equipment.

"Now you're ignoring me," I huff aloud.

PomPom barks at him, echoing my displeasure with him, while BonBon follows her lead.

Take that, Nykander. You might have your dark mist, but I have my two faithful companions that will not stand for any disrespect!

It's moments later that he deigns to speak.

"Did it not cross your mind that they did not even check to see if we had the plague?"

I frown.

"What do you mean?"

"They ran away from the plague but did not even ask us if we were infected or checked for any signs of the disease."

"Well." I wet my lips. "The plague is fast acting. We wouldn't have been alive if we were infected. You're just trying to find reasons to hate them."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because they're males." I cross my arms over my chest. "You're jealous," I point out, smiling in satisfaction.

He might not like me, but he said it himself that the mating bond is making him territorial. And although it might be for all the wrong reasons, my cheeks heat up at the thought that someone would be jealous over me ! How many times had I imagined that while reading all those romance novels where the men are growly and possessive and they always say mine this, mine that? How many times had I wished I were the object of someone's possessiveness? Of someone's utter attention and obsession. Okay, it might not be really healthy given how it's portrayed in those books, but I'll settle even for a smidge of possessiveness.

Unfortunately, Nykander's is the wrong kind.

Nykander chuckles.

"Oh, Barbi, Barbi." He shakes his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

I take my time as I consider a witty reply that won't have him mocking me again. But it seems I am too slow as he drops the tent to the ground and teleports himself in front of me.

His hand shoots out, his palm unfurling in front of me just as an arrow pierces his flesh.

An arrow meant for me.

My eyes widen in shock.

"They were some poor people in need of help, huh?" he asks slowly as he plucks the arrow from his hand. But just as I wait for his wound to mend, it doesn't.

There is a blue substance clinging to the arrowhead, and particles of it are now embedded in his flesh.

"Damnation," he mutters, squeezing his eyes shut and taking a deep breath.

When he opens his eyes again, they're a different shade of gray. A tumultuous one that's frayed by pain.

Dark mist surrounds us like a shield as more arrows descend upon us. But it's not before he pulls PomPom and BonBon next to us inside the protective shell.

His hand still does not heal.

"What's happening? Who are they?" I ask as I hug my babies to my chest.

" What , not who. They are demons."

"Demons… But… Why didn't you say so before? You let me give them our food!"

His lips pull up in a smile.

"Would it have mattered?"

I blink.

"You do not listen, Barbi. You are brash and impulsive, and you throw yourself head first into danger without considering the consequences."

"It was just this once," I whisper. "I didn't know…"

"Oh, but it was not just this once, was it? We are here, are we not? This would have not happened if you were a good girl and returned to your world when I told you so. It would not have happened if you did not stubbornly decide to follow me."

Just when I thought we had made a little progress, he throws this in my face again. As if I wanted to be mated to him. The gall on this man! Who asked him to give me his blood? If anything, it's on him . He knew about the potential danger of exchanging blood. I didn't even know what kind of creature he was before all this.

So how am I, who was wholly ignorant, the guilty one?

"Nykander…" I stop myself when I see the look of pure hatred crossing his face as he regards me. His dark mist envelops us in a cocoon that repels all the arrows coming our way. And there are many, each one emitting a loud bang as it touches the mist and falls to the ground, nearly obliterated.

"This is one of many lessons I will have to teach you. Because you are my mate and I am responsible for you, whether I want it or not."

I avert my gaze as a sliver of guilt washes through me.

His words hurt . Not just because he is right about my impulsivity, but also because it's clear how much he dislikes me.

I am sure if he could, he would have turned me into dust too—a long time ago.

I take a deep breath. This is not the moment to dwell on this wretched situation and the fact that the person I have the silliest crush on absolutely abhors me.

"Your hand…" I grab his hand, my eyes widening as I note the blue substance is spreading through his flesh and impeding his healing. "What's wrong with it?"

"We can worry about that later," he strains out a reply.

"Tell me to kill them."

"W-what?"

"Tell me, Barbi. Now."

"K-kill them. Please…"

He gives me a brisk nod.

Turning his attention to the incoming attacks, his expression changes.

His dark mist transforms into tendrils that reach out and take out the men from their hiding places. The mist surrounds each one of their bodies, and before I can blink, they turn into dust.

One after another, what little is left of the men drops to the ground, only to be swept away by the wind. Nykander barely moves a muscle as he watches his dark cloud consume the men.

In a matter of seconds, they're gone. He dispatched them so easily, it makes me wonder why he waited until they shot their arrows at us.

"If you knew they were demons, why didn't you kill them before?" I ask in a small voice as I take out a cloth, wetting it and dabbing it around his wound.

He closes his eyes and exhales through his nose.

"Do not, ever , tell me to stop again."

I shrink back at his biting tone. But as I look at his hand, it's no wonder he's mad at me. He got that trying to protect me and for some reason, it's not healing.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

He does not reply.

Glancing at his hand, he scrapes the remaining blue stuff away, and his flesh slowly starts to heal.

"What is this blue substance?"

"A toxic powder that can neutralize my healing abilities," he answers blithely.

"But what is it? Where does it come from?"

He gives me a warning look, a sign he does not like my line of questioning.

"You ask too many questions, Barbi."

"Am I not entitled to know this if it puts you— us —in danger? You're always berating me, but you forget that I'm a stranger to your world. I know next to nothing about…well, everything. Why are you always blaming me? It's not as if I'm doing things on purpose! I just saw some men in need and I wanted to help them. What's so bad about that? And just because I followed you doesn't mean I wanted to end up tied to you like this! You may dislike me, but you forget that I may dislike you back! You've certainly been a grumpy, rude, nasty man ever since we got roped into this situation."

"Are you done?" he drawls lazily as he leans back to look at me.

"I am far from done! You are awful to me and I will not stand for it. So you either change your behavior or this will not work. And we might be trapped together until we figure out how to get out of this binding situation, but that doesn't mean I have to be pleasant. You already dislike me. I will make you absolutely detest me, and I will not let you have one moment of peace if you continue like this," I tell him firmly.

"So let me get this straight. Are you threatening me with more of your incessant talking?"

"Damn right I am."

He stares at me. The corners of his mouth tremble before he bursts out into laughter.

"All right, Barbi. You win," he mentions as he shakes his head.

"What?" I blink. "What do I win?"

"I will be more considerate of your…delicate sensibilities. Will that work?"

"I will have to see it first. You can start by telling me things. I hate being kept in the dark, no matter how much you may like it," I add pointedly.

His smile widens.

"So what's this blue stuff and why does it neutralize your healing abilities?" I ask as I dab the cloth more carefully around his wound. Removing the particles allows him to heal once more, so we have to make sure the wound is completely clean.

"The deadliest weapon against a Son of Tenebreis is one dipped in the blood of his sire," he speaks slowly, his eyes affixed to mine. "It is a well-guarded secret that only a Son of Tenebreis would know."

"But…" I frown. "That would mean…"

"You are correct. They were sent by a Son of Tenebreis—someone who could have access to the blood of my sire."

"Who?"

His lips pull into a sad smile.

"Baine. My brother. The one who controls Damien and an army of thrall demons. The man I am going to kill once I get back to Tartareia."