Destroy My Life In You
Chapter 23: Two Hearts

Chapter 23: Two Hearts

Two hearts were entangled together at that fleeting moment. One was at peace while the other, chaos he had never felt in what seemed more than centuries was creating storms that he could not control. The burning fire he had seen in her eyes was burning him. Her arms, once ready to fight, softened ever so slightly wrapped around his cold, unyielding body. The gentle rise and fall of her breath were like an invitation to a softness he had long forgotten, stirring the memory of once when he was vulnerable, one he had buried beneath centuries of bloodlust and detachment. His instincts were telling him to pull back but his body betrayed him for a second, frozen by the touch he never knew he could crave. Her heartbeat, mingling with her scent weakened the wall he had built painstakingly.

"You are okay. I thought... they... they..." Ravenna whimpered under his neck unwilling to let go. "Alaric, why am I ...crying? I don’t feel good. My heart is in pain and I don’t know why."

Only her soft sobs filled the room as the two other men watched them bewildered. Alaric clenched his fist trying as much not to hug her back. His hands were itching to do so which shocked him. It was too irresistible, not like anything he had ever felt for any woman since he detached himself to any feelings. But now, all that effort seemed to be crumbling down because of the little creature clinging on him as if her life depended on it. A feel of a warmth he had forgotten crept in his cold heart as he subconsciously raised his hand to brush her hair.

"It’s okay. You are okay now." His voice was full of tenderness Ravenna had not heard before from him. She tightened her hold, then as if remembering something, she retreated her expression shadowed by killing intent and worry.

She pulled herself and knelt in front of him but her darkened eyes were on someone else. "You fucking asshole, I won’t spare you!"

She stood up about to launch an attack on Zeke who was still recovering from the earlier attack, but Alaric caught Ravenna’s hand pulling her back towards him then stood up. They looked at each other for a brief moment before Alaric turned towards Zeke and the other man.

"Leave!" One word was enough to drive them away, leaving only Alaric and the confused girl in the room. "You are such a wild cat. What if you got yourself killed?"

Ravenna had this look, waiting for answers which she didn’t get even after half a minute of silence. Her eyes were colder than the icy night as she pulled her hand from his hold then took a step forward. "What kind of game are you playing with me? And please... don’t give your silence shit thing to me, Alaric." Though she her outer look seemed calm and kept, only she knew the turmoil and agony that was erupting inside her. She was trying her all not overthink and just waited for him to give her a reasonable answer.

"Games? I should ask you that, what’s your plan, Hellish?" The warmth he felt from earlier was lost as he watched her glaring at him coldly. For some reason, he didn’t like it at all.

"Plan? What... do you mean?" Ravenna’s voice cracked blinking her eyes nervously. Her reason, she thought maybe he had figured out her feelings for him. Her cheeks flushed while her body heated up, thus decide to look away.

Alaric saw the change in her reaction and could also hear her rapid heartbeat. From her blushing face, he could guess what was going on in her mind. A beautiful feeling spread across his heart and he instinctively took a step closer towards, closing the distance between them.

"Why do I feel you are hiding something from?" With narrowed eyes, he questioned her while a sheepish smile crept on his lips, that was barely noticeable.

Ravenna gulped and turned her gaze away. She had almost forgotten how restless he made and she immediately cupped her cheeks to hide her face, while wondering where her scarf was taken by whoever kidnapped him. Talking of the kidnappers, Alaric seemed to know them with how they obediently took orders from him.

"You are the one being secretive here. Who are those people who kidnapped us and how comes you know them?" She forgot her shyness and faced him vowing not to get carried away again though it was not that easy.

"I was the one who kidnapped and as for those people, they are my people." His answers were brief which left Ravenna with more questions popping in her mind.

"Why?" Her voice came out as a whisper due to surprise as a bad feeling from earlier started awakening once again. She could see from his eyes that he was not joking. It’s not like he ever did before to do it again.

"You really want to know?" He asked in return and saw her nodding her head almost immediately. "Alright, if you say so. I kidnapped you because I wanted to... get information out of you but fortunately for you, my brother Finn saved you."

There was dead silence in the room as Ravenna tried to register what he had just said. A sharp pain spread across her heart which made her unable to breath freely thus she supported herself with the chair she was sitting on earlier.

"You could have asked me directly, why bring me here?" It felt as if her neck was being choked. Choked with emotions that were overflowing all over. "Were you planning to torture me? Is that it?"

"That’s not important anymore. Let’s go from here." He went on to grabbed her hand but she shoved him away staring at him as if he were a total stranger. As to why her emotions and the pain were this intense, there could be only one explanation. She was too much in love with him than she thought. Her feelings for him were growing rapidly but now, she didn’t want it. It was too painful than a gun shot.

"If I were the culprit, would you have... killed me?" The last two words were said in a whisper but loud enough for the man to hear. Her eyes were stuck on Alaric to see if he cared even the little bit for her but as always, he had a blank gaze.

"Yes." He replied coldly, breaking Ravenna’s heart into tiny pieces.

Nodding her head, she looked away as tears welled in her eyes as she tried as much to hold them back, but it seemed today was her day to shed all the pain inside her. She felt a knot on her throat while her entire body shivered, but not from cold.

"Take me away from here." She staggered a little towards the door but before she could leave, Alaric knocked her out and held her unconscious body into his arms.

Staring at her with a now visible painful and agonized feeling, he whispered, "Am too broken, Hellish. Am lost to a faraway place that is full of misery that you wouldn’t like." And he lifted her and walked away.