The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 64: I Will Not

Chapter 64: I Will Not

>>Ariston

My breath hitched as his hand pressed firmly against my waist, the heat of his palm searing through what little remained of my ruined clothes. I was completely trapped between him and the wall, his broad chest just inches from mine as he leaned down. His golden eyes bore into me, dark and full of something that made my heart pound louder than I wanted to admit.

"We—We are not taking a bath together," I said, forcing as much authority into my voice as possible, though I hated how weak it came out.

Drakkar only chuckled, low and deep. "Oh? Are you sure? You look like you need some help." His thumb ghosted over my side, sending a jolt up my spine. "Unless you want to walk around like this."

!!!

I scowled at him, gritting my teeth. "I can wash myself."

"Really? Because you can barely stand," he pointed out smugly, tilting his head as his smirk deepened. "Your knees have been shaking this whole time."

My face burned hotter.

Damn him!

"I-It’s just... from earlier!" I stammered, glaring at him. "And because you keep getting in my space!"

Drakkar hummed, clearly amused. "You say that, but you haven’t pushed me away."

I wanted to—really wanted to. But my body refused to move. My hands twitched at my sides, my breath coming in uneven as his warmth wrapped around me like a vice. My mind screamed at me to find an escape, but the moment I shifted, he pressed even closer, his hand tightening around my waist.

The truth was, whatever was in that saliva was still having an effect on me. My body had not calmed down at all and it was out of pure willpower that I was standing straight. Considering that was a pleasure tree, I can pretty much guess what was in the sap it smeared all over me

"You should be grateful," he murmured, his voice softer now, but no less intense. "After all, I did save you."

I clenched my jaw, glaring up at him. "I never asked you to."

His golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "You did," he said, voice dangerously low, "You begged me to save you,"

My cheeks felt hot, "I did not!!"

"Doesn’t matter if you deny it, I saw it." The look in his eyes turned darker, "The view of you in that vulnerable position and the way you begged me to help is burned in my memor-" I slapped my hand over his mouth. My pupils shaking in fear

How can this man be so utterly shameless??!

The air between us grew unbearably thick, tension crackling like lightning. My pulse was erratic, and I hated the way my body was at the moment.

So vulnerable, so weak

If he pushes me any further or tries to touch me, I’ll be done for. I’m craving the pleasure and I will end up giving in.

I had to get out of here.

Summoning what little strength I had left, I turned my head away and muttered, "Fine. Just show me where the damn bath is." I slowly removed my hand from his lips.

Drakkar’s smirk widened, his grip loosening ever so slightly. "Good choice." He took a step back and straightened up, giving me space to get straighten up too, "Come,"

He led me through his lavish bedroom to an adjoining door, pushing it open to reveal an equally extravagant bath. The floors were polished stone, gleaming under the soft golden lighting, and a large, steaming tub sat against the far wall, surrounded by intricate carvings of dragons. A smaller stall stood to the side, water glistening as it cascaded down from a sleek metal pipe embedded in the wall.

I didn’t waste time.

The moment we stepped inside, I walked past him, turned, and slammed the door shut in his face. A solid thud followed as I locked it from the inside.

Silence.

Then—

Thump, thump.

"You locked it?" Drakkar’s voice was rich with offense.

I ignored him.

"I can break this door down, you know." His tone darkened, a clear warning.

Still, I said nothing.

A frustrated huff came from the other side, followed by a muttered, "Unbelievable."

I turned away, shaking my head.

My focus shifted to the strange stall that had a big metal head on top of a pipe.

A shower. I had never seen one before, although I had heard of it, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out its purpose. With the river flowing right behind the mansion, I could understand how it worked.

I took my clothes off and stepped in the stall. There were two magic stones right where the pipe was emerging from the stall and I touched the red one.

Water began to fall from the shower head and I stood beneath the falling water, I braced myself as the warmth cascaded over my body. The heat seeped into my skin, washing away the lingering sensation of those cursed tentacles.

Woah

My muscles relaxed despite myself, tension slowly ebbing from my limbs.

For the first time since that humiliating encounter, I felt like I could breathe again. After a few minutes of showering, I turned to look at the window in the bathroom, and then my eyes landed on the bathrobe on the shelf.

Then I smirked.

I will not give myself to him.

***

>>Drakkar

An hour passed.

The sound of the water had long since stopped, yet Ariston still hadn’t come out.

I sat on the edge of my bed, tapping my claws against my knee, waiting. I was patient—when I wanted to be. But something didn’t sit right.

A bad feeling curled in my gut.

Frowning, I stood and strode toward the bathroom door. I knocked once. "Ariston." No answer.

My jaw clenched. I knocked again, harder this time. "Ariston."

Still nothing.

Enough of this.

I gripped the handle and twisted—locked.

Annoyance spiked through me. So that’s how it was? With a sharp exhale, I tightened my grip, flexed my fingers, and—

Crack.

The handle snapped off effortlessly. I shoved the door open and stepped inside, only for my irritation to turn to something colder.

The bathroom was empty.

!??

The steam had faded, leaving only a faint warmth lingering in the air. The bathrobe was gone.

My eyes landed on the window which was wide open. A soft gust of night air drifted in, rustling the sheer curtains.

I exhaled sharply through my nose. My hands curled into fists.

He ran away.

That little—

I dragged a hand down my face and closed my eyes, forcing the initial burst of anger to settle. Then, with a slow exhale, I walked forward and shut the window, locking it this time.

It was fine.

I had time.

More than enough time to catch him.

***

>>Aelin

My head was pounding.

A deep, dull ache that sat behind my temples and refused to fade. I had slept through the night, but that did little to erase the effects of what had happened. My body was exhausted, and the fact that I had eaten nothing and had only wine in my stomach made me feel sick.

But I endured it.

I just wanted to leave. To get away from this place, from all the eyes constantly watching me, from the weight of everything pressing down on my chest. The palace wasn’t necessarily home, but at least it was safer. At least, with Draegon’s presence, no one could touch me there now.

We all stood on the rooftop of the duke’s mansion and I stood by Draegon, keeping my gaze forward, ignoring the dizziness that made the edges of my vision blur. Draegon had been watching me closely since the morning, his glances lingering longer than usual.

I couldn’t quite read his expressions since he doesn’t show much on his face but I think he looked worried.

The good thing was that the humans left before daybreak and knowing that Reagan wasn’t near me anymore did make me feel a little better. I glanced at Draegon and he subtly flinched when our eyes met.

All that Reagan said was still in my mind. He had his way of burning things in my brain with punishment. And now as I looked at Draegon, I was afraid to think about his feelings towards me. I caused trouble last night. I hope he hasn’t come to hate me for that.

"Aelin," He called my name, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Are you al-" Just as he finally spoke, another sound cut through the crisp morning air.

!?!?

A sharp, resounding slap.

The entire place fell silent. Every head turned toward the source.

Drakkar and Ariston stood a few feet away, both tense, the air between them practically crackling.

Ariston’s face was twisted with pure fury, his hand still raised slightly from the impact of the slap he had just delivered. Drakkar’s head was turned to the side, his jaw clenched as if restraining himself from retaliating.

A red imprint was already forming on his cheek.

What the?? What just happened? Did Ariston just slap a demon prince?

The demons around us tensed. Some whispered in disbelief. Others looked outright enraged. A human—an outsider—laying a hand on one of their own, let alone someone of Drakkar’s status, was beyond outrageous.

It was an insult. A direct challenge.

A few demons moved immediately, stepping forward to seize Ariston. Their hands went to their weapons, their expressions darkening with hostility as they all were ready to kill him on the spot.

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