Craving her

Five years later

DAMIEN

The maid was bleeding, her back ripped open, her uniform hanging onto her in shreds and her blood dripping onto the marble floor with the acrid scent of anxiety and dread filling our room.

"Please Princess, have mercy." She cried.

How had we come to this?

Miranda stood, her back to me, her laser focus on the guard who had stopped whipping the maid at my mental command.

"Why did you stop?" She growled, her melodic voice twisted with rage. "Whip her!"

When did my mate become a stranger I could barely recognize?

"That is enough, Miranda," I said, moving away from the doorway.

Miranda froze at the sound of my voice then she turned slowly to face me, her face pale with the realization that I'd been silently observing her actions.

I didn't look away from my mate as I spoke.

"Leave us. All of you."

The other maids helped the bleeding girl up and out of our room, the guards following close behind them.

The moment we were alone, Miranda closed the distance between us embracing me and burying her head in my chest.

"Damien," She purred. "When did you get back?"

She didn't sound like the manipulative bloodthirsty tyrant the court whispered she was. She sounded like the girl I had fallen in love with before I even knew her name.

Miranda didn't wait for my response before she began unbuttoning my shirt, dropping breathless open-mouthed kisses around my neck and down my chest.

The scent of Miranda's arousal hit me with potency almost as strong as the maid's blood a few feet away.

"Whatever did she do to deserve such a whipping?" I asked my tone far lighter than the deluge of emotions I was feeling.

Miranda undid the last button on my shirt.

"Who?" She asked distractedly, her fingers trailing down to my pants.

I caught her hand, my hold tight enough that Miranda whimpered, baby blue eyes searching mine in confusion.

"What did the maid you nearly whipped to death a few seconds ago do?"

"You are exaggerating things, Damien," Miranda protested, tears spilling down her porcelain smooth cheeks. "She had to be disciplined. She pulled too hard at my hair and you know how tender-headed I am."

I stared at my mate completely baffled. Could she hear herself? Had she truly had the maid whipped so mercilessly for that?

Miranda moved closer to me ignoring the hold I had on her wrist, her gaze dipping to my lips and her canines tugging on her lower lip seductively.

"I've missed you so much." She sighed softly before going on her tiptoes to kiss me.

Five years ago if anyone had told me I would feel nothing but disgust from Miranda's touch, I would have thought them a liar.

I stepped away from her embrace letting go of her wrist, my voice harsh and unyielding.

"She is our subject, Miranda. We have a duty to do right by them. How could you punish her so severely for a minor mistake?"

Miranda stared at me with full lips parted in shock then her expression hardened.

"Why are you still talking about a nobody maid?" Her eyes narrowed. "Is there something I am missing? Are you fucking her?"

"Miranda." I was so stunned that I couldn't say anything else.

Miranda's hands formed fists at her sides.

"I'll have her banished." She fumed, before heading towards the door.

I blocked her way, grabbing her by her shoulders.

"Miranda, what do you think you are doing?"

Miranda's blue eyes met mine and I was surprised to find them glistening with tears.

Her shoulders began to shake and Miranda ducked her head, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I… I can't lose you too, Damien," She said in a broken whisper. "I'll give you another heir, I promise. Just please don't push me away."

Her words hit me right on the wound that I had been so sure had healed in five years and my anger wavered.

"Miranda."

Her tears had devolved to full-on heart-wrenching sobs now.

"You haven't touched me in over a year, Damien. Won't you ever forgive me for losing our child?"

I pulled her into a hug, her familiar rosy scent suffusing me.

"I would never blame you for that, Miranda. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry if I made you feel otherwise."

Miranda held on to me tightly, her sobs the only sound in our large empty room.

Ever since she lost the baby shortly after our mating, Miranda had become so much more sensitive and incredibly volatile.

Maybe I had done this to her by bringing her into this life. Maybe she would have been better off without me.

When I met her at the opening gala of one of Decadent's subsidiaries, Miranda was stunning.

The perfect blend of elegance, compassion and confidence. After one conversation with her, I was besotted.

I was certain she was going to be my mate.

Until her.