CHAPTER FOUR

The Man’s POV

I watched her body tremble as she cried.

It was strange. All my life I had been around people I couldn’t trust. I had taught myself not to care about anything so that I would never get hurt, but for some reason… I couldn’t teach myself not to care about her.

Under the dim light of the moon, I saw the shocked look on her face. “You said you would leave,” she sniffed.

I had planned to. I needed to go back home and handle the people who had attacked me and left me to die in the woods.

But being around her felt as if I was tied to her by a string. When I heard her screaming in pain, anger rose inside of me. I wanted to go down there and save her, but that would mean letting people know I was here. I wanted it to remain a secret for my plans to work.

It was a surprise Lyra didn’t know who I was just by looking at me, but at least it worked in my favor.

I tried to leave, but all I could think of were her loud cries.

I moved to a candle on the side of the room and lit it. The room lit up with a bright yellow light. I carried it and walked back to her. Her grey eyes were red with tears.

My fists clenched the moment my eyes landed on the marks on her arms. Who would be so wicked as to do this to a human being?

“I’m sorry,” I said, sorry that I couldn’t help her.

She moved closer to me and wrapped her arms around me for a hug. I used my free hand to pat her back. “It’s okay, I promise,” I said.

She sobbed for a few minutes before she finally pulled away. I led her to the bed and placed the candle on the table beside it.

“I’ll get you out of here, I promise. When I get home, I’ll make sure I come back for you,” I said.

“Really?” she choked.

I reached for her cheek and wiped the tear off it. “I swear on my life. Let the Moon Goddess take it if I don’t come back for you,” I said, meaning every word.

For some reason it felt like it was my duty to protect her, as if she was mine.

My hand trailed down to her arm. I gently lifted her dress up. My chest tightened as I saw more marks. “She flogged every part of your body?” I asked, looking into her eyes.

She nodded.

I reached for her neck and pulled down her dress. There were marks there too, even old ones. How could a person so kind end up with someone who punished her like that?

“It’s okay,” she lifted her dress back onto her shoulder. “I have an ointment.” She stood and walked to her drawer, brought out a little white bottle, and removed the cover.

She tried to apply it on herself but hesitated. She looked up at me. “Can you look away?”

I quickly turned around. The claw mark on my stomach caused unbearable pain. I still couldn’t believe my own brother would stoop so low as to do this to me. I knew it was him—only he could fight like that.

“Argh,” she hissed, jolting me back to reality. I instinctively turned around. Her bare back was turned to me.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “It hurts,” she whimpered. I watched her trembling hands pour a white powder on her skin.

I stood from the bed. My footsteps were gentle on the ground as I walked to her. “You can’t reach your back?” I stretched out my hand. “I’ll help.”

She shook her head. “I can’t bother you.”

I pulled closer and took the bottle from her, pushing her blonde hair off her back. I began to sprinkle the medicine on it. “Does this help?” I asked, genuinely concerned.

She nodded. “I use it all the time.”

I gripped the bottle hard. *All the time?*

I could still hear her loud cries from when she was being hit. As I applied the medicine on her, my eyes caught a red mark on her neck. She had been whipped there too. I reached for her neck and pulled her hair aside.

She instinctively tilted her head downward. Instead of placing the medication, I placed my index finger on it and slid across. She had beautiful pale skin. It captivated me.

Without thinking, I pulled even closer, so close that my chest brushed against her back. I had never felt so trapped by a woman before. Even though I had bigger problems, she seemed to be at the center of it all.

I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her neck. She let out a soft gasp as my lips touched her, but she didn’t move away. In fact, her head tilted even more. I placed another kiss on her back.

And another, and another, until my hand gripped her waist and turned her to face me. Her grey eyes looked into mine. Her hand pressed against her chest. Her dress had lowered to her waist.

I placed the bottle on a table beside us, watching as her eyes scanned mine. She gulped.

My eyes traced her nose and then her lips. She pressed them tightly together. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to taste those lips that looked as red as a rose. I leaned down until my lips stopped just in front of hers.

“Can I…” I gulped, “kiss you?”

Her lips parted. “K… kiss?”

I looked into her eyes. “Please,” I begged, a hint of desperation in my voice.

Her hand gripped her chest tighter, covering her breasts, while the other held her dress over her waist so that it wouldn’t fall.

She didn’t respond. Either way, I leaned in again, slowly so that she had time to pull away. My heart jumped as she tilted her head up. Our lips touched instantly and I leaned into the kiss.

I sucked on her bottom lip. They were soft. They tasted of tears and something sweet. I pulled her tighter against myself and ran my hand against her bare back, still sucking desperately as if I might die if I dared to move away.

She didn’t seem to know how to kiss. “First time?” I panted against her lips.

She nodded.

“Just…” I breathed loudly, gently pushing her against the cold wall, “do what I do,” I said and pressed my lips against hers again. She kissed me back. As the kiss deepened, her hand rested on my chest, tracing every inch of it.

I pulled away from the kiss and our eyes met. She didn’t stop. Her hand continued to move.

“You like that?” I asked.

“It’s just like the picture my aunt showed me,” she said. Her hand moved to the injured part of my body. The pain was agonizing, but I didn’t dare say anything. I liked her touch too much.

“Do you like it?” I asked again.

“Yes,” her voice was soft. It made my cold heart soften.

“Does it make you feel any type of way?”

Her hand stopped moving, but it made my heart soar. “Yes,” she said.

“Good.”

I pushed myself against her. “And?”

“Excited,” she swallowed.

I leaned in and placed a kiss on her neck. She whimpered, a gentle moan following. Her arm wrapped around my neck as my tongue explored her neck. “When I kiss you… does it make you feel good everywhere?”

“Yeah…” she managed to let out.

“Even between your legs?”

She froze, a shocked look in her eyes. “How did you know?”

“I have been with women before,” I admitted. “If you can permit me, allow me to ease your urges.”

She blinked but didn’t say a word.

I lifted up her dress, making her leg press against my hip. My fingers trailed gently against her thigh. Her lips parted, her face twisting into a frown as my fingers touched her panties.

“If you don’t want this, ask me to stop,” I said. I waited for a response. Since I didn’t get any, I pushed her panties to the side and slid my index finger across it.

“Oh…” she whimpered as my finger slid across her soaked pussy. My fingers stopped at her clit and gently circled around it.

Her chest heaved and she bit her lower lip. “I…. wow…” she gasped.

My brow pinched together. “Have you never touched yourself before?”

She shook her head.

“Goddess, you are innocent,” I said in awe. Most girls in the city would be throwing themselves at men, but she was different.

I pulled my fingers away from her. Taking her hand in mine, I led her to the bed. As she lay on the bed, I lowered myself on her and slid off her panties, immediately tossing them to the ground.

“What are you doing?” she asked as I lowered myself.

I raised an eyebrow. “You’ll find out,” I said. I slid out my tongue and placed it against her clit, circling it. I listened to her gentle moans. Each sound was a blessing to my ears. I gently sucked on it, this time drawing louder moans.

I lifted my head up to kiss her. “Careful, Lyra. Your aunt could hear us,” I warned.

She covered her mouth, but her moans continued as I began to slide my fingers against her sensitive spots.

“Oh dear Goddess…” she moaned. “Argh… hmmm…” She removed the hand she had used to cover her breasts and cupped both sides of my face. My eyes were fixed on her perky breasts.

Soon, tears gathered in her eyes.

“What? Did I hurt you?” I asked, concerned.

She shook her head. “It just feels really good.”

A smile curled at my lips. “Perfect.”

Lyra’s POV

The next morning,

“Lyra, get down here!” Aunt Nerrissa’s voice woke me up.

He and I had slept cuddled up with each other last night, but he wasn’t in bed. “Hello?” I said as I got out of bed.

There was no response.

I quickly headed for the bathroom. He wasn’t there. My hands trembled. Did he leave me in my sleep?

“Lyra! There are people from the palace here to get you!” Aunt Nerrissa shouted.

Tears gathered in my eyes. “He left?” I choked.

I didn’t know his name, or who he was. What if he couldn’t find me like he promised?