Chapter 15

Darian's POV.

And then he closes the distance, crashing his lips against hers.

The kiss isn't slow this time. Darian doesn't test the waters, he dives in immediately. Open-mouthed, tongue tangling, kissing her like she's oxygen and he needs her to breathe.

Her breath catches against his mouth, hand instinctively pressing against his chest, clutching the front of his tunic, pulling him closer.

And that's all the confirmation he needs.

He deepens the kiss, pressing forward until her back hits the dark wall, hands bracing on both sides of the wall, caging her in.

And Darian pours everything in. The frustration of all these conflicting feelings, the anger he'd felt when she walked away, the pure unadulterated need.

Panting against her mouth like a wild animal, pressing flush until there was no space between them.

His wolf surges in approval.

And Belle, God help her, respond just as eagerly. The distance she tried to put between them vanishes the instant their lips touch. The intense pull clouding her senses as she melts against him.

Then finally, after what seems like forever, Darian finally pulls apart, inhaling loudly against her lips.

Belle just stands there, hands still curled in the front of his tunic, gasping for breath.

Darian's hands go from the wall to her jaw, a soft cradle, then his thumb gently caresses the swollen lip.

"Don't try to walk away from me." He growls and leans in closer. "Do you understand?"

She gasps sharply and nods, back still pressed against the wall. "Y-yes, my lord."

Darian groans in approval, then kisses her again. This time it's slow and deep. Hot, demanding, but not rough. Like he's trying to etch himself into her soul.

He can't help himself.

He's never felt this kind of pull with anyone else before. Not like this, at least.

Contrary to everyone's belief, he's actually been in a relationship before. A beautiful young woman from another village. They met once when he had gone out of town for training.

She was the daughter of a high noble, but gentle. Soft.

They'd met more often than not privately. No one else knew, just them in their own little bubble.

Until they'd eventually fallen apart.

But even then, Darian's wolf had never reacted so violently.

He had never had such a strong urge to claim any woman like this before. He can't understand why, all he knows is that his control is slipping.

His mouth moves from her lips, tracing kisses down her chin, all the way to her neck. He kisses her there, slower now, open-mouthed and gentle...it makes her head fall back.

Then his teeth graze softly down the drip of her neck, the urge to claim her overwhelming.

A low sound escapes in his throat before he can stop it, instinct clouding judgement. The sound makes her stiffen against him, hand no longer pulling him in...

"M-my lord," she breathes, almost inaudible. Then her scent hits him again.

He stills.

And that's when the realization hits him. Hard.The reason why his wolf is reacting so strongly to her.

Darian doesn't wait. He pulls back abruptly, chest rising and falling, his eyes blown wide and feral.

The distance between them instantly feels cold. But neither of them bridge it, both trying to catch their breaths.

Belle breaks the silence first. "T-that...this wasn't supposed to happen again."

Darian frowns slightly, but doesn't say anything as she continues.

"You're the Prince of Moonveil. You're supposed to be attending the mate ball tonight,"

That makes him lean forward again, leaning so they are face to face now. "My obligations do not concern you." His voice is still rough.

"Yes, that's why we shouldn't.."

"But you kissed me back." His jaw tightens, voice accusing. "If you didn't want it, why did you come here?"

"Y-you called me here!" she says, trying to swallow the hard lump forming in her throat. "Don't try to twist this, my lord."

Darian's gaze darkens further, but it's not at her words.

Something is off, he can feel it fully now. His pulse wouldn't calm, his wolf is still just by surface, urging him to claim her fully.

And her scent...it's starting to affect him too much now. So much he's losing his mind.

He swallows hard, fingers twitching as he fights the urge to pull her back against his skin.

His Adam's apple bobs slightly. "Why are you fighting this?" he asks, voice lower now.

She looks away. "Because it won't work with us." Her voice is quieter now, "I…I can't do this, right now."

"Why?"

She looks caught. "I-I'm sorry, I can't tell you."

I'm still heartbroken.

I'm scared..

I'm just a maid, here..

Where does she even start?

Darian exhales, dragging a hand through his hair as he moves away from her. Then he begins pacing like a caged animal, back and forth, before stopping again.

"If this is about those women my mother selected, I'll..."

"It's not about that, my lord." Belle cuts him off, trying really hard not to let her voice waver.

The prince flexes his fingers restlessly, scent drifting openly across the space. Coffee and musk, mixing with the stench of arousal.

It's very, very strong.

Belle watches him carefully now, something uneasy creeping into her expression. She shifts slightly away, catching how restless the Prince seems to be getting.

Darian sees the shift, but he doesn't comment on it because he doesn't understand himself either.

He's reacting too much to her this early.

His gaze meets hers slowly. She looks confused, cautious... while he looks dark, and intense.

"You should stay away from me," he tells her suddenly.

Belle blinks, thrown off by his request.

It's what she wanted, but still...

"…What?"

Darian takes a step back this time, putting distance between them. But it looks like it took a lot of effort, like he's forced to move away.

"For a few days," he adds, voice tighter now. "Until I figure something out."

She looks confused, brows drawn together. But there's a lingering hurt she isn't willing to admit.

"But you're the one who called me here." She queries. There's no my lord now. Just the same lingering fear that she felt when James started pulling away.

His jaw clenches. "I know." He looks away. "But that was before..."

‘Before my wolf started losing control around you’, he doesn't add.

Belle lets out a quiet, disbelieving breath, the deja vu hitting her hard.

"So that’s it?" she asks. "You pulled me in, now push me away?"

Even the Prince is confused now. Wasn't she fighting him just now because she wanted him to leave her alone?

Darian's eyes snap back to her. "I'm not pushing you away. I'll call you back when I'm ready."

Belle scoffs, shaking her head slightly.

"You don't get to do that," she says, voice weak. "Let's just..let's just forget this ever happened.”

Forget?

Darian expression hardens, but it's not just him. His wolf is also reacting too hard to her words. It hears the rejection, and is urging him to just claim her now, once and for all.

He exhales through his nose, trying to force a calm that's non-existent. "Go back to your duties, Isabella." He says it like he's giving instructions to someone beneath him.

The bridge he's worked so hard to build, breaking suddenly.

He is the prince of Moonveil now.

And she is just the new maid, Isabella.

No longer two people who were pulled in beyond their control.

Belle doesn't argue, doesn't hesitate anymore. Just wipes at her mouth, eyes unreadable. "Yes, my lord."

Then she turns and walks away, the door closing hard behind her.

The moment Darian is left alone, he exhales hard, holding onto the dresser for support as his composure finally breaks.

His wolf surges violently, his skin burning and restless in a way that makes him question himself.

"...What the hell is wrong with me?"