My little brother had secrets, and I allowed them—for now.
20
ARIANA
Knuckles rapped against the wooden door to my room, the sound echoing in the quiet space.
Turning from the darkness beyond the open balcony, I faced the entrance. “Come in,” I said, my voice steady.
A chilled breeze drifted from the balcony into the room, riding on the draft created when the door opened. Goose bumps spread over my arms as I faced the Lysian King.
Erik strode into the suite, shutting the door behind him, locking us in. His broad frame shifted with each confident step until he stood in the center while I remained on the edge of the open balcony. Dark blue eyes absorbed the room, likely looking for signs of threat before finally landing fully on me.
The sheer power in his presence, in his gaze, caused my heart to miss a beat. I forced a deep breath, willing my body not to tremble.
As we stood there in silence, my pulse climbed with each passing second. Erik had yet to say a word, and I could only guess at his state of mind. All I had were the facts: I was his prisoner, and I was now cornered by a lethal male.
“Do I frighten you?” He finally broke the silence, his voice low and smooth, yet holding an underlying warning that sent a chill skittering down my spine.
“Do you wish to frighten me?” I asked, somehow managing to keep the tremble from my voice.
His eyes darkened before they flickered briefly to my throat. A silent threat.
My hand moved to my neck as a reflex, the vulnerability of the gesture not lost on either of us.
“I did not mean . . .” Erik seemed momentarily thrown off, his tenor softening. “No, I do not wish to frighten you.”
“Right,” I said, my tone laced with skepticism. “You enter the room, cornering me without an escape, ask me if I am afraid, and then look at my throat.Threateningly. How should that be perceived differently?” My hand fell to my side as I squared my shoulders, refusing to cower.
“That’s not what I was doing, not what I meant to do,” he replied, his voice a mixture of frustration and apology as he glanced around the room before gesturing to a leather chair in the corner. “Mind if I sit?”
“It’s your castle,” I replied indifferently, though indifference was the farthest from the truth.
In reality, I felt torn. A part of me resented Erik, fearing the destruction he was capable of. Yet another part was drawn to him, wanting to understand better. I desired to help him find his sister; I did not have any siblings of my own but could imagine the pain he felt. If someone ever took Landin or Willis, then I would not stop till I freed them.
Erik lowered himself into the chair, his gaze never leaving mine. “I looked at your throat because it is a weak point,” he stated.
“It’s what you would target if you wished to kill me,” I clarified, finding no comfort in his response.
“No. It’s what someone else may target if they wished you harm. I do not want to hurt you, Ariana.” He seemed exasperated. “I want us to be friends.”
Someone needed to teach him what it meant to be a friend and the best ways to make them.
“Friends typically choose the relationship; they are not forced into it.” If no one else would educate him, then I could at least offer that advice.
He tapped his thumb against the wooden armrest of the chair for three quick beats. “Why do you have to be so difficult?” he muttered, more to himself than to me.
I stiffened. “You prefer it otherwise? For me to pretend to be whatever you wish?” Just because I did not bow to him the way his Lysians did, he saw me as challenging. I think it bothered him that I refused to fold in his presence. He had no idea howdifficultI could be. He was lucky I was trying to gain their trust. Lucky that I wanted to be an ally and help.
“I suppose not.” Erik was quiet for a moment, as if in thought. “Are you agreeable to having a meal with me every other day? It will give us a chance to understand one another better.”
I hesitated, unsure whether it was a question, or a demand dressed up as one. Accepting allowed me to learn more, to possibly find his weaknesses if he had any.
“As long as I am not to become the meal,” I replied, earning a small, genuine smile from him.
“I swear to the Spirit you will not.” Amusement glinted in his eyes before retreating, replaced with muted concern. A rift formed in our already tumultuous relationship, and he likely wanted to mend it but didn’t seem sure of how. It was the first time I had ever sensed actual discomfort in him. Erik had been furious before, after the whipping he had received under Fraser’s orders, but even then, he had a certain confident calm to him. This was different.
“The Spirit will hold you to it.” I moved deeper into the room, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, facing him.
