Marik lets go and says, “We’ll discuss this later,” then walks away back to the dining room.
I rub my arm and look at Asmo. “Thanks,” I mutter.
“You okay?” he asks, looking me up and down as if he’s checking to see if Marik actually hurt me. I nod. Physically, I’m fine.
“He’s sensitive about our parents. I thought you were amazing, though,” he says, a grin on his face as he remembers the exchange. I rub my arm and his grin disappears. “Marik also has a temper. Don’t let him touch you like that again.”
I nod, not trusting myself to speak.
He takes a step closer to me then, our bodies now inches apart. “I’m serious, Mae. The only way you should be touched is the way I touched you. You should be worshipped. Don’t tolerate anything less.”
My blood heats at his words, and I can’t seem to step away. Marik and I don’t have this chemistry, but then again, I’ve never had this chemistry with anyone. Before I can react in a way that I shouldn’t, I step away and head back to the dining room, my head spinning from the rollercoaster that my emotions have been through in the last twenty minutes.
When I get back to the dining room, Marik’s eyes are back to normal, and he looks like his usual self. He smiles when he sees me walk in, and it confuses me even more. I walk over to him and sit, joining his conversation with Willa about where we’d like to live once it’s safer to move off the grounds. I feel like I have emotional whiplash, and it takes me a second to fully join the conversation.
The rest of the dinner is tame, filled with surface-level conversation. After dessert, we say our goodbyes, Marik’s parents marveling at the engagement ring Marik proposed with, approval glistening in their eyes. I give Willa a tight hug, holding onto her longer than usual.
Her eyes glisten when she pulls away, and she says, “I’m so proud of the female you’ve become.” I kiss her on the cheek, and then she leaves, heading to the portal Ivan approved so she could travel safely to and from her house.
Before I head back to my wing, Marik pulls me aside, and I steel myself. He runs a hand through his hair, messing up the way he had styled it. He seems to search for the words, shifting on his feet.
I wait for him to say something.
“I’m sorry,” he finally says, like I was asking him to pull out one of his teeth. But I’m not satisfied. I raise an eyebrow, indicating that he’s not done yet. He catches on and says, “I’m sorry for the way that I reacted earlier.” I wait, still not entirely satisfied. A silence falls between us. Finally, he says, “I’m sorry for grabbing you.”
“Thank you,” I say curtly. “If it happens again, I’ll sever your hand from your body.”
“Understood,” he says. “I shouldn’t have reacted like that. My family is a sore spot for me, and I just… I didn’t appreciate the way you responded. I should have warned you that they may go for me, not you.”
I eye him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I warned you not to take anything personally. I should have included in my warning that it may be an insult thrown toward me, not toward you. Comments like that are typical in my household, so it’s normal to me. I forgot that they’re not normal to you.” He sighs. “My father has a temper, and I didn’t want you to potentially jeopardize your relationship with him in defending me.”
“You’re about to be my husband, but I wouldn’t tolerate underhand comments like that from him about anyone, regardless of their relationship, or lack thereof, to me.”
He nods once like he has a different opinion than I do but doesn’t want to argue. “Look,” he says, reaching for my hands. “I’m sorry. I’m excited for tomorrow, to make you my wife.” His smile is genuine, and my heart responds, beating a little faster. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my own face.
I squeeze his hands and say, “I am, too. Let’s get married.” He reaches down to kiss me. It’s gentle, sweet, and makes me feel genuinely happy. I pull away and can see the smile form on his face as I do.
“Sweet dreams, future husband,” I say, turning to leave.
“Sweet dreams, Mae,” he returns, the smile still on his face.
All night, all I can think about is the way he transformed into a darker version of himself. I’ve grown used to his brother’s sudden shifts, but not Marik. Is there a darker side to Marik that he’s been careful to keep hidden from me? Just who is the male I’ve chosen to marry?
Chapter 35
The next morning is chaos. Ruby and Nora wake us up before the sun has even risen, all of us clenching our heads at the pounding on the door. Cally, Holly, Elle, and I all stayed up way too late and drank way too much. Thankfully, Ruby accounted for this, bringing medicine and handing each of us a glass of water as soon as she came inside.
“You’re a godsend,” I croak.
“You didn’t bring breakfast? Coffee?” Cally asks after almost drinking the entire glass of water in one swig.
Ruby gives her a look, and Cally says, “Sorry, sorry. Can we order some breakfast then?”
She bats her eyes at me, and I say, “It’s my wedding day, and I’m the High Queen. Of course we can order breakfast.” We place our orders with the staff, and Ruby and Nora immediately set to work.
Hair and makeup for an event like this can take hours, and there are four of us. Willa was supposed to be here an hour ago but hasn’t arrived yet. I’m beginning to worry that something happened to her.
