Lara shivered because a new kind of panic flared in her heart and it was all related to the tingles spread all over skin. As he kissed her, her fingers dug into the flesh of his shoulders through his shirt's fabric. She felt something sharp on her lips—his fangs. When he pulled away, his fangs scraped her lower lip as he darted his tongue out to lick it.
"Is this your first kiss?" he asked, lifting his head, looking at her with his assessing gaze. Her lips were swollen and glistening by the time he left her, and his erection hardened. His midnight blue hair fell on his forehead. Half of his body was settled over her and he had locked her legs by one of his legs thrust between hers.
Lara thought that he was a stray guard who had caught her and before he would hand her over to the crown, he was playing with her fear. Her senses were going numb by the second. If she didn't get out now, she was going to end up somewhere very dangerous. Her body trembled beneath him. And for all she knew, this guard could just kill her. A chill ran down her spine. "Please get off me," she said, pushing against his chest.
"I don't intend to. For now. Because I feel very nice."
Lara's eyes widened through her mask and Marcus laughed. The way he laughed, it was so throaty and carefree; it vibrated in his chest against hers. A shaky breath left her lips. "Please, get off me because I don't feel nice at all," she said in a low, strung-out voice.
"Then you have to tell me where you've come from," he said, dipping his head in her hair and smelling them again. How could one smell so intoxicating? Citrusy and sweet spices.
"Where are you from?" she redirected the question back to him, fighting the drug's effect.
He chuckled. "I know spies love to play games," he said as his hand went to the ties of her mask.
"I am not a spy," she breathed, as her stomach knotted. What if he opened her mask. Her identity would be revealed. Her Master would be compromised.
His lips curled up as she turned her face to the side, silently asking him not to open her mask. He didn't open it, but trailed his finger on its edges. "How old are you?"
She faced him but didn't answer that. She didn't want to answer that. So, she stayed quiet, her droopy eyes focused on his lips and the cleft in his chin.
"Are you dumbfounded because of my handsome features?" The effect of the mushroom powder that Vera had given him started taking effect. He should have thrown the wine she offered, but he came to know that she had mixed something inside it after he tasted it.
She raised an eyebrow at his cockiness. She changed the topic. Something very hard and heated was between them. She took her finger to it, poked it and said, "What is this?"
His cock twitched to the point that his balls ached. He hissed and she backed off, scared.
"If you don't leave me, I will call Princess Petra. And then she will take you to the king," she threatened him in a soft voice. "I have heard that he's cruel. He is going to kill you!"
Marcus let out a laugh, sounding surprised. He caressed her gold dust spattered cheek. She was definitely new to this place, his kingdom. He would easily trap the little bird in his golden cage. "I highly doubt he would do that to me. If at all, he would appreciate what I am doing right now."
"Do you know him?" she asked, bewildered.
"I am very close to him," he replied confidently.
Lara's heartbeat raced like a wild horse. She had no chance to leave? But an idea formed. "Then you must be knowing Prince Rigel?"
A low, dangerous growl erupted from his chest and Lara winced. Jealousy burned through like whips of fire. "No, I don't," he lied. "Why do you ask? Do you want to seduce him?"
"What? No!" she retorted.
Marcus sagged with relief. He resumed caressing her cheek with his thumb as he gazed at her, enraptured. "You are lovely," he breathed. Rigel was forgotten.
According to Lara the guard was really out of his element. Anger bubbled in her chest and she said, "Please go and charm another girl." She pushed him again, but her efforts were in vain, mostly because he was too strong and less because she was drugged. He didn't budge an inch.
"I don't need to charm anyone," which was the truth. "But are you charmed by me?" His voice was tipsy.
She let out a sigh as her limbs became listless. The drug was spreading through her blood rapidly. She closed her eyes. "No, and leave me…" she said in a last ditch effort.
He chuckled deeply. "No, I won't," he whispered as he leaned over her ear and coiled his arms tightly around her waist. "Do you—"
Lara couldn't struggle against the pill that she had swallowed and the rest of the words that he spoke, sounded incoherent. Darkness took over her, and soon she slumbered off.
Now that she was in his grasp, feeling calm, Marcus buried his face in her hair and mumbled something. He didn't know when sleep overtook him.
It was still dark when Lara woke up, her head throbbing as though someone had taken a hammer to it. Her throat was still dry because when she moaned, it hurt.
When she tried to move, she couldn't. It was as if she was wrapped in thick blankets. It was so hot in here; her body was covered with sweat. She groaned again as she tried to pull away, but it was impossible.
It took a gargantuan effort for her to open her eyes, and when she did, her gaze went to the fireplace where embers glowed a scorching red, imparting a dim light to the rest of the room. She exhaled roughly and tried to recall what had happened. She remembered swallowing the pill, because someone had found her spying.
"No!" she rasped. If she was caught, she would only end up executed. How she had managed to sleep like a log… she cursed herself.
There was someone behind her. A man. And his arms were wrapped tightly around her. His leg on hers.