When I opened my eyes I was back in bed, no doubt Caspian succeeded in getting to me in time, which meant I had a lot of explaining to do. I blinked my eyes a couple of times and looked around the room before I locked eye contact with Caspian next to me.
I nearly screamed when I saw his haggard appearance. The shadows under his eyes were large enough to make their own shadow.
"You have a lot to explain for," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
I immediately got up and bowed my head on the bed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you with your mother's request. I couldn't say no."
He growled. "You could have come to inform me; I would've gone with you, and this could have all been avoided!"
"The madam wouldn't have allowed it, I'm afraid." Carlak walked into the room with a tray of food and water.
I gagged at the sight and smell of the chicken broth, reminders of earlier rise in my mind. Caspian rushed to my side and patted my back before he glared at Carlak.
"What are you speaking about?" he growled.
Carlak bowed his head. "My apologies, Your Highness, but your Mother would not allow me to inform you of the meeting. She knew you would oppose it."
Caspian took the bowl of chick broth and chucked it across the room and Carlak. It spilled all over him and the bowl narrowly missed his head, but he did not budge, not so much as a flinch as he continued to keep his head bowed.
"Who do you answer to?" Caspian yelled.
"I answer to the Royal Lycan Family–"
"Get out, now." Caspian dismissed him and turned his back until he left.
"You're being too harsh on him, he was just doing his job and I went with him willingly," I said.
Caspian scoffed. "Did you willingly eat poison, too?"
I bit my lip and chose not to answer, but this didn't satisfy him.
"Tell me, Aurora. Did you know there was wolfsbane in the pastries before eating them?"
I was as quiet as a mouse. "Yes, I did."
I flinched as the tray flew across the room this time, as well as the glass of water. Caspian let out a growl that had my insides shaking before he stormed out of the room. I thought he wasn't coming back until the door burst open again and he returned with another glass of water.
"Drink this, it's fine." He shoved the glass toward me.
I took it and drank gingerly from it as I studied him. He paced the room in front of me and looked like he was contemplating something.
"What did you and my mother speak of?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Not much, she wanted to get to know me, but she didn't ask any questions of my past or who I was before coming here. She was more interested in our relationship."
"She is trying to get a feel for how strong it is," he muttered and ran a hand down his face. "She already knows who you are, she was most likely hoping to kill you with that poison and make it look like you took your own life."
"I assumed as much."
He suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.
"Then why, why did you eat it?"
"Because I knew the amount that wouldn't kill me."
His eyes widened and ringed red. "What?"
"This was not my first time being fed wolfsbane, it was a favourite of my sister, Alaira's. She often force-fed me it."
"What the hell kind of life did you live? How was this allowed?"
I cracked a sad smile. "That was the life of an orphaned pup that no one wanted, not even her own mother."
This calmed him down and he sat back down next to the bed.
"I apologize, I let my anger get the best of me," he said.
"Don't apologize, it's nice to see someone get angry for me." I smiled.
He grabbed my hands together in his. "No one should have to, but I appreciate your candour about it." He cracked a smile in return.
"I wish to see you smile more." The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. He looked surprised and I instantly felt like I wanted to create a hole and bury myself in it.
'Why did I say something like that?' I thought.
"Then, keep giving me reasons to smile, my dear." This time his smile turned sly, and I wanted to bury myself even more.
"Please, promise me that this won't happen again?" he added.
I nodded and squeezed his hands. "I promise, I won't ever put myself in danger knowingly like that again."
He raised my hands and placed them against his forehead, then brought them down and placed a kiss on my knuckles. It was silent between us and I wasn't sure what was running through his mind as his eyes lifted to me with an unknown look in them.
"I'd really like to kiss you right now," he said.
My cheeks felt like they burst into flames and my eyes had become saucers. Was that something I could handle? I just got over him holding my hands, a kiss was beyond the next step.
But I couldn't deny that I really wanted him to as well. I wanted to know how soft his lips felt, and how big his hands were as they enveloped my body and trapped it beneath his. To feel that strong and chiselled body cover mine was a dream, I knew it wouldn't feel anything like the suffocating pressure of Magnus.
It would be bliss.
But, I wasn't sure if I could do it. Would he hate me?
"It's okay, I shouldn't have said anything. I won't do it, I just felt the need to say it but I didn't mean to frighten you," he said. He squeezed my hands before he let them go and stood up.
I wanted to grab him back, afraid that I had made a mistake once more, but he merely walked around the bed and crawled under the covers next to me. I felt his arm snake around my waist, and he laid me down with him, my back to his chest.
"Sleep now, you need to rest. I'll be here when you wake up," he said and planted a small kiss on the side of my head.
That small gesture sent my heart spiralling, but it felt good. Really good.
Without thinking, I turned in his arms and planted my lips against his.
Fireworks erupted behind my closed eyes and bells went off in my head. It was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted. I pulled back and opened my eyes slowly to see his reaction, but gasped when I saw how dilated his pupils had become.
Before I knew what was happening, he jumped me and covered me with his large body.
"You shouldn't have done that," he growled.