The room became quiet as a graveyard, almost oppressively so, and a tension lingered in the air like a charged storm cloud.
Zayden's face went blank; his gaze lingered on her hot, red cheeks as he stood frozen in his position. His cheeks flushed crimson as his pulse pounded like a drum against his ribcage.
A baby? He thought he hadn't heard it right, despite the fact that her voice kept echoing in his thoughts.
His gaze settled on Zara's, who was staring as if she didn't know the kind of effect it had on him. She was unaware of the kind of thoughts Zayden had for her, but her words had worsened it more. She was giving him permission to make love to her, to surrender her body to him, to make her finally his to claim.
Zara stood a few inches away from him, clasping her hands at her back and sucking on her lips like an innocent, sexy child.
Was she that innocent? He thought, only if he knew what plan Zara had in mind.
At that moment, she looked so innocent that she hadn't realized she had commanded the wrong thing.
Zayden cleared his throat and loosened a button, revealing a glimpse of his triceps.
Zara's breath hitched as the faint glimpse of his triceps caught her eye, the powerful curve defined under his smooth skin. She tried to look away, to keep her composure, but her cheeks betrayed her, flushing with a warmth that crept up her neck.
"Do you know the meaning of what you asked?" he questioned, drawing Zara out of her dirty thoughts.
Zara pouted, her gaze dropping to the ground after trying her best to look elsewhere but not at Zayden.
"We need to make a baby so I won't get killed," she mumbled, half talking to herself.
Zayden's brows creased upon hearing her words. Concern etched on his face, and he asked absentmindedly, "Killed?"
Zara's gaze rose to meet his furrowed brows and fiery eyes, and she asked dumbfoundedly, "Isn't that the punishment?"
He wondered why Zara had thought that he would kill her. But upon remembering his reputation, it felt right.
Why didn't he think that she would be afraid of him? She was just like every other human he had met.
His gaze alone could make them tremble in fear, and his ability could bring destruction to humans.
Upon remembering the news he had once heard about himself—about how he had killed a board of directors—he forced a fake chuckle on his lips. There was no denial of who he truly was.
He was just like they described him to be—a monster... but he was more than they could imagine... more than Zara could ever think of.
He often found pleasure when he saw humans tremble and beg at his feet, but it saddened him, and his heart twisted in a tortured dance of sadness and pain, squeezing out the last vestiges of hope just from glancing at that look of fear and anxiety contorted on Zara's face.
He moved closer, watching her with a gleam of sadness in his eyes.
She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, keeping her eyes on the floor as she felt hotter with every step he took.
Though she could feel his presence like a heavy weight pressing down on her, she still refused to look up, her heart pounding loudly to be freed from its cage.
As he stepped closer, Zara motioned back, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins.
The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, and it made her feel dizzy, tempted to succumb to his will.
Her back hit the wall, and she realized there was no going back or a way of escape. She bit her lips, avoiding his gaze.
He lifted his hand and placed it on her chin. The warmth of his hand seeped into her skin, igniting a subtle flame, awakening a tingling sensation.
"Look at me, Zane," he commanded, his voice low and husky, sending shivers through Zara's veins.
Obediently, she raised her head, her deep black eyes staring right into his ocean-blue ones, filled with conflicted and well-hidden emotions.
He caressed her chin, as if satisfied with her reaction. He inched closer to her ear so that she could feel his hot breath against her warm cheeks.
"Do you think that would save you?" he whispered, his voice a low rumble that made her heart pound.
Zara's breath hitched, her heart racing as she heard that having a baby wouldn't save her from death.
She wasn't sure how to answer. Maybe it would, she thought. Maybe it would give her something to hold onto, something to protect.
A rush of what the doctor had said flickered in her mind, and she was more determined than ever. She was going to live those eleven months with fulfillment and not with regret.
She stared at him for a few seconds before she uttered, "Yes," with confidence, bracing herself for whatever decision he might make.
Isn't she afraid of me? Or didn't I sound terrifying? Zayden thought, stunned at Zara's proclamation.
He wondered what was going on in that little head of hers. His gaze was intense, a flicker of something unreadable hiding behind his steely eyes.
A long, heavy silence stretched out between them.
Zara tried her best not to swallow, but the thought of what could be going through Zayden's mind made her succumb to her vulnerability. She swallowed hard.
After the long silence that enveloped them, Zayden finally decided to break it as he couldn't finalize whether he was feared or not.
"Be careful of what you say, Zane. You might end up regretting it," he said, his gaze focused on Zara's inviting pink lips, but as quickly as ever, he settled on her face to show he wouldn't easily give in to her thoughts, as he didn't know what she was planning.
Suddenly, Zara lifted herself and threw her hands around his neck. "What will I regret? Having a baby with you?" she asked with determination in her eye, as she pressed her body against Zayden, unaware of the dangerous thoughts that were arising.
What are you actually up to? he thought in confusion. His mind was a jumble of a huge mess as he couldn't figure out what Zara was thinking.
Was this one of her dad's plots?
He thought he might as well play along to figure out what she thought.
His hand cradled her slim waist, pulling her closer to him, and she gasped from the sudden pull.
A smirk curled at his lips, seeing how weak-hearted she was. She was quite good at talking, even about things she might not mean. Let's see how you cope with this.
"A child with the Doom. What a lovely combo," he stated in a deep, sexy voice, a wide grin appearing on his face.