Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 39

Arysa groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head pounded and her entire body ached. She looked around her, nearly jumping out of her skin when she noticed Serden sitting upright against the headboard beside her. He didn't look at her, but his eyes were hard as they scanned the book in front of him, and she could tell he wasn't really reading.

She moved to get out of his bed, and his hand shot out and grabbed her arm.

"Serden?" She breathed.

He snapped the book closed and tossed it on his nightstand. His room was dark with shadows with a barely noticeable stream of light creeping in through the curtained windows. He turned his hard eyes to hers, and she shrank back.

"You realize you probably would have killed him and yourself?" He hissed.

Arysa looked away but he sat up and yanked her towards him, his fingers wrapping tightly around her jaw.

"Listen to me, Arysa!" He snarled. "You cannot keep doing this!"

She grasped his wrists and tried to pull his hand away, but he curled his nails into her skin and she winced.

"I have to." She rasped. "Can't you see that?" Her eyes burned into his. "I have to."

"No." He hissed. "You don't. I can protect you. I can protect your people. Just stop."

"I can't." She whispered. "You can't make promises like that. We both know that's out of your control."

"Maybe it's not." He murmured. "Maybe I can."

Arysa grit her teeth. "Liar."

His eyes narrowed. "I just need time."

"We don't have time!" Arysa snapped. "We are all out of time."

He released her and dropped his arms back to his sides. Arysa jumped out of his bed and rushed to his door. She pulled on the knob, but Serden just laughed.

"You're not leaving until I say so."

"Like hell I'm not."

She began to trace an unlocking rune, but then his arms were around her waist, dragging her backwards. She twisted in his hold, but his arms only tightened.

"Let me go, Serden." She snapped. "Let me go!"

"Never." His breath fanned over her ear and she shrank into herself.

"You can't keep me here." She sneered. "People will come looking for me."

But he only smirked. "I'm counting on it."

He threw her back on the bed and she scrambled to sit up, but he grasped her ankle and yanked her towards him, knocking her onto her back. She kicked at him and he placed his hands down on her shins, holding her down.

"You're not going to win." She hissed, propping herself up on her elbows.

His lips pressed tight together. "For all our sakes, you'd better hope I do."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She went to sit up, but he leaned forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, shoving her back to the bed.

"It means I'm on your side." He breathed. "I'm trying to help you."

She sneered. "You're only trying to help yourself."

His jaw twitched. "You have no idea what I'm trying to do here."

"Then tell me." She snapped.

He pulled back, his eyes turning away from hers. "You know I can't."