Chained To Him [Editing]

Chapter Thirty-Six

The word nearly escaped her lips as a kiss pressed into her shoulder, but her eyes snapped awake in time to find herself in Aragon's chambers. Luc's name was so often on the tip of her tongue, as he was always on her mind, but she knew better than to bring any mention of him into her time with Aragon. She wouldn't give him another reason to strangle her if she could help it.

He had arranged for her three nights in a row, and for the first time, he had kept her with him or in his chambers instead of sending her back to Maigi during the day. She wondered if Aylah knew what had happened to her, and she had missed her meeting with Chev. It was difficult to wrestle with the growing anxiety within her as she grew tired of the two narrow windows that faced the western sky from Aragon's room. She wasn't any more of a pet than she was before when her cage had other slaves in it, but she felt more trapped than she did before. The only blessing was that Aragon had been gentle with her during these three days, more than he ever had before. Gentle enough that by the third day Jayde had come to realize that he wasn't simply letting her drop her guard; he truly wasn't going to hurt her. Whether he felt remorse for how he'd treated her before, or whether this was part of a larger scheme, she couldn't know. Perhaps he was still riding the high of his recent battle. Whatever the cause, Jayde welcomed this part of him that she so rarely saw, and which so often came with a price.

"Jayde." She would never be used to the sound of her name from his mouth. It came too easily, as if he had some claim to it.

She hummed in reply, still not fully awake, and felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her back into his warm chest. He kissed her ear and her neck and let his lips settle there. In her tiredness, his attention sent a shiver through her, and he kissed her skin more firmly. She was tired, these days – too tired – and his consistent gentleness had worn away a little of her resistance. She told herself that it didn't matter, that her acceptance of him meant nothing now. She would be free soon enough, and she would have Luc back. Only she and Aragon had to know what these moments were like. In a larger context, his possession of her seemed too horrifying, too difficult to name. But in these moments, when it was only her and Aragon and no one else, she more and more often found herself seeking shelter in his rare gentleness, his occasional expressions of genuine affection. It would always be better than what else he had to offer her.

"Elias," she began, and paused as his arms tightened around her. He hadn't originally asked her to use his name, but she had noticed the way he seemed to soften when she did. In some ways it served to make him less terrifying, more human, though each time the word left her lips it seemed to eat away at her a little more. It was strange to find herself getting used to him, but after the other night, she didn't have it in her to do anything but submit to him. "Will you take me to the garden today?"

His hand loosened to run across her stomach and gently grip her bare hip before trailing down her thigh. "I'm afraid I have work to do today." His hand stilled, fingers drumming against her skin. "And besides, I'm told you're spoken for this afternoon."

"Lord Greywood or..."

"Izarra?" He laughed gently, and his hand slipped low on her stomach. "No, she had to return to the capitol." Jayde felt her heart sink at the prospect of never seeing her again. She could only pray that her word was good and that she would return when she could. "Izarra seemed pleased with her night with you – enough that I nearly doubted my decision to let you go."

"Why did you...let her have me?" Jayde turned in his arms so she could look at him, and found that the morning had relaxed the tension in his face. He always looked younger, softer, after he'd just woken up. It never took long for the day to harden him again.

"Izarra's alliance is important to me. And I doubt her fascination with you will be troublesome." Unlike Luc, he meant. "Besides, I wouldn't want you to lose all touch with noble sensibilities."