*Formerly His Desire*
"You think you want me, but I don't think you could handle what I would do to you." His stare is relentless.
I smooth my hands down over my nightdress, feeling his words glide across my skin. "I could..."
"I'm not sure I would...
"I think I've got something," I call out, rushing into the next room.
Everything is has finally matched, which has become so rare recently. I've spent countless hours staring at the old paper work that once belonged to my fathers business.
Ark is sitting at his desk, light beaming in from the window behind him.
He looks up, a rare spark of hope in his eyes. "Oh yeah?"
I step into his makeshift office, picking my way past all his potted plants that fill the small space. I'm not sure why he needs so many when the rest of our small little cabin is surrounded by brush. There's no escaping it.
"He's not too far from here, just in a village to the east," I tell him, flattening my pieces of paper in front of him, pointing at all the points I think correlate. "He has a family."
Before my father's business was burnt down, we took all the paperwork and documents from the space that we could with the intention of hunting down all his clients.
We've successfully found and dealt with sixteen clients.
And by we, I mean the members of the rebellion, which has since disbanded. A few have stuck around and are helping us do the dirty work when it comes to the vengeance part of this operation.
Ark frowns, shifting uncomfortably. It's not uncommon for these monsters to have families, and although we have come across this problem many times, it doesn't get any easier.
"We can relocate them," he murmurs, watching me.
"Yeah." I swallow thickly, staring at the harsh white paper, at the names of the two children who are going to be hurt by their father disappearing. We don't dishonour them by telling them what he did, we just make it seem like an accident, but knowing they are harmed makes this impossibly hard.
"Hey, look at me," Ark encourages softly, drawing my gaze back to him and his concerned expression.
"I know, I know," I mutter dismissively.
"You hate tearing families a part. I get that," he breathes, pushing up from his chair. He circles his desk, pulling my attention to him. "But those children, his wife...they will be much better off without him."
I nod vigorously. He's right. Who knows what kind of harm would come to that family if we left those children with such a monster, but sometimes I worry I'm making an excuse that makes me feel better.
"You're right. It's just hard," I admit with a sigh. We have had this conversation so many times now, but I appreciate Ark acknowledging how difficult this is each time.
He smiles gently, brushing his knuckles across my cheek. "You've been doing so well."
The tension bleeds for my muscles, until I remember yesterdays exertion that I took while Ark was away. I don't usually leave our secluded spot in the middle of the forest, but I had a special reason.
"I forgot to mention something about my visit into town," I tell him wearily, knowing he isn't going to be happy about it.
His eyes flare wider with surprise. "You went into town?"
"I needed seedlings. The new season is coming and I want these plants to get their roots established before the weather shifts," I explain. My plan is to make as reliant on the food we grow as possible, so I don't have to go into the town and risk being seen.
"I could have gone."
"You were busy. You have so much on your plate," I remind him, rubbing the back of my neck.
In my defense, he was away chasing a lead on a client he's been tracking, and I wasn't sure if he was going to be home in time. He only came back early this morning.
I hate him being away. I hate missing him, but he's assured me it's just temporary.
"I wish you had told me," he tells me, brushing a hand through his hair. "What happened?"
I grimace. "Someone recognised me."
He sighs, already suspecting as much. I've gotten away with not being recognised so far, so this is an unwelcome shift in my luck.
"Even with the dyed locks?" He asks, brushing his fingers through my now red strands. It was an easy decision and not one that bothered me. I now wear frumpy clothes and keep my gaze down on the rare occasions where I have to do out.
"Apparently," I mutter sheepishly. "I told them they had the wrong person, that Princess Kiva died in the fire with her father in their lake house after his business got exposed."
The people were devastated when the story got out. The rebels took the fall for starting the fire, making it public what my father did.
Princess Kiva's death was collateral damage.
"And they believed you?" Ark demands, trying to figure out whether he needs to track this person down to eliminate. I wouldn't let him, but he would want to.
"I don't know. I took off pretty quickly after that." I shrug.
"People want you to be alive because what they think happened is so tragic," he reminds me, reaching out to hold either side of my face gently. "The innocent Princess dragged into her father's mess."
"Some doubt that story, though. They think I knew about it," I tell him earnestly, pulling his hands back down, trying to make him understand what I'm saying.
His brows draw together. "No one will ever know the truth."
I wander out of his office and into the small living space. Ark follows me, watching me carefully. He's been monitoring every shift in emotion since my father died, like he expects me to fall a part at any moment.
"What about Caspian?" I ask him.
"I'm certain he won't say anything. He's given up his title," he tells me.
Ark never brings Caspian up, I always have to ask. He doesn't want me worrying about my ex-husband, which is a good thing, I suppose. There's only so much of him I actually want to remember.
"I don't want you to think I don't love my life here, by the way," I add quickly. "I worry about our peace being ruined by others."
Caspian could claim that I have something to do with the rebellion, or maybe he would try get his title back, his credibility. I doubt it though...Ark would be there to ensure his attempt would be made impossible.
"It won't be. Once we are done here, we move up North, where no one would have even heard of Princess Kiva, let alone seen her face." he falls onto the couch next to me, smiling.
"That sounds just like what I need," I breathe, sinking my head into the old cushions.
Ark turns his body to face me. "Have you been missing your father?"
"No. Not as much as I thought I would," I tell him. "Part of me thinks I'm purposefully blocking him out of my thoughts."
"He doesn't deserve a moment of your time, anyway." Ark winds his fingers through mine. "Do you miss being Princess?"
I smile a little. Ark has been worried he's ruined my life since he came into it. Little does he know, he's improved it beyond belief. I haven't given up my old life, I've moved on from it, and I couldn't be happier.
"Not in the slightest. I've decided I like the simple life with my very irresistible mate," I tell him playfully, squeezing his hand.
His eyes glitter wickedly. "Irresistible, huh?"
A deep ache settles in my stomach. Ever since we moved in together we haven't been able to keep our hands off each other. I'm surprised we have been able to get anything done.
"Oh yeah." I slide closer. "I think you should take the rest of the day off."
He leans forward, kissing my cheek. "I like the sound of that."
I collapse into his arms, letting his warmth envelope me. How I got so lucky to find my mate, to find Ark, I don't know.
I just know I'm more than excited to spend the rest of my life with him.
🤍••🤍
Thank you all so much for reading this story! It's easily one of my favourite works that I've ever written (:
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