That's Why I Love You

Chapter 49

Lexa

I rocked against my captor, searching for who spoke. He dragged me past a column and I peeked around the corner.

My heart seized when I saw her. Her eyes were tired, but they were open. Her form was slumped over, but it was moving. Despite the situation, I couldn't help the bright, relieved smile from coming to my face. Her eyes met mine and she smiled.

"Unless you want war on your hands, you will let her go." Clarke said, her voice strong and commanding. Here she was, trying to save me yet again. Our lives would always be a cycle of saving each other.

"She killed Peters." A man from the crowd yelled. So that was the guard's name.

"No, she didn't." Clarke said. "Peters was one of the guards in charge of the culling. Someone in the Ark wanted him dead as vengeance for their lost loved one."

I breathed as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The weight of never seeing Clarke's eyes brighten when she saw me again was a lot heavier than the weight of me being dragged off to the dungeons.

The crowd stirred, giving guilty and questioning looks to each other. While their doubt of me would never completely fade, they began to realize that they had been too quick to place blame just because I was the leader of the people they had hated since they arrived.

I spotted movement to Clarke's left. Octavia, Raven and Lincoln stood and watched anxiously.

"Release her." Clarke said, shooting deadly glares to the men surrounding me. They hesitated and after a moment, their arms slipped off me. I straightened myself as the men backed off. I smiled and nodded to Clarke, but her expression didn't waver.

"Go back to your rooms. All of you. We'll keep you updated on the status of the storm." Clarke said. The people shuffled back to their rooms and before the last could leave I was walking toward her quickly. Although, my only want in that meant was to touch her and look into her eyes, I had to keep my composure for the sake of my people. I thought I could keep it together until I reached her, but without thinking, I started to run over. My legs wouldn't move fast enough, not as fast as my heart was tugging me to her.

I collided with her, almost knocking her over, but I held on. I buried my face in her shoulder and held onto her like she was my breath, my blood, my life. The panic and anxiety of living without her dissolved from my body, replaced with pure love and happiness.

"Lexa." Clarke whispered. I squeezed my eyes, relishing in the way my name came off her lips. I had already her speak—but as Clarke; Wanheda and Skaiprisa. Now I was listening to just her—Clarke; ai hodnes. Her voice was soft and gentle, something she couldn't allow when she was speaking to her people.

I felt her start to pull back, but I clenched onto her. After I had let her disappear from view for even a second in the City of Light, I would never let her go now.

"Lexa." Clarke cooed, moving her hands to my arms and pulling them off her. I stepped back, but only an inch. Her blue eyes, the ones I had wished so many times would open, reflected back at me.

"I'm sorry." I murmured.

Clarke shook her head. "No. No, it wasn't your fault. I wanted to come with you." Her hands moved to my cheeks and wiped at them. I hadn't realized a few tears had escaped my eyes.

"What happened?" I asked. Her eyes glossed over and she hesitated.

"We can talk about that later." She said, keeping her hands on my face, holding me close.

"Clarke—" I started. I didn't want her to not tell me because she thought I'd feel worse than I already did.

"Please." Clarke said, running her hands over my arms until they reached my hands. I smiled at the wonderous feeling of her hands moving in mine. "I just want to make up for the lost time."