I stood on the front steps of the castle watching as Ronak mounted his horse, Onyx, alongside the other four knights. I complained that it didn't seem like enough knights, but Ronak told me to stop worrying. It was taking everything inside me not to burst into tears as he smiled up at me.
Olivia stood by my side while some of the other attendants and knights stood on either side of the walkway. I felt uncomfortable around the other staff, and Ronak was still being incredibly curt with them. He was still upset over what had transpired, not that I blame him... None of them had dared say anything or acted out in any way since the incident, either… but I wouldn't say that that's a good thing… I don't want the staff to fear me…
"Don't look so upset. I'll be back before you know it. Olivia will ensure that you are properly taken care of." His eyes lingered towards the other attendants, who looked down at the ground and refused to return his gaze.
"Please be safe and don't do anything risky." I had to blink rather hard to prevent the tears from falling down my face. C-come on, Micha, hold it together…
"Psh, you sound like my doting wife." He teasingly grinned as he readied the reins to his massive black horse. Gosh, Onyx was an intimidating beast, but I had found out what a gentle giant he was. Pft, Onyx was even bigger than the knight's horses; guess that wasn't too surprising though, Ronak did say that he was the pride of the herd. Ronak looked very archduke-like sitting on Onyx. "I'll be extra careful, Micha. Don't forget that I love you while I'm gone."
"I love you too…" I responded as he spurred his horse with a quick pull of the reins. I noticed some of the attendants gave me curious glances after I responded to Ronak, but I didn't pay them any attention. I had realized after the incident with the maid that it was mine and Ronak's relationship, not theirs. I had no reason to doubt us, and they had no place to be judging our decisions. I let out a little sigh as Ronak and his four knights disappeared out of sight. My gaze then wandered to the sun that had just risen. "Olivia…"
"Yes, my little lord?"
"I think I would like to be taken to the greenhouse before retiring to my chambers." I had those seeds that Ronak had purchased for me, and I wanted to get them into the ground… plus… I wanted to distract myself from the aching sadness that was growing inside me as Ronak traveled further away from me. This wasn't like when he was on campus avoiding me… This was far worse…
"Right this way." She bowed her head, then moved to open the door to the castle for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ronak was right… this greenhouse makes the one at the capital look small…" I couldn't believe how big it was, though after further inspection, it seemed to be multiple greenhouses connected. Not just one massive one.
"What is it you wish to do here? Was there an ingredient you wanted?" Olivia asked as we entered through the main doors. I paused as I stepped through the doors and gasped in surprise at all the plant varieties there were. This place was amazing! I could wander around all day and still not look at every plant in here. I watched as staff members hurried about watering, trimming, and caring for the assorted plants. Woah! This place is cool! I should have made time to come here with Ronak before he left… Though I don't regret spending my time in his embrace.
Oh, right… I drew my attention back to Oliva and smiled. "Ronak purchased me seeds because I like to garden. I was hoping I could have some space to plant these." I pulled some of the seeds from my inventory, and Olivia glanced at them curiously.
"Let me see if something can be arranged with the greenhouse manager. Please wait here." Olivia said before turning and wandering off amongst the plants.
Mmm, but I don't want to just wait here… I wandered over to a large familiar plant and looked at its beautiful silvery leaves. "Hey! Be careful with that! It can be toxic if it gets any dust into your mouth." I looked up to see a girl wearing overalls with large leather gloves and a braided ponytail over her shoulder.
"I'm fully aware of its dust. You act as if I approached it with my tongue out." I couldn't help but giggle. I knew full well how dangerous silverleaf was.
She put her hands on her hips and stared at me with her large, pale green eyes. "Who are you and what are you even doin' in here? You look like some kind of fairy."
I chuckled, "I've been called an angel a few times, but never a fairy. That's a new one." I had read a few stories about fairies as a child, but I don't know if I agree with that term. They were usually depicted as tall, lean creatures with beautiful translucent wings. While I had wings, they were white and feathered. Not… that she would know that… Her face became flushed as I giggled, which was cute. "My name is Micha, I am Ronak's bonded omega and fiancé. I'm here with Oliva to see if I can plant some seeds here in the greenhouse. She went to ask the greenhouse manager if that would be acceptable."
Her eyes went wide, and she quickly bowed. "I'm sorry if I offended you! Please, don't tell the archduke!"
I let out an annoyed sigh. "Ronak isn't going to get mad if you talk to me. He was mostly mad because that maid slapped me… Please stand up, you're making me uncomfortable." She had bowed low like it was her job to see if she could press her forehead against the floor. It looked absolutely ridiculous.
"She slapped you?! We never heard that part of the story…" The girl stood but took a large step back away from me. I wasn't sure what she had been told, but clearly she was intimidated by me, which I found humorous. Like I'd lift a hand against someone.
"It's hardly a story… Anyways, what is your name?" I tilted my head to the side curiously.
"I-it's Sadie, ma'am!" She bowed again, not as deeply this time, and I snickered.
Mmm, I guess I'll correct her. "I'm a man. Sir would be a bit more appropriate. Is it the hair? I told Ronak I should cut it, but he looked almost offended when I brought it up." I had my hair down today with only a little of it pulled back in a red flower hair clip that Ronak had purchased for me during one of our dates in the capital. To be fair, between my long hair and the female hair accessory, I could see why there would be confusion. I think the top I was wearing even came from the women's catalog… oopsie… I really wasn't even giving anyone the opportunity to guess right at this point.
Her poor face turned absolutely crimson as she bowed repeatedly while taking little steps away from me. "I'm sorry! Your hair is beautiful! Don't cut it! I must be going! I'm sorry!" With that, she quickly ducked behind a tall row of plants and scurried off, leaving me laughing to myself.
"Did something humorous happen?" Olivia asked as she returned with a gentleman wearing the same overalls and gloves that Sadie was.
"Oh, it's nothing." I snickered. I don't want Sadie getting in trouble, so I won't mention it.
"Greetings, my name is Clayton. I manage the greenhouse for Archduke Abraxos. I would be happy to let you have some space. How much are you looking to plant?" He was a tall guy with tanned skin from all the time he spent outside. You could just tell from looking at him that he had a gentle disposition. Yeah, we'll get along just fine.
I pulled the seeds from my inventory and explained to him what I was looking for. I didn't need much space. Plus, there was no guarantee that I would be able to make it out here every day to care for the plants, but he assured me that they would be cared for if I didn't have time. I wanted to care for them as much as possible, but with Ronak in my life, who knew what would occupy my days? Clayton showed me to an area that perfectly fit what I was looking for, and he even gave me basic supplies like an apron, gloves, a shovel, and a watering can. He wanted to have some of the gardeners plant the seeds for me, but I laughed. What was the point of me gardening if I didn't do it?
"There! All done! Hopefully they will grow quickly!" I set down my watering can and looked proudly at my little gardening space. It was hardly any work since the planting bed already had soft, fertile soil that didn't have anything growing in it. At my parents' home, I had to clear the ground and get it ready for plants, which took far longer. "I'm excited to show Ronak…" I had been trying to ignore it, but at the mention of his name, my heart felt like it had been prodded by a sharp stick. "I-I'm going to teleport to my chambers so I can bathe and wash the dirt off me." I turned towards Olivia, who nodded. She had offered to help me plant multiple times, but I declined because I wanted to do it, plus the longer it took, the less my mind wandered.
I handed her my apron, and with a quick snap of my fingers, I teleported to the bathroom. The moment my feet touched the ground, my knees buckled, and I collapsed. I had been managing to hold it together, but once alone, the tears started. I'm being ridiculous… C-can I not function without him now? He hasn't even been gone half a day… I rubbed my finger around in a circle on the ground. Why was I feeling so anxious and sad without him? Was it just our bond or the imprint making me feel this way?
I managed to get in the tub, and the warm water felt nice, but being in the massive tub alone only added to my melancholy. "Why is time moving so slowly?! H-how am I going to handle tomorrow if I can't handle today?" The feeling in my chest kept growing, telling me Ronak was getting further and further away from me… was he struggling too? I-I hope it doesn't distract him from his duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronak
I wanted nothing more than to turn Onyx around. Micha already had a hard time with his heat cycle, and now I was forcing him to tolerate this. Being the fucking archduke is damn awful! Why should I be forced to leave for responsibilities when there was an adorable omega I could be cuddling in bed? I guess… I can't leave these bastards to roam free. Just the idea of the nasty pigs laying their eyes on him made my blood boil. Sorry Micha… I've got to do this.
I spurred Onyx along faster and noticed that the knight's horses were struggling to keep up with Onyx's longer strides. It didn't really matter if they were with me. It's not like I needed their protection, and honestly, they were mostly there to help clean up after everything was taken care of. The plan wasn't that complicated. Thirty-seven noble houses, possessions, property, and servants were all being seized in correspondence to the multiple laws they've broken. The heads of the family would be spared no mercy, while any offspring would be evaluated and dealt with. Crimes varied from family to family, but they would no longer be tolerated. Of course, we couldn't simply go after one family and then the other. If one rat caught wind of the poison in the food, they'd run and nark to all the other rats. We had to take them all out in one swift movement. It was difficult allocating the correct number of knights in all the required locations of the dukedom without anyone raising the alarm, all while making sure that borders are still being patrolled, but I managed to get it figured out. We'd get into position tonight and strike while the moon was high. If everything goes according to plan, there should be little to no rats scurrying about by noon tomorrow.
The plans had started forming far before Micha ever came into the picture. I just felt a lot more justified now. I wanted the dukedom to be somewhere that Micha was proud of, not somewhere that was unsafe. I had already planned out who would take the empty positions. All I needed to do was send some letters once I got back to the estate. I just have to hope that nothing goes wrong-
My chest throbbed uncomfortably… Micha… why are you crying? Only a few hours have passed. You can't do this to me… the whole journey is going to be torture at this rate… I… I can't turn Onyx around… I need to personally see to it that the rat king gets disposed of. He's not escaping through any secret passageways because of sloppy work. I'll make sure that bastard dies by my hand.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had finally made it to my fucking goddamn destination. I leapt from Onyx and approached Blade, who was waiting for me. "Look who finally decided to show- ugh, you look awful." Blade narrowed his eyes and leaned away like I was some leperous lowlife.
"Shut the fuck up and tell me the situation."
"Situation is great. Well… maybe not for the new shipment of girls. I've been having to hear them screaming for the past few hours… Anyways, they don't seem to be suspicious in the slightest. I've been able to slip in and out as easily as a stray cat."
"Shut up already." I snarled. My head was a mess. I wasn't losing control like I did when I was in rut. No, no. This was way fucking worse. Like someone had taken the dullest spoon they could find and started digging out a hole in my chest. Every fiber of my being wanted to turn around and run back to Micha, but I had to forge onward.
"Are you sure you're okay? I've worked for you for a long time and never in my life have I seen you so… ragged…" Blade was… showing concern for me? I must really look fucking terrible…
"I'm fine. I just need to return to the estate. The faster we get this done, the better." I snarled, but it just didn't have the same impact. I was far too exhausted.
"Ooookay. The knights are all positioned around the estate as planned. There's not an exit here that doesn't have knights waiting in ambush. We should be good to go. My guys are just waiting for the signal."
The moon's bright rays caught my eyes, and yet the only thing I wanted to see was the sun. Micha was probably looking at the moon right now too… He's not asleep like he should be. "Yeah, let's get this shit done."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had never been to this estate before, so I didn't have the pleasure of teleporting around it like our 'castle'. Fuck, even now, I'm thinking of Micha… I watched blood spatter against the wall as I cut an attendant's head clean from their shoulders. The master bedroom should be around here somewhere… Blade better be right. Otherwise, it will be his neck I'm cutting next.
I easily slid under the grand set of doors with my travel spell, but I came to a slight halt. The bastard had six women strung up around the room. All naked in unsightly and compromising positions. Some of them looked rather unconscious, while the few awake ones looked scared shitless. I wasn't interested in any of them in the slightest. I was just surprised to find such a thing. I thought Blade was fucking around when he said he heard women's cries… Most disgusting of all was the earl swinging his hips into what seemed to be a girl no older than ten. Worst of all, he had his hands around her throat and was actively choking her out since he couldn't actually make anyone pass out from pleasure. Disgusting. Completely disgusting. I can't believe Micha offered to come. He wasn't welcome anywhere near somewhere like this. Besides, he'd just become a sniveling mess, and I'd have to carry him home…
I didn't even want to address the margrave. There was no point in wasting oxygen on such a worthless shitbag. I exited my travel spell, and the margrave let out a rather loud, pathetic-sounding yelp. He pulled away from the young girl, which was perfect. With as much force as I could muster, I ran my twinblades through his chest. "Have a fun time in hell," I muttered as his expression twisted in horror.
Blood ended up sputtering out of the margrave's mouth as he tried to speak. I had listened to enough of Micha's scolding to know that I completely punctured his lungs. Good. I hope this bastard has a painful time drowning in his own blood.
The girls who were awake let out cries of terror as my blades disappeared in my hands and the margrave's body dropped to the floor with a thud. Ugh, I'm so glad Micha doesn't make such annoying sounds. "There will be knights who come to free you. I must go." I glanced out the window at the moon. I'm coming Micha…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Micha
"Micha? Micha, where are you?" I heard Olivia's voice, but made no effort to respond or alert her to where I was. I had managed to make it through the night but kept having terrible nightmares. Not even lying on Ronak's side of the bed helped. I just felt so incredibly lonely without him to hold me. I… really missed my iron cages…
It was probably around breakfast time, and Olivia had brought in food, but when she returned to clean up, she must have become concerned. I heard her footsteps come back down the stairs and the bathroom door open. Her footsteps were quickly approaching my location, but I hardly cared.
"Micha? Micha! Why are you not responding when I call?... Are you okay?! Why are you in a heap of clothes?" She was right… I had entered the closet to change, and the smell of Ronak's pheromones on his clothes broke me. I had pulled them from their hangers and surrounded myself with them as if that would make me feel better. At this point, I had pushed them around almost like I was a bird trying to make a nest under the jackets.
I couldn't even form words to respond as I sat in my nest of Ronak's clothes. Only tears managed to fall from my eyes and onto the training outfit he wore in the mornings. It was by far the strongest-smelling item here, probably because he sweats the most in it…
A sad whimper escaped me as I stared at Olivia through my puffy, swollen eyes. "He said you would have a hard time, but this is far worse than expected… You must have a far stronger bond than he realized… He'll be back. He's probably forcing his horse to go as fast as possible right now to return before you wake in the morning. Please don't cry, he will be devastated to find out that you spent the entire time in tears." Olivia walked over to me and gently patted my head, but the tears didn't stop. I-I wanted Ronak to pat my head. "Please come eat." I shook my head. I wasn't in the mood to eat. "Then I will bring food to you." I shook my head again, but she didn't see as she turned and left.
Ugh, this again? I really didn't have it in me to eat. Even during my heat, when she presented me with food, at most I picked at it. I just… wasn't hungry. The only thing I wanted was for Ronak to return.
It didn't take long before a bowl of sweet porridge with fruit on top sat before me. "Find it in yourself to eat; the archduke will be furious if you don't consume anything. I will return in an hour and will spoon-feed you if it's not gone. Don't think I won't either! He gave me express permission to ensure that you eat something." I stared at her blankly as she left, then my gaze drifted down to the food.
I didn't want it; the idea of letting go of Ronak's pheromones made my stomach churn, but I also didn't want to be force-fed by Olivia. I managed to convince myself to hold onto the clothes with one arm and eat with the other. I guess I was a bit hungry because I managed to finish the bowl.
I flopped over in my makeshift nest and closed my eyes. P-please come back…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch occurred similarly. Olivia threatened to force-feed me if I didn't eat and then nagged me about not taking care of myself, but… I… I wasn't doing it on purpose. Last time, I was so upset that I was irritated, but this time, it was like I was broken. Left unable to function. I now understand why imprinting was such a serious thing. I-I'd probably die if Ronak abandoned me…
I picked at the plate of finger foods that Olivia gave me with a sigh. The longer I waited, the less interested in things I became. This was awful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Do you want to go take care of your seedlings?" Olivia asked as she pulled a jacket off my head.
"No…" My face was a mess of dried tears, and my voice was hoarse.
Olivia kneeled on the ground next to me and watched me with worried eyes. "It's almost time for dinner. Please eat, then you can go to sleep, and when you wake up, the archduke will be back."
"Y-you think so?" I stared at her with wide eyes and pulled an armful of clothes closer to me.
"Yes, I'm sure. If I had to guess, he is desperately trying to return to you as quickly as possible." She stared down at me with kind eyes. "I never thought my master would come to care for someone as much as he does you. I figured he would live a life of solitude… That was until the day he came back from the dungeon accident and was obsessed with some omega. I knew then that he had found someone to spend his life with." Olivia reached down and patted my hand. "So you better not be having any dumb thoughts about him leaving you or never coming back because, master is far too loyal for anything like that." Hearing her refer to Ronak as her master was a bit odd, but I guess it made sense, knowing that she was a demon he summoned. I-I didn't know Ronak reacted so strongly after the dungeon. "It makes me sad to see you so torn up about being separated. Please try to cheer up and get some warm food in your stomach." She stood up beside me and left with a bow of her head.
She returned only for a moment to bring me some hearty soup, which I picked at unenthusiastically. Ronak would want me to eat this… I just feel like I've completely lost my appetite at this point… I can't imagine what it would be like if he had to leave for a longer period of time… What would we do then?
I always thought that the stories about bonded couples dying from a broken heart were ridiculous. I figured they were just tall tales written by authors who fantasized a bit too much, but I was starting to get a different opinion. I-I couldn't live without Ronak in my life… If anything happened to either of us, I doubt the other would be able to live on. It would be too devastating. I can't believe I resented him at one point… I'm hopelessly and pathetically lost without him by my side. How have I fallen in love so fast? It seemed like it was just yesterday that I was shouting in his face about what kind of a jerk I thought he was. W-who am I kidding, he's just as rough as usual… It's just not directed at me anymore.
A yawn escaped me as I set down my spoon and buried my face into the clothes that smelled of cherrywood. Y-you big meanie! You owe me big time for stressing me out like this…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronak
I felt like shit, and I wanted to teleport directly to our room, but when I arrived at the 'castle', Olivia was waiting on the steps. I had arrived earlier than I should have. It was still the middle of the night, but I couldn't wait any longer to return to Micha's side. The pheromone-lacking syndrome was in full force for me, so I had to imagine that Micha was feeling the effects rather harshly as well. "My lord, I'm grateful for your return…"
"What is it?" She was acting weird. I doubt it was an emergency because she would have contacted me earlier.
"Micha didn't really eat much dinner, but-"
I couldn't even wait. That little brat! He needs to eat food- I snapped my fingers, appearing in our room, but… he wasn't there… What? Where is Micha? I could tell that he was around here somewhere, but I was feeling dizzy enough that pinpointing him wasn't the easiest.
"I was trying to say," Olivia grumbled as she appeared in a red swirl of mist next to me. "That Micha has been displaying odd behavior… He's down here." Olivia headed down the stairs, and as I followed her down, she motioned towards the closet door. "I'll leave you alone for the evening, my lord."
My hand hesitated on the closet door handle. Why's he in here? I slowly peeked my head inside, unsure of what I was going to find. It sure as hell wasn't this, though… "The fuck?" The closet looked completely ransacked… well… only my side… The clothes were scattered around on the ground, but most of them were piled under the long jackets and cloaks… "Micha?" I didn't get any response as I approached. I parted the jackets slightly, and sure enough, nestled down in the middle of my clothes was Micha. "You little fucking weirdo."
Ugh, I managed to unbury his face, and it was tear-stained and swollen. I'm not sure who's more of a mess, him or me. I scooted Micha over and shifted my jackets around so I could lie down next to him. He'd better have a good explanation for this in the morning… It even freaked Olivia out. Nothing freaks Olivia out.
Heh, Micha almost instantly settled down when I started to put pheromones out. This adorable brat. Fuck, I must really love him. He makes my heart do flips and kicks. I rubbed my finger along his puffy cheek and felt my eyelids start to get heavy. Yeah… I really do… love him…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Micha
When I opened my eyes, I was a bit confused. I was still in my nest of Ronak's clothes… I-is he not back?! I sat up in a panic, forgetting that I was underneath the section of Ronak's cloaks, jackets, and coats. Ack!
My hand touched another hand in my panic, and I froze. I ducked back down and gasped when I saw Ronak wedged between me and the wall. He looked exhausted and was still wearing his cloak from traveling, but that didn't stop me from shimmying over and lying next to him. I even pulled his arm around me and nuzzled my face into his chest.
A loud rumbling came from my chest as I started to purr. It was like everything was right in the world again… well, except for our odd location, but I don't want to teleport us to the bed and wake him up. He even had dark circles under his eyes.
Hehe! So happy! My alpha is back! My Ronak!! Oodles of joy flooded my chest as I snuggled against him. Why he joined me down here instead of taking me up to the bed was a curious decision, but based on how I hadn't managed to wake him up told me how exhausted he was. He probably hasn't slept in the two days he was gone.
I noticed some blood on Ronak's face and clothes, causing me to pause in fear. I held out a hand and checked him for injuries with my magic. Thank goodness! He seems fine. That makes me feel so relieved… Hehe, so happy! This is great, I could lie like this forever!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ack! I felt like I was being suffocated! I opened my eyes in shock and saw an exceptionally grumpy Ronak staring at me with tired eyes while he pinched my nose. "Why the fucking hell did I find you in such a sad state? Do you know how goddamn stressful it was being away from you when you're behaving this way?!"
I pushed his hand away from my nose and rubbed it. "Ouch! I-I wasn't doing it on purpose!" Why did you have to wake me up like that?
"Then what's your excuse? This is twice now you've stressed me the hell out." I peeked at the dim light streaming from under the closet door, then back at Ronak's mad face.
"I-I felt broken… and lost without you…" Sadness welled up inside me. I thought he would have been happy to be back by my side, but it seems like I bothered him.
"Oh, stop it. Like I enjoy being away from you either." He squeezed me against himself in a hug. "You act like I was never going to return. Did you forget that you're stuck with me?" He nuzzled his nose down into my hair and inhaled like he was smelling the best thing ever. Heh, that tickles!
"A-are you mad at me?" I timidly asked.
"No, but I would like a proper explanation as to why you're hidden in the closet, curled up amongst my clothes. I was worried when Olivia told me you had been refusing meals while camped out here. What were you thinking?!"
"I-I wasn't thinking… I had been feeling gloomy yesterday morning, and when I came to change… it was like something inside me broke. I-I became consumed by the desire to be surrounded by your pheromones. I wanted you to return so badly." Tears welled in my eyes, and Ronak rubbed my back as he patiently listened. "Y-you can't leave me like that again!" I wailed as the tears I was trying to hold back rushed forward.
"I'm here now, and I won't do it again. I didn't mean to cause you so much despair." A wave of sadness hit me from Ronak as he cradled me against him. "Shhh, it's okay. You can hit me with a pillow if it would make you feel better."
"I-I don't want to hit you with a pillow, dummy!" I wailed as all the pent-up emotions rushed out of me. How could he be so stupid? Did I not tell him how I felt a few days ago?!
We lay there for who knows how long as I calmed down. I thought Ronak would fall back asleep, but he didn't. Instead, he attentively rubbed my back and assured me repetitively that he wouldn't do anything that stupid again.
"Have you calmed down? Would you like to go take a bath and let the maids clean up your funny nest? No offense, but I don't particularly want to lie down here all day. It's not exactly comfortable." I-I guess he was rather pushed up against the wall, and I kept obsessively pressing against him. Heh, he was squished like a bug.
"Okay…" It felt a bit odd crawling out from under the jackets, but I felt way better now that Ronak was back. He let out a grunt as he made it past my nest and out into the walkway of the closet. "Why did you join me instead of taking me to bed?"
"I was exhausted, and when I managed to unbury you, I was so relieved that I just collapsed down next to you." Ronak sat up and stretched now that he wasn't in that uncomfortable position, and I was able to see him much better.
Eeew! Ronak! "Soooo… I-I don't particularly want the details, but did the thought of removing your b-bloody cloak before sleeping next to me cross your mind?" Eeeew! I snuggled up against you! Now I probably have someone's crusty blood on my face! D-don't throw up… don't throw up!
Ronak looked down at himself and grimaced. In one quick move, he undid the button and pulled the cloak off himself. "I didn't realize… It's not mine…"
"I-I'm aware… When I woke up, I inspected you for wounds. Th-thank you for coming back to me safely." I mumbled as I looked away from the gross cloak.
Ronak stepped towards me and pulled my chin towards him. "I wouldn't let some weaklings harm me. Do you know who I am?" He leaned in as if to kiss me, but I put a hand up to stop him.
"M-maybe try again when you don't have blood splattered across your face. It's grossing me out." Plus, thinking about the other person's fate was upsetting. I didn't like knowing that Ronak probably killed someone… I poked his nose, and he pulled away from me with a grimace.
"Let's go wash up. Then we can relax." He grabbed my hand and hauled me with him. My legs were rather wobbly from not using them yesterday, but Ronak let me lean on him like the good alpha he was.
"Whoa!" I blinked in surprise as we left the closet, and I was able to see out a window. "It snowed a ton!"
"It snowed all yesterday and hasn't stopped. It might be trying to snow us in." I toddled over to one of the windows and stared down at the training field. It was hard to tell at this angle, but it looked like there was at least a foot, if not more. The snowflakes that were falling were all clumped together and looked like feathers falling from the sky. I was so glad this room was well-insulated.
"I love snow, but I don't like how insufferably cold I get in the winter." Ronak approached where I was standing next to the window with a chuckle.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep you warm." He patted my head, which I thoroughly missed, and smiled.
"Let's go take a warm bath! You look… awful." In the better lighting from the fire, it was easier to see the sorry state Ronak was in. I don't know how he was awake…
"That's pretty ripe coming from you." He squeezed my swollen and still puffy cheek with a sad look.
"Just come on, you big meanie," I grumbled while pulling him towards the bathroom.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You should try to get some sleep. You look tired." We were lying in bed, and Ronak still had dark circles under his eyes, but at least he didn't have any blood splatters on him. He was squeaky clean now, thanks to me, hehe! I might have dumped warm water over his head when he wasn't expecting it. He retaliated by making me scrub his body down, the big meany.
Ronak gave me a sideways glance as he noticed me staring at him. I felt a little bad about pulling his attention away from the document Gerard brought him. "I've ignored my duties long enough. Work has to get done."
"Why don't you get yourself an assistant who can help with some of the workload? Didn't Margrave Tian say he has a bookish son?" I don't think Ronak needs to keep managing everything by himself. When my father would visit Duke Bernagar's estate for his yearly report, he said that he rarely even saw the duke and mostly dealt with assistants.
"It sounds like you want more of my time for yourself…" The edge of Ronak's lips curved up into a smile as he lightly chuckled.
"I-I… well… I worry that you're running yourself ragged. You're constantly doing paperwork, and I don't believe for a moment that some of it couldn't be handled by a few assistants. I want to be of help too, but I'll need to be trained. Also..." I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. I swirled my finger around in circles along his forearm and glanced up to look him in the eyes. "I wouldn't mind you having more time on your hands. I miss adventuring on the weekends and going on dates in the evenings."
"I guess now that I have full control over everything, I could look for a few talented individuals who are loyal to me." Ronak leaned down to rub his head against mine. "Just like with you, the transition would be rather slow. I'm not going to let strangers start controlling things."
"That's understandable. I just don't want you doing everything all the time. You need a break before you run yourself into the ground." I paused as I got the nerve to say the other thing that had been rummaging around in my brain. "Another reason I bring this up… If we do start a f-family one day… I want you to be a part of it. Not just working nonstop."
"You drive a hard bargain." Ronak brought his hand up and cupped my face. "I will have Thorn look into some eligible candidates, and I will send invitations to them. There's no guarantee they will accept, though." That was fine, as long as Ronak tried to do something that would make it so he didn't have to constantly be doing paperwork.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronak never complained about me resting on his shoulder while he worked, so I continued to do so. It allowed me to see what exactly he was doing all the time… and golly. It was boring. He double checked the calculations done on expenditure reports and read through long industry reports from the earls. Sometimes he would respond to them, other times he didn't. A few letters seemed to be casual responses to the winter social invites, while others reported on how their territories were doing. Many of the letters and reports thanked Ronak repeatedly for solving problems they had been having.
A big yawn escaped me, and Ronak scoffed. "It seems boring now only because I made it my goal to have all of the problems solved before I took over, so people had faith I wasn't going to be like that despicable excuse for a duke. Mmmm, here is one that will be relevant to you one day." Ronak pulled out a dark blue envelope from the pile and opened it. "This is a quarterly expenditure report for the southern estate. It tells of how many employees we have, how many jobs need to be filled, what wages were paid out, what resources were purchased in the last three months, how much those resources cost, what's still lacking, and if there were any problems." Ronak went on to explain to me what he did with such reports and showed me how he balances it with his own records to make sure money isn't being laundered or stolen. "Hmmm, it seems this location is having a struggle to keep maids… First, it's best to contact the head butler who presides over that location to get his take on the situation, and I might even have Blade send someone out to investigate."
"Doesn't that seem like overkill?" Sending one of the assassin spies to figure out why maids were leaving their jobs seemed like a bit much. Maybe the wage wasn't comparable to other jobs.
"No, there were quite a few disgusting people holding positions they shouldn't have when the previous duke still held power. It's possible I missed one or two. I will not tolerate diligent workers being abused." I'll give Ronak one thing: he was without a doubt loyal until betrayed… then you better watch out.
"I see…" I didn't even pause to wonder if anything nefarious was occurring. There is still much for me to learn…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was starting to become fidgety. I don't understand how Ronak could do work like this for hours. I had gotten up and was staring in the bathroom mirror. I-I shouldn't… I really shouldn't… A stupid idea happened to cross my mind, and the idea of acting upon it was driving me crazy. I-I wanted to do it… but Ronak was busy… I shouldn't be distracting him… but…
I mustered up my courage and stepped out of the bathroom. Ronak gave me an odd look but didn't say anything. He probably already knew what I was up to, but it was killing me. I-I thought he would have been all over me today since he was back. Plus, I was wearing a rather loose-fitting sweater that hit me just above my comfy shorts, revealing my stomach and lower back if I bent at the right angles.
We had been lying in bed for almost half the day, and I thought he would have tried something. Who is this man and what has he done with my handsy alpha?! I slowly crawled onto the bed, watching him carefully, but he didn't look up from his document. I crawled next to him and quickly threw my leg over his waist so I could sit on him. Ronak looked over the top of his document at me. "What are you doing?"
"I… Mmm…" I looked away, trying to avoid his gaze. It was too much! I-I shouldn't have acted upon my desire. "You've returned, yet I'm still lonely," I mumbled while leaning forward and poking my nose over the top of the document. My hand fiddled with his buttons as I leaned forward, trying to act cute. I felt like a needy pet that wasn't getting enough attention… It was a bit humiliating, but I was far too invested. "Rooonaaak… How long are you going to make me wait?" I ground my hips against his and slid my hand into his now partially unbuttoned shirt.
"Since when are you this bold?" Ronak smiled, locking eyes with me, as he put his stack of documents into his storage with a quick wave of his hand. "I guess I was too tired to realize you were trying to get my attention this entire time." Mmmm, he still looked rather tired… I felt a little bad about forcing myself onto him, but that… really didn't stop me… I leaned forward and kissed him, gosh, it was so nice being back together… I loved the feel of his lips and how, no matter what, his tongue always desperately searched mine out. It made me realize how much I had truly fallen in love with this big meanie. "You need to calm down." Ronak chuckled as he pulled away from me. "You're going to induce my rut."
I tilted my head to the side and stared at him. I was going to induce his rut? "How?" His rut had passed, and while I was forcing myself onto him, I wasn't doing all that much.
"Do you not realize how thick the room is with your scent?"
I paused to sniff the air. Sure enough, I was so excited that I didn't even realize that I was producing pheromones like crazy. "Ooopsie…" I-I couldn't stop though… I was too excited. I just wanted Ronak, and I wanted him now.
Ronak's face was turning a bit pink as he sniffed the air. "Are you in heat again? You just had a heat cycle…"
This was strange indeed… I feel pretty clear-headed, but… the strong desires overwhelming me were sure similar to what a heat felt like. "I-I don't know… maybe?" I scooted down his legs and began unbuttoning his pants.
Ronak's hands grabbed my wrists. "What kind of response is that?" Annoyance surged through me as he prevented me from continuing. "I thought you didn't want to get pregnant." I barely registered his words. I was too hyper-focused on what I wanted. What I… needed…
I leaned down and bit into Ronak's wrist, causing him to grunt. He always made the joke that I was venomous, but his odd reaction as he pulled his wrist away made me question the realism of his comment. "Mine." I pretended to growl and snapped my teeth at Ronak's other hand holding onto me. Maybe I didn't have such a clear head…
He pulled his hand back, allowing me to finish what I was doing. The jerk was acting like he wasn't in the mood, but I knew the moment I sat on him that wasn't true. He was clearly excited by me. Ronak tried to roll over and knock me off of him, but I reacted quicker. I lunged forward and sank my teeth into his neck. An even greater excitement rushed into me as Ronak gasped for air. "All mine. Mine, mine, mine." Ronak tried to push me away, but his arms didn't have much strength.
"Your eyes…" Ronak mumbled as I leaned in for another kiss. It was as if he was stunned. Like I was truly a venomous creature that managed to paralyze the beast underneath me. It made me feel… powerful and terribly confident. I was as if I had conquered a beast that had been giving me problems for a long time.
I didn't even need any teasing because I was so turned on. I pressed him against me, and a shiver went down my spine. "Yesss." I love how he makes me feel full. I moaned as I wiggled my bottom against his hips. "All mine." So big, and so satisfying every time.
I pressed my hands against his chest for support as I began bouncing up and down. Ronak's eyes were blurry as he breathed heavily. I continued swapping between bouncing and grinding as I teased myself. It was a little strange, like I was using Ronak, but it felt far too good to stop.
My thighs began to quiver, so I leaned forward onto Ronak's chest and let his tip tease me as I let it roll slightly out, then back in. My breathing became rapid panting as my brain started to become fuzzy with excitement.
The numbness must have worn off because Ronak wrapped his arms around me and began thrusting his hips into me. I moaned excitedly as he brought me to the brink. My body began to shake, but was held down by Ronak's strong grip. "Nnghh!" Ronak let go of me, and I rolled off of him as I tried to calm down.
My head felt better, like I had scratched an itch that was driving me crazy. I felt satisfied, but apparently Ronak wasn't. He rolled towards me and pushed me to my side. As he brought one of my legs up over his shoulder, he quickly reinserted himself and went to town. So long, catching my breath. Ronak had me gasping for air again within seconds. With each thrust, he pressed against my thigh and let out a grunt. He didn't have his normal energy, but that wasn't stopping him. I pulled a pillow towards me and cradled it in my arms as loud moans escaped me.
Ronak was breathing hard as he lay down behind me. He wasn't finished, though. He pulled my bottom towards him and continued thrusting into me. My bottom was starting to hurt from his aggressive pounding, but I didn't mind. This was great. Each thrust was sending shivers through my whole body and making my brain light up with excitement. Was a bit of drool escaping my mouth, sure, but I didn't care in the slightest. I was just so pleased to have Ronak back.
Ronak thrust into me once more, and with a loud grunt, I felt him burst. For as warm as I ran, it was always surprising that I could feel his warmth fill me to the brim. I squirmed a bit, but wasn't even bothered as he knotted. If anything, it just made me gasp a bit harder for air as my body shuddered in delight. Ronak wrapped an arm around me and pulled me tight against him as he let out a satisfied sigh.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I tried to squirm away, but Ronak had me in a deathlock as he slumbered. He promptly fell asleep after making love to me, but his arm and leg were both wrapped around me like an iron cage. H-he was still inside me too… Each time I squirmed, all it did was make me feel a little turned on. "Ronak, I-I know I said you needed rest, but holding me hostage in such an inappropriate way was not part of the deal."
Of course, there was no response. I don't think I have seen Ronak sleep this deeply in a while. It's not like I wanted to wake him up, but I wanted to be released. I struggled a bit more to no avail, so I gave up and just lay there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a groan behind me as Ronak shifted in his sleep. Does he live? "You're in so much fucking trouble." He growled into my ear. I gasped as Ronak chomped down hard on my shoulder. Ack! Ow, ow, ow! "You were fucking worried about me overworking myself, then you go and pull that sort of damn stunt!" He squeezed me tightly, making me squeal.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me!" Ronak bit my shoulder over and over, making me gasp for air. There was no escaping either. Three of his four limbs were wrapped tightly around me like a boa constrictor. The worst part was that I was loving every second of it.
"If you're feeling goddamn turned on, you talk to me, not force me into a rut. Also, what the fucking hell are you?! Some kind of damn snake?! If you fucking bite me like that again, I'll put a muzzle on you, damn it!" I squealed in fear as Ronak growled aggressively into my ear. I-I said I was sorry!
As if just realizing he was still inside me, he aggressively rammed his hips against my bottom, making me yelp. "No more! I-I'm sorry! Let's go get some lunch!" Ack! His hips kept smashing into me. This is why you don't poke beasts!
I saw his hand pull something out of his storage, and I heard the top of a bottle pop open. After a few swigs, Ronak rolled on top of me, pressing me down into the bed. "I wanted you too, ya little brat. I was just damn tired and had things that had to get done. A fucking warning would have been damn nice." I gasped as he grabbed my lower back and began ramming me down into the bed with aggressive thrusts. The pillow that had been in my arms acted as a nice ramp to keep me propped up and breathing as loud gasps escaped me. "Yeah, you better moan. This is what you fucking wanted, right?" A wave of annoyance and arousal hit me from Ronak, and I felt afraid of what the next few hours had in store for me.
He was being so rough. Usually, Ronak was much gentler; even in his demonic form, he was gentle to me. But this, this was rough and rugged, like he was letting out some pent-up feelings. I got the impression the annoyance wasn't fully my fault, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was annoyed with me.
My whole body twitched as an orgasm made my mind go numb. I couldn't stop the moans coming from my mouth. They were loud and suggestive as I enjoyed every second of Ronak pounding me senseless. Would I regret it tomorrow? Maybe…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was barely conscious as Ronak finished and lay down in the bed next to me. "You little shit." He mumbled as he pulled me close to him. I wasn't even able to complain as he repeatedly sank his teeth into my shoulder and neck. I don't think I can even feel my legs, gosh, I won't be walking anywhere tomorrow, will I…