CHAPTER 11
The ride to the mansion was torturous with his protective grip on her thigh as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel.
Amara could feel him seething underneath the cold mask of his expressions.
She swallowed hard, feeling scared for some reason.
She was scared cause she didn’t knew what would happen to Martha, but other than that, Amara was strangely calm.
Throughout the ride, her thoughts now and then moved to Martha.
Was she alright? Her eyes widened as she gulped fidgeting with her fingers on her lap.
Kaelith's grip on her upper thigh loosened slightly as he absent-mindedly caressed the skin.
His platinum ring shone under the moonlight as his long fingers glided over her flesh.
The action was so intimate and lingering that it made her wonder if Kaelith was doing it intentionally or was it just a gesture of his possessiveness.
It took him more than an hour to reach the mansion. As they neared, her heart did backflips. From the distance, the mansion seemed quite–calm before the storm.
Kaelith steered the car through the gates and pulled in the driveway. It was already past six and the bright sky was replaced with darkness of night.
She averted her eyes and turned her head away.
"Amara." She heard his monotonous voice. Ignoring him, she quickly opened the car and tried to jump down when she realized her legs were trembling. Looking down at herself, she felt tears stinging her eyes. How pathetic was she. Not even able to walk on her own feet.
Kaelith felt his anger subsiding a bit, as he circled the car and licked her up effortlessly.
She was so light and barely weighted more than hundred and twenty pounds.
Amara hid her face in his neck, but he could feel her sniffing.
He knew he scared her, but his reasons were valid, at least in her eyes.
She seemed taken aback as he opened the door and gasped.
For a second she had forgotten the situation she was in.
Kaelith walked to the couch with his long legs and placed her down gently.
"Now tell me, what were you doing out?" Crossing his arms across his wide chest, he asked.
His dark grey eyes were darker than usual as he looked down at her and a hard look on his face.
Coldness. That's all she felt the way he glared at her.
"Mr Luca, it's my fault. I forced her!" Her eyes moved from his to the side. Martha was held by the guard, her arm twisted behind her back as the brooding man behind her looked at Kaelith. No matter how tough Martha tried to look, the guard could easily overpower her with his thick muscles.
She could see pleading in her voice and that broke her heart. What had she done?
"I'm asking something, Amara." Kaelith took a threatening step closer and simultaneously. His eyes bore into hers as he growled out. "Where. Were. Her?"
"I-I wanted ice cream." She stumbled upon her words. There was no point in lying. That would only create more problems. She gulped as her saw him narrowing his eyes infinitesimally.
"Did I give you permission?" She lowered her head. "Did she ask for one?" His voice became louder and deep. He was mad. Fuming.
"I'm sorry."
She heard Kaelith letting out a humorless chuckle.
"Now you’re sorry?" He clenched his fists and he took another step forward. "Why is it so hard, Amara, every fucking time I am trying to protect you, do you even realize what could have happened?”
Just when he was less than an arm's distance, Kaelith leaned down.
"Was I too lenient with you?" Kaelith asked she shook her head and her eyes started to burn with unshed tears. She fisted the sleeves of the dress and roughly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Kaelith immediately felt guilt yelling at her, but he needed to make her understand.
"I'm sorry..." she mumbled. Kaelith averted his gaze from her teary face. He couldn't afford to see her like this, but this was necessary.
Martha called his name once again and he felt irritation. What was she? So stupid knowing what business he runs and despite that took Amara out without his permission?
"Take her to the basement." He growled. She gulped and shook her head as she instinctively clutched his hand.
"What? No! Please!" Kaelith looked down at her and the place where her grabbed his hand. More rage bubbled. Her hands were cold.
"Now." He coldly said and guard looked unsurely between Kaelith and her.
"Don't hurt her please, she did not force me!" She shook him slightly to get his attention. Kaelith grabbed her hand with his free hand and glided it over her wrist as he shackled it in a tight grip. The guard dragged Martha into the basement.
"That's absurd! You’re a barbarian! You cannot do this!” Amara sniffled glancing at him through her lashes.
Amara clenched her jaw. Jerking her wrist from Kaelith's grip with all her strength, she raised her eyes to meet his sharp glare.
Amara thought he really cared for her, but now she was questioning if she imagines his sympathy as something else.
Kaelith pitied a nameless, homeless girl like her and took her in, feed her, and took care of her.
And what she did? Disappointed him. She did not deserve his kindness.
It was better if she died in whatever accident she had.
Kaelith felt the strings of his heart pulling apart. The sight of her tear-stained face tightened his heart as he felt his heart sinking.
"Punish me." She mumbled. "I'm the one at fault. Not her."
"Amara, no my child.” Martha cried and she gave her a sharp look silencing her.
If Martha was going to get punished, she would be by her side.
Kaelith clenched the hand with which he was holding her and pushed it inside his pocket.
Control. He was losing it. Selfless, defenseless Amara.
Kaelith looked at her for a while, reading her.
She was right. She was at fault too. She deserved the punishment as much as Martha.
"You will be staying in your room from now on.”
She panicked and immediately tried to get up as Kaelith grabbed her biceps and pulled her up.
Her eyes lingered around for anyone to help, but no one stepped forward.
A feeling of defeat gathered her in a cold embrace.
This was it? Kaelith noticed her dilemma and took her by surprise as he grabbed her arm and turned her around.
A gasp left her mouth as he bent slightly and wrapped his arm around the back of her knee and hoisted her up.
The whole world turned upside down as blood rushed to her head.
"No! Stop! Leave me!" She smacked his back as he walked with her over his shoulder. She clenched her jaw as she watched the guard dragging Martha down to the basement. This was not what she had planned. When Kaelith reached the first stair, her cries intensified and struggles
"Cry as much as you want, but remember one thing, as long as you are under me, you need to obey me."
"No, no, no! Let me go!"
"I'm not an animal; you cannot do this to me!
" She cried, her tone rushed and debilitate at the same time.
His steps didn't halter as he stormed towards her room keeping his hold relentless on her waist. His jaw clenched as his eyes avoided looking her way. He would regret the aftermath, he knew. Her angry orbs looked at the door in panic. He couldn’t possibly lock her in, could he? She thrashed.
'I'm sorry...'
"Don't do that, I'll do anything. I-I’ll do everything-" bang.
Amara suddenly stopped struggling. What was this memory?
Kaelith opened the door before walking to the bed and gently putting her down. Amara suddenly couldn’t feel anything. A certain memory plagued her mind as she clutched her head between her palms and mumbled. “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Kaelith frowned but when he realized she was shaking terribly and her breathing quickened, he immediately grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “Amara.”
"I can’t,” Panic rushed through her veins.
What was this feeling of fear? Of nothingness?
The sudden and intense anxiety flooded through her and Kaelith sensed her trembling in his arms. He frowned.
He couldn't see her face since he was taller than her and she had put her head between her palms, but when he felt her wet tears against his palm, his heart clenched.
"Look at me, Amara! Damnit!”
'So, now you're being modest, huh? You slut!’
She shook her head. The hallucinations were the same as being challenged for real, all of the emotions unknown yet so familiar. The sounds, the voices whispering in her ears and her vision morphing from the plain white ceiling to darkness.
'If you think I am done with you,' the voices caressed her ears, everything around her blurring. 'You’re so very wrong, beautiful flower. I am not going to put all my efforts in vain, and this won’ t be the first time, I will come back again and again till I make you mine.
' She panicked and screamed as she heard something heavy colliding with the ground making a loud noise, her hands felt light weighted and her head spun around.
'This beautiful body of yours is going to be ruined, and I’ll enjoy every second of it. '
The voice became louder and clearer yet she couldn't recognize it. Panting she thrashed feeling something being wrapped around her.
She felt herself standing at the edge of the cliff, her surrounding transforming into the pit of darkness and she couldn't see anything.
She felt the sudden strong wave of wind rushing past her, taking her with it as she felt her feet stumbling backwards and a startled and horror-stricken scream left her mouth as she fell off the cliff flaring her arms in the air in hope of catching something or someone.
As she looked up at the cliff, she saw a lurking
figure standing there, his hands reaching out for her but it was too late now. Too late.
A blood-curdling scream left her mouth as Kaelith gathered her in his arms and rocked her back and forth.
He couldn’t understand what was happening?
Rafael hadn’t told him exactly what happened to Amara, but now, Kaelith had enough.
If he needed to be with Amara, he needed to know what this that haunted her.
And what was the past she had with Rafael.