Chapter 40 #2
The hallway is empty except for a few stray servants and guards.
Their heads are bowed, but their eyes glance up at the sound of my slippered feet scuffling along the stone floors.
Some eyes glare at me, some are masked in indifference, yet all watch me.
I wrap my arms around my waist, trying to ward off the cold that has seeped into my bones.
I pass the camera in the hall, and the light is now off, meaning they’re not using it for the moment, or perhaps it’s been overridden.
I’m not sure, and I don’t care. My need to be near my mate overpowers my curiosity, and so I continue on.
I can see his door looming before me; I’m almost there.
The wind howls outside, drowning out my footsteps as I walk the lonely castle halls.
Once there, I press my ear against the door; I hear no noise and sit outside his door for a while.
It does nothing to stop the hollow ache in my chest. Even in this quiet solitude, no relief comes.
About to give up and leave, I hesitate, my hand gripping the door handle. To my surprise, I find it is unlocked.
The door creaks open, and I cautiously push it ajar, just enough to slip inside.
The room is dimly lit, the faint glow of moonlight seeping through the curtains.
As I peer around, I’m instantly hit with Xandros’s addictive, intoxicating scent and Carina’s delicate floral perfume.
It’s a potent combination that makes my head spin.
I carefully close the door and turn to look at the bed.
The sheets are rumpled on the bed in the shape of two bodies; Xandros faces the door, arms folded in his sleep, while Carina presses against his back.
My heart thuds in my chest as I chew on my lip, my nerves gnawing at me.
Slowly, I make my way to Xandros’s side of the bed, lying down on the floor, trying to blend into the shadows.
I know I shouldn’t be here, but I can’t resist the temptation to be close to him, even if it’s just for a stolen moment.
As I try to make myself comfortable, I turn to face the bed.
Xandros’s scent is thick in the air directly above me, like a heady incense that permeates my nostrils, making my head swim with wild thoughts.
I breathe in the scent, trying to calm myself.
Suddenly, a deep, guttural groan breaks the silence, shooting my eyes open.
The sound of fabric and shuffling on the bed makes my heart race.
Peering up, I see Carina’s perfectly manicured hand gripping Xandros shoulder, rolling him onto his back.
Panic surges through me as I realize they’re waking up when I hear Xandros muttering in his sleep.
Then, I hear it—Xandros murmuring my name.
My heart clenches, and a sharp pain shoots through my stomach, aching and cramping.
I press my hand against my mouth, desperately trying to stifle any sound.
I can’t believe what I’m hearing—“Anna, sleep,” he groans, and I hear Carina stifle her giggle.
I catch a glimpse of movement on the bed in the dim light.
I can’t tear my eyes away as I watch Carina.
My heart stops as I see Carina straddling Xandros, her body illuminated by the moonlight.
Every muscle in my body tightens, and I can feel an icy chill run down my spine.
I want to scream, to shout at her to stop but my throat is too dry, and my tongue feels like lead in my mouth.
All I can do is sit there, immobile and paralyzed by pain.
Carina gazes down at Xandros with a hungry look in her eyes before she leans closer to him and presses her lips against his.
His hand slides up her back and fists in her hair as her lips descend on his naked chest. “Sienna, sleep. It’s late,” Xandros murmurs.
Carina smiles cunningly while I remain frozen in place, knowing if I move, I will give myself away.
She frees him from his boxer shorts, and her lips wrap around Xandros’s cock.
Her head bobs up and down, and the sight tears at my heart.
Xandros’s hand is fisted in her hair, guiding her, and a moan escapes her lips at his touch.
The feeling of betrayal churns in the pit of my stomach like bile as I watch them in bed.
Yet I remain motionless on the floor beneath them, as if I were invisible or nothing more than furniture for their personal pleasure.
My world shatters at that moment, and tears blur my vision.
The moment she moans, “That’s it, baby,” Xandros suddenly jolts awake.
I duck back down, hiding beneath the bed, my body trembling.
“What the fuck, Carina!” Xandros’s voice booms and a thud follows.
Carina groans, hitting the floor. Their voices grow louder as they argue, and I shrink further into my hiding place.
“You’re my husband; I should be allowed to touch you!
” Carina’s voice trembles with frustration.
“No, we had an agreement. I stay in this room so your father doesn’t find out about us not getting married until after you’ve left.
But I never agreed to you touching me!” Xandros’s voice is filled with anger and resentment.
My heart pounds in my chest, fear gripping me as their voices grow louder.
“Every damn time your father gets you alone, you revert to some desperate little girl trying to get his approval. What has gotten into you? What has he got over you?” Xandros’s voice is laced with both concern and frustration.
Carina remains silent, refusing to answer his question.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me!” His voice rises, desperation creeping into his tone. “If we just give him what he wants, he won’t bother us again. I can remain here,” Carina pleads. Xandros scoffs, clearly unconvinced by her reasoning.
“Please?” Carina’s voice takes on a desperate tone as she resorts to begging.
She peers out from behind the corner of the bed, reaching out to touch him.
“Just close your eyes and pretend I am Sienna,” she pleads, her voice cracking with vulnerability.
Xandros grips her wrists, pushing her away.
“You’re not Sienna. She is in enough pain without us causing her more.
” Carina reaches for him, and he steps back.
“Why is he pushing so hard for this?” Xandros demands.
“The alliances,” Carina answers, yet not even she sounds so sure of her answer.
Xandros scoffs.
My breath catches in my throat, and I struggle to comprehend what’s happening.
Xandros really wasn’t lying when he said he and Carina were working out the divorce, yet why has she backtracked. She lifts her hand, motioning for him to remain quiet when he goes to argue again with her.
“What is it?” Xandros asks.
“Do you hear that?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
I quickly duck back down, my heart pounding in my chest as her naked body moves toward the door.
She tilts her head, brows furrowing as she strains to hear when her head snaps in my direction.
She blinks rapidly, eyes roaming over me.
“Well?” Xandros asks, and Carina wanders toward me.
“Seems you don’t have to pretend since she is right here!”
I watch from my hiding place as Carina approaches me, her eyes locking with mine.
My heart leaps into my throat, fear and anticipation intertwining within me.
She tilts her head to the side, studying me with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
I know the consequences of being discovered are severe, but I can’t tear my eyes away from her piercing gaze.
Without warning, Carina reaches down and grabs my arm, pulling me up from my hiding place.
”Sienna?” Xandros gasps, his eyes are wide in horror.
A whimper escapes my lips as her arm wraps around my chest, holding me tightly.
Xandros reaches out, his hand trembling with worry.
I see the concern etched on his face, his outstretched hand a silent plea for her not to hurt me.
Carina runs her nose along the side of my neck, her breath warm against my skin. “Please, I’ll go. I won’t come back,” I whisper, my voice trembling with fear and desperation.
The room is heavy with tension as Carina continues to hold me close, her touch both intoxicating and suffocating. I’m caught between the conflicting desires to stay and be with Xandros and the overwhelming need to run away from this tangled web of pain, betrayal, and his wife.
“How many times have you snuck into our room at night?” Carina’s voice purrs with a mix of amusement and curiosity.
“Carina, let her go,” Xandros growls, his voice laced with warning. Carina presses her nose into my hair, inhaling my scent as if trying to claim me.
“How many, Sienna?” Carina asks, her tone dripping with taunting delight.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I try to find my voice.
“Only this time, I never meant to intrude. I made a mistake, and I promise it won’t happen again,” I manage to stammer out, my words filled with both shame and regret.
As Carina’s hardened nipples scrape against my back through my cami, a shiver runs down my spine, both from the touch and the complex emotions swirling within me.
Xandros seems taken aback by my confession, his gaze avoiding mine as he swallows guiltily.
The weight of his shock bears down on me, and I feel my face flush with embarrassment.
Carina’s touch continues to trail down my body, her hands tracing a path of ribs.
“Well, I think we just found the solution to your incapacity to get hard for me, Xandros,” Carina purrs, her voice laced with seduction and mischief.