4. Chapter 4
four
I squirm and roll as a sound lures me from my sleep. My eyes flicker open to see the morning sun filtering through the thin curtains. Another harsh knock on the door sounds, and my gaze darts up to it as I move to the edge of the bed, my heart rate spiking. I’ve been waiting for Ares to storm back in and… do something. Yell at me for telling him to stop? Punish me?
I don’t even know what I expect him to do, but I don’t think his reaction was a good one. No one tells a Dominion, much less the Aetherion, to stop, but I did.
So, what does that mean for me?
I swallow hard and get to my feet when I hear another harder knock. Is it Ethan? He’s certainly one of the more polite dragon shifters I’ve met, so knocking isn’t out of the ordinary for someone like him. After drawing in a breath, I head to the door and pull it open, my heart dropping at the sight of the headmistress.
“There you are,” she hisses before grabbing my arm and yanking me out of the room. “What happened to Dominion Zorn? You were the last one seen with him, and his room is a murder scene!”
I stumble down the hallway, unable to break free from her tight grip. Despite her older age, she’s still very strong.
“It wasn’t me! I swear!” I cry out as she grabs my hair instead and hauls me down the stairs.
My knees hit the floor as they give out, pain clashing through me as she keeps dragging me toward the basement door. I manage to catch sight of Liza in the corridor as she stares at the scene with horror and sympathy in her eyes. There’s nothing that she can do for me.
“You’ve always been a troublemaker! You always have to go against the rules!” the headmistress snaps at me.
Pain sears through my scalp from her grip on my hair. Tears burn my eyes. This is it. Ares has tossed me aside like trash because I didn’t let him handle me as roughly as he wanted, and I’m going to be stuck in the basement for days because they think I have something to do with Dominion Zorn’s death.
“Release her!” a familiar voice booms down the corridor.
The headmistress immediately releases me, and I crawl to the side to rest my back against the wall, tears rolling down my cheeks as blood drips down my shins. She turns just as Ares storms down the corridor toward her, making her straighten up.
“Dominion Zorn was found dead in his room. She was the last one seen with him,” she says as her voice quavers.
“I killed Dominion Zorn,” Ares says without missing a beat. His stony expression doesn’t soften or shift as he towers over the older woman .
“Are you okay?” Liza whispers to me as she sneaks over to me, crouching down to check on me. She sees the cuts on my legs and bruises on my arms from where Ares grabbed me, making her frown. “Did he hurt you?”
“I… don’t think he meant to,” I whisper and pitch a quick look at Ares and the headmistress as he explains the situation. “I don’t know what he wants from me, Liza.”
“You’ve caught the Aetherion’s attention. That’s incredible,” Liza says with wide eyes of disbelief.
Any other woman would be jumping for joy if they were in my position. However, I have no interest in obsessing over anyone’s attention to me. Granted, it still shocks me that he’s somewhat… protective over me.
“Rodi!” the headmistress calls to me.
I exchange one more look with Liza before pushing myself to my feet and hesitantly making my way over to Ares and the headmistress.
“Yes?” I ask, hoping that I’m not about to be punished for some reason.
“You will go with Aetherion Ares. He requests your company,” the headmistress grits, annoyance glinting in her eyes.
“Of course,” I say, and my eyes meets Ares’ for a brief second while I wonder, What does he have in mind for me?
“I need to bathe. Come,” Ares says before leading me back to his room.
I quietly follow him, my heartbeat thumping in my ears. He doesn’t seem upset about earlier… or is he just keeping things bottled up until we’re alone?
“Are you… angry with me? About yesterday?” I ask once he shuts the door.
Ares shakes his head as he heads to the connected bathroom, shrugging his shirt off and undoing his belt .
“No, not with you. I usually have more self-control, but things have felt different since I arrived here. Since I saw you.” He turns on the hot water to fill the large garden tub.
My breath hitches. How do I have such a big effect on him? “I’m not meaning to complicate things for you.”
Trust me, that’s the last thing I want to do. The best way for me to survive is to be a fly on the wall and slip away quietly, but any sort of interaction with him will put me in the spotlight.
“It’s not a terrible thing, Rodi,” Ares assures me before turning to me. “I should’ve expected it.”
I narrow my eyes in confusion, wondering what he means by that.
He grabs a cloth, dips it into the warm water, and gestures for me to come closer.
I’m hesitant as I close the distance. My gaze won’t leave his as he drops to his knees, his touch soft and gentle as he inspects the cuts on my knees and brushes the wet cloth over the dried blood. I clench my teeth, not wanting to make a sound.
“This should heal pretty quickly,” he says and tosses the cloth into the wash basket as he rises to his feet.
I don’t get a chance to ask why he showed me this kindness as he pushes off his pants, leaving himself in black underwear that doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
My cheeks flush and I wet my lips. There’s that stirring of heat in my stomach again, swirling, coiling, and expanding, reminding me of how close I am to my heat. A heat that had simmered and faded when Ares killed Dominion Zorn.
“I can leave,” I offer.
Ares shakes his head as he shuts off the water. His eyes slowly drift to the bruises and the cuts on my legs. His jaw tenses slightly, but nothing else comes as he turns and completely strips, showing every groove and line of muscle on his perfect body.
He sinks into the tub and rests his arms on the sides. “Can you find me a fresh washcloth?”
My eyes roam over the parts of his body that aren’t covered by the water, watching how the water evaporates from the heat of his skin as steam circles around him, luring me closer.
I gulp, my throat dry as I try to focus on what he needs from me and search through the bathroom cabinets until I find a white washcloth. I move beside him as he leans his head back, his eyes closing.
He looks so peaceful, no tension in his jaw, his lips slightly parted.
I don’t know what possesses me to do this, but I dip the washcloth in the water and run it over one of his arms as I crouch next to the tub.
Ares’ eyes flicker open for a moment, gazing at me, and as his lips curve slightly, his eyes close with a soft sigh.
“Thank you for sticking up for me in front of the headmistress,” I whisper. He could’ve let me continue to be chewed out. He didn’t have to say a word or defend me at all.
But he did.
For the first time, someone stood up for me.
“Something tells me that she’s not very fond of you. Why’s that?” he asks as he turns his head and stares at me, a smirk forming on his full lips. “Are you a troublemaker?”
A small smile plays out on my lips as I shrug and try to ignore the sparks tickling over my skin, creating goosebumps in their wake.
I swallow, not daring to think anything of the way he looks at me or how that stirs something unknown inside me. “I try not to be, but… I suppose I don’t always like being told what to do. I know it’s my duty to follow orders, though,” I tell him .
I want more for my life than that, but I have no power. No family. No mate. Nothing.
“Rules can bend before they break,” Ares says, making me blink. He can’t possibly be encouraging me to go against the teachings I’ve had since I was young. “You should stand up for yourself more.”
I snort. “I’ll get struck if I do.” I’m not a Dragon shifter, nor am I a rider from high ranking. I don’t have the respect he gets from everyone.
His brow lifts. “Not if you’re with me,” he says. “She won’t bother you while I’m around.”
But he’ll eventually leave. I doubt he’ll take me with him when he goes. The thought of that makes my heart ache, taking me by surprise. Maybe I’m just sad about being left behind. Or maybe I don’t want him to go so soon. Both thoughts are new, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel some sort of connection between us, but that may be gratitude and attraction. Or my approaching heat is confusing things for me.
“I still don’t understand why you’re doing all of this for me. I haven’t… given you anything,” I say.
“You don’t have to give me anything. I enjoy your company,” Ares murmurs as I brush the washcloth over his broad chest. His gaze trails my movements. “All the others fall at my feet, kiss the ground I walk on. I don’t care for those so desperate. But you… You don’t worship anyone.”
I softly laugh and shake my head. “And that’s stupid of me, making me a target.”
“That’s strength,” Ares replies as our eyes lock. He should be wanting me to submit, but he’s analyzing me. Protecting me. Complimenting me.
“I’m surprised you haven’t found a mate yet,” I say, the words bursting from me before I have a chance to reel them in.
Ares cracks a small grin.
“I can say the same for you,” he tells me. “It won’t be long, though. ”
I dip the washcloth into the water again, my face warming when my fingers accidentally brush his lower stomach. Part of me wants to reach lower, to explore his body as his eyes explore mine.
“For now, you’ll stick with me. You should look the part, though,” Ares says.
“Look the part?” I ask as my brows knit.
Ares glances toward the bathroom door as the guest room door opens and closes. A few moments later, Ethan walks into the bathroom and pauses, his eyebrows lifting a little in surprise at the scene.
“Aetherion?” he asks, his jaw tensing.
“Take her away from this place. Buy her some new clothes,” Ares tells Ethan. “And shoes.”
Ethan’s eyes flash over to me as I draw my hand out of the water with a blush on my face.
“Of course. Whenever you’re ready, Rodi,” he says before leaving the bathroom.
I frown a little, hearing the stiffness in his voice. I suppose this is an odd scene to walk in on, but I hope he’s not upset for some reason.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Pick some nice things to wear. You need riding gear too,” Ares says as he lounges back, rolling his neck a little. “I’m sure anything looks nice on you.”
My face heats up as I wring out the washcloth and lay it over the faucet. I know I should hurry, I should run out of this room, but as I watch the single droplet of water drip down his cheek, evaporating in the heat his skin radiates, I smile and walk out of the bathroom.
As I close the door behind me, I bump into Ethan, almost losing my balance as he quickly grabs my arms to steady me, a light chuckle breaking from him .
“Excited for our trip?” he asks, tilting his head to the side, the tone from earlier completely faded.
“Actually, I am,” I admit. I haven’t gotten to go out and look for new clothes or ever gotten the chance to wear any riding gear. This may be my last chance before Ares tosses me aside for someone else.
Eventually, that day will come because I don’t see him keeping me around forever.
Even if that pains me to think about.