I will leave this palace, him and his silver chains of affection.
And I will enact my revenge.
I will take charge of my life, even if I have to claw it out of the jaws of fate.
“I’ll be no one’s victim anymore,” I thought steely.
“Narine, please don’t do that!” I heard Sargis voice behind me.
I turned to look back at him, and that was my mistake.
My foot slipped on the rail.
And then I was falling.
Weightless.
SARGIS’ POV
I was smiling to myself like a damn fool.
The image of her, my Narine, with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel as she devoured banana after banana kept replaying in my mind.
God, I was whipped.
Not even in the cute, casual kind of way either. I mean soul-bound, spine-melting, ‘I’d burn the world down for you’ kind of whipped.
It’s absurd, really. How quickly I’ve fallen for a woman who barely looks me in the eye.
And yet here I was, grinning like an idiot because she ate fruit, completely disregarding the fact that she said she didn’t want to be my mate.
Back in the early years of my search, I drank too much, though alcohol could never touch me the way I wanted it to, partied hard, and indulged in meaningless sex as an outlet for my frustrations and disappointments.
But nothing ever felt like this.
Not even close.
When Narine collapsed in my arms that night, it was like a puzzle piece I didn’t even know was missing suddenly slid into place.
I understood now.
I used to roll my eyes at my parents’ mate bond, their relentless PDA, private little touches, and the way they’d smile like idiots even after fifty years together.
Now I knew why.
And my mother wanted me to take a chosen mate? I scoffed bitterly at the memory. As if.
I was making my way to my study to tie up some loose ends and approve new projects. I reached the elevator, and hovered my finger over the panel… then paused.
Would it be weird to sneak a picture of her while she was eating? I grinned to myself, amused at how whipped I was.
Ah, screw it.
Without another thought, I turned around and headed back.
I pushed the door open quietly. I expected to see her bundled under the covers, still munching.
But the bed was empty. My heart skipped. I drew in a breath, and my senses locked in. I could smell blood. I followed the scent trail like a predator.
Then I saw her. Perched on the edge of the flat railing, swaying ever so slightly in the wind. Her IV lay discarded on the marble, with blood staining the floor.
My heart jumped into my throat. Was she trying to end her life?
I moved silently, crossing the balcony like I was approaching a wounded animal, terrified she might leap before I could reach her.
“Narine,” I called softly. “Please don’t do that…”
I extended my hand toward her, not wanting to startle her.
Everything happened too fast.
She turned too quickly and her foot slipped. I watched in slow motion as her body tilted, and her arms flailed in the empty air like she was trying to grab something.
And before I even realized it, I lunged.
I threw myself forward, caught the edge of the balcony railing with one hand, and by some miracle, my other hand caught her.
I had her arm.
We were both dangling now, her body was swinging wildly below mine. I gritted my teeth and held on.
“Hold on, Narine,” I breathed, more to myself than her, “Just hold on.”
I tightened my grip, dug deep into my strength, and hoisted us both inch by agonizing inch back over the balcony.
We tumbled onto the cool, tiled balcony floor. She rested heavily against my chest, her hair fell softly across her face, and I felt the warmth of her body seeping into me. My heart raced as I battled the overwhelming urge to wrap my arms around her in a protective embrace.
The overwhelming fear hit me like a wave.
“Narine!” I snapped. “I know I’ll never fully understand the scale of what you’ve been through. Hell, I couldn’t even begin to imagine it. But taking your life is not a fucking option, do you hear me?”
She flinched. Her entire body recoiled, her eyes went wide, and her shoulders tensed like she expected me to hit her.
And just like that, all the anger inside me crumbled to dust.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” I mumbled. “I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry.”
Her breaths came short and ragged, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
I scooped her trembling body into my arms, carried her inside, and locked the balcony door tightly behind us. Then I laid her gently on the bed, brushing strands of her hair away from her face, and lowered myself beside her, keeping my distance but never breaking my gaze.
“I’m sorry… for the way I reacted and for raising my voice at you. I know it came off wrong. I hope you understand that it came from a place of fear because I thought I would lose you, Narine.”
I took a shaky breath.
“I know you don’t know me, not really. And I don’t know you either, not fully. But what I do know… is that I care for you deeply. More than I’ve ever cared for anything in my entire life.”
I dropped my head, unable to look at her any longer. “If something is weighing you down… something too heavy for you to carry alone, please, rest it on my shoulders. I swear to you, I’ll carry it. I’ll burn this entire world to the fucking ground if that’s what you need. I’ll do anything without a second thought if it means you don’t have to face it alone. You have no idea the kind of power you hold over me, Im sireli,” I confessed hoarsely.
“Just… please,” I begged, “don’t ever try to do that again.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
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