Word Count: 1765

~Kiva

Glass shatters nearby, jolting me awake.

It takes a long moment for me to fight my way out of the feeling that this is merely a nightmare, or a vicious flashback of the break in.

And then it dawns on me, as I sit in my bed, that the nearing commotion is real.

I'm in danger, and yet only one thing shrouds my mind.

My mate. He's here.

Stumbling from bed, I make my way to the door, pounding on it. Last time, Andri was dead outside.

What if the same fate has befallen Ark?

"Ark? Are you out there?" I call out. My fingers tremble against the doorframe, hearing frantic movement from downstairs, drawing close again.

Gritting my teeth, I tug at the door handle. It doesn't budge.

"Ark? Why am I locked in?" I ask frantically, wiggling the handle so vigorously I may break it.

No response.

From downstairs, I can hear the thud of someone being pushed up against a wall, or perhaps that's a dead body falling to the floor.

This is bad. Really bad.

Backing away, I opt for hiding in my closet. What other choice do I have? Ark has locked me in, assuming he's keeping me safe, but it feels as though I'm just sitting, waiting for someone to come in and finish me off.

Please, please don't find me.

For a painful few moments, I just sit amongst my coats, listening intently. From downstairs, the chaos seems to be quietening.

Are they leaving?

All of a sudden, from the small gap in my closet doors, I see my door swing open. It took no force, as if it had been unlocked, which gives me hope it's Ark, but that's promptly shut down.

The figure is dressed all in black, a hood pulled over their head.

This is my mate. I know it.

I go still, hugging my knees. My heart is beating so loud I fear he can hear it, as he stalks through my room, footsteps near silent.

He's experienced at this, clearly.

With a held breath, I watch him. He's looking for me, gaze scanning the empty room. I stare at his gloved hands, wondering if he plans to wrap them around my neck to finally kill me.

He needs to leave, and not just because he could kill me...

But because I can feel the pull of the mate bond. Part of me wants to confront him, to learn his identity and motivations.

With one final sweeping look around the room, he seems satisfied I'm not here, moving toward the door.

His fingers barely brush the door handle before he pauses, and very slowly, his head turns toward me.

My heart nearly fails me.

One moment he's at my bedroom door, and the next he's in front of the closet, throwing the door open.

I yelp, pressing my back into the wall, looking up at the imposing figure.

He stares down at me, seconds ticking by slowly. He appears to be contemplating what to do with me, now that I'm trapped at his feet.

Tauntingly, his head slowly tilts to the side.

"No...No, please!" I scream out as he reaches down, grabbing my arms before yanking me up into standing position.

Pulling one of my arms free, I rear back to punch him straight in the face, but he swiftly dodges me, trying to grapple me toward the bed.

I thrust my entire body weight downward, trying to pull him along with me, but his strength is unexpected.

I should have grabbed my dagger. Why didn't I grab the damn dagger?

Kicking my foot out, I strike his leg, his balance wavering. I use his moment of panic to wrestle myself free, sprinting for the door.

The handle slips through my clammy fingers, but on my second attempt I manage to grasp it, moving to throw it open but a gloved hand appears from the darkness behind me and presses the door shut.

I scream out, for help, for anything, as my mate gets a hold of me a second time, this time managing to force me down onto the bed, where he holds me down by my arms.

I still, staring up at him.

There's just silence, and our heavy breathing.

Nothing seems right to say. His grip is painfully tight, yet he makes no move to strike me, to deal the final blow to my life.

He just stares down at me, his face invisible in the shadow of his hood.

"Please don't kill me, I'll do anything," I whisper.

He doesn't respond. Instead, he suddenly leans down and kisses me.

I'm stunned, my entire body going rigid.

He doesn't push the kiss, his lips soft against mine, yet firm and insistent. The sparks that flutter over my skin are unmistakable.

He really is my mate. It's the truest fact I've ever been confronted with.

And with that, all rational thought vanishes from my mind, replaced with one burning need.

I kiss him back, feeling him react immediately as his lips move against mine.

He doesn't grant me any room to touch him, my arms still pinned down by his hands, but I don't care. His body is partially pressed against mine, hard and impressive, like a warrior.

I don't know who this man is. I've never even seen his face, and yet my entire body suddenly belongs to him. My mate.

He lets go of my wrists, moving one hand to the side of my face, the one cradling the back of my head, fingers winding through my hair.

I'm breathless, but I don't want to stop, addicted to the taste of him, the feeling of his strong back under my palms.

I could touch his face, feeling his skin, but risking ruining this moment is too much for me to bear.

Even though I know, somewhere deep in my mind, that this is wrong.

No. This is wrong.

With all my strength, I push his chest, causing him to stumble back and away from me.

"You're my mate," I blurt out, even though it's painfully obvious to the both of us.

He stands there, unmoving, not looking ready to pin me down again, although I can see him tense, ready for any movement I make.

"You want to kill me, and I'm your mate," I snap, the haze of desire over my mind finally starting to dissipate, a cold reminder of the kind of man who I've been paired with striking me.

He folds his arms over his chest, slowly shaking his head.

"Take your hood off, I won't tell anyone who you are. I just want to know," I insist.

He must believe me. Just to see his face would relieve me of a life of wondering that I'll be subjected to once he leaves this room tonight.

"Why are you doing this?" I press on, even though I figure he isn't going to talk to me.

Sure enough, he remains silent, continuing to watch me.

"Meet me tomorrow night, by the river. I'll sneak out," I tell him.

I need to see him again. I should be frightened of him, but that feeling has slowly ebbed away, and now, I want answers more than I want to flee from him.

As I get to my feet, he grabs my arm. He doesn't pull me, but he makes it clear he wants me to follow him.

"You want me to come with you?" I question. He may be my mate, but there is no way I'm going anywhere with him, because at the end of the day, he came here with people who want to do terrible things to me.

He nods, tugging at me gently.

Despite what happened minutes ago, he no longer wants to force me. He wants me to go with him willingly, but what really is beyond this manor for me? What kind of life is he wanting to draw me into?

"Will you kill me if I don't?" I ask breathily, my heart starting to patter rapidly against my ribs.

Someone yells incoherently from downstairs and my mate flinches, seeming to be revived by the sound.

He gives me one last look before he vanishes through the door.

I rush to the door, looking out the hallway after him. "Wait! Come back!"

It's no use. He's gone.

Swearing under my breath, I close the door, starting pacing back and forth. Where is Ark? It does seem like him to abandon my door like that, and although the chaos seems to be departing, I fear those downstairs still threaten the safety of the manor.

I'm not sure how long I pace for, thinking about my mate, the ghost feeling of his lips against mine still distracting me.

Eventually, the door opens and my father rushes in, looking flushed. Three guards trail in behind him, checking out my room.

They are twenty minutes too late.

"Kiva...Are you okay?" He asks me, grabbing my arms, shaking me slightly as if he isn't quite convinced I'm alive.

All the colour has drained from his face, but thankfully he appears unharmed. Still, whatever has happened is serious.

"I'm fine. Where's Ark?" I ask. I'm unnerved by him leaving my door.

"He's downstairs, I just found him. He's been beaten," father tells me grimly.

My stomach hollows out. "How badly?"

I've been up here, with the enemy, being kissed by him while Ark was downstairs getting beaten...it must have happened reasonably though, considering father has just come across him.

What if my mate did that to him?

"Bad. Eight of them got to him, he's lucky he is alive." Father appears so shaken. Ark must be in a bad shape to unnerve even my father.

"I should go see him," I say, but he grabs my arm, shaking my head solemnly at me.

"You need to stay here while we do a sweep through the manor. Stay with these guards, you can see Ark tomorrow," he instructs in that no-nonsense tone that suggests there will be no possible negotiating.

I nod numbly, watching him stride from the room.

Ark is alive. I can be relieved about that, but what about my mate?

He is a terrible man. But the real curse is that I don't fear him now.

And I want to know who he is.

💛••💛

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! and as always it is available 10 chapters ahead on Radish!

THE DARKEST TEMPTATION— OUT NOW ON WATTPAD!!

~Midika 💜🐼