AURORA MOON
"No," Aurora said, pouting. "Look." She showed him her cheek. "He slapped me. And look at this." She lifted her wrist. It was still red from where Aiden had yanked her. "It hurts."
Kellan's black gaze flicked toward Aiden. The man had gone pale as he was forced to his knees, his arms pulled behind him.
"Break his hand," said Kellan.
One of the bodyguards complied. Pop. Crack. Snap.
Aiden screamed.
Then he fainted.
Kellan lifted Aurora's chin and tilted her face to study her cheek. Fury etched his features. "Put him in the wine cellar. Wake him up and slap him fifty times."
"A hundred," said Aurora. Her lower lip quivered. "He put his hands on me, Kellan. And he hurt me."
"You heard her. A hundred times." With one arm, Kellan picked up Aurora and carried her back to the villa.
Aurora rested her head against his chest. This time, she silently promised him, I will love you with all of my heart. And I'll protect you with the same fierceness you protect me.
***|***|***
AURORA MOON
After a shower and treating the wounds on her feet, Kellan carried her to the basement.
To the gilded cage.
The manacles were thick. Heavy. He snapped the cuffs around her wrists. "Be a good little butterfly," he whispered into her ear.
She looked up. Kellan. Her imposing, handsome fiance with black hair just a little too long and dark, dark eyes.
She lifted her arms, but the manacles rattled, reminding her that she was imprisoned. She didn't like the gold cage Kellan had custom-built for her. Her heart turned over in her chest. A prison was a prison, no matter how luxurious, and she didn't want to live in this one.
"You can't leave me, Aurora," he said, his voice hoarse, his expression filled with pain. "I know your hatred is a blade. I will suffer every wound. I will bleed for you, little butterfly."
The image of Kellan cutting his own neck flashed into her mind. Panic made her whole body shake and she sat up on her knees. "No! Please! Don't hurt yourself."
His brows slashed downward as he stumbled back. "What? Don't ... don't hurt myself?" He looked stunned, and she realized she'd rarely said kind words to him. Every moment in his presence was an opportunity to spit vitriol at him. To make it clear she didn't want him. To hurt him as viciously as she could. All to make him dislike her enough to abandon his love for her.
But he never did.
Not.
Once.
"I'm sorry, Kellan. I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me."
He moved further away. "What game is this, Aurora?"
"It's not a game." She collapsed to the bed, tears dripping down her cheeks. "I'm so happy to see you."
"Happy? This morning you wished me dead. You swore to leave me. How can you be happy now?"
"I'm an asshole." She burst into fresh tears. "I'm horrible. Why do you even like me?"
"Aurora, don't cry. It's ... okay?" He sounded unsure, and it was so cute, she cried even harder.
"No, it's not okay," she wailed.
"Don't cry. What can I do? How do I make you feel better?"
"A hug."
"You want me..." He pointed at himself. "...to hug you?" He pointed at her.
Aurora nodded.
Kellan approached the bed as though it were filled with scorpions, but he sat next to her. She wasted no time crawling onto his lap. She snuggled against him and laid her head on his chest.
She heard his racing heartbeat, and smiled.
Yet, he still didn't put his arms around her. She sniffled into his suit jacket. "Don't you want to hug me, too?"
***|***|***
KELLAN WARD
"Don't you want to hug me, too?"
Kellan lifted his arms to wrap them around the woman he loved more than his own life, but then he hesitated. No, no. She reviled him. She didn't really want a hug. Did she? For a long moment, his hands hovered at her sides, then he closed them into fists and withdrew.
"Let go," he said.
"No." Aurora held him even tighter. Her tears continued to flow, and his heart squeezed. Oh, no. She was unhappy. He didn't want her to feel sad. But ... he couldn't let himself be fooled by her compliance. She'd done such things before in the hopes of escaping.
"I ... I don't want to hug you," he lied. "Let go of me."
She leaned back, her blue eyes wet from crying, her expression wounded. "You don't want me anymore?"
"I never said that." He didn't dare touch her. The slightest brush of his fingers against her skin would start a fire he wouldn't be able to quell. His need for her was already insatiable. "Let go of me, Aurora. Before I do something you will regret."
Her jaw set in a stubborn line and she pouted. "Like what?"
Oh, those adorable bow lips. Plump and sweet, waiting for him to taste. He leaned down, surprised when she didn't move away. She was waiting for him to kiss her. His heart thudded in his chest, and sweat broke out on his brow.
Does she really want me to kiss her?
Or is this a trick so she can leave me again?
"Let's get married."
Kellan stopped breathing, and then choked. He coughed and coughed while Aurora patted his chest. Her manacled hands kept bumping the chains against his abdomen.
"Are you all right?" she asked. "Kellan? Kellan?"
"Fine. I'm fine."
Eyes watering, he looked at Aurora. "I think you have a fever."
"A fever for you," she said. Then she fluttered her lashes at him.
"Do you have something in your eyes?" He grasped her chin and studied her green eyes. God, she was beautiful. His sweet little butterfly.
"My eyes are full of you," she said.
Kellan wanted to take her words to heart, but how could he? He knew keeping Aurora against her will was wrong. But he couldn't let her go. A day without Aurora was a day without the sun.
"I don't believe these things you're saying. You don't have to lie to me, Aurora."
"I'm not lying." She lifted three fingers and said, "I swear on the heavens I will only love and marry you, Kellan Ward, or lightning will strike my---"