Page 110

Instead of spilling the chaos stirring inside me, I reached for the easiest cop-out. One I knew she’d understand. One she might even value. “You know your father would kill me,” I said with a dry chuckle, trying to lighten the moment. “I don’t know all the customs here, but if Lord Draco is as traditional as I think he is, I doubt he’d appreciate me deflowering his daughter. At least… not until I can give you everything you deserve.”

Her brows pinched slightly, not in anger, but in something close to realization. I continued before she could speak. “I’m still a man on the run,” I said more softly. “My whole world’s a mess right now. Unstable. I don’t want you to do anything with me that could come back to haunt you. Worst bring you scandal. You deserve more than that.”

Val’s expression shifted, softened, but there was still a flicker of hurt in her eyes. Something unspoken clinging to the edges. “So… you’re trying to be a gentleman?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

If only it were that simple.

That wasn’t really it. I wasn’t trying to be honorable or noble. I was afraid. Afraid of what might wake in me if we crossed that line. My Naemira reacted to her like it had been waiting for this, her touch excited it, stirred something primal. Something possessive. Something dangerous. I could feel it stretching inside me every time she got close. I didn’t understand it, not fully. So how could I risk losing control?

But I didn’t say that.

Instead, I offered her a crooked smile and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. “I’m trying to be one,” I murmured. “But the way you’re jumping on me like this, it’s getting really hard to keep it together.”

Her lips quirked slightly, but I could still feel the heat between us.

“Trust me,” I said, my voice dipping a little. “I want to. Very much. But let me at least get on your father’s good side before I go committing some sin.”

TAINTED| CHAPTER 33

Awakening

Alexander’s POV

Talking Valentina down from the edge of intimacy last night had wrecked my nerves. My Naemira hadn’t taken kindly to the restraint, either; it had lashed out violently beneath my skin, sending sharp, electric pulses from just below my mark straight into my heart. The only way I’d found relief was to sleep in a separate room.

And that decision? Pissed Valentina smooth off.

I promised her I’d at least stay beside her. Hold her. Let her fall asleep in my arms. It was that which had to be broken. The way my body responded to her? That close? That vulnerable? It was too much. Too tempting. One wrong move, and I'd have had her face buried in Draco's throw pillows, that pretty dress billowing around her hips.

A shiver ran through me as I lay alone in my private chambers. I was surprised how guarded it actually was; it was secluded, far off from his study, hidden behind a row of books. The soft covers pooled at my waist, leaving my bare chest exposed to the cool air. It was colder than it should’ve been with her not by my side.

If only I’d been strong enough to hold her.

My hand drifted across the empty space beside me, then up to the skin over my ribs, where the ghost of her touch still lingered. A low, aching sigh dragged from my lips. The room was quiet except for the hush of wind slipping through the cracks of the stone balcony Pale purple light streaked with rays of gold filtered through the heavy curtains, light filtering down from the sky beyond. Thick, gray clouds gathered above the estate, shrouding what had once been a clear night.

There was something magnetic about nightfall here. Daylight could never quite replicate it. Back on Earth, life revolved around the sun. Cities buzzed under its heat. People moved. Laughed. Lived. But here? Even wildlife obeyed the moon. It pulled them like gravity.

Staying still, I watched the last of the night fade, letting the darkness melt into the soft silver-blue of dawn. I’ve grown used to Eari’s version of morning. Even if it lacked the wild beauty of night, it still carried a kind of quiet magic. One that whispered secrets just beneath the surface.

Still beautiful. Still untamed.

Stretching my limbs, I shook the weight of sleep from my body. I needed a bath. Badly. I hadn’t showered in days, and I was starting to smell like rust and sweat, steel and nerves.

I would’ve taken one the night before, but Valentina wouldn’t leave me alone until I explained why I needed to sleep alone. By the time she finally stormed off, I’d managed to strip off my shirt alone before collapsing into the mattress. Sleep hit me like a wave, dragging me under just as the tension in my chest started to loosen.

Sluggish but upright, I yawned and stretched my back one more time before pushing myself off the bed and heading toward the washroom.

Valentina would probably scold me for not calling the Head Maiden to draw my bath. It felt silly. Unnecessary. I grew up bathing myself. I couldn’t imagine getting used to someone watching me soak like some spoiled heir. An unreasonable part of me didn't like Valentina receiving that service. It was possessive. Irrational, even.

The washroom took my breath away again, just like it had the first time. Golden light spilled over every surface, warming the cool white marble until it blazed like sunlit cream. The whole room felt encased in comfort; it was built to soothe the bones.

Turning on the brass faucet, I bent down to plug the metal drain. As I stood again, my eyes caught on the shelf behind the tub. A small bottle sat there. It was half full of a shimmering violet liquid, gold flecks suspended in its depths like stardust. It reminded me of the first bath I’d taken here.

Curiosity led me as I circled the tub. Plucking the bottle from its place, I twisted off its cap. Lifting it to my nose, I inhaled deeply. The scent drew me like memory. Earthy. Rich. That same deep musk that once clung heavily to my skin these first few weeks. Wood, smoke, and something ancient, alive. The musk had mostly faded from me now… but this? This smelled like belonging.

Without hesitation, I poured the contents into the steaming water. The liquid swirled like a violet tornado, dancing down in spirals before dissolving completely. The water darkened slowly. Pale lavender at first, it deepened until it settled into the color of midnight wine. Gold flecks shimmered across the surface like stars caught in a whirlpool. Steam curled from the tub in thick, fragrant plumes, wrapping the room in cedar and smoke and magic.

It smelled like Eari. Like something sacred. And for the first time in days, I felt like maybe… I could breathe again.