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Warmth engulfed me, an odd sense of comfort and peace and safety running through me. Sighing softly, I snuggled closer, my eyes fluttering open to see who this person was.

My face was pressed in their chest, so I slowly lifted my head to look at them. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Zale sleeping with me tucked in his arms safely.

He was in such a deep sleep that he didn't even woke up when I shifted back a little bit so that I could look at him more clearly.

Yesterday when I saw him there, I felt so relieved and...safe...as if I knew I would be safer with him, that he wouldn't hurt me.

It's funny how I have come to trust when I should be running away from him or trying to hurt him.

I lifted my hand and ran a finger down his face and cupped his cheek, caressing it with my thumb.

I don't what I was doing...I just wanted to touch him and I obviously won't be able to do that when he will be awake.

I inched my face closer to his. This is wrong, I know. I shouldn't do this but...

I brushed my lips on his jaw. But it wasn't enough. Just once more. And I pressed my lips against his jaw for more than a few seconds.

Okay, that's enough, pull back right now.

I closed my eyes and let my lips stay there for another two seconds and then pulled back, finally breathing again.

God, this man knows how to fucking mess with my heart.

Okay, now he should leave. I had enough, if we stay like this for another minute I don't know what I will do to him.

I tapped his shoulder. "Zale?" He didn't wake up.

So, I shook his shoulder slightly. "Wake up! Why are you sleeping here? Go to your room, asshole."

His brows furrowed and he groaned lowly and fuck, that sound did things to me, my thighs clenched together and I bit my lips. Shit.

"W-wake up." I again shook his shoulder and in a swift movement, he flipped us over, with me under him and he buried his face in my neck.

Fuck.

"You made me so fucking worried about you yesterday. I thought you ran away but then I realised you were in danger and I fucking lost my mind." His lips brushed my neck as he spoke each word in a hoarse, husky voice.

"They...they killed your...driver...I tried to save him but..."

"I know. You don't have to feel guilty. It wasn't your fault."

I felt kinda relieved cause for a moment I thought he might blame me for his death but I did try to save him.

"Zale?"

His face was still buried in the crook of my neck. "Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to sleep."

"Like this?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

Oh.

I lifted my hands and placed one of them on his back and with the other, I gently ran my fingers through his silky smooth hair and he hummed in satisfaction which caused me to keep running my fingers through his hair.

"Zale?"

"Yes, princess?"

"How much do you hate me?"

He chuckled huskily against my neck and then bit down lightly there making me gasp. "Again this question...ask me something else."

"Do you hate me?"

I could feel his lips which were spread in a smile but that smile slowly faded away. "I never hated you."

"Why?"

"Like I said, my fight is with your father, not you. I respect you and I think that's enough."

My father. I still can't believe what he did.

"I...um..." My fingers paused in his hair. "I am sorry for what my father did...to your... parents...I never knew..."

His tongue darted out and gently licked the spot where he had bit me causing a pleasurable shiver to ran down my spine. "You don't need to apologise."

I wanted to tell him that I was on his side now, that I told dad to give Alaska back to him but I didn't because it's not easy to convince dad and I don't want to give him false hope.

He pressed one last kiss on my neck and rolled off me and without sparing me another glance, he walked out of the room.

.
.
.

I was in the kitchen, making milk for Alaric with him in my arms but I could hear Zale and Maverick talking in the living room, they are quite loud.

"I say we order pizza for dinner." Maverick spoke.

"No, I don't wanna eat pizza." Zale refused immediately.

Aww...I want to eat pizza though.

"How can you not like pizza?" Maverick sounded genuinely confused and I had the same question.

"I never said that I don't like it...I just don't feel like having it right now. Order something else, I am not in a mood to cook today."

I can eat pizza at anytime of the day like how can one not like pizza? But I am having pizza only cause now I am craving it.

Once the milk was done, I started to feed Alaric and walked into the living room and pretended to have not heard their conversation and said to Zale, "I want to eat pizza."

Maverick spoke up, "He doesn't want--"

"Maverick." Zale cut him off, his eyes still on me. "Order pizza for dinner, please."

Maverick's jaw dropped. "But you just said--"

Zale finally turned his head to him, he looked calm but his eyes were shooting daggers at him. "What did I say?"

Maverick gritted his teeth and forced a tight smile on his lips. "Nothing, brother. I will order pizza only."

And as I moved a little closer to Maverick to sit down on the couch, I heard him mumble underneath his breath as he scrolled through his phone. "Fucking whipped."

What? I thought of asking him what exactly did he mean by that but decided against it as my eyes fell on the tattoos on his forearm as he was wearing a black t shirt, he had tribal style tattoos and they looked freaking good so I shifted towards him.

"Hey", I said to him and he glanced towards me. "You tattoos are cool."

As he was done ordering, he closed his phone and smirked. "You like them?"

"Yeah, they look really good." I admitted truthfully.

So he shifted so that I could see his other arm too. "I have some here too." And he showed me, he looked quite excited that I was showing interest in his tattoos.

I lifted my hand and traced his tattoo with my finger and suddenly, Zale was looming above us, with his arms folded, glaring at us both, especially at his brother.

We both looked up at the same time and Maverick groaned in frustration. "What? I ordered pizza. Now what do you want?"

Zale jerked his head towards the door. "Leave."

"Are you serious? I just ordered us dinner and now you are asking me to leave? Why?"

"Leave, Maverick. You can order pizza at your house."

"That's so unfair! I paid for it!"

"I will send you the money online. Now go."

Grumbling, Maverick got up and headed towards the door and Zale followed him saying something to him and the last thing Maverick said while leaving was, "You are just fucking jealous." And he slammed the door shut.

Gosh, they both are so weird. They keep fighting all the time.

But so did me and Dane. I guess all siblings are just like this.

Zale walked to me, his features softening and he sat down beside me and he started to roll up the sleeves of his dark, brownish red shirt.

"I have tattoos too you know", he said innocently, showing me his forearm.

And I burst into laughter making his face blank. "Oh God!" I hit his shoulder. "You were just jealous that I praised his tattoos."

He literally asked him to leave for that. So petty. I placed Alaric on the couch as he was done drinking the milk and was now asleep and I clutched my stomach as I laughed.

"Oh God." I was breathing heavily by the time I finished laughing and wiped the tears that formed in the corner of my eyes.

Though he was glaring at me at the same time he was biting his lips to stop himself from smiling at which he was failing.

"I am not jealous." He stated firmly when I finally became sobered.

"Oh please, you were. But you didn't have to kick him out for that."

He rolled his eyes. "That was the only way to stop you from touching him."

"There! You admitted yourself that you were jealous."

"No. That's not what I meant but you didn't have to touch his tattoos."

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep better at night."

It looked like he wanted to argue more on that but he didn't, instead he picked up Alaric in his arms while I turned on the TV.

Chapter completion on: 18/6/22
Published on: 27/6/22