Chapter 66: Whispers of Fire and Forgiveness

Chapter 66: Whispers of Fire and ForgivenessZavren caught her in his arms before her body could hit the floor. Ariana couldn’t believe what she had just heard—it was like he was giving her a warning. A clear one: if she ever dared to hate him, she had to be fully aware of the consequences of becoming his enemy. She heard him chuckle darkly as he scooped her up into his arms. ’This man is a devil.’ "Don’t worry, I’m only giving you a little heads-up... in case you’re planning to become enemies with me." The serious lit still rang through the tease. Ariana still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that someone had been buried in that garden. Just how insane was this man? Was she truly married to a mad Alpha? Because none of this was normal. In fact, the way he had said it was far too casual—like he was simply talking about how his day went. It was like every time she thought she understood him, even just a little, he quenched that thought with something even more disturbing. "You don’t have to worry. It happened many years ago and you are not my enemy," he said again, noticing the horror still painted across her face. There was a brief silence. "I’m not going to punish you. I’ve forgiven you, sweetheart," he said suddenly, his voice soft and calm. Ariana’s eyes moved to him, surprised. Evening was already nearing, and yet what stunned her most was that he had changed his mind. So suddenly..but why? Zavren himself didn’t even know why. Why had he suddenly changed his mind? He couldn’t bring himself to punish this woman—his wife—especially while her face still held that terrified look. Normally, he found joy in fear. He used to find ways to provoke it—to see more. But the fear in her eyes... it didn’t sit right with him. Even though it had only been for a brief moment. She definitely wasn’t from his world. Ariana’s eyes lingered on Zavren’s sharp jaw as she watched him tick it in thought. To her surprise, he came to a sudden stop in the hallway. She looked at him with a slightly raised brow, curious as to why he’d paused. Gently, he set her down on her feet. She stood still and lifted her face to look at him. His gaze wasn’t on her—it was distant. He ran a hand through his hair and tilted his head back slightly, as though trying to calm himself. A silent curse escaped his lips. Ariana’s eyes widened. This was the first time he looked like this. Almost... v–vulnerable. Not that he truly was, but that would be the perfect word to describe him in that moment. If someone else did it, it would just be normal—but coming from the Alpha himself? It was rare. Zavren raised his hand toward her but stopped halfway. He didn’t know why, but he just couldn’t touch her. In this moment, she looked like a lost angel in a devil’s world. He closed his eyes. And just as he did, his body stiffened—because he felt her. Her slender arms wrapped gently around him. Ariana had moved on her own, hugging him. She didn’t know why—she just felt the urge to. She saw the hesitation in him, and for some reason, she wanted to meet it with warmth. Zavren didn’t move at first. He remembered how earlier, when he’d scared her, she had flinched. It had felt like a dagger to his chest—one emotion he hated, ever since he met her he felt some unexplainable emotions that he had never felt. He didn’t want her to flinch from him again. But now... here she was. The very woman he had hesitated to touch was now holding him tightly. And for some unknown reason, his body calmed. Is this what a hug feels like? Her scent wrapped around his senses. He lowered his head, resting it gently as he stared at the top of her head. Slowly, she pulled away. Her eyes lifted to his. And in that moment, his world stopped. Because she smiled. A genuine, soft smile that lit up her entire face. His pupils dilated as he stared at the dimples that appeared. It was like she was a spark of light thrown into his dark orb—a place no one believed light could reach. But here she was. This woman kept surprising him. Even when he showed her a glimpse of his hell, she still moved closer... deciding to feel more of the fire despite the fear. She moved then, placing her hands gently on her neck, showing him something there—an exact spot. He furrowed his brows. Zavren moved his hand to his own neck, wondering if something was there. Ariana raised her hand again, signaling for him to come closer... so she could remove it. Zavren lowered himself. Ariana tiptoed gently, pressing her lips softly against Zavren’s. His eyes widened in shock—he hadn’t expected that. As if that wasn’t enough, she moved her hands, wrapping them around his neck pulling him. Ariana’s heart thudded as warmth danced sweetly through her. Zavren remained frozen as he felt her soft lips gently suck on his lower lipas she kissed him slowly. Just as he was about to respond to the kiss, her teeth bit his lip lightly—like a command, telling him to kiss her back. Zavren’s lips curved slightly into a smirk before he responded. He deepened the kiss, and Ariana’s head spun with pleasure. Her body ached for more as her hands slid into his hair, gripping it lightly. And that soft tug—oh, what it did to Zavren was simply unexplainable. The kiss grew more intense as the couple stood in the silent hallway, the sound of kisses gently echoing, making everything even more intoxicating. An unknown wind whispered through the hallway, brushing past them, as one of the candlelights nearby flickered out—bong—gone. But it hardly changed anything. The lights were still well arranged, and one going out made no difference. One of Zavren’s eyes opened briefly as something flashed, but he closed it again—right as he felt her tongue push into his mouth. Who knew? All these things he was doing... and yet, his dear Luna seemed to be taking the lead. Was she secretly taking lessons from him when he did these things to her? Because right now, she seemed to be doing better than him. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her gently closer. A soft gasp escaped Ariana’s lips as his touch sent a sweet shiver brushing lightly down her spine, and she moved to deepen the kiss even more. GRRR. Her eyes widened in horror as Zavren’s lips curled up. He gently pulled away. Her stomach growled again. Of all times... today, the one day she decided to be bold... She turned her face to the side, mortified, but she heard him chuckle—a deep, rumbling sound that filled the hallway. He moved, gently pushing her hair behind her ear. "Oh, sweetheart... I had no idea you had such bold moves. Hmm... I wouldn’t be shocked if you told me you got them from one of those books you feed on." Ariana’s eyes widened in shock. H–how did he know she read it from a book...? The uh... kind that could get her questioned. That scene—she’d actually gotten it from a book she read back at home. And she remembered clearly the drama it had caused. She had rolled on the bed trying to drink in that scene and accidentally hit Ava awake. She had hidden the book fast, especially when Ava had grown curious about what she was reading. She couldn’t bring herself to explain. And now, that exact scene had popped into her head. And she’d tried it—with Zavren. D–does he know the book? Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt Zavren gently take her hand. "Let’s find you something to eat," he said calmly. She nodded. They walked together through the hallway until they reached a door. As it opened, Ariana froze. Food. Already prepared. A full spread. And yet, Zavren had said "let’s find something," as if it wasn’t already waiting for them. The aroma filled the hall, and her stomach rumbled again. Her eyes shot to Zavren—had he heard it? She pressed her lips together, praying he hadn’t noticed. Thankfully, he wasn’t looking at her. She placed a hand gently on her tummy. ’Calm down. Food is here. What kind of embarrassment is this one?’ she whispered in her head. But just then, it growled again. Ariana shut her eyes tightly. ’Wow, just wow’ she thought sarcastically. Zavren’s lips curled. And still, he pretended like he hadn’t heard a thing. Yes, it was normal—but her overthinking mind kept reminding her: that sound could be mistaken for two things—either hunger or... oh Lord... stomach upset... meaning purging. Her face burned further as she sat down—so fast, she didn’t even wait for Zavren to sit first. She quickly grabbed a spoonful of white rice and shoved it into her mouth. Anything to stop that sound from coming again. Zavren chuckled, and at this point, she wished the ground would just open and swallow her whole. He gently sat beside her, picking up a napkin. Slowly, he placed it on his lap. Then he picked up the fork and knife, taking a bite of food with graceful precision. He turned to her with a teasing look. "This... is what we call etiquette." Ariana couldn’t believe it. This man was really teasing her. She couldn’t blame him. She was Queen, after all—and some rice had already fallen on her gown. But on the bright side... The growling sound was gone. "Go on, sweetheart. Devour now," he said, a wicked grin tugging at his lips, "because I’ll be the next devouring." Her heart beat quickened. *** At the library, a flower lay on the floor—the very same flower that had caused a commotion earlier not long ago. It had fallen the moment Ariana entered, searching for books that day, yet she hadn’t even noticed. There it lay, untouched. Its petals strangely blooming, despite the fact that it was supposed to be the other way around. No sunlight. No water. Uprooted. Its roots were dead. Its body, too. Yet it petals bloomed. And then.. Bwoop. A flicker of fire burst from one of its petals. It flared briefly—just enough to burn the petal—before vanishing completely other petals still remained. A soft, unknown breeze swept through the air, catching the faint ash particles and lifting them gently. They moved in sync... floating... and then settled softly above an open book resting nearby. The title etched in elegant script read: The Secret Is Buried Within.