Forty six

JADE POV.

I burned. That was the only way I could describe what his touch had done to me.

Gathering enough water into my hand, I splashed it against my face as if the sting of the ice-cold water would douse the fire that raged through my blood.

His scent lingered around me, making me feel even more needy and horny than I had been. His touch had been heaven, and I did not realize how starved I was or how much I needed it until that very moment. I could still feel every ridge of his muscles pressing against me, the scent of his arousal and the feel-good pheromones that had flooded my system as he'd held me close still filling the emptiness in my chest.

His voice was freaking divine and reassuring, and I wanted to listen to it over and over again, I wanted to feel his hands against my throat, and I wanted him to do all the filthy things that he thought about in his head to me. It was all shades of fucked up.

"Snap the fuck out of it" I snapped, my hands smacking against my cheeks sharply. I was angry. That was the only emotion I could relate to, not after everything that had happened and the time that has passed. He should never have shown his face, not after he let me go.

I did not know I was mad about that until I stood, staring at my reflection in the mirror, after encountering the man I was destined to spend eternity with.

Astra had said he would never let his mate go once he found her, and yet he'd allowed me to go without even putting up a fight. He didn't come after me, didn't reach for me even tho he'd sworn never to let me leave him. It had all been bullshit.

A week after I left and before I totally shut him out, I'd anticipated that he would come for me, but when he didn't, it just made me feel unwanted, like all he said to me was just a bunch of lies that he spewed to everyone he'd ever held captive. And it hurt. A lot more than I thought it would. I was the one who rejected him, but it felt like I had been the one rejected.

It was just as it had always been. Unseen and unwanted, and I had accepted it, except that he was back in the picture, and his showing up now was going to ruin everything I'd carefully managed to build up.

I wiped my face and inhaled deeply. It wasn't going to be easy for him to just come waltzing back into my life and claim me as his this time. I wasn't going to allow it. He was not my Master. Whatever we had was done. I was no longer in Etral, and he had no right to invade my territory.

I had threatened to kill him if he ever showed up in front of me, and even vowed to burn Etral to the ground while I was still his captive, but I hadn't followed through on any of them, all because I had been running off like a coward as he'd said.

Maybe it was time I stopped running, face him head-on, and take all I needed from him before I destroyed him.

I smirked into the mirror, my heart pumping rapidly in my chest, and for the first time, I felt freaking alive.

I was stronger now, so Dearil had another thing coming if he thought that I was just going to submit and let him do whatever it was he wanted.

He'd decided to challenge me and be on the side of my rival even tho he claimed that I was his mate. Shouldn't he have chosen me instead? But then again, I did not need him to choose me.

My heart stuttered in pain at the thought and I let out a tired sigh. It was all because of the change, I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to run to him or push him away even though I hated him.

Yet something in me needed him, wanted him, wanted to feel his touch, and even as I swore to destroy him, all I wanted was to go to him and have him pour his scent all over me until I felt the fog in my head and the pain in my heart subside as it had while I was on his arms just a while back.

"Enough!" I yelled. "You have never needed anyone. You can fucking do it on your own... you do not need Dearil Vaughn Lyall" I screamed at my reflection while my heart pounded against my ribs.

Stepping away from the mirror, I stepped out of the restroom, the anger mixed with lust still simmering within me.

I wanted to crush something, especially Dearil for showing up and making me a mess. Simone and Franco were soon by my side, but it was as if they ceased to exist.

"Are you ok, Don" Simone asked and I paused, turning to face him.

"No I am not. He humiliated me in front of those men and I will not take it standing down. He deserves to be punished for what he has done".

"Just give us the order Don, and we'll put him in a body bag".

"No" I snapped. "I will handle Dearil Vaughn myself. This is fucking personal, but you both will still have a role to play. I want all those men who accompanied Edward Jones killed"

They both nodded. "And what about Ares? Do we plan a rescue mission".

I considered it, but I knew since Dearil knew getting Ares back was important to me, he would take it upon himself to be on the lookout for Ares and have him extremely guarded.

"I will handle it," I said, then walked out of the private hall.

The casino was still packed full, and as I walked towards the exit, the scent of Dearil hit me, and I could see him standing by the wall with a drink in hand and staring at me.

I felt the heat from his gaze despite the distance that stood between us. I fisted my hands as he raised the glass to his lip and took a drink, his eyes pinned on me the entire time. His throat moved as he swallowed, his lips wet and red from the liquid.

A lady bumped into my arms as she made to pass. Her apology faded Into the background because I could only see Dearil.

I fucking burned the longer my gaze lingered on him, everything in me pulling me towards him. I took two steps in his direction, then stopped and exited the building instead.

The ride back to my fortress was filled with so much tension that I could cut through it with a knife.

Once I got there, I exited the car and gave them orders not to disturb me for anything.

I stepped into the living room and paused when Lexis stood up to acknowledge my presence, a scowl on her face.

Seeing her reminded me of Hayden and that soured my mood further.

"You hurt Hayden," Lexis said, coming towards me slowly. "All he has ever done was to try and please you, so why did you have to do that to him".

"I do not need to answer any of your questions. You left the house I placed you in without permission..."

"Bullshit! You make up some fucking rules and you do not follow them yourself. You are Hayden's master, and yet you do not know how much pain he can take before he's had enough. The doctor said he's going to have permanent scars but you do not care do you, because you are a fucking monster" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

I stared at her, what she had referred to me as hitting too close to home. "Go home," I said and moved past her.

"Let him go" she yelled and I stopped. "He's not going to give up on you unless you let him go. You know how he feels for you and that is why you have been holding unto him because all you have ever wanted was to have someone who saw you as their world".

"You do not know what you are talking about" I roared, turning to face Lexis. I was so mad that there was a chance she was right in her assumption, I wanted nothing more than to bash her head against the wall.

"Really? Then why won't you let him go if you do not want him? You know he loves you and yet you indulge him by making little gestures of affection that you know will make him feel hopeful that maybe he might have a chance with you, but you and I know that it would never be the case because you do not possess the heart for the word called love. Let Hayden go once and for all. I love him, and I cannot bear to see him hurt" she said, her confession catching me off guard.

We both stood in silence. I'd hurt Hayden and she was right that I could never love him the way Hayden deserved to, she was also right that I kept him dangling, waiting until I decided to show him a bit of affection, which in turn gave him hope that I felt something for him, but cutting Hayden off once and for all felt daunting. He was the only one who had never been afraid to show just how enthralled he was with me, I knew he would die for me If I told him to. It was not fair to him. I was fucking selfish, and even though that wouldn't have bothered me in the past, it did now. Hayden did not deserve to be treated that way.

"Fine. I will let him go then".

Lexis blinked as if she couldn't quite believe the words coming out of my mouth.

"What?"

"Tell him that he is free and can do whatever it is he wants to. I will not be entertaining him any longer" I said, and turned to go to my room, feeling more drained than felt possible.

"You have to tell him yourself if you really mean it" she called after me. "Hearing it from me means nothing to him, so you have to come to tell him yourself".

I turned to face her. "And why should I go to him?"

"Because you whipped him so bad he can't even walk. You should be taking care of him as his mistress but you're not that sought of Mistress are you? You only care about your own pleasure".

"Enough. You may leave. I will come over and end everything" I said and walked out of the room. I could feel Lexis' gaze on my back, I could also feel her hate, then there was fear, then anxiety, then sinister darkness that told me she was planning something bad.

I turned to face her, the angry look on her face not disappearing fast enough as I caught her off guard.

It didn't matter. There was nothing she planned that I wouldn't catch from a mile away.