“I was looking for you.” She said.

“Really?” He pushed the door close behind him without tearing his gaze away from her. This reminded her of her dream and her heart skipped a beat.

Ares stepped closer, his eyes darkening with every step. Ravina kept her ground, despite the sudden tension in the air.

“You make it difficult to keep distance and remain a gentleman with such behavior.” he drawled coming to stand in front of her.

“You made it clear you don’t want to keep a distance when you left this on my neck,” she said removing the hair to show him.

He smirked. “That was in a moment of frustration which I am still in.”

“Then I shall keep my distance,” she said brushing past him and going to the door.

She was about to open it when Ares’s arm extended from behind her and he pushed the door close. “You don’t come and go as you wish, Your Highness.” He said next to her ear while trapping her between him and the door.

Ravina still tried to open it but he kept it shut and instead moved his body closer to hers. She could feel his hot breath in her hair. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest and she shivered as his hot breath moved closer to the nape of her neck.

His hand reached for hers, removing her grasp around the door handle. Taking her other hand, he pinned them both against the door and pushed his body into hers.

Ravina was about to open her mouth to protest when his hot mouth branded her neck. He kissed her roughly, sucking, nibbling, and biting all the way down to her shoulder. He released her wrists but held her pinned with his body. He removed the dress from her shoulders and laced both of them with possessive kisses.

Ravina leaned back against him allowing his mouth to claim her, his hands to stroke her impatiently and ignite heat within her that she didn’t think existed.

Ares swirled her around and pushed her back against the door. His body was hot and hard against hers and so was his mouth. She could feel the anger and frustration in his kiss, the feelings she wasn’t allowing herself he was speaking through his actions.

His arms came around her waist as his mouth left hers and ventured down her throat. She arched against him and leaned her head back as his mouth continued further down, kissing her chest, sucking the swell of her breasts, and coaxing a moan out of her lips.

She grasped his shoulders as her legs began to cave. He lifted her up and took her to his bed, not pinning her between him and the soft mattress. She panicked a little as she came back to her senses for a moment. Would he go all the way? Would she lose her virtue today?

Maybe she should. She was leaving and she would rather give her virtue to the man she liked than to her enemy. She wanted to know what it felt like to be with a man. One that she desired.

“Wait!” She breathed pushing him away lightly.

He looked up at her with eyes ablaze.

“Not now.” She told him.

She had to protect herself first from getting pregnant and she had to secure the walls around her heart. This would only be desire.

Ares frowned. “Are you…?”

Her heart skipped. Was that not what he intended to do?

She pushed herself up. “I am leaving.” She began not knowing how to word it. “I… I want to give myself to you.”

She looked away feeling her heart beat fast. There was a moment of silence and then she felt him lean closer. He placed a kiss on her shoulder. “I want you, Ravina.”

She sucked in a sharp breath before turning to him. “Give me until tomorrow night.” She told him.

He nodded.

She hurried to get out of his bed and adjusted her hair and dress. She then turned back to him, “no feelings involved.” She said feeling utterly crude.

He tilted his head amused. “Are you telling me not to make love to you?”

Her heart leaped to her throat and her face flushed. He leaned closer and watched her intensely. “I never do that, so don’t worry.”

What did that mean?

He chuckled. “You don’t understand, do you?”

She frowned.

He stood up and came to her. He grabbed a few strands of her hair. “You are confused and you don’t know what you are asking. I am sure you can figure out until tomorrow night what exactly you want me to do.” He grabbed her jaw and traced her cheek with his thumb. “I will do to you exactly what you want me to.”

She slapped his hand away unsure of why. “I can still shoot you.”

“You already have. If only I could die faster.”

She frowned. “Tell me your secret. Maybe I can help.”

“What is the point?”

“What do you mean? You will get to live.”

He smiled. “I thought we wouldn’t involve feelings.”

“This is not funny. This is also about my uncle. Let me do something.”

“You already are. You are leaving. I believe you can succeed and maybe there you will find the protection you seek. I read more about breedmates.”

So that was why he was angry. She would find the protection he couldn’t offer her somewhere else. She could understand how he felt.

“Maybe you will finally bring an end to this.” He told her.

Would she?

“Also, if you pretend for too long you will become what you pretend to be.”

She shivered knowing deep down what he meant.

“When that happens, then just allow yourself to be happy.”

No! That would not happen. She would not live long enough for that to happen. She would die in the process of it happening.

Ares couldn’t actually believe this. He was just consoling himself for allowing her to leave.

“I will.” She told him.

“Good.” He nodded. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

She looked at him for a long moment. “Yes.”

He smirked.