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“But—”
He shuts the door firmly in my face. I should barge in and — The snick of the lock engaging feels like a slap in the face. Doubt begins to crowd my thoughts. Why is he pushing me away?
A paw brushes my thigh. Ferb peers up at me in sympathy.
“I guess we have to sit this out.” I find a chair and drag it in front of the door. Ferb and I sit as sentinel guards, though Aris would probably disapprove. Despite anger and disappointment regarding my sisters’ abduction vying for top position, I can’t shut off my concern for Aris or the hurt from him excluding me. The silence behind the closed doors does nothing to ease the stress of not knowing what is happening.
Is he unconscious from blood loss? Aris isn’t the type to show me physical weakness. Argh, I’ve never hated his stubborn desire to shield me more than I do at this moment.
While worry eats the calm I’m barely holding onto, Phin saunters up to me. Her eerie golden eyes stare me down. After a few seconds under her intimidating gaze, the hell cat leaps onto my lap and curls into a ball, and closes her eyes. I sit frozen and in disbelief as she purrs. When she opens an eye and flicks her tail, I leap into action without knowing if I’m opening myself to an oncoming attack. Her acceptance comes as a surprise, but petting her begins to soothe my anxiety.
When the door opens, we leap from the chair and wait for Aris to exit. Pain brackets his mouth and his golden complexion pales under the strain. Our eyes meet and he nods reassuringly at me.
“You can’t fool me. You’re in pain.”
“I have some planning to do if I’m to get your sisters back. I’ll be in my office.”
“No!” I rush to block his path. “I won’t let you lock me out when this involves me, too.”
The standoff between us lasts a few seconds before Aris slumps against the wall.
“Aris.” I hug his waist and help him to his office. “Why must you act invincible when you need help?”
When we reach his office, I assist him onto his chair. Sweat dots his brow and a feverish glow brightens his eyes. Until now, the anger I’ve held at bay has simmered beneath the surface, but Aris’ continued silence when his suffering is so obvious pushes me beyond what I can bear.
“I’ve been left out of everything all my life. Never able to make choices for myself, being told where to go, how to dress, and who to marry. My life has never been my own. After I realized who you were to me, I forgave the way you tricked me into marrying you. But I won’t standby any longer and watch life pass me by.” I take a deep breath to help me muster the courage I’ll need for the next part and stare at him unflinchingly. “If you intend to leave me out of any decisions regarding my life or my family, don’t expect me to be here when you return.”
Aris struggles to his feet. “Don’t threaten me, agapiméni mou. You’re mine.”
I smile, one full of sadness. “You’re the one who issues threats.” I turn to leave, knowing that if I can’t reach him now, I’ll never be able to.
“You could be pregnant.”
My step falters. “Then I’ll be one of the many single mothers—”
“I would never let that happen.”
“You know what you need to do to stop me. I won’t accept anything short of that.” I head to the door. “I’ll direct your men here when they arrive.”
“Agapiméni mou…” He stalls me as I reach out for the door handle. “Why won’t you let this go?”
“Give me a reason.”
Aris falls and drops onto the chair. The fire in his eyes dims. “If I can’t uphold my promise to you, how can I ever be worthy of your love?”
“What?” I swing around and frown at him, this possibility never having crossed my mind.
“I promised to keep you and your sisters safe, thought I knew better. My arrogance is the reason they were taken. I have to fix my mistake.”
I rest against the doorjamb and cross my arms. “Do you think I’m like your adoptive parents? That you have to prove yourself to me over and over again or else I’ll discard you someday?”
“No, I—”
“Then don’t compound your lapse in judgment by keeping me in the dark. I deserve to know how you’re going to retrieve my sisters.”
In the fraught silence that follows, Aris studies me as if weighing everything he knows about me against a possible way to manipulate me. His shoulders slump and he bows his head. “Very well.”
I run to pepper kisses over his face and find myself on his lap with his tongue in my mouth, slowly gliding in and out, like he’s memorizing everything from my taste to the different textures of my teeth and tongue.
