Are you scared of me?

Zanuel walked behind Denisa, being pulled by her into the room, and stared at her, confused. Isn't she the same person who didn't want to see him a few minutes ago?

He said nothing and sat on the bed as told. Caroline, Robert, and Margaret stare at each other, watching him walk behind her. No one would have thought they would ever be able to witness their Lord being obedient to anyone, let alone a mortal.

Denisa pulls her gown up and sits beside Zanuel while he tries to understand her.

"Here, do your thing," she demands, pointing at her neck. "Stop the bleeding," she adds, staring at him.

Zanuel looks at her, confused; this woman is hard to predict. He stares at her neck, trailing his fingers against it, sending shivers down her spine. She trembles a little against his touch.

He slowly placed his palm against her neck, feeling her warm skin over his cold fingertips and her pulse beating faster.

Denisa tried to calm down, but it was not that easy; every part of her body craved for his touch. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.

'Stop it, Nes, stop it!' Denisa says she is calming her heart down.

Denisa stepped in because she had to; if she had ignored it too, no one would have dared step forward to stop Zanuel and Caroline; she definitely would have gotten her neck strangled.

And that is not something Denisa wanted to happen.

Denisa calmed herself down and opened her eyes. She saw Zanuel and noticed his eyes were glued to her lips. He was gulping hard, trying to keep his devil in check.

He leaned in and tried to tuck the strands of her raven black hair behind her ears, falling on her face, and gently held her neck with one hand while caressing her cheeks with another.

She looks at him blankly, puzzled by his tenderness and gentleness, while her cheeks turn red and her body burns hot with his slow touches, making her nervous and feeling the butterflies inside her stomach.

The closeness and the scent of him were making her crazy, and it was not easy for Zanuel either; he was having a hard time controlling the thoughts running through his head. Seeing her vulnerable and melting under his touch, there was an invisible magnet that was making it harder for them to stay away from each other.

Zanuel pulled himself back, using all his willpower to fight the devil and thoughts of pinning her to the bed under him and having her all for himself. He glanced at Denisa and saw her having a hard time too, though she said nothing, but he was aware of what his scent was capable of doing: making people around him want to throw themselves on him.

"It's healed," he says, pulling his hand away from her. He smirked, seeing the disappointment in her eye. She touches her neck, and there are no marks of the fangs.

"Thank you," she says, moving away from him, but he was not ready to let her go. She cocks her head, looking at him, and he slowly takes his hands off her.

Zanuel was having a hard time trying to stay sane; the closeness was killing him, but when she tried to move away, he couldn't bear to let that happen. His eyes stuck on her lips, dying to taste her; if only he hadn't moved away, he could have tasted her.

Denisa pulled her gown and got up awkwardly from the bed, moving away from him. She didn't want to make the situation more complicated than it already is.

"Are you scared of me, Nes?" He asks, staring at her and watching her walk away from him. She doesn't say a word and stares at him for a moment before she decides to speak.

"I don't know; you tell me, should I be scared? You know you are beyond my imagination; you know my nickname, which only my parents used to call it?" she asks him, turning to him.

Zanuel's eyes trailed her, carefully searching for the words to use and continue the conversation with her; he wouldn't want to use the wrong words to make her shut herself off from him.

"You told me your name," he says, getting up from the bed and walking closer to her. She looked at him puzzled and confused.

"I did?" she questions. "Yes, in the dungeon," he says, pushing the hair falling on her shoulder.

Denisa tried to remember, but she had no memory of telling him. She pulled herself away from him, trying to avoid him as her body was burning with something she didn't know under his touch.

"I don't think I did that",she says, walking to the window and gazing at the stars, trying to avoid him. a Theonly thing she remembered about the dungeon was his red eyes.

Zanuel didn't force her to remember, as he knew she might have forgotten. "Rest well, Denisa," he says, walking out of her room.

Denisa looked at Zanuel's back as he walked out of the room without looking back at her.

Why are you not scared of him, Nes? He's the man who was in a coffin; no doubt he is evil; you already know no devil is good; you heard stories of them as you grew up from Olivia; no one would lock a good person in a coffin alive. Stop thinking about unnecessary things! Just focus on how to get out of here, she reminded herself.

Denisa is more worried about Olivia; she has to go back, and Olivia can only handle her absence for a couple of days.

The knock on the door brings her back from her thoughts. The huge doors open, and Margaret walks into the room. "My lady," she says, walking closer to Denisa, holding the platter in her hands.

Denisa looks at Margaret, who is walking towards her.

"My Lady, your supper," she says, placing the platter on the table.

"Thank you," Denisa says, waiting for her to leave, but Margaret stayed. "You have something to say to me?" she asks her.

"Yes, My Lady," as expected; she knew this was coming.

"What is it?" Denisa asks, walking to her, "My lady, about Caroline, why?" Denisa knew about this: "Why did I save her? Is that what you want to ask me?" She questions her for crossing her arms against her chest.

"Yes, my lady, why did you save her earlier? If you hadn't stepped in, the Lord would have avenged you." Margaret says clearly confused. Denisa narrows her eyes and looks at her confused and lets a small chuckle out. "Margaret, am I right?" she asks her. "Yes, my lady," Margaret replies.

"First thing, I am not dead, so to avenge me is not a question, and about saving her, it looked like you guys wanted that, but no one said that out loud," Denisa states. Margaret smiles looking at her. "You are different," she says, her eyes shining, "and you surely are not scared of my Lord," she adds, smiling widely and looking at her with amusement.

Denisa narrowed her eyes, frustrated. "Why are you people so curious if I'm scared of him?" she answered with another question. Margaret can see she is not that ordinary after all; 'maybe that's why Lord finds her amusing and doesn't want to let her go.

Denisa looks at Margaret, clueless as to what she is murmuring about. "Can you speak a little louder?" she demands of her. "My lady, I will take my leave; my lord will join you for supper in a few minutes."

"Lord? why-" Denisa was not ready, not just yet, but before she could protest, Margaret left without saying another word or answering Denisa.

"Why!!!" Denisa lets out a frustrated sigh, not knowing how to control herself again if they're left alone again.

Denisa didn't know what was happening; she was slowly getting closer to Zanuel, an invisible string pulling at her heartstrings, which Aurous was never able to do all these years. She walked back and forth, trying to calm herself. Not knowing how to face Zanuel after the almost kiss, the door opened wide open. She panicked and stood there, smiling awkwardly, as he walked into the room.

"You're here," she says, pulling her hair back and showing her healed neck. Zanuel didn't see her and walked straight to the couch and settled down. He looked up and saw Denisa, who was still standing awkwardly smiling at him. "Oh yeah," she says, taking a seat on the chair across from him.

Denisa is a mess; she can't hide anything, and everything is written on her face. Zanuel could literally read her face as an open book.

They both had supper in silence; no words were spoken. Zanuel placed his spoon on the side of the plate, wiped his lips with the napkin, and glanced at Denisa, who was busy staring at him and his lips.

"What happened, Denisa?" Zanuel pointed out that cornering her

"Uh, nothing." Denisa was caught off guard and flustered.

"You are staring at me; you have been staring at me." Zanuel says he is waiting for her to give him a reason.

"No, uh, no, I." She tried to come up with something to say, but she couldn't find words.

Zanuel stares at Denisa, who is faking to eat, but she can't continue and keeps her spoon down, wipes the corners of her lips, and looks at him, mustering the courage to speak.

"I want to go back," Denisa said, gazing back at him.

"You can't." Zanuel did not hide or hover with his words.

Zanuel, my family is there, and if I don't show up, the King will kill her." Zanuel looked puzzled at her, wondering how and who told her his name.

Oh, am I not allowed to call you by your name? You want me to address you as Lord too?" She asks sarcastically, and he stays calm, staring at her.

Denisa looked at him puzzled, thinking he was confused about how she knew his name, but he was not.

"I read your name on the coffin," Denisa confessed. Zanuel stayed silent, staring at her, who was firm to leave; it looked more like an excuse to him, as she just wants to leave the palace so that she doesn't have to face him anymore, as she thinks it was him, the reason for all the problems she is facing, and she was right, but he couldn't accept it.

Zanuel walks away from her, leaving her confused. She knew he wouldn't let her go, but she was expecting a conversation, but he just left. She stood there thinking of ways, but it is not easy to escape the palace at your will, let alone the palace of demons.

'I will go back, Zanuel! And I don't need your permission for that.