1. PROLOGUE

He was sweating profusely.

His heart hammered violently against his chest. The cold air around him was not helping his situation. He had found refuge in an empty barn as he believed this was the only place he could truly be left alone to face the devil of what was happening to him.

He could see the shadows threatening to attack him. The only thing keeping them at bay was the little window which let in light from the crescent moon.The moonlight not only kept the shadows away but also illuminated his features.

His back was rested against an abandoned wagon that was filled up with hay. For this reason, some of the hay got into his messy curls. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and rolled down his face. When the light from the moon touched those beads, they gave his light brown skin a glistening effect.

The light went on to fall over the silk white shirt he wore. It was opened at the chest, therefore, exposing the rich contours of his smooth chest. Sadly, the view came to an end above his navel. His dark brown breeches had become dirty due to the fact that he was sitting on the bare ground of the dirty barn. Even his boots inherited the dirt of the barn.

Yet none of these things bothered him. He was more concerned with what he was facing. The main reason why he had come to hide in the barn in the first place.

The night felt quiet. Too quiet. It was as if the night could feel the dilemma that he was going through.

He felt himself burning up from the inside. It was a type of fire that he had never felt before. He threw a glance down to his fingers and noticed new sets of claws threatening to grow out of his nails. The horror was that they were already emerging.

He squeezed his fist so tight that the claws entered his palm and caused crimson liquid to flow out of the injury.

"What is happening to me?" He asked himself in a deep baritone voice that had been destabilized with fear.

His body suddenly began to tremble. The fear and uncertainty of not understanding were sending him on edge.

As he was still battling with himself he caught a scent, a very familiar scent. It was a strange mixture of coconut and roses. There was only one person in the world he knew to have this unique mixture of scent.

Mariana.

It surprised him that he had caught her scent when she had not even gotten into the barn. He was surprised that she was coming his way yet he felt some kind of comfort that she was the one coming. So he waited for her to reach him.

He was almost beginning to think he imagined it until he saw her silhouette appear by the door. He said nothing as he watched her step into the moonlight.

She looked as gracious as ever. Her dark blue dress fell over her legs and flowed to the floor. Her curly mass of hair fell over her shoulders and stopped by her waist. Her fair skin seemed to glowed under the moonlight and her light brown eyes were no exception. Her small face housed the smallest of noses and small yet full lips.

She looked like a goddess who had descended from the moon itself. Her hands were placed together before her gown so that she still carried the gracious air of the lady she was.

"Mariana, what are you doing here?" He whispered trying to hide the turmoil that he was feeling inside.

Mariana only smiled before moving toward him. She knelt before him and examined the young man. There was sympathy and concern in her eyes.

"Lucius, oh Lucius. Look at you," She breathed in a small and melodious voice. It was so soothing that it brought warmth to Lucius' racing heart.

She slowly brought her hands to his cheek and felt the rough scar that began above his eyes, down to his lips.

Lucius shut his eyes as he found himself getting affected by her touch. The way she trailed her fingers over his scar left electric sensations throbbing at the spot. His once hammering heart found calmness immediately and it was no longer racing with fear. It was now racing with excitement.

"Mariana. . ." He whispered. The claws that had being threatening to be unleashed retreated to their hiding places. The dilemma was gone. He was fine again.

Mariana did not stop with her fingers. She kept caressing his face before surprising him with her next move.

She eliminated tye distance between them and planted a soft kiss on his left cheek. She kept peppering his skin with kisses that Lucius thought he would go mad with desire. She trailed her kisses down to his neck and all Lucius could say in return was her name; as he felt electric sensations throbbing on every spot which her lips touched.

"Mariana. . ."

Mariana stopped planting kisses on his neck and gazed into his glowing gray eyes. He looked mythical yet enchanting. Everything about him excited her.

"Mariana, you know we shouldn't. . ." Lucius finally got the courage to speak.

"Hush! Do not speak to me about that. It is you I want," She protested.

"You are betrothed to my prince and the heir to the throne. I am nothing but a mere guard to the prince. If word gets out about what we're doing then he will surely have our heads," Lucius pointed out.

Mariana did not stop gazing into Lucius' eyes. For a moment, she looked serious and Lucius was beginning to feel that he had succeeded in getting past her stubbornness. Until she broke her silence.

"Screw him. It is you I desired before. It is you I desire now. And it is you I will always desire. He can have my head, I don't care!" She exclaimed.

Immediately after she finished, she crashed her lips against Lucius lips.m and he felt an explosion of sensations in his heart. His body burned with desire as he accepted her kiss.

Her lips felt soft; too soft. They were almost like sweet honey. Her body's warmth sipped into him and he wanted more of it.

At a point, Lucius feared that he was going to burn from her fire. For the way she moved her lips on his made him reach places he had never been to. It felt right to have her there with him at that very moment even if he knew that he was wrong.

Lucius knew it deep down that Mariana was eventually going to be the cause of his destruction. He could feel it in his guts yet he chose to remain. He chose to hold on to her warmth. To hold on to the feelings of joy that she brought him. To hold on to the love that he could only get from her.

Lucius chose to allow her destroy him. It was the price he had to pay for falling in love with Mariana— the prince's betrothed.