Chapter 49

Snowe's POV

It's annoying how all Zai has to do is look at me, to send my body into a frenzy. His eyes locked me in place, which was frustrating because of how badly I wanted to touch him.

"Do you remember what I said... during our consummation ceremony?" Zai asked while placing his hands on my shoulders and pinning me to the floor.

"You said a lot of things," I replied bashfully... feeling honestly confused.

"I said... if anyone touched you... I'd rip their throat out." He stated while kissing my inner thigh and looking up at me. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL?! Before I could get my thoughts together he put his mouth to work and it was hard for me to remember anything. Once we were finished my questions came rushing back but I was too tired to ask, and ended up taking a nap before I realized it. BUT when I woke up I was in panic mode, I had been tucked in and placed on the bed and to my surprise, Zai was sitting in the corner of the room, fully dressed with his knife out, flipping it around aimlessly in his hand.

"Did you kill him?" I asked, half scared of the answer. 

"... I didn't come here to kill anyone," Zai answered and I sighed with relief. "Someone like him can survive injuries like that." He... did go back to see Smoke... "I'm not a great person. I'm petty and I hold grudges and I lie, for fun sometimes. Just to see what I can get away with. You... never admonish me, even though I feel like you should." What is he trying to say...

"You told me... you lie all the time. So I knew that before we got married... before I got so attached to you. But I thought it was okay because I always know when you're lying."

"Oh... do you?" He turned his face to me and even in this tense situation my heart melted.

"Yes.... for example... you lied when you said you didn't care what happened to Cera... you care about all your brothers.... even the ones you don't like." Zai chuckled lightly,

"Fair enough..."

"And you lied... when you said you weren't mad with me... when I suggested going to work alone." He froze, this time not voicing a reply. "You... were also happy that I didn't realize you were proposing to me that day... It was true, that the ritual was common knowledge, but only for Afarions. So you weren't shocked that I didn't know." 

"Oh..." Zai replied.

"You lie with your expressions... you always appear happy but... you're usually not." In an instant, Zai was beside me on the bed and I pulled up the comforter to hide my bare skin.

"I guess... I can't fool you. I sound manipulative. You're not upset with me?"

"If our roles were reversed... I feel like I would've done the same thing. If you were weak and I could offer my power to you, I would. If there was a way that I could ensure that we stayed together I would take it and... if you left me.... I'd rather not suffer through that long. I thought about it a lot, so I have no right to be upset." His eyes were scanning my face so I looked away from him, flustered.

"I did... I called your ex out again and had a third fight. He fought better this time, but the second he let his guard down I dug my fingers into his neck and... well...He aimed for my neck in retaliation but I moved out of his range too quickly, tore his throat, and watched him bleed out... but then I remembered you begging me not to kill him.... so I... helped him recover and we talked." If he grabbed Zai's neck or hit his chest, Zai wouldn't have had time to cleanse the poison before it affected him.

"So... you threatened him?" Zai laughed and smiled at me the one he makes when he's actually in a good mood.

"Yes... I know it wasn't a big deal to you... but I was really pissed off."

"It was... no... it IS a big deal! I just... don't think it's worth killing anyone over." I explained...

"Disrespect is handled differently here... I understand that. It's practically a death sentence on Afaria." He placed his hand on mine. "He wanted me to tell you he was sorry... I don't think he'll contact you again. I'm sorry but if I let him off too easy, I would've ended up hating him." Did they come to some type of agreement?

"That's fine... Feels like coming here was nothing but drama." My response made him laugh and he started kissing across my collarbone.

"Yeah... was a lot more fun than I was expecting." I giggled, partially because of his response and because of his lips, which were tickling me.

"Is this what you did with Giga?" I teased, and then he bit my neck hard and I yelped.

"Stop talking." He said in a threatening voice, I rubbed where he chomped me.

"Oh... are you mad?" I teased him more. We glared at each other for a moment then both started laughing,

"No... you're the only one I do this with." He reassured me, "I can't resist you." There he goes again... saying something to get me all shy and awkward.

"I...thought it was just me, that couldn't resist you." After my reply his lips were pressed on mine and the comforter was snatched away and thrown across the room. Then he bit my bottom lip. "Ow?! Why?"

"I want... the memories of today to stand out to you... I think today is important." I pouted at his explanation.

"So you bite me?" He nodded while undressing.

"Pain makes memories stand out," Zai answered, and then he was on top of me. 

"I love you..." As soon as I uttered those words his eyes glowed brightly, lighting the room, I could also see waves of light pulsing through his hair.

"I love you too." And when we connected this time I sensed the anger leaving his body... We were supposed to visit my mom today... but I suppose it can wait until tomorrow. When I woke up the next day, Zai was sitting in the corner again, staring at the wall. I wonder what he thinks about when he's awake, by himself while I sleep. "We should go." He stated suddenly, maybe he heard the bed shift or noticed my breathing change since he could tell I was not asleep without even looking at me.

"Oh... yeah... I'll go ahead and wash up and get dressed. Sorry, you had to wait on me." Zai laughed,

"Why are you apologizing... I'm the one who made you so tired." How dare he?! He knows how flustered I get when he talks like that... But if he can tease me, he's probably in a good mood. I'm glad. When I finished getting dressed Zai stood up and smiled at me and hugged me by my waist. "Don't look at me like that or we'll be stuck in here all day again."

"Zai! We can do that when we get home! Stop procrastinating." He sighed. 

"Fine... we'll do it as soon as we get home, then."

"Zai!" I shouted flustered, then he held up our card and teleported us to the entrance.

"Show me the way to the prison." I don't know what he wants to see my mom for but... The wedding is over they'd definitely ask us to leave that room by today. And it'd be so embarrassing to be walked in on by the cleanup crew!

"We have to turn in our key first." After I said this Zai handed me the key and I walked to the front desk to return it.

"Oh! Thank you, I hope you enjoyed your stay! And sorry about our crew member entering your room. You should have activated the Do Not Disturb function if you were... um... preoccupied." ...processing... THE CLEANUP CREW ENTERED THE ROOM?! and based on her statement they saw more than I would ever want anyone to see.

"It's fine!" I yelled then ran back over to Zai and whispered, "Let's get the heck out of here." He seemed to be stifling a laugh, he probably heard that conversation... did he notice the person enter the room and say nothing?! I had us teleported as close to the prison as possible and Zai carried me the rest of the way, to save time. I did so much walking last time I was here. Being with Zai saves so much time. We told the guard we were visitors and they asked who I wanted to see. He seemed surprised, like last time, that someone was visiting her. She seemed much happier to see me this time.

"You came back! I'm sorry for calling you a disappointment! It only hit me after you left that you might not come back. I was so happy to have company that I..." Mom explained while being escorted to her chair then she looked at Zai and her eyes grew wide. "Who... who...Who?!"

"This is my husband, Zaikel," I stated. And her mouth dropped,

"I... thought you'd be with that man again. You know they released him from jail, right?" She noted.

"For the last time, I was never dating Qon!" She was taken aback by my shouting and Zai sat down beside me and held my hand under the table.

"I insisted on seeing you since we were in the area," Zai explained, and I swear my mom swooned. Gross! Has she been alone so long that she can't control herself? Even her eyes were a pale violet. "Snowe looks a lot like you." He commented. I hated that fact.

"How long have you been together?!" She interrogated.

"About 5 months." He answered and she grinned.

"I knew it! You'd be living off some m..." Then she stopped herself and cleared her throat.

"My brother found her, looking beat up and in chains in the forest near our house. He said he could tell she'd been through something traumatic so we allowed her to be our roommate. And I am the one who seduced her, not the other way around. Just so you know." Then he smiled in her direction and my mom shrank in her seat as if she was a child being reprimanded.

"I... don't know how it happened... but I escaped Qon and ended up outside their home," I added, to support his statement. Mom looked around the room and mumbled.

"Fine, whatever... Well, aren't you lucky then? You ended up marrying this handsome man! I'm jealous." She noted and I gripped Zai's hand for comfort. He kissed my forehead to help relax me.

"I just wanted to see the person who raised my wife... you are the one who's lucky..." Zai began... is she lucky I'm her daughter? I doubt she feels that way. "that you're locked up in here because if those guards weren't protecting you, you'd be dead right now." Oh dang! He's mad!