Chapter 168: A Safe Haven In The Dark
Just as Gavriel finally pulled away, he traced her beautiful features almost reverently before taking her hand and opening his other palm, allowing the ruby ring to materialise out of thin air.
He slipped the ring back onto her finger before lifting her hand and pressing a tender kiss to her fingers.
Only then did he move to get up.
But just as he did, her fingers twitched before curling around his own, causing his head to snap down to see if she was finally awake.
To his surprise, however, she was still very much asleep, yet she refused to let go of his hand.
Something inexplicable stirred within his heart, and just like that, he carefully lay down beside her on the bed.
Carefully, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist while shielding her head. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss just beneath her ear before burying his face in the warm crook of her neck.
As the exhaustion and tension from everything they had gone through slowly left his body, Gavriel continued to hold her tight and finally closed his eyes.
At that moment, nothing else in the world mattered. All he wanted was to let her presence ground him and bring him back to life.
In the quiet darkness of the room, he whispered his final vow, "I will never let you go."
At his words, Bellarios completely calmed down, as if Gavriel’s quiet promise had sung a soothing lullaby to his inner beast. Safe and curled up in their bedroom, the devil finally fell asleep with his little rose held securely in his arms.
....
Far away from the city, deep within a cave hidden by a dense forest, a man made his way through a dark tunnel that eventually opened into a vast hollow chamber.
At its centre lay a pool of black water, above which rested a large rectangular slab of stone resembling an altar. Streaks of dried blood stained the rock and the surrounding ground, a clear sign that sacrificial rituals had once taken place there.
His footsteps came to a halt at the edge of the pool before he began chanting something dark and ancient. Soon, wisps of black smoke started to rise from the water, and the dark liquid slowly took the shape of a man’s silhouette.
A deep, sinister voice echoed through the silent cave.
"What is the meaning of this disturbance, Mord?"
"Forgive me, Master, for disturbing your rest. But there is something urgent that I thought would interest you."
"Oh?" A hint of intrigue entered the voice.
"And what might that be?" he drawled.
"It concerns him... there is a woman he intends to marry." Mord continued to keep his head lowered as he delivered the news.
The silhouette fell silent for several moments before finally asking, "Tell me... everything."
A wicked smirk played across Mord’s lips as he began recounting everything he knew about Gavriel and Aliana.
.....
There was a small sting at first... like a needle pricking her heart.
Then the pain slowly intensified, as though the needle were growing larger and larger, transforming into something far more vicious... a dagger. One that seemed determined to force its way into her heart. She felt the burning sensation spread throughout her body, accompanied by a visceral rejection of the phantom hands holding her down.
’No! I cannot let that vile man take advantage of me!’ she thought, her consciousness trapped inside the confines of that small container.
’I need to protect myself!’
’No!’ Aliana screamed in her mind before her eyes snapped open to the dark room once more.
Her breathing was so harsh it felt as though she had run miles without stopping. Cold sweat broke out across her skin as the panic she had been carrying continued to rise within her.
She still felt as if she were trapped there, in that dark, dingy shipping container, with Jacob trying to force himself on her.
Helplessness clawed at her from the inside out as she felt the heavy, suffocating weight of a powerful arm wrapped around her.
Her body trembled in terror until she finally heard a soft, magnetic voice over her. "Shh... you are okay, baby. You are safe now."
She felt hands running over her back, fingers threading through her hair in a soothing, rhythmic touch.
The voice did not stop, pouring over her like a gentle stream of water. "I’m here... you are safe, Ana." He peppered soft kisses against the crown of her head, trying to bring her back to reality.
With the gentle voice continuing to murmur against her hair, along with that soothing touch, something warm finally seeped into Aliana’s icy heart. His warmth poured into the cracks of her defenses, and slowly, her senses began to register the reality around her.
As her vision adjusted to the dark room, she realized she was not staring at the concrete ceiling of that container, but at the intricately decorated ceiling of a luxurious room.
She recognised the weight of his body pressing against her, followed by the scent of his expensive, fresh minty cologne that always reminded her of cold rain. It was unique, comforting, and all too familiar.
Then, it dawned on her that her own fingernails were digging mercilessly into his rock-solid biceps.
A stunned silence settled over the room, broken only by her ragged breathing.
Her lips trembled as a cracked voice finally escaped her throat, as if she needed confirmation that she was neither dreaming nor trapped in that nightmare anymore.
"G-Gav?"
As soon as his name left her lips, Gavriel lifted himself away from her just enough for her to see his face and replied calmly, "Yes, it’s me."
Her wide grey eyes welled with tears as she looked at his handsome face hovering only inches away. Meeting his icy blue eyes, she whispered, "T-this isn’t a dream... right?"
He pressed his hand against her cheek, gently brushing away the teardrops that slid down her skin. "It’s real," he replied in a quiet, unwavering voice. "You are safe now."
And that was all the confirmation Aliana needed.
Before her scattered mind could fully process it, she finally released her punishing grip on his arm and threw her arms around his neck.
Burying her face in his neck, tears spilled freely down her cheeks as though a dam had finally broken inside her. The overwhelming emotions she had been holding back came crashing down all at once, leaving her powerless against them.
Gavriel, on the other hand, gently rolled onto his side, taking her with him, and pulled her tighter against his body, silently allowing her to let it all out.
