Yes, My Alpha: Mother of an Empire

Chapter 37

Ophelia glowered at Darius despite the smug look on his face. "If you're curious about what I feel then just ask. Don't put on a damn play." Ophelia huffed flicking his forehead. "You'd get a lot more than twenty lashings for an accusation like that Reeds," Darius remarked rubbing his forehead. "I didn't put on a play." Darius huffed offended, "What kind of person do you think I am?" Darius asked, "A scammer." Ophelia replied instantly with an indignant expression.

Darius's eyes twitched and he grabbed her cheeks pinching them, "You're so lucky I like you." He hissed through clenched teeth clearly annoyed. Ophelia decided to return the treatment in kind and pinched his cheeks. "I've obviously let you get away with too much you little snake." Ophelia snapped the two of them glared at each other. Darius pushed her down onto the bed, "I could say the same thing about you." He pinned her arms above her head. Ophelia not to be outdone flipped Darius under her returning the favor. This started a rather short-lived cycle of them flipping each other under them...

Until they fell off the bed onto the ground. Without meaning to, Ophelia fell back hitting the ground harshly, Darius's forehead bounced off of hers and they both groaned when their noses hit each other. "Fuck!" "Shit!" Both of them swore holding their noses, Ophelia sat up, and Darius sat on her hips holding his nose. "You okay?" He asked first, "I'm fine, are you okay?" Ophelia questioned. Darius sighed, "I'm fine." He lowered his hands, "That hurt like hell." He complained.

Ophelia rubbed her forehead and sighed, Darius was doing much the same. "I didn't put a play together just to find out what you felt," Darius spoke up looking a bit more calm. Ophelia stared intensely at Darius, he looked away not willing to meet her eyes. "I did take advantage of the situation however..." he confessed, "Sneaky bastard." Ophelia snapped, "Everything I said was honest!" Darius exclaimed turning back to her, "It's just..." His cheeks slowly turned pink, "I liked hearing you talk about that... So I may have hammed it up a bit." He confessed. Ophelia flicked his forehead again, "Ow!" he exclaimed rubbing his forehead. "Act like a child be treated like one." Ophelia snapped pointing at him. 

"What? Was I supposed to say hey Reeds why are you wanting the throne so badly?!" Darius questioned, "Yes." Ophelia snapped with a huff, "How would I get an honest opinion out of you then?" Darius looked confused tilting his head. Judging based off of the look in his eyes, he was genuinely confused. Ophelia frowned deeply wondering what Darius's childhood was like if he felt the need to trick people in order to get an honest reaction out of him.

Though based on what he had told her and knowing how it ended... Ophelia already had a pretty good idea. It's likely that man made it so Darius had no choice but to trick and manipulate in order to know what people around him really felt like. 

"Because I would answer honestly." Ophelia replied displeased, "I might lie to other people but I won't lie to you." Ophelia spoke feeling frustrated that he felt the need to manipulate the situation. Though she understood why he did it, it didn't excuse him from the fact that he did. "I'm not like the others, I'm not going to play mind games if you really want to talk." Ophelia scolded. "You've really hurt me doing that," Ophelia added in a softer tone.

Darius sat there looking guilty, "I'm sorry." He apologized, "I..." He looked like he was about to say something else but he shook his head, "I'm sorry." he repeated himself once more. Ophelia sighed, she felt the anger she had fade all so easily. She reached up and brushed the hair out of his face. "Look at you, so pretty all it takes is one apology," Ophelia complained mostly to herself. 

Darius lifted his head with a smile on his face when he heard her call him pretty, she shifted and leaned down kissing his forehead where the red mark was. "Sorry for flicking you on the forehead and calling you a scammer." Ophelia apologized. "But... Don't do this again. You don't need to trick me..." She glanced over at the desk, "You don't even need to tear my tent down or hide my stakes." She added.

"When I say I like you I mean it." Ophelia turned back to Darius, "I'm here because I want to be." Darius had an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm messed up." He explained, "I know that I'm messed up too." Ophelia replied, "Quite the pair aren't we?" Darius asked, "Yeah well you're lucky I like my omegas a little crazy." Ophelia teased, Darius looked conflicted hearing this. "It's a good thing." Ophelia added, "I don't think it is." Darius argued with a light sneer. "Don't shame me for my tastes." Ophelia retorted, "I don't shame you." She added, "Oh so like how you lift on heavy things I should act more crazy?" Darius asked looking like he didn't believe her.

Ophelia stared at him and Darius looked concerned, "Reeds?" He asked, Ophelia thought about it, "Reeds...?" Darius leaned towards her, Ophelia clicked her tongue softly, "Depends on what you do." Ophelia confessed a bit too honestly, Darius's concerned expression collapsed and he laughed hearing this. "We'll have to make a list then." Darius chuckled before getting off of her.

"Go get your things." He told her headed back for his desk. He looked like he was in a bit of a better mood now. Ophelia stood up dusting herself off.  Ophelia stepped outside of the tent walking over to the side and grabbing her things. As she picked up her rucksack she heard a voice that made her blood go cold. 

"Ophelia?" Ophelia slowly slipped on her rucksack, she turned around to face Spencer who looked confused. "Why are you not in your tent?" He asked, "I... Lost my Stakes." Ophelia confessed, technically the truth. She also couldn't think of any other legitimate excuse. "Okay, why are you near the commander's tent?" Spencer asked, "This is the commander's tent?" Ophelia decided to play dumb. "Yeah. Did you think he slept in the strategy tent?" Spencer asked a bit sarcastically. 

"I try not to judge." Ophelia flatly replied, "Anyway, I was just looking for the quartermaster's tent, I thought it was over here but..." Ophelia spoke as casually as she could. "No, it's that way." Spencer pointed in the opposite direction. "Oh... Right." Ophelia said slowly, she then began to walk away from Darius's tent.

She had planned to lap around the camp and make her way back but...

"Reeds what's taking so long?" Darius called opening up his tent, Ophelia froze in place and Spencer who had seemed relaxed just a moment ago looked nauseous. "No..." Spencer's eyes were wide, Ophelia could nearly see him connect the dots in his head as he slowly turned to face her. "No... No... No, you didn't." He looked horrified as he chanted this. Darius stood there watching Spencer for a moment, Ophelia felt sweat trickle down her face and she wondered if Darius had done that on purpose. But judging by the horribly guilty look on his face...

It had been an honest mistake.