Forbidden Love

Chapter 1 - Confusion

     Today marked the fourteenth day of my Fathers' absence. He'd left for a business trip a number of days ago, leaving myself and my mother in the safety of his guards and family. This was a common occurrence, so we were somewhat used to it by now, but it still brought some disappointment to my mother, and I could tell. Generally, when I wasn't busy studying with fathers' tutors, I'd find another way to entertain myself, though sometimes it proved a little less than... Sufficient.

I found myself standing in my mother's office, watching as she sat at her desk and scanned through documents and papers.

"Please, mother, I promise to be safe!" I pleaded, my shoulders sunk into a pout as I looked at her. My bottom lip stuck out as she gave me a look of disapproval, but let out a soft sigh and shook her head.

"Fine, but you're to take a guard with you, understand?" She replied, her voice stern but not devoid of the warmth that I'd known for so long. I gave her a curt nod and smiled.

"Thanks, Momma," I said before placing a kiss on the soft skin of her cheek and heading back to my room, sliding the knife my father had given me into my waistband, his words resonating inside my head.

"To keep you safe, always, my little flower."

Quinn arrived at the mall with her guard, not very impressed with having to be accompanied by said guard. Her eyes would occasionally flicker back to him as she made her way through the crowded halls of the shopping establishment, ducking and weaving through people to lose her guard. She hurried through and did her best to avoid people, eventually making her way out and away from her guard. With a triumphant smile, Quinn continued forward, glancing back one more time to make sure she'd lost her guard. But, as she did this, her face collided with the chest of a stranger.

Quinn let out a soft squeak and pushed off the stranger, looking up and looking a bit confused.

"Sorry..." She whispered, her eyes trailing over his face. She couldn't quite place why this man looked slightly familiar...? Greyish-green eyes, tanned skin and brown hair... Why did that seem so familiar?

Azriel's piercing gaze narrowed as he looked down at the woman who had bumped into him. His expression was cold and impassive as if he were looking through her. He didn't respond to her apology, instead choosing to tower over her, his presence intimidating and commanding.

"Watch where you're going," he growled lowly, his voice carrying a dangerous undertone. "You should consider yourself lucky that it was me you ran into, not my father. He wouldn't have been so forgiving..."

Quinn's eyes glanced at the man standing beside Azriel, taller, colder and with an overall more threatening vibe. His gaze and presence alone made Quinn feel sick and queasy. She didn't know the true danger she was currently in...

Azriel took a step closer, invading her personal space without hesitation. His eyes bore into hers, searching for any hint of fear or weakness. But instead, he found something else. Something that made him pause, his stern expression softening for a moment.

"You... You're not from around here, are you?" his voice now laced with curiosity. "What brings you to this part of town?"

She watched as Azriel's father placed a hand on Azriel's shoulder and whispered something to him. "I-I'm uhm.... Shopping..." She mumbled, her green eyes darting between Azriel and Max.

Azriel's eyes flickered with curiosity and suspicion as he listened to Quinn's quaint response. The mention of shopping sounded almost trivial amidst the tension swirling between them. However, it was his father's reaction that caught his attention.