Bound to the Demon Lord ✔️

Chapter Seventeen

Phoebe sat in front of the vanity and stared at herself. The only light in her room were the few candles she still had lit. Her maids had offered to put them out after she had had her bath, but she had a feeling sleep would have to wait. So, after she had finished drying off, she had dismissed her maids and got herself ready for the evening.

She propped up her elbow on the counter and rested her cheek in her hand. Absent-mindedly, she tapped her other hand's finger on the vanity. Since the disastrous end to their conversation, she kept replaying what she had said to Krios over and over again in her mind. She had only been honest about her feelings. And he never denied anything, so there was obviously some truth to what she said.

Maybe she didn't explain herself tactfully enough. Or there might have been another issue entirely she was missing. Whatever the reason, she needed to be prepared. She was already thinking of ways of how she could defuse his anger, if he was still upset after all these hours. Surely he would have calmed down by now.

She heard footsteps grow closer. Inhaling deeply, she turned around just in time to watch the door open. Unsurprisingly, there stood Krios, and he looked just as upset as he had earlier. So much for hoping his anger had subsided.

Slamming the door shut behind him, he stormed over to her. She tensed up, but didn't try to run. She just leaned back against the vanity as he stood over her with a frightening glare. She managed to keep a straight face and just stared up at him with a blank expression. Silence filled the room as neither broke eye contact, though Phoebe could feel her stomach churning with anxiety.

"Have you nothing to say?" he finally snarled.

"You're the one who's mad," she said quietly. "I figured you would be the one who wanted to speak."

"There's plenty I could say." His hand slammed down onto the vanity's countertop next to her. She tried not to flinch when she heard something crack behind her. "I said your stubbornness was cute, but I didn't think you would try to pin this on me."

"What are you-?"

His hand suddenly grabbed her waist and lifted her up. She shrieked, kicking her legs as she was brought up to his face. Her nails dug into his claws, but he didn't even feel them. His eyes just narrowed at her, ignoring the terrified expression on her face.

"It's your choice to resist your feelings," he snarled. "I have nothing to do with that. Yet, you dare to blame me? Blame my feelings for Sera and make her the reason you will not love me?!"

Phoebe couldn't reply when Krios suddenly turned. She gasped, vision blurring as the entire world spun. A grunt escaped her lips as he slammed her onto the bed. He easily snatched up both of her arms and pinned them above her head. Her eyes widened, completely frozen as he glared down at her.

"What do you want from me?" he demanded.  "What else can I do to show you my sincerity? To show how much I want you?"

"Krios, it's not that simple-!"

"Because you have to make everything complicated!" His hands tightened around her wrists. Phoebe flinched, biting back a hiss as her face scrunched up in pain. "You put everyone one me and Sera. You blame everything on her! On our past!"

She swallowed. While his anger was frightening, she refused to be intimidated into changing her opinion. She had only said what she felt; she wouldn't be harassed for it. "I only said this lifetime wasn't for us. You loved Seraphine too much."

"She was my soulmate. Of course I loved her. And you-!"

"I'm your soulmate, but I'm not her."

His wings flared up, eyes widening in rage. "I already said-!"