Come Love A Stranger

Forty

“Nay,” Alador shook his head sharply, “it cannot be. Mariah…” he reached to touch her but she avoided his touch, “do not, do not do this. You are playing with me, right my dear?”
Mariah closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh when the pain finally eased away, “Alador, I meant everything I just said.”
“It cannot be!” he shouted, “I feel you call for me every day, I feel you missing me, I feel you wishing I am around. I feel you every time,” his eyes were blurring over, “t’s why it was hard to stay away. You do not know how difficult t’s was to stay away knowing how much you call for me, you cannot be saying this. Tell me my dear, did I do something? Are you annoyed I left you all these days? I am sorry, I thought I was doing the right thing, all I want is to protect you and I would do anything.”
“Then leave me be,” she whispered, knowing he heard her clearly, “leave me be, you would protect me enough like that.”
Alador closed his eyes, “you are angry I could not protect you all those times,” he whispered, “I understand, I failed you, I failed our child, I failed as your mate, I am sorry. Please, give me this chance, I will not fail you again,” he looked up at her, “I promise and I swear with my life, I shall not let any harm come to you and I would die trying, just…do not leave me, please, I will become a monster without you. I will become lost, please.”
“Alador,” she closed her eyes and shook her head, “I am getting married in two days, I cannot be with you while I am someone’s wife.”
“You do not have to marry him, not now at least. Ilayas will send the hackeries as soon as he knows we are together, it would all be over with and I will wait for you. I have been waiting for you all my life, a hundred more years would not mean so much, it would be over in no time.” He approached her once more and grabbed her hands and placed on his chest, “feel that, that is how fast my heart beats for you, please Mariah, come with me, stay with me, I beg of you.”
“You do not understand,” she sniffed, “I don’t want you anymore.”
“No, no, I refuse to believe it, I can feel you are lying to me.”
“That is not what you are feeling, Alador. That is what you are telling yourself because you don’t believe this can happen. I’m sorry and you are right, I am angry you could not protect me nor our child. I have trusted my life in your hands five times and you failed me, I cannot trust you again, I don’t want to die in the hands of those creatures, so please, leave me be,” she snatched her hands from his and retreated a few steps from him, “please. This is where we met, this is where you fell in love with me,” she closed her eyes, “it’s wrong it has to be here but I guess it would help in making you forget it all happen.”
“That is like saying that nine hundred years of my life never happened,” he whispered with his eyes closed, “you are asking me to pretend like I did not live for nine hundred years, nine hundred and seventeen years. But that is not possible,” he looked at her with pain visibly on his face with help of the moonlight, “I cannot go back to being a hundred years old, t’s impossible.”
“I don’t know, I feel sorry, Alador, but I can’t, I cannot do this anymore. Maybe you should be with Bamushka now, she deserves you better than I do or you can find another human to love, I am sure…”
“It does not happen like that!” he yelled and the earth shook, “it does not grow like that!” soon, tree vines were sprouting from the earth and heavy wind started blowing around, “you are breaking me Mariah, stop it now.”
Afraid of what was happening and what he might do to her, she started retreating from him, her eyes focused on the vines that were now surrounding him and it was hard to keep her eyes opened with the heavy wind blowing around. Fear held her so greatly that she was trembling and breathing heavily.
As if finally understanding what he was doing with the fear he felt from her, he stopped everything immediately and the tree vines fell on the earth and the wind seized. He glanced at her worriedly, “Mariah,” he called unsurely and took a step towards her but she turned immediately and started running away. “Mariah, I am sorry,” he yelled, running after her, “I did not mean to scare you, I will never hurt you. Please,” he caught up with her in no time and wrapped his arms around her tightly, “I am sorry, please, please forgive me, I will never scare you that much again, I am sorry.”
“No, let me go, let me go,” she was struggling to free herself from his hold, “just let me go please, I am begging you. I am no match for you please, let me go, please,” she started sobbing.
Hearing her sob and her plea, he released his hold on her and she ran a little from him before turning to look at him, “do not do this to me, I beg of you, do not, please,” he whispered.
Mariah shook her head at him, he could see the determination in her eyes and he fears if he could survive like that. “I am sorry.”
“Mariah, please, I love you…”
“I don’t,” she interrupted, “I don’t love you, Alador, I thought I did, but after finally figuring everything, I realize that I don’t, I had just been thinking that I do but in reality, I don’t. So please, leave me be, I do not want to see you, not anymore.”
“You do not know what you are doing, you are blinded by your anger at me, I understand that. I failed you but I promise, I will not do so again, do not leave me, do not…”
“I am sorry Alador, but that is the truth and I am not ready to keep on lying to myself, go Alador, find someone who would truly love you, that person is not me. Goodbye Alador,” she touched the mating mark that had appeared on her neck, “hopefully this would leave by tomorrow, I’m sorry,” and with that, she turned and started walking away from him.
Alador stood watching her leave, his heart was breaking into a million pieces but he knew that the walk from the forest to the palace was too long and so with a wave of his hand, a strong wind carried her from the spot she was on and the next place she found herself was on her balcony, unscathed. Tears blurred her vision but she wiped them away and refused to cry. Then muttering “goodbye,” once more, she turned and entered the room but as soon as she did, she heard a loud growl. It sounded dangerous but in pain as well and turning back, she saw a dragon leap into the sky.