Phases

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

   You could hear a pin drop with the sudden silence that fell upon the room. Hurt flashed briefly in Marianna's eyes before she schooled her features into a mask of indifference. Her body stilled against him as she slowly raised her eyes to his. Her barriers were up, preventing him from hearing her thoughts. But Jimin could feel the emotional charge building within her and traveling down the bond.

        "Mari, please, just listen to me," he plead.

   She grasped his hand that lay over her shoulder and flung it off as she began to slide across the bed and away from him. Her green eyes never left his face as she stood. Jimin reached out for her.

        "Please?" He repeated. "Please hear me out?"

        "What's to hear? You want me gone. I think I've heard you well." Her voice remained quiet despite the turmoil of feelings through their bond.

        "No, honey, that's not it. It's not what I want. But – "

        "They why say it?!" Now came her anger. One hand slid into the hair at her temples as she laughed without humor. "You just said it!"

        "No, I said I think it's for the best. Not that I wanted it." With his change coming with the rising of the moon, Jimin struggled to reign in his temper.

        "Then please tell me, my lord, why? After bringing me here. Begging me to be your 'partner.' Having me train for hours and hours until my head felt like it would explode! Please explain to me why?!"

   Jimin lunged from the bed, his body now towering over her. "To keep you safe!"

       "We had a plan, Jimin! Gods, what in the seven hells have we been working our asses off for?!"

        "The plan is shit! It won't work!"

        "It's your plan!"

        "I made a mistake!" His body pressed against her as he backed her into the wall.

   Marianna slammed her fist against his chest. "You don't know that! You can't know that because we haven't even tried yet!"

        "I won't risk it!" He caught her fist in his hand and pressed her palm over his heart. "I won't risk you."

   Her shoulders slumped as the fight left her. "Jimin, you can't do this."

        "I can. And I will." He released her hand and rested his palms on her shoulders. "My family has a summer home on the coast. Taehyung and Yoongi will go with you. They will keep you safe. You can continue to train with Yoongi –"

        "No."

        "You can grow stronger. Continue to search for a way – "

        "Jimin – "

        "We can give ourselves time to prepare. Then maybe next time – "

   Marianna shrugged his hands off her. "Jimin. No."

   His fist thumped against the wall behind her. "Dammit, Mari, just listen!"

        "I am listening. I hear what you are saying, Jimin." She let her head fall onto his shoulder before lifting back up and peering into the silvery depths of his eyes. "And that is why I'm telling you ... no."

        "Mari." His brows drew together as his eyes misted over. "Baby, please."

   She cupped his face between her hands. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you for caring enough to want me safe. No one has ever done that for me before. Not even my own father."

   His head fell forward, his lower lip caught between his teeth. He repeated her name in hushed tones. But she was resolute.

        "You and me? We have a responsibility. To the people. Your people. To keep them safe. To keep our friends safe. We don't have the luxury of being selfish, Jimin. Too much is at stake."

   He lifted his gaze to hers once more. Selfish? Was he being selfish to put her safety above his own? Gods, this is infuriating! But she was right. He was a lord. His people must come first. But the thought of her coming to harm made his stomach roil. If his lykos broke free and harmed her in any way, he would never be able to forgive himself.

   He had spent the last week rushing to her side and comforting her after her nightmares. He had seen the horror of her memories and the things that she had already lived through. There was no way he would ever be able to handle causing her more trauma than what she had already endured. The memory of the night he had strangled her and Jungkook remained vivid in his mind. He had vowed on that night; never again. Never again would he hurt those he cared for.

   For the first time, Jimin was beginning to feel the true weight of the curse. He was in a constant state of war within himself. He was duty-bound to protect his people. Just as his heart was now bound to Marianna and her well-being. But she was needed to keep his beast at bay. Dammit. She was right. He was being selfish. He was putting his needs and her safety above all others. But ...

        "I promised you that you would not be harmed," he reminded her. "Mari, I promised."

   Jimin cringed as he noted her unconsciously touching her throat where the marks from his own hands had only recently faded. Marianna realized what she had done and dropped her hands to her side.

        "I'm staying," she told him with finality. And then, when she saw he was about to object; "I'm staying, Jimin. Partners, remember?"

   He gathered her into his embrace, his head falling to her shoulder. "Partners."

        "Besides, aren't you the one who told me to stop running from you?" Marianna's fingers slipped into his hair as she released a small huff of laughter.

"You infuriate me, woman," he groaned.

   She turned her head and placed a kiss against the honey-colored skin of his neck. "I challenge you. Keep you on your toes."

   Jimin's laughter was muffled against her shoulder. "Is that what you call it?"

   Her forehead rested against the spot she had kissed. He could feel the goosebumps rise on his skin as her breath brushed across it.

        "What would you call it?" Humor colored her tone.

        "I'd call it –" His words were cut short by a soft rap against her door. Jimin lifted his head to her ear and to whisper, "If we ignore them, they'll go away."

   Mari rolled her eyes and called out, "I'll be right there."

        "Yoongi is asking for you both in the library." Jungkook's voice called back through the door.

   Jimin looked affronted as he cocked a brow at her. "What happened to ignoring the door?"

   She laughed and gently pushed him away from her. "Let's go. Gods forbid the mage be kept waiting."

   Jimin's eyes crinkled into crescent shapes as his face split into a grin. Since the day Yoongi had yelled at her, Marianna had refused to call him by anything other than "the mage" or "Mage Min." She did her best to speak to him only when necessary, during her daily training sessions, much to Yoongi's exasperation. Jimin knew that the two would have to patch things up between them, and soon, but, for now, he found the older man's vexation amusing. It served him right for allowing his pride to take precedence over a simple apology.

   Taking her hand in his, Jimin tugged her towards the door. "Yes, let's not keep the old grump waiting."

   Her soft giggle caused his heart to flop in his chest. It was the first time that he had heard such a carefree, innocent sound from her.

        Gods, I'm in trouble.