Emperor of Annihilation

THIRTY EIGHT

"Strip." That's the first thing that leaves his lips when we enter the room.

My eyes widened as a gasp left me. "Excuse me?" 

He remained expressionless, cocking his head as he stared at me down like I was prey in the eyes of a predator. Chills ran up my spine despite my current situation. 

"In order to properly check you for any cuts or bruises, you'd have to strip, princess."

Oh right. I almost forgot about that. He's seen me naked countless times before, but this time felt different. Weird in a sense. It was like I was stripping my clothes off in front of a stranger. 

"I don't think I'm that injured." I replied. 

He snorts. "I sincerely doubt that. Nadia looked like she did a number on you."

"But who ended up winning?"

My statement catches him off guard. I raised a brow and a grin appeared on the corners of his lips. "You did."

The sweet taste of triumph ran through my body like a rush of adrenaline. The pounding of my heart echoed in my ears. 

Goosebumps appeared on my skin like a cascade of tiny waves, a physical manifestation of the heightened sensations that pulsed through me.

 As my fingers traced the path of those goosebumps, a shiver of anticipation danced down my spine. The air seemed charged with an electric energy, and I could feel the warmth building beneath my fingertips.

I peeled my shorts off, allowing the cold breeze to hit me where I'm sensitive. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. 

The uncomfortable feeling of being watched hit me like a hurricane. 

"Sit." He ordered as though I was a dog. I sealed my mouth shut and did as told, fearing that if I didn't, then he'd make this whole process even more unnerving than it actually was.

I kept my eyes on the floor as he went to retrieve the medical aid package on the shelf to the right of me. His eyes, intense and filled with a myriad of emotions, locked onto mine. It was a silent exchange, a moment pregnant with unspoken words.

I watch with wide eyes as he dabs my wounds with a wet cloth, wiping away blood and dead skin along with it. To contain my emotions, I bit down on my bottom lip, disallowing any noises to escape. 

From all my years of knowing him, I've never once seen him this patient and soft before. He's always been as hard as a rock. Stubborn as a mule, and as heartless as a monster.

But right now he doesn't represent any of the following. Instead this Ezekiel reminds me of the old one. The Ezekiel who protected me from the monsters, and not became one. 

It has me questioning if this was the real version of Ezekiel, and not some made up version he's trying to trick me into believing. 

If Charlotte were still alive, she wouldn't believe her eyes. Not for a second. 

"I'm sorry." 

My gaze shifts from my knees, where his attention is focused, to the profound darkness within his eyes. "Huh?"

"I said I'm sorry." He repeated, this time with more volume in his voice, like he wanted to make sure I heard it the second time so he wouldn't have to repeat it for the third time around. 

I allow my head to drop. "How many times are you going to repeat that?"

"Until you finally accept my apology."

"Actions speak louder than words, and if you think I'm ever going to fully forgive you after what you've done to me, then you'll be sorely mistaken."

The tension in the room was enough to kill three elephants. The grip he had around my leg tightens under his hold, and I hiss out in pain. He immediately recognizes his strength, muttering an apology under his breath as he took a step back.