END ROADS

CHAPTER 75: SILENT DAYS part 2 (not as silent)

I turned and toasted in bed, the twigs and the wild roots slithered around me squeezing life out of me. I choked and chocked but I was in the dark, there was no one. The room was empty, covered by the snake - like roots and branches that were attacking me. I tried to breathe, my oesophagus was crushed mercilessly. Blood filled my lungs and the urge to sneeze was unbearable. Blood filled my mouth and trickled from my nostrils. The urge to struggle to break free slowly withered away. And I waited for death gladly, pain cut through my nerves and I wished my voice box was still functional so I could scream. But I couldn't, my body went limb and I was falling.

****
I suddenly sat up in the dark room choking and gagging. My throat felt soar and my eyes were clouded with tears, unfocused. I looked up at the familiar figure that was looking at me with furrowed brows.
"Do you want to die?"
I jumped into his arms and buried my head in his chest. I wept silently saying nothing, thinking of nothing.
He didn't move, he let me wet his smooth and glorious skin with my tears until I was calm. Then he held me away from him, the look on his face was one I could not fathom.
"What were you doing?"
"What?"
"You were chocking yourself in your sleep. It was terrifying. You gripped your neck so tightly until I feared you would break it"
"Sorry"
"Are you having nightmares?"
I nodded slowly lowering my eyes.
"Since when?"
"Just this one"
"What is it about?"
"The monstrous tree"
He chuckled rubbing my head "you are traumatized you have such a scary creature within you? Don't worry it will not hurt you... It would have already hurt you if it can"
"It's scary"
He pulled me into his arms rubbing my back.
"Take it easy, you are fine, you are safe"
I pulled out of his arms and wiped my eyes. I tried the breathing exercises and he watched me quietly.
"Are you okay now?"
"I have to be okay " I grinned at him and he pinched my cheeks as if I was a child. I brushed him off and stood up.
"Antonio is a merciless master"
"He has always been so, and his students never fail no matter what comes their way"
I hummed "he has taught me a lot, want to know?"
"He has the habit of narrating everything from the core, so we already know what you were doing all day"
"I noticed, he tells from the very beginning and explains everything independently before making a conclusion "
"So that is who he is, now you know " he pulled a bathrobe and changed into it "I will go take a shower, want to join?"
"No thanks, I will use the tab instead "
"You are so mean" he pouted entering the bathroom.
"Is the stubborn man back? Steele?"
"You miss him?"
"I just find him suspicious and irritating "
"So does everyone else " he answered and I hear the sound of the shower pouring. I entered the bathroom and prepared myself a hot bath.
"I thought I was alone "
"Since his mate died he has been so, he was once like the grandfather's who it their grandchildren around the fire pit during Christmas and narrate stories to them "
"How did he end up like this?"
"Their love was just unquenchable, when she died... No one knows how she died. He turned cold and grey. He became mean and violent and that is when his hunger for power started "
"I see" I nodded entering the bathtub.
"So you don't find any fault in him?"
"Of course I do, he behaves out of line as if he is the only one who has lost a mate. Most of the elders lost their mates in one way or another. A few take new mates and others just never want to let go of their first love."
"First love is like a scar that never fades" I said slowly playing with the foam in the basin. "An unforgettable scar that will always remind you of a lot of stuff, both happy and sad. And no matter how torturous the scar is you never want it to fed, at all"
"You speak as if you have experienced first love"
"You are my first love, you took my first kiss, you were the first man I have slept with, you are the first man to see my tears, hear my most sincere words and even be so close with. You are special to me in every aspect"
"You are making me blush, I feel so special"
"You are, very significant to me. I wish I could turn you into something that I can guard forever and never let myself lose it. I am scared of losing you. I will go mad, berserk if I lose you"
And now I was crying, the thought of it and the feeling was so real until my heart ached. Grey stepped out of the shower his robe tied around him securely. He walked over and sat at the edge of the tab.
He brushed my hair with his wet hands and kissed my forehead.
"I will do everything in my power to not lose you, And to keep myself safe, so you will never feel this kind of despair."
I leaned against him closing my eyes so I could feel his presence better. I don't know what was happening, but the feeling that I was always brushing off for a long time was now becoming more distinct.
"Calm down love, I will keep us safe. I won't let anything happen to us"
"I know you won't" I was saying it more to myself than him.
I finished taking my bath and I dressed up, Grey dried my hair for me and the feeling was so pleasant.
"Have you ever watched a Chinese ancient drama?"
"No, why?"
"The men and women both keep long hair. When I watched them with my mom, I always told her I would love to have a husband who can dry my hair for me and vice versa"
"What would she say?"
"It must be a pleasant feeling " I responded  "that is the answer she would give then I would feel so guilty for bringing up such a matter when her husband is a monster "
"You were just a kid, don't bear yourself "
"It is too late to do that... She's already gone!"
"Am sorry... He said guilty "I was hot headed and very uncivilized back then"
"We don't cry over spilled milk. " I held his hand and stood up "and besides a times I believe that everything happens for a good reason" I smiled at him cupping his face "and the good reason for this, is that I found you. A very beautiful man, who can look at me like that... Like I am very important to him"
He hled my hand that was plastered on his face and kissed my palm.
"You are amazing, Becky. I am so happy that I found you... No one could make me feel this happy. You only can, and you always did even when you had no idea that we were soulmates. You made me smile, made me accept myself even when I was a pain in the ass"
"I loved you all along, I think I couldn't resist your charm"
He grinned sweetly "really?"
"You have a beautiful smile, I wanted to see it all the time"
"So naughty"
I hugged him tightly "I love you Grey"
He kissed the top of my head "I love you"
"Let us be together forever, until we forget what made us like each other"
"That is a beautiful though. Let us do that"
Even if he said those words, the fear was still very much awake within me. We crawled into bed together, holding onto each other as if we were glued together. It was nice to be loved, it was almost unreal. So this is love?
"Grey?"
"Yes?"
"Can we make a son?"
His heart palpated erratically and I could feel the joy bubbling within him and spilling over.
"You are just nineteen sweetheart"
"But you are my mate, there is no big deal... We will be together forever, right?"
He stared at me intently as if trying to figure out what demon had possessed me.
"Don't tempt me like this my love, you are the only thing I can't resist in this lifetime"
I stroked his clean shaven chin "then don't, I want a child with you. A very handsome child just like you. As wild as you are as magnificent as you are"
"Don't do that, you are making me fall for you even more"
I smiled and kissed his warm mouth, and just like that the dragon was wide awake.
"You want me?" I whispered slowly
"You became so daring out of the blues" he whispered his hands caressing my skin greedily. "I will make love to you but not when we are not yet married"
I looked at him and smiled weakly "what was that?"
He stretched and picked opened the Lowest drawer of the nightstand. He extracted a small box and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
"What is that?"
"My wedding rings. I bought them long ago when I was a teenager. I was telling myself that I would propose marriage to my mate as soon as I found her"
We sat up and he opened the box, I glanced at him.
"They are very new and in good shape but they are very tiny"
"Don't tell me I failed again "
"At least you have a good taste in women " I said casting a spell on the rings bringing them into a desirable size.
"Well, I definitely have a good taste in women " he agreed with a nod
He took one ring holding it up for me "Becky Gala hue, will you marry me?"
"What if I don't?"
"I will kidnap you and torture you until you say yes"
"Why would I choose the hard way while a yes can save me a lot of trouble? Yes I will marry you"
He gladly offered me the ring, it was beautiful and the intricate patterns on it were very intriguing.
"So beautiful " I whispered I took the other one holding it up to him.
"My dearest mate, Adrian Grey Archibald, will you accept this ring so we can make our baby right away?"
He laughed falling back onto the bed. "Was that necessary?"
"At least I have an agenda for our marriage "
"Ow, which course were you taking?"
"Business management and international marketing "
"That is huge, so every business meeting must have an agenda, right?"
"Exactly "
"I love this agenda then, so yes, I will marry you "
I offered him the ring with a smile, we held hands and I loved the feeling of being united with my lovely man.
"After this... I promise you I will hold a descent pompous wedding for you. At the beach?"
"Can you enter the church?"
"I can, you want to wed at the church?"
"Yes, if possible "
"I will make it possible for you. So after that " he straddled me "the agenda for our meeting... Will be to make a thousand babies "
"You say it as if you will be the one to deliver the babies"
"You forgot we are not humans " he grinned kissing my forehead, nose cheeks and lips "we can play with magic "
Then he took my mouth with his and I held him like I was going to lose him the next second.