Fifty Shades of Jade (!Shrek!OC x !Male!Reader)

XXXVII. 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕍𝕚𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕥

***

   "AJ! Stop!" I shouted, my voice filled with urgency. AJ's eyes flicked to mine, still burning with anger. "You're mingling with a weak Orc! He has no right to even be breathing with his cowardly blood!" She hissed at Huzan, her other hand gripping his throat with a vice-like hold.
   "Oku! Please!" He begged, his voice trembling with fear. AJ's eyes narrowed as she looked down at him, her lips curling into a snarl. "You beg for mercy in the face of death?" She snarled. "You see how weak these blue-skinned cowards are?" She snapped, her voice dripping with contempt.

   I held her wrist, feeling the tension in her muscles as she clutched the blade. "AJ, he's helping us!" I pleaded, trying to break through her rage. Before I could say more, the screams of the maidens echoed from the barn.
   I glanced over and saw the six women watching us, their faces pale with shock and fear. I turned back to AJ just as she sniffed the air, her eyes narrowing further. Her gaze snapped back to me, filled with pure, unadulterated rage. 

   She knew. She could smell the lingering scent of the maidens on me. "Oh shit-" I barely managed to utter before she grabbed me with a force that took my breath away. In a split second, I was slammed against a nearby tree, the impact jarring my entire body.
   AJ's strength was overwhelming, and her grip on me was relentless. Her face was inches from mine, her eyes blazing with fury. "You reek of them," she growled, her voice low and dangerous. "You let them touch you?" 

   An average man would've died right there, but I was grateful to be blessed with my Lastame blood as AJ choked me. My vision started to blur as I struggled to breathe. "AJ," I managed to rasp out, my voice barely audible.
   "You dare bed a few harlots when you are mated with me!?" She snapped, her eyes blazing with fury. "AJ! T-That's not what happened!" I choked, my hands gripping her wrist in a desperate attempt to loosen her hold. 

   She held on tightly, her grip like iron. "You laid with whores!" She accused, her voice shaking with anger. I coughed, gasping for air. "AJ, you know I'm better than that," I pleaded, my voice strained. But her rage was relentless.
   Her eyes bored into mine with an intensity that made my blood run cold. "You think I wouldn't find out?" She hissed. "You think I wouldn't know?"
"Oi! Let 'em go!" Ralf shouted as he charged at AJ with a dagger. 

   Without even sparing him a glance, AJ's hand came into a sudden fist, and she punched him square in the face. The impact was brutal, and Ralf was sent sprawling onto his back, knocked out cold.
   My eyes widened in shock as I looked back at AJ. Her glare was still fixed on me, her grip unrelenting. "You think you can betray me and get away with it?" She growled, her voice trembling with rage and hurt.

   I shook my head, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "AJ, please," I begged, my voice barely a whisper. "You know me. You know I would never do that." Her eyes flickered with doubt for a moment, and I seized the opportunity.
   "AJ, I swear, nothing happened," I said, my voice earnest. "They were just curious. I didn't do anything." She hesitated, her grip loosening slightly. "You expect me to believe that?" She asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

   "Yes," I said, my voice filled with sincerity. "Because it's the truth. You're the only one I care about, AJ. Only you." She dropped me, and I coughed as I landed on my knees, clutching my throat. "Shit," I gasped, massaging my neck to ease the pain.
   "And I thought Fiona was scary when she was angry," I heard Shrek whisper to Donkey. "Shut it!" I growled as I stood up, looking at AJ. "Did you have to choke me?" I huffed, trying to regain my composure.

   "Don't blame me for smelling those whores on you," she hissed, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the women. She roared at them, and they took off screaming. I watched them flee before turning back to her. "What?" She snapped, her eyes flashing.
   I arched my brow, taking a deep breath. "Are you okay, AJ? You're seriously just—"
"Just what?" She growled, her voice low and dangerous.
". . . Angry, AJ," I said softly.