Inked

Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

My entire mouth was dry, it was as if I no longer had any saliva left as I stared at Zane. I could feel my head tilting unconsciously as I looked at him, finally, I asked, "How come I didn't remember that until now?"

Zane looked at me with a gentle smile on his face as he ran his fingers lightly down my cheek. I leaned into the caress, feeling the warmth from his fingers seeping into my skin. As he answered, my soul trembled in response to that touch.

"Your powers must have blocked it once I sealed them." His smile was slightly sad, as if our futures would have been completely different had my memories not been sealed. What would it have been like to grow up with Zane always there and without my mother? I trembled at the thought. In some ways it would have been better, in others, it could have been worse. But, how, in the first place, did he use a seal of bonding to seal my powers in the first place? As I thought of this, I couldn't find an answer, so I asked.

"Why did you do it?" Zane's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought of this, he looked deep in thought as his brows furrowed, searching for an answer.

"I...to be honest, I am not so sure myself." His eyes looked at me with a trace emotion I could not name. "All I knew was that you were the King's son and that if I didn't do anything in that moment then I would lose you to your other self."

"My other self?" As I thought this, deep within my conscious, I felt the panther stir, it stretched and purred inside my head, as if it was responding to my thoughts. But even as the thought ran through my head, I realized exactly what Zane had said. "Wait, you only bond to me because of my father?"

Zane's eyes narrowed, "No, that not what I meant."

"So you're telling me that it didn't matter whether you could never be bound to others, all you cared about was that I was my father's son? What about me then? What would have happened if I had not fallen in love with you but someone else?" And I froze, realizing what I just said. Shit.

Zane's eyes travelled over my face before he sighed quietly.

"It's not about you being related to your father, but," his hand reached out and he touched my cheek lightly again, I flinched slightly, a blush burning my cheeks. I wanted to hightail it away and go hide, but I stood my ground. His next words stunned me into immobilization. "I've been waiting so long to hear those words."

"I didn't say anything." I muttered, looking away from him as I denied what I had just said. Zane chuckled, and put both of his hands on each side of my face. Even as he began to lean closer, I looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. I could feel his breath fanning my face.

Barely an inch from my lips, he whispered, "Look at me, Kei mou."

That soft, reassuring voice tore through my conscious like nothing else could, and I couldn't help but glance at him. Zane had a serene smile on his lips, and his eyes were like pools of molten silver, flickering in candle light.

"Say it again," Zane whispered, his lips caressing against mine with every syllable.

I began to shake my head, denying him, but then I saw that light in his eyes, so bright, so comforting, that I unconsciously whispered, "I love you."

In the span of the few milliseconds that the last word left my lips, Zane's lips melded against mine. At first they were soft, like butterfly wings caressing my skin, then they turned ardent, hard and rough, as if he was a dying man grasping at the only thread of life he could see. His hands were still wrapped around my face as he pulled me closer until our bodies were touching, our heat melding into one. The feel of his lips and his body against mine sent my pulse skyrocketing. It thundered within my ears, it was so loud that it canceled out any other sounds. This was the reason that I did not hear the door behind me open.