The Reluctant Queen

Chapter 21

Sophia's POV:

I couldn't contain my rage. How I felt as I collapsed in his arms, the extreme pain, all of it came back to me ten fold. And it only made what happened to me that much more tragic. And it was all Adrian's fault. I paced the room like a lion, glaring at him all the while. "Let me out."

"No."

No? I looked to my side and a reckless thought came to mind. I picked up an expensive looking vase and threw it at him. He avoided it with a swift turn of his body, only adding to my anger. It crashed against the wall, water splattering over the sofa. He gave me a wild smile. "Such anger. I don't think I've seen you this way before."

I ignored him and looked around to find something else. Now that I gave in, I wouldn't stop. My eyes settled on a candle stick holder sitting on his desk. I threw it at him as hard as I could, only to see him catch it with that wicked smile of his. The trow gave my chest an ache, but I didn't linger on it.

His hair was wild from dodging my attempts at harming him, and his eyes were blazing at me. "Keep at it, my love. Force my hand."

I almost laughed at his arrogance. "Oh? What can you do to me now? You've already hurt me in the worst way possible."

He was the one who laughed. "You think I've hurt you? No, Sophia, you are the one who has hurt me."

I scoffed and reached for the partner candle stick. Before I could even reach back my arm to throw it at him, his hands were on me, holding me against him. "Let go of me! You're a monster-"

He didn't have that irrational smile anymore. He looked at me with an expression that I had never seen from him. A pained anger that frightened me. "You can't help yourself can you? You hate me that much? To put your life in danger?"

"What are you talking about?" I growled at him.

"You foolish girl! I know you drank a resistance potion," he yelled in my ear, making me wince. "You just about killed yourself!"

Blood drained from my fingers and cheeks in that sick, fearful way. He knew? "So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?"

He growled in my ear. "What am I going to do about it? Well let's see, shall we?" He let me go, putting distance between us. "First, I think that you are going to tell me who gave you this potion."

I didn't even hesitate. "I found it."

His eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me. This land may be magic, but that doesn't mean potions sprout from the ground. They are complicated and dangerous things."

"Dangerous like the blood bond that almost killed me?"

He practically growled at me. "That was your own doing, don't blame me. If you hadn't been so stubborn in your desire to leave me, the transformation would not have been so painful."

"Painful? I was dying, Adrian." My eyes pricked with tears again, something that was so regular at this point I expected it. "And it was because you wouldn't listen to me."

"If you think I will apologize, you are sorely mistaken. I am not sorry. Why would I want to lose you again?!"

"Lose me again?! What the hell does that even mean? You didn't just lose me. I hate you and now I know that I can never trust you."

"Funny, I feel the same." His words hurt me, even though it shouldn't have.

"Let me out of here! I don't want to be near you!"I tried to push at him but the ache in my chest returned, making me wince. He noticed.