A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 53: Villainess Overnight

Elena had opted to stay indoors after the scene with the queen. She let no one else in apart from the maid. And in her lonely state, she longed for Gabriel’s presence, a feeling she was yet to come into terms with.

As she stared at the ceiling, his face invaded her every waking thought. It had been five days now and it felt like forever! Tonight, she appreciated how much Gabriel’s presence meant to her.

Many were the times she’d turn and toss in bed only to meet with the empty cold side of his bed. Worse was when she had nightmares. She’d wake up all sweaty, hoping to confine in someone. The dimly lit candles would always illuminate over the empty space, as if mocking her loneliness.

Tonight was not different. She was holding a book close to her eyes, straining to follow word by word with her eyes halfway closed. She refused to sleep despite the urge. It was in her eyes, the dark circles and uncontrolled yawns. She was tired and sleepy, yet she refused to give in. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

At times, she’d find herself drowning in a white vortex only to realize she had leaned on the book. At last, she gave up, tossing the book on the nightstand. She let out a heavy sigh, her head dropping on the pillows. Stealing a quick glance at the door as was her norm these last few days, she blew out the candles and with it, the hopes of seeing Gabriel.

The darkness reigned quicker than she thought, and despite her previous sleepy state, she found herself staring into the space. The large bed felt so huge with Gabriel absent. She clutched the ends of her dress before drawing in another long sigh.

’I have to sleep,’ she encouraged herself now curling into a foetal position. She rested her head on her folded arm and stared at the side of the mirror.

"Missed me?"

Elena’s heart seized beating when a figure stood close to the mirror. She blinked incessantly hoping to get out of her reverie. It was just a dream, right? No, it wasn’t. The figure moved making it all real. His face shone under the moonlight revealing his tussled hair. How could she fail to recognize him, even in the dark. But how....

"How did you get in?" She asked, now sitting up. As far as she could remember, she had closed all the doors before she went in for the night.

"I have lived in this chamber since I was a boy. How I got in should be least of your concerns," Gabriel replied. His fingers felt the edges of the nightstand before he sat on the edge of the bed, close to the scared bunny. Was she scared?

"What happened to your eyes?" He asked, thin lines forming on his face. She literally didn’t need any costume to scare a little child!

Elena’s hands flew to her face by instinct. How could he see so well in the dark, even the finer details. Her heart was racing and she was certain it had to do with his closeness. The thought of him counting her beats crossed her mind but could she do anything to stop it? His mere presence had sent her into a state even she wasn’t aware of!

But the thoughts of how he left flooded her mind, her heart resuming it’s normal beating. In place of her languid eyes now were ones laced with malice like one who had turned into a villain overnight.

"You left without a word!" Her voice was low but piercing. The lonely nights, the yearning looks, the waiting... It all flooded her thoughts afresh. Suddenly, she felt the urge to slap him across the face!

"I would have endangered your life if I stayed," Gabriel reasoned. And it was true. The day he left her, he’d gone berserk! He’d killed the highest number of rogues ever!

Elena chewed her lip. The words slipped from her tongue, the tremor in her voice a testament to the weight they bore. "Do you know what happened while you were away, out there dealing with the rogues?"

Gabriel felt the sudden change in her aura. She was now the goddess of judgement, and he was standing in line for his mistakes. The cold wind blew over him as if bracing him for what was about to happen.

"I’m afraid not," he replied, only to rekindle Elena’s fire into a blazing inferno. Her nose flared, the pain and trauma of what she’d gone through unleashing.

"While you were gone," she started, her voice sounding pained, "Ser Darion went missing. Until now, no one has a clue of where to find him."

She searched for his eyes in the darkness, but the familiar glow wasn’t there anymore. "The queen...," she hesitated, casting her eyes everywhere else but on Gabriel. "The queen ordered my arrest for a crime I didn’t commit!"

Gabriel’s insides churned, his claws lengthening by an inch. He felt a purge in his heart, like a sharp pain that run in waves through every fiber of his body. The very thought of having Elena confined in a cell set afresh his killing intent that had long faded.

His eyes fell over her face, his eyes already caressing every visible inch of her visible skin. "Did anyone hurt you?" He asked, already promising himself to wipe out someone’s existence in the middle of the night!

"No," she replied, her voice now turned to a hushed murmur. Was she afraid of the dark... or him?

"I’ll never let anyone lay their filthy hands on you again, ever!" He promised, more to himself than to her. He drew her to his embrace, her head resting on his chest. She felt so vulnerable under his embrace.

And this woman was the sole reason he yearned to be back in this hell of a home. He’d not consider spending another second of his life here were it not for her. She was just so perfect... His cute little bunny.