Post-Apocalypse: Mated To Alphas Of Orion-Chapter 89: Hurt Is All He Knows

(Amaia)

Blankly, I stare back at him, trying to hide the truth.

I have to steer this conversation away from these difficult questions I can’t answer.

"You didn’t answer my question and showered me with your own. How are you here?" I change the subject, and Rigel is not an idiot; he notices that.

"Do I have to battle him to win your heart? I can do it but I won’t guarantee not killing him. Less competition, the better for me," he calmly says but his words come like that quiet flash of lightning in the sky. One knows that it will be followed by loud thunder, the kind that can burn someone alive in a second.

"No one is killing anyone, let’s get that straight," I tell him, placing my hand on his muscled arm.

"I will remove every obstacle, standing in the way of reaching you. My tormentor finally let me go, I don’t know why but I am not going to let this chance go to waste."

His captor just let him go? And made him join the academy after keeping him a prisoner for who knew how long?

This didn’t make sense. Unless they wanted to keep an eye on me or maybe keep me away from my real mates. Alnilam knew about my magic and it could very well be him using Rigel to mess with my abilities. That is the only explanation that makes sense why my magic reacts to Rigel.

Doubts cling to me like leeches, sucking away the clarity. I don’t even know who to trust anymore in this place.

"If you hurt Alnitak or any of my friends, I will ensure you will never be able to touch a single hair of mine." I push away his hand from my neck and step aside, giving him a glare.

I am not afraid of him and I will certainly not be intimidated or let him hurt my other mates.

A shadow of hurt and pain passes over his face at the loss of contact and my actions and words. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Hurt is all I know, Amaia. The darkness inside me is worse than a void and you are the only light I see. How can I let someone else steal that light?" He turns and leans against the door, pushing his long dark strands away from his eyes.

"Then earn it. Heal first, you can’t go on threatening people with their lives just for touching me."

He lowered his head and let out a derisive laugh. It rings like dangerous bells around me. "Heal? I don’t even know how to. I don’t have any social awareness because I was locked up for so long, and I can sense you don’t fully trust me, but I will earn it, like you said."

My heart and magic want to believe him, but this all could just be a trick. I have to be cautious.

"Is Rigel your real name?" I ask and he gives me a nod. I need to find out who he is, since he can’t tell me I will need to find this truth on my own.

"Don’t tell anyone. No one can know," he requests, watching me with a tenderness I didn’t know vampires were capable of.

"Don’t stir too much trouble and stay away from Alnitak," I warn again and step forward, ready to leave but he is blocking the way. "I am leaving, can you step back?"

"I will let you pass but you will have to pay for the exit." His sultry gaze drops to my lips. "With a kiss."

I shake my head. "Not right now, not until I can trust you and check if your story is legit." In the dungeon, it had been different but his sudden appearance in my life seems oddly suspicious to me.

Desperation crawls in his glowing eyes. Not lust but a desperate plea to connect I suppose.

His hand reaches out and slowly grips my wrist where I am still wearing the flower he had given me.

"You kept it. It means you care about me." His finger reaches out and touches exactly where my heart is. A flicker of emotion I feel whispering against my skin.

"One day your heart will be mine. You will come to me. I am a patient man. I have waited so long for my freedom and mate. What’s a few more months?" Bending down he places his cold lips against the veins of my wrist.

A beat my heart misses.

His eyes remain focused on me as he slowly kisses me there, his lips pressed against the veins while his tongue sweeps the skin so deliciously as if tasting a delicacy.

A desert forms in my mouth at his provocative actions. This man is going to test me on whole new levels. Like a sin wrapped in uniform, the one I am not even sure if to avoid or open up with.

"We will see each other again...soon," he murmurs against my skin before letting go. "Please, keep my flower with you and don’t throw it away." Straightening, he lets the back of his hand caress my cheek one last time before stepping back and opening the door for me.

"Go!"

With a deep breath, I rush out of the dark room. My heart gallops like a warhorse as I leave this dangerous man behind and head upstairs towards the safety of my room.

I need to take a shower because if Alnitak smells him on me, he will go after him and a whole war will break out.

By the time I have showered, changed and done the assignments the night is already falling. Kacir and I head down for dinner. Alnitak and Mintaka join us, and even Rahria decides to sit with us.

"He didn’t bother you again? Did he?" Alnitak asks, leaning in with his thick arm draped on the back of my chair. He chews on a drumstick with his other hand, his eyes fixed on me.

I just shake my head, not trusting my voice not to quiver while lying.

"Did you guys notice how potent his aura is? Like the Alphas possess even though I am not sure vampires have Alphas. Do they?" Rahria asks with wrinkles on her perfect forehead. Her fork twists in the spaghetti she is about to eat.

That is a good question, though, and I hope one of the boys has an answer.