Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Kiara’s POV

My heart stopped beating when Kevin bit me. All those efforts, sacrifices; all that suffering was for nothing if I couldn’t even keep Kevin safe.

I was about to give Kevin the antidote in panic. Thankfully Nivaan figured out that he was alright on time. I didn’t know what happened to make Kevin immune to my poison… Was it because he was bitten earlier… or was it something else… I was just glad that he was safe.

I laced my fingers through his as we sat side by side on the plain bed of the tent. He brushed my cheeks with the back of his hand and said, “I want to know the truth, Kiara….”

I raised my eyebrows slightly and said, “You have already marked me… why would you need my permission to know the truth… go ahead and seek it out…”

His face flushed red and he lowered his eyes, “I don’t know what came over me… It was like my body had a mind of its own… I would never…”

My heart ached to hear his choked voice. Exhaling deeply, I said, “If something had happened to you all my sacrifices would have been in vain. I am tired of hiding the truth from you, Kevin.”

The moment those words left my mouth Kevin cupped my face with his hands. I took deep breaths trying to relax so that my mental shield was lowered.

I felt a strange tickling sensation. It was as if our minds were connected by invisible cords and our thoughts and feelings could merge. I thought about our first meeting, his birthday party, the day I saw him almost die and finally the day he rejected me…

I could sense the vibrations against my cheeks as his hands trembled. I opened my eyes to find tears trickling wordlessly down his face.

It tugged at my heart making it snap right into two. Wiping the tears with the pad of my thumb I said, “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you pain… I…”

My voice broke as warm tears flowed down my cheeks too.

He pulled me into a tight hug and said rubbing my back, “Why didn’t you tell me the truth, Kiara? If you had just told me once that you didn’t hire those goons, I would have believed you…”

“But, the evidence was against me…”

“Can’t you see it? It doesn’t matter… You can slaughter an entire village and I would still love you… I rejected you only to protect my family…”

It was difficult for me to believe his words. I had just shared that I was a poisoned wolf, I had committed three murders… yet here he was professing his love… didn’t he feel grossed out by my actions?”

He caressed my cheeks and said in an emotional voice, “I can never feel grossed out by you, Kiara. You are my soul mate. Now, it is my turn to share my thoughts…”

My heart filled with warmth and this warmth engulfed my whole body as I perceived his thoughts. He never did hate me. The intensity of the emotions I felt was so great that I felt my heart would burst.

He lifted my chin and lowered his head to my lips. He was about to kiss me when I placed my fingers on his lips.

My eyes widened in panic as I said, “What if my kiss is still poisonous?”

He gave me a quirky smile and said, “Then, I would die a happy man.”

He grasped both my hands in one of his and he crushed his lips against mine. After a few moments, I found myself responding with equal ferocity. The kiss was desperate, urgent as if we both wanted to devour each other.

I had spent so much time resisting his kiss that it filled my heart with a strange ache. I couldn’t continue with the kiss for long and burst out sobbing.

I buried my head in his chiseled chest and cried my eyes out. For the first time since I met him, I didn’t feel the need to hide my feelings from him.

He didn’t tell me to stop crying. Instead, he held me in his warm embrace and kept saying sweet words of love all the while.

I had never given a thought to how heaven is but one thing was sure it couldn’t be better than this. For the first time since my parents died, I felt loved, cherished, and wanted…

I don’t know how long we stayed like that. I had lost sense of time and just wished to spend my whole life cocooned in the warmth of his arms.

The noise of someone clearing their throat startled me and I pulled away quickly. Nivaan’s expression turned ghastly the moment he looked at my face.

He glared at Kevin and said in an icy cold voice, “What did he do?”

“Kevin didn’t do anything. It is just that my emotions are all over the place…” I tried to sound cheerful but my voice came out as sluggish. This thought-sharing thing had put quite a strain on me.

As if on cue, Kevin made me lie on the bed. He tucked me in blankets just like you would wrap up a baby. It was a bit silly but I didn’t mind. He kissed the top of my head before saying, “You should sleep for a while…”

He was about to leave but I grasped his hand and made him sit beside me. I wanted to ask him to join me too but I felt so warm and cozy that I dozed off before I could even realize it…