Chapter # 35

YEARS AGO, When De Villiers was ten, he encountered a situation that trembled his soul for weeks until the fear got suppressed over time. It perturbed him to the core only to know in future that his fright was never irrational. They were playing hide and seek and he... hid in Valencia's special garden. No one except the family was allowed there, that place was supposedly the heart of the Alroy bloodline. Knowing it was forbidden yet he decided to hide there, out of joy, obviously. And then he saw them. The couple everyone admired, everyone looked up to, another side of them... Which he shouldn't have. With glistening tears, Valencia barged inside, she attempted to escape her husband's proximity who came after her. His hand extended towards her, to grab her but she didn't allow him. "Valencia, listen-" "Don't talk to me, asshole!" She yelled, slapping his hand. Not pleased with her rejection, he forcefully gripped her arm, twisting it backward as his other hand gripped her jaws to force her into staring with those emerald eyes. "Do not raise that voice against me," His growl made her shiver. Her whole being submitted, flinching at his one scowl when he locked his eyes fatally on hers. De Villiers was shocked to find them like this and covered his mouth, well aware that if they saw him, he would pay dearly for it. "Why don't you attempt to resist me again, like this, Darling?" He growled in her ears, inhaling her scent with a tight grip on her jaw that made her skin slightly red. Halting her breaths when his thick lips moved across her exposed neck as his sapphire gaze indulged in her reaction of quivering. Loosening her shoulder, her body was firmly pressed on his toned chest, breathing heavily through her nostrils. The man who smiled charmingly always, held his woman possessively. Forcing her to stare until it deprived her energy and she ended up relying on him completely. "Stop it, Silas, I am so done with this fucking charade, please," She whimpered. Shaking her head in denial as a hopeless endeavor to resist him. Relaxing as well, he turned her to confront him, fingers grazing to the side of her neck as his other hand held her back so her body remained latched to his. "Darling, listen," "Don't touch me," She shut her eyes, holding his shirt desperately to find liberation from his proximity as he called her in a commanding tone. "Valencia," "Please, don't come near me," She whispered, pleading with him. He leaned forward to mix his breaths with hers. Capturing her face firmly, not permitting her to break the contact despite the attempts. "I fucking dare you to push me away," He challenged temptingly. "Please, please, please," Sighing when she was led to the verge of sobbing, his large hand gripped her shoulder, moving his thumb in circles gently. "Relax, Darling, nothing is going to happen," Before a wail could leave her lips, he encased her in his chest, trailing his finger on her back, allowing her to relax. "See. Come here, it's alright, I am here, you are here." Unlike Nathaniel, Silas handled Valencia proficiently like she was wrapped around his fingers. For whatever reason, unknown to De Villiers, "You are scaring me, Silas, please, let me go," She sobbed faintly, a tear rolling down. Frowning when she shed a tear, he placed her cheek under his palm as the other hand smoothly gripped her hair. "I will let you go, my darling, but answer me honestly-" Wiping her tears, Silas liberated a seductive chuckle accompanied by a dark smirk spreading across his dangerous lips. "-Can 'you' let me go?" "Silas, please don't do this to me," "Darling, come on, don't do this," She gasped, and apparently, he knew she would struggle to leave, and the second she did, his grip on her hair tightened, not letting her go or create any space. "Do you not love me?" "I do but this is wrong," "Fuck wrong and right, none of it matters now." He growled, pressing her against the pillar of the gazebo and she held him as support. "All you have to do is to give up and you will find the place you belong," Taking her hand, he placed it firmly over his heart with a keen, spellbinding gaze. "Right here," "Don't-" Before she could decline the intoxication he dispersed, he pressed his thumb over her lips, fingers latched to her jawline sternly. "Shh, My Darling, don't, say, anything," "Exist in me, with me, for me." And she surrendered, holding his wrist with both hands, removing his thumb. "Do you still want me to leave you?" Making a crying face, she shook her head in denial. "No..." "That's my good girl," He suppressed a chuckle, pressing her rigidly against the pillar by holding her waist. Earning a moan when his heat traveled to her as he kissed her neck intensely to imprint his mark. Shifting her head, even in denial and suppression, she ended up providing him further access to explore her skin. 'What the hell is happening? What is he doing to her?' De Villiers thought frantically. Permitting him to enrapture her body with his kiss, sucking her sweet spot, he dug his nail on her skin. With a hitched breath, she held his shirt, moaning his name. "S-Silas," Smirking viciously at her subjugation, he pulled away after successfully marking her. "Fuck, what have you done to me, woman," A trail of saliva connected his lips to her neck, rolling his tongue over, he indicated his content, moving his thumb to wipe the wetness. "That is why you are my deepest, darkest, my most wicked, my most satisfactory obsession," He praised, kissing her forehead when she was a blushing and panting mess. Chuckling at her powerlessness, he enunciated her undeniable reality. "Because you can never leave me, even if you want to," After ensuring that she had given up, he pulled away gradually and turned to leave. Lowering her gaze out of embarrassment, she held his sleeves. A tear pricked in her eyes, whimpering. "You.. love me... right, Silas?" He smiled, kissing the back of her palm, vanquished all her apprehension with his soft reply. "Me, my soul, my existence, my breaths, all belong to you, My Darling," Shaking his head, he wrapped his hand protectively around her shoulder to keep her near his chest. "Now. Come, if you are done, you know Nathaniel can't spend a second without us, he will be here anytime," "And that is why I ensured he won't disturb us, he is playing with De Villiers," "Good job." He chuckled. "I honestly wonder how we managed to have another child in the first place in his presence," She cracked a joke because Nathaniel was highly attached to his parents. He refused to leave them, he threw a tantrum at school leading him to being homeschooling as he couldn't stay without his Mama and Papa. "I am all down to have more," "Silas!" She blushed, hitting his chest before walking away and leaving him. He smirked devilishly, watching her leave with his one hand in his pocket and blew a kiss at her as they left. Later that moment, De Villiers hastily rushed out of the garden in dread. He had always seen him smiling and finding him possessive, holding her so intimately was making him apprehensive. He was about to escape but saw the tall man leaning against the wall, the sleeve of his black shirt rolled upward to reveal the tattoo on his forearm. Intimidated at the superior aura the man emitted as a sly smirk spread across his lips. "De Villiers," "U-Uncle," He gasped in fear. Shifting to his one knee, he was back to his contentious demeanor, ruffling his hair. "Son," "Forget what you heard or saw. You don't want me to vanish your father from this world, don't you?" He continued to smile menacingly. "P-Please, I am sorry, Uncle, I-I didn't mean to," Tears pricked in his eyes, he was about to run but he held his shirt, keeping him trapped. "Oh, don't make this face. You are my Nathaniel's best friend, I could never hurt you although I could never promise-" "I won't tell anyone, I promise, Uncle." De Villiers cried a little, absolutely scared of the man before him. When he could make Valencia, the Queen of the Underworld, obey him, then he was nothing in comparison. "Aren't you a good boy? Wipe your tears, I didn't mean to scare you," He said sweetly, pinching his cheeks before wiping the tears in the corner. "Mhm," Silas opened his mouth again only to be joined by a jovial resonance echoing in the corridor. "De Villiers! There you are- Papa!" His face lit up as if he had found holy grail, opened his arms to his beloved, his dearest son. "Ah, there is my hero. Where were you?" Laughing sincerely, he picked up Nathaniel, taking him into the air, holding his son near his heart, so close to him, poking his nose playfully. "Put me down, we are playing," "You just don't bother to spend two seconds with your father, do you?" "Will you play with us, Papa?" Nathaniel asked expectantly, eyes shining brightly accompanied by a never ending grin. "Depends on what you are playing." "Hide and seek," "Sure, call Persphone and your mother too, we can play together," "Yay! Mama! Persephone!" Beaming, Nathaniel rushed to call his family out of exhilaration. "I-I have to go, my father is calling," "Are you sure, De Villiers?" Silas asked nonchalantly, resting his hand in his pockets, walking down with him. "Yes, Uncle. B-Bye," They came to the main hall as De Villiers ran and embraced his father rigidly, keeping his gaze lowered. "Where are you going, De Villiers?" "I-I have to go, Nathaniel, I need to study for the test," "Are you sure, son? You don't want to play?" Walsh asked again for confirmation. He shook his head in denial. "Don't say this, we are going to play with Papa," He frowned. "Oh, he is leaving, isn't it too bad?" "Bye," De Villiers walked away with his father. Holding his chin, Nathaniel spoke to himself out of confusion. "I wonder what happened to him," "Oh, he must have some work. It's alright, we can play. How about Mama's turn first?" Silas suggested with a musical chuckle, giving his wife's shoulder a playful pat. "Huh? Why mine? You should do it first and I don't trust you, you always cheat, Silas." She argued. Folding her arms at her chest. Following the same gesture, Silas retorted teasingly. "Excuse me, Darling, not my fault if you are bad at games," "You cheat, Silas, accept it, we will tie your eyes two times," She demanded, "That's not fair," "Hmph," Pushing her hair behind her shoulder gracefully, she held her head high in pride and a compelling aura. Twitching his brows, the man held his sides. "Oh, so now you will attempt to tempt me in order to have a turn?" "Not my fault if I am irresistible," She smirked as the couple shared a staring competition for the next few seconds before breaking into a chuckle. "Mama is right, you cheat, Papa," Nathaniel and Persephone said at the same time. This was his habit to cheat. "Okay, okay," Laughing he put his hand up defensively, agreeing to not cheat- which he would one way or another- he decided to take the first turn. "8, 9, 10...here I come!" Stopping in his tracks, De Villiers glanced at the man who was apparently the best husband, best father, the man to whom everyone looked up to. Whenever people caught a glimpse of Silas Alroy, all they found was perfection. There was no man like him. But, De Villiers knew what type of man he was and carrying that as a crushing weight in his chest, he lowered his gaze and left. Never daring to open the seal on his lips, even after his death.