Chapter 101: A Good Dream

It was as if his blunt confession of his love in her face was powerful enough to stop time and hold the wind.

Well, it felt that way to her.

Her eyes wide in horror, no, disbelief, no uncertainty, no...as if he had the guts to tell such a brutal lie directly in her face.

Corrine couldn’t even ask him what he meant by that.

Hell, it was like the first day she met him. When he asked her so confidently if she also found him appealing. Or the day he came and said without shame that he fancied her.

Corrine didn’t know what to say or how to respond.

Her dark green gaze glossed with tears. Not tears of joy or relief.

But tears of pain.

And heartache.

Not only did his words confuse her but it sounded so differently when he says it then when Henry tells her the same.

Corrine wondered why it was so.

What made his confession of love sound so genuine, so romantic, so...heartwarming and desirable at the same time?

Why was she always doubtful, nervous, or in utter disbelief whenever Henry reminded her of how much he cared for and loved her?

It was puzzling.

Either way, she refuses to believe it.

Her hands curled into tight fists as the expression in her eyes hardened with determination.

’’Not the answer you would believe to be true for the question you asked, isn’t it?’’

Her lips pressed together.

I am not foolish.

She told him with the look on her face.

Grim’s lips curved into one of those knowing smiles of his. One that resembled one of pure admiration. He looked at her again, serious this time as he said.

’’Well then, I have another answer for you. One I believe you would like better than knowing my true feelings for you.’’

That didn’t make her any less eager to hear more rubbish from his mouth. It annoyed her so much that she believed his pretty face was due for another hard slap across the cheek.

But her thoughts and the venom spewing in her heart couldn’t have prepared her for the next thing that rolled out of those pretty lips.

’’I marked you that day we were so lovey-dovey with each other.’’

Anais’ eyes popped out in alarm.

What?!

’’We are now bound by a soul contract. Which means your soul and body belong to me. Your life is now my entire responsibility. You can call me...your fated mate now.’’

....what?!

She glared at him, feeling ridiculous by his words.

’’Your own personal genie—except I’m not trapped inside a bottle. I will crawl around you and bite anyone that dares to come this close to you.’’

He continued, shamelessly. Blowing her mind apart like fireworks. Except the pieces of her mind burned with blazing fire instead of the colorful lights that lit up the sky at night.

’’You are mine now. My woman. My mate. My Soulmate. Fated one. Partner and lover until...’’

He paused to think about it and she watched as he shrugged it off as if that information wasn’t necessary before moving forward.

’’The point is, you are already bounded to me in exchange for a better life that I will make happen for you soon.’’

She wondered who was more crazy between them.

Then she concluded that it was definitely him.

She never knew cold-blooded creatures could lose a few knots in some part of their brain.

Her eyes widened the more in shock as she felt paralysed from head to toe.

His smile only grew more mischievous as he paused to see her reaction.

So far, she was taking it well. The least he expected was a slap or another wound made by her on him in anger.

’’Think of it as the price you paid for your resurrection and a deal you made with a demon to help all your heart desires...’’ he stated while poking her chest in a slightly playful way. ’’...come true.’’

’’The signature of that agreement between you and me is my beautiful mark resting pretty on the side of your neck.’’

Corrine couldn’t breathe as she quickly moved her hand to the wrong side of her neck before slowly moving the right side...she gasped as she felt his mark on her.

On her body!!!

Corrine...said nothing for a long moment.

And for a while, it looked as if he had just broken her by his other response that seemed more overwhelming than I love you.

He smiled again, leaning close until he caught her restless gaze and loved it so much how long her fingers moved on his mark and stayed there for a while.

’’Don’t worry, I don’t plan to keep you this way forever. The mark on you will fade once I fulfil my promise to you and by then you will be a free bird again.’’

Her lips trembled. Not with sadness, pain or hurt.

But with the one of rage.

One that could not be quenched with a few sincere words of apologies or any other nice or genuine thing done on the face of the earth. Her eyes locked on his with a different flame. The tears in them didn’t make it all that less intimidating.

But she didn’t know how much that look aroused the beast smiling mischievously at her face.

’’Don’t worry,’’ Grim continued in a tone that eased the tense silence that occurred between them. ’’I won’t harm you. I would never. You just need to stay with me until the days of our agreement are over. Until your life becomes better than the one you left behind. And all this...all of it, between me and you, will be nothing but a dream.’’

Her lips parted as she watched him as if he was yet to say one acceptable and perfectly sane word to her.

’’A good dream.’’

Corrine raised her hand to hit him hard on his face.

But she stared at him in surprise when he acted quickly enough to hold her hand back before reaching his face.

His eyes on her turned dark gold as he maintained that creepy, amused smile down on her short figure.

Corrine moved her other hand and gasped when he caught it, now holding two of her hands hostage.

She glared hard at him this time. Feeling her hatred and disgust burn so heavily it made her chest rise and fall with each heated look.

But she was determined not to give up.

She was going to teach him a lesson. If that meant ruining his pretty face with a thousand slaps from her.

She doesn’t give two fucks about it.

If he had no manners because of being a cold-blooded worm, then she didn’t mind teaching him a few. How to behave and treat people with respect.

She could make him spell the seven-letter word, C O N S E N T, with a good beating, and she wouldn’t stop until he understood it perfectly.

What a shameless limbless creature was he?

Her glares grew venomous as she tried to raise her leg to deliver a jaw smashing kick to his face—-yes, her few teenage years of martial arts didn’t go to waste. It was what her dear uncle suggested to her father instead of wasting that month preparing for high school prom.

A lady built to take over the world someday should be ready to take down anyone on their knees before her in one strike. And not take group pictures with boys and friends in a dress and a clown costume drawn all over her face.

Her skills took Grim by surprise but he was fast enough and determined not to give her the satisfaction of hurting him this time.

He stepped back by avoiding her high kick by a mere inch and stumbled backward. Excitement pumping all over him as he stared at her, still giving him that predatory look.

This time he was the one doing the hurting.

And he has a way of making her enjoy it and wanting more.

Tilting his head and raising a teasing eyebrow at her to ask if she was done yet.

Slime...bastard...argh!

He was driving her insane.

Corrine moved again to deliver a few more punches and kicks at him, aiming at his face which Grim found oddly weird but he didn’t complain.

He moved so stealthily and effortlessly. As if she wasn’t even trying her best to hit that dirty look off his face.

His face lit up a bit when she bent over to pick up her favourite murder weapon.

Then she stalked towards him with a heavy breath.