Before I start, I would like to take a short moment to thank the beautiful and caring Kelly for giving me this wonderful opportunity of being featured in this wattpad block party for the first time. I was very surprised and overwhelmed with happiness when I was accepted and I couldn't wait to share my post with everyone. Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway prizes that will be available for you to click on at the end of this post!

The following is an insight/prologue to a future book that I will hopefully post on wattpad very soon. It will contain royal families, secrets, murder, adventures, mystery, heartbreak, forgiveness, surprises and of course hot men! I really hope you enjoy reading the following post and don't forget to check out the other posts that have been written by other wonderful authors on wattpad.

Without further ado, here's RICH KISSES.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

R I C H K I S S E S

That's what falling in love is. It's being vulnerable. It's giving up control.

— The Vampire Diaries

When you really care about someone, their mistakes never change our feelings because the mind gets angry but it's the heart that still cares.

— Unknown

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

— 43 MONTHS

PEOPLE WERE LOVE, AND SHE WAS LUCKY TO APPRECIATE THEIR BEAUTIFULNESS.

Maddison Martin adored people, relishing in their warm presence and the sincere twitch of their lips as she ambled past them, carefully pressing her weight against her toes. She would remember to return the smile with one of her own, wide doe eyes gliding across them and she would lift her fingers to tuck the forever loose, wavy strand behind her ear, momentarily clearing her vision before the lock of hair would float back to its desired position.

And today was no different. Maddy quietly walked towards the local library, hands softly and safely tucked underneath her elbows as she tightly clutched onto her books, a bag hanging off her shoulder and occasionally bumping against her thigh. A curve tilted her lips upwards and a couple of luminous teeth appeared as she licked the corner of her lips, her gaze hooked on the small building in front of them.

Maddy reduced the distance left to the library with ease, hand outreached before it quickly clasped around the metal doorknob and she breathed in with the intention to step foot in her safe heaven when she stopped. A rustle and a crunch followed by a series of whispers pulled her attention, head slightly tilted to the side where she thought the disturbance came from and she pulled her bottom lip into her warm trap, sharp teeth lightly chewing on the flesh with hesitation.

She strained her ears, and listened, heart beating faster as she heard her heart heavily pumping through her ears, down her arms and body and all over again and through all of that, there was a distinct hissing noise – something that sounded so cruel and malicious that and it had her hand dropping its hold against her handle and her feet quickly but silently walking towards the sound.

Maddy had curled her hands into tight fists but not before pushing her light books into her bag, and she numbed out the painful jabs as her nails pricked the skin on her palm. A couple of lone moments passed by and she turned a corner, light disappearing as it darkened to obsidian. There were a couple of random lights and she imagined them to be fireflies blinking down at her, shedding her some light for the evilness she was about to step into. Some were dull, merely flickering into existence every now and then, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering fireflies and it almost reminded her of an illuminative dark, moonless night with random stars staring down at her.

She pressed her hand against the hard, rocky concreate wall beside her and slanted her head forward, as she neared another curve and Maddy's breathing momentarily stopped. "Daddy's not here to protect you now, is he?" The words were single-handled coated with spitefulness, and she imagined a sneer curling the man's lips if she was able to take a single glance at his face. Maddy heard a painful groan – the sound low but drawing and she narrowed her eyes to sneak a peek of the guy almost unconsciously lying down on the floor but the other man's figure was looming over him, hiding him from her vision.

"You're not so powerful now are you? You worthless piece of scumbag." Maddy uncurled her hand and pressed it against her mouth, pushing back the whimper threatening to tumble out of her mouth as she leaned her head against the wall behind her and her other hand was pressed against her stomach as she forced down the wave of sickness consuming her. In the midst of her blurry vision and heaving stomach, there was a sharp kick and the body wounded into a tight ball, curling itself up as a few incoherent words passed by their lips. Maddy inhaled and exhaled – three times before she mustered up the courage to turn her head back towards them and she saw the powerful man bent down on his knees, his hands softly weaving through the other person's hair and Maddy breathed out a sigh of relief which quickly turned into a short gasp when he pulled the person's head by the hair, straining the body. "You know what I pray for everyday?" There was a moment of silence before he continued and pushed the head further back, the guy crying out with agony, the sound resonating of the walls of the alleyway – a cry for help but no-one came. "I wish for your death. I wish that death comes knocking on your door and gives you the most painful death that will have ever ceased to exist. I plead with God to take your pathetic excuse of existence away from this world, finally gifting humanity with a blessing because you are and will always be an untameable disease that needs to be put out. There is no other way."

He suddenly dropped his hold on the other person's hair and patted their cheek once and then twice, before standing up and wiping his hands against the hard material of his jeans. "But you know what I wish for more than your death? I wish that you weren't born, that instead of your mother dying when she gave birth to you, you died, saving all of us a whole lot of pain and misery. You are not and will never be needed and sometimes I feel sorry for you. Well –" The man let out a humorous laugh and ran a hand through his hair, "– that's before I remember who you are. Hopefully, today's the last day I will ever see you face." He spat something vile on the spot next to the other person lying flat on the floor – his evident mark and took off, pushing down his cap further down his head until his eyes were covered to the world.

Maddy froze, further pressing her back against the wall behind her, ignoring the sharp and painful pricks and squeezed her eyes shut, the skin above screwing up as her lips mumbled "please, please" over and over again. She stopped breathing, pressing her lips into a thin line and placed her hand against her nose and mouth, stopping any sound emitting from her as she further coiled her body into a ball in the dark corner. The guy with sturdy shoulders walked right past her, his long legs eating up the distance with quick strides and a couple of beats later, he vanished from Maddy's vision and she released the breath she was holding in.

She didn't know what happened in the next few seconds but all remembered was leaning against the wall in one moment and next she was bent down, her hands trembling with fear and her eyes glassing over for the stranger in front of her. Maddy lightly pressed a finger against his shoulder and when he didn't make a sound of protest, she curled her hand over him and slowly shook. "Hey, hey. Wake up." Her eyes were fixated on him and she lowered her head until her nose almost brushed against his and his light breathing washed over her lips and she sighed with relief. "Come on. You need to wake up." It was almost as though he heard the urgency coated around her words, and she saw a light twitch above his eyes and almost smiled before shaking him again, his body trembling with her force.

His eyelashes leisurely brushed against each other, a light shadow casting over them and leaving a mark on the skin underneath and he looked. He blinked once – then twice and a quiet moan left his parted lips and her lips parted on their own. His eyes were sterling and bright, twinges of blue and golden orange floating around the pool of intensity, with flecks floating around the sclera of his eyes that caused small ripples in the irises of his eyes and suddenly she couldn't look away.

But he groaned and she felt the tip of his fingers brushing against her bare thigh and she repressed a shiver, firmly pushing down her wandering thoughts and actually looked at him without her mind someplace else. "Y-your – argh –" He stopped and coughed, body racking backwards and forwards and her hand consciously tightened around his shoulder and his face scrunched up with torment, " – your hand," he mumbled.

Maddy quickly retracted her hand and apologized, a "sorry" passing by her pretty lips and she looked down, her curly strands cascading down her back and sides, blocking her face from his view. She twisted her hand into a tight ball, lifting her gaze as she watched his eyes slowly close as though it was too painful for him to keep them open.

"Hey." Maddy's voice was soft, concern dripping from her voice as she licked the corner of your lips. "I'm –I'm going to call an ambulance, okay? You need to be checked and cleaned up immediately. I –"

"No!" The sharpness of his words almost had her recoiling back but she felt something warm weaving into the edges of her fingers and she quickly cast a glance down at her hand, surprised to see a much larger hand covering hers. He squeezed her hand with the little energy he had left. Maddy felt her heart skip a beat, a rosy blush tinting the appled-cheeks of her face and she was glad darkness filled up the alleyway. She glanced back at him and chewing on the supple flesh of the inside of her bottom lip. "Just – please don't do that. You – you can't call an ambulance, okay?" He heaved out a loud breath; lips pressed into a thin line as the action alone was heavy on him. A couple of moments passed between them as he struggled to gain control of his breathing and Maddy was all too conscious of the hand wrapped around hers like a tight glove. "Everything will get out of hand and speculations will fly and –"

"I don't understand," she murmured, an evident line of confusion imprinting on her forehead, between her brows.

"I know you don't," he replied before taking in a deep breath, eyes fluttering shut for a couple of seconds as silence consumed them like a comforting blanket until they opened up again and his index finger pressed tightly against the front of her hand. "But please don't call anyone, okay? No-one can know about this."

Maddy knew she had to call an ambulance and ignore his pleading but common sense left her the minute she gazed at him and she found herself nodding with agreement at his conditions. "Okay," she murmured in a low tone, settling with him and the heavy feeling pushing down on her heart lightened as she saw the tip of his lips slightly curl up into a smile before they fell. "But you still need to get cleaned up."

"But –"

"I can do it for you. I've done first aid training so there's no need to involve anyone," Maddy quickly interrupted him and she watched how his lips parted open with surprise before he licked the tip of his top lip and nodded – but shortly stopped as pain immersed him, face grimacing with soreness.

"Let's get you up, okay?" Maddy tucked an arm underneath his shoulder and then her other as they both used all their energy to help him up and after a couple of failed attempts of him falling back onto the ground, they succeeded. She quickly grabbed her bag a step away from her and hung it over her shoulder, looping his right arm over her neck and held onto it, then loosely but firmly clutching his waist with her other hand. Small steps were taken and she noticed his shallow breathing, his chest slowly rising and falling with each difficult breath he took and how his fingers tightened around hers as they made their way to the back exit of the library. Once they were in reach, she unhooked his arm around her neck and positioned him so most of his weight was held by the wall beside them as she opened the door, acknowledging the surprise flashing over his features. "Miss Salt – the receptionist of the library always forgets to lock the backdoor," Maddy explained herself, slightly feeling guilty for taking advantage but one look at him – his swollen cheek, chipped lip, bruised ribs underneath, dried blood smeared all over his face and down his neck and the limp in his walking, it somehow justified her wrong-doing.

She held most of his weight as they walked into an empty room with a lone sink and a cupboard on top, with a mini freezer resting in the corner. Spotting a chair in the corner, Maddy carefully placed him down, quickly apologizing as he hissed when she pressed a little too hard at a sore spot and turned around, trembling fingers opening the cupboard and stood on her toes and stretched her arm out until the tips of her fingers touched a rough material and she grabbed the bag, leaving the doors wide open.

She curled her hands into a tight fist to hold her shakiness and a few seconds passed before she uncurled them, unzipping the bag and took out the necessary items. Maddy dabbed a bit of liquid on to the fluffy cotton ball and stepped closer to him, so close that she stood in between his open legs and the fingertips of her free hand dangling on her side could brush against his jean-clad thighs. "Hey," she whispered, a small pitiful smile curving her lips as his eyes fluttered open, "this might hurt a bit but I'll try and be careful, okay?"

He smiled back in response and she shuffled closer, her fingertips pressed against the structure of his jaw as she tipped his head back and wiped away the dried blood off his face. She swiped and lightly jabbed against his face, leaning his face to the side and then the other until she was done and moved to his neck.

Maddy grabbed a single plaster, peeling off the two unwanted parts on each side and pressed it against the guy's forehead, right onto of a sore cut and lightly pushed it against his skin until all the edges were firmly stuck on him. She could feel his intense stare of her face, burning a hot hole on the side of her head and after a couple of moments of hesitation, she returned the look and pushed down the flickering feeling growing from the pit of her stomach. "Can you – erm – can you I take off your shirt?" A rosy blush coloured her cheeks and all the way to the tip of her ears. "So I can clean the rest of you," she quickly added when he stayed silent.

She could have sworn that she saw his eyes twinkle with mischief but it was gone in a blink of an eyes and all she received was a shaky nod. She replied with one of her own, stepping back so she could hook her fingers against the hem of his shirt and pulled up, slowing down when it came to his shoulders. Maddy gently bent his elbow and scrunched his shirt out of the way so his arm came out and then did the same to the other, carefully settling the clothing on the table next to them. A hiss escaped out of his mouth as he slowly adjusted to his seat and when he strained his legs out, she continued.

Maddy dabbed a bit of liquid on to the fluffy cotton ball again and swiped it against his chest, pausing every time she saw a tick in his jaw, his hands curling into a fist until his knuckles turned a pale white or when an evident crease of pain imprinted on his forehead, right between his brows. Maddy took a deep breath as she shuffled a bit closer so she could gently rest her hand on the tip of his sturdy shoulder. "So, who was he?" Her voice was soft and quiet but it still resonated off the walls of the room, leaving a light echo in its awake and she saw his eyes widened and lips part open. Something flashed across his features – it was too fast for her to recognize before he sat up straight, shoulders not slumping down anymore.

"No-one," he mumbled underneath his breath but she was in close enough proximity to make out the quiet, incoherent words.

Maddy raised a single brow in question and he dropped his gaze to his lap. "Really? That's what you're going with? He's no-one?" Maddy knew she had no right to question him, after all she was no-one important to him but she felt something when she looked at him and needed to know why someone so cruel could exist in this world.

She felt as though if this was any other situation, he would pinch the bridge of his nose and roll his eyes in frustration but that wasn't possible now so he settled with a sigh, shoulders sagging down with the movement. "Just – he's just someone who's got a thing against me. That's all."

Maddy pressed her lips into a thin line in an attempt to push down her thoughts and dropped her gaze away from his and looked at his almost clean chest. There were a couple of dark spot forming just above his ribs and she knew within a couple of hours they would become, dark with a tinge of purple and blue. She silently stepped away from him and bent down, hands rummaging through her bag until she felt something soft and pulled out her scarf. Maddy then trudged towards the freezer and sighed with relief when she spotted a couple of ice blocks at the back. Securely wrapping her scarf around them ice cubes, she tied a knot at the end to keep it firm and in place before pressing it against his chest, slightly moving it away when he whispered a swear. He pressed his hand onto of hers and Maddy relished the warmness slipping into hers before moving away and curled her hand into a fist behind her back. "Keep it there for some time to slow down the bruising," she murmured to him.

Maddy threw the rubbish in the bin, quickly zipping up the bag and placing it back in its original position in the lone cupboard. She retrieved her bag from the floor and hung it over her shoulder and looked at him. "I know I'm just a stranger to you and vice versa but I'm going to tell you something and you're going to stay quiet and listen." She paused and even though she told him he didn't have a choice, she hesitated, eyes flickering to his and when he didn't object to her conditions, she continued. "I don't know who that guy is and I probably will never know but one thing I do know is that what he did was wrong. It was wrong it all situations and every possible world and you know that. No matter what has happened between you two or what you've done to him that's made him 'have a thing against you', nothing can ever justify such behaviour and I don't understand why you're not doing anything about it. You won't let me call an ambulance or the police because you think it's going to get out of hand. Well, it should. Everyone in his life should know what kind of person he really is; going around cornering people and beating them up until they're almost unconscious. On top of that, he wishes for them to have a painful death and that they should never be born. No-one does not do nor will they ever deserve a treatment like that – no matter what crime they've committed."

Maddy stopped, taking in a deep breath, fully aware of his deep and powerful gaze on her and she returned the look with one of her own. "What I'm trying to say is that you're doing no-one a favour by keeping this to yourself and certainly not yourself one. Just – please speak to someone about this, okay? Don't keep it inside because his truth needs to be revealed, no matter how bitter or hard it may be."

She blinked and looked ahead, silently waiting for his response but after a couple of long beats she was met with stillness. Just as she was about to pivot away on her heel, she heard something. "Thank you for cleaning me up," he whispered in a low tone and she read the movement of his lips. Gratefulness covered his face and Maddy felt her heart flutter around. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear, biting the corner of her bottom lip. She knew he wasn't just thankful for cleaning him up but so much more and she was content with the last sentence lingering in the air between them. She knew what he meant and that was more enough for her.

"You're welcome." She felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

— 25 MONTHS

IT WAS DARK FOR THEM BUT LIGHT FOR HER.

The small sparkling lights firmly pressed on the ceiling bounced off the walls in the room, illuminating every single soul lightly swaying to the smoothing music and she noticed them glistening brightly, as the low level of lights sifted through the room and she pushed her hands behind her back, coiling her body further into the corner.

Couples were gracing the dance floor; sultry hips ignited the passion that once died between them, one following the lead of the other as their intensely gazed at each other. Maddy looked away, dropping her gaze to the floor as she entwined her fingers together, impatiently waiting for a luminous ivory 11:00 to blink at her from lonely presence of her phone, so she could leave after she held up her end of the deal.

Her conversation with her stubborn father ran through her mind, reminding her of how he somehow convinced her to stay at the dance for at least two hours and then she was free to flee away and hunch her body in her comforting room. The annual dance was one event Maddy dreaded to attend, fear consuming her at the idea of dancing in front of strangers with her mind occupied with many thoughts at once. For the past couple of years, she was successful in avoiding the occasion, an excuse always automatically tumbling out of her mouth but this year – oh, this year, she stuttered and her father caught her red-handed, pressuring to attend the event for his sake and who was Maddy to refuse her father's one request? She couldn't be the one to crush his hopeful face and his prideful chest when he asked her to come along with the family this year. No, she couldn't do that to the one man in her life that had never let her down. Always being there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on, gentle advice or when she needed him to lend an ear to her. He was always there for her without fail and the least she could do was accept his one request.

Maddy gently lifted her fingers to tuck a loose, wavy strand behind her ear, momentarily clearing her vision before the lock of hair would float back to its desired position and stilled when she caught the gaze of a stranger. Grey looked back at her, a single eyebrow raised in question at her intense stare and when she left her mind of thought, she flashed him a smile – an apologetic curve of the lips before glancing away, calming breathing in and out.

Her hands curled into tight fists, her long, navy blue painted nails pricking into the smooth skin of her palm but she numbed out the pain as she scolded herself to allow her mind to wander there. It had been a year and a half – a very long time since she helped the man with bright, vibrant grey eyes but still her thoughts always seemed to centre around him, a tiny detail or aspect of life would always remind her of him.

The way mischief swirled around the irises in his eyes for a split second, the little tip of his lips when he tried to smile but was in too much pain to do so, the curl of his hands, the tick in his sharp jaw or the god-crafted cheeks, designed to perfectly slice your skin into a deep cut. Her shoulders slumped as a pitiful sigh tumbled out of her pretty lips and so almost pinched herself in an attempt to help her get out of this little fantasy that she would see him again, maybe a long glance as she walked down the streets of her childhood home or when she took a quick trip to the local supermarket. She needed to understand that he is and will always remain a stranger – someone she once helped but was never going to meet again. It was almost impossible – she didn't even know his name let alone anything about him.

She was so, so into her thoughts that she didn't feel the warmness sipping into her skin or the rough material brush against her bare shoulder until they lightly nudged her, calling for her attention. Maddy's head slightly tilted to the side, eyes furrowing together with confusion until she recognized who it was and her heart slowed down to a calming beat. "Hey dad," she murmured, a small smile pulling the tips of her lips up.

David, her father playfully bumped shoulders with her, using little force and returned the warming smile. "What you doing all alone here, darling? Why aren't you mingling with everyone else?" Maddy pushed down her true desires and shook her head. "I was – before. I just wanted to have some time to myself to I came here. That's all," she explained, the lying words easily falling out of her parted lips.

David raised a single eyebrow. "You think I'm going to believe that?" He crossed his arms over his chest and shuffled so he was standing directly in front of his only daughter. "You do know that I wasn't born yesterday?"

"Of course I know that. Those wrinkles and patches of white hair suggest otherwise. I'm not dumb, dad," Maddy sarcastically replied, quietly laughing when her father pulled a face – full of distaste.

"Ha-ha. Very funny." David nudged his chin out with defiance and took a small step towards his daughter. "But I've got to give it to you; that was a good attempt of trying to divert the conversation but remember next time that you can't outsmart the teacher. I'm the one who taught you all these games and rules so I can instantly recognize them, okay?"

"So, you going to tell me –"

A loud, throaty caught interrupted David and Maddy couldn't have been happier, a silent weight falling from her shoulders. She turned her head to the side, attention away from her father and the stranger in front of them. The first thing she noticed was his dark, rich eyebrows, almost as they were combed to perfection. They were almost the colour of dark-roasted nuts with a drop of thick cream in the mix. Her eyes drifted lower as she stared at his eyes. They cool, neutral, and the colour of poised. She always believed the colour grey was a sign of emotionless, moody individual, associated with dull, dirty, and dingy, but his – oh, his were ever–so bright and vibrant, small specks of lustrous azure, the dark – almost black hue she loved. If you looked closer, like she was just now, you'd see the swirls of glittering onyx black and tinges of blue at the edges. His head titled to the side, and then to the other side, and she noticed them glistening brightly, as the small sparkling lights firmly pressed on the ceiling bounced off them. The sclera that surrounded them was pristine, untouched by bloody red.

His lips were parted, the top row of his blinding white teeth slightly displayed and a sinful thought of him grabbing her waist and pressing their bodies together with her soft lips touching his and her arm tightly curled around his neck as if she was never going to let go of him flashed through her mind. A bright rosy blush carefully tinted her cheeks and all the way to the tip of her ears and she looked away from them, eyes clashing with his and she swore she saw the lightest twitch against the tip of his lips almost as if he could read her thoughts, and the chance of that occurring had her blushing even deeper as she ducked her head away from his intense, powerful gaze.

"Can I have this dance?" She didn't remember his voice being this husky and deep, unconsciously sending a silent shiver down her spine, almost curling her back up into a tight ball and she mutely swore at the powerful effect he already had of her body. His hand was outstretched between them, long smooth fingers covering up the distance between them and she couldn't help but stare of at it, remember how his fingers had tightly curled around hers when she pleaded with her until her father, not-so subtly nudged her harder this time, shaking her out of her never-ending thoughts.

"It's not right to keep a man waiting for you, darling," David lightly chastised his daughter, something humorous twinkling and swirling in the dark layers of his irises as he caught the glare his daughter sent in his direction but he brushed it off. "Go on. Go with him." David pushed Maddy forward, causing her to stumble a couple of steps forward until she was near him, so, so close to him that she could smell his earthy, woody aftershave and she deeply inhaled before she could stop herself. His fingers brushed against hers and he quickly curled his hand against hers, tightening his hold on her as he lead them towards the middle of the dance floor, but not without nodding at David, lips tilting up into a grateful smile.

Maddy silently and blindly followed him, feet taking quick and short steps to catch up with his long strides and she took that time to turn around and shoot a murderous glare to her father, eyes narrowing when he put his thumbs up and mouthed, "good luck" at her and she once again thought, was he even her father? She was quickly brought back to reality when she felt the tip of her front pressed against the curve of his back and looked ahead, meeting his intense gaze as he turned around to face her, decreasing the inches between them two.

She felt the warmness of his hand slipping into the cold skin of her waist as his fingers hovering over her body and she almost felt as though he waiting for her permission and she dropped her gaze to it for a couple of beats and then looked back at him, head somewhat jerking forward and then she finally felt it press against her covered skin just as she coiled her arms around his neck, tightly linking her fingers together.

They swayed to the soothing music, her hips slowly moving to the beat as she followed his lead, careful not to step on his toes with her heels. "I'm quite surprised to see you here." Maddy tilted her head back, just enough so she could look at him and when she could, the corner of her lips curved upwards. "I could say the same to you."

"Why's that?" He questioned, a thin and lone line settling on his empty forehead.

"You don't look like the type who would attend events like this," she whispered, hot breath of air hitting the structure of his jaw and she couldn't help it but her eyes jumped everywhere, eyes taking in how much he had changed since the last time she saw him.

She felt his body vibrate with laughter and he shook his head. "You'd be quite surprised if you were to know the truth." She properly looked at him, mind taking in his mysterious answer and all her heart desired was for him to stay playing games, stop trying not to beat the bush and always talking in riddles from the day she met him and in that moment, she realized although he hadn't changed from the inside, his outer appearance had completely transformed. She hadn't seen him, the lonely boy – recently turned man in what seems like a lifetime to her, and –

She couldn't help but longingly stare at him. Looking at him now in his suit cut to precision and bold across the shoulders, gentle lines around the waist, the perfect inverted triangle: three-button black, satin lapels was tailored to precisely match the contours of his body, giving him a lithesome appearance; yet there was nothing effeminate in his bearing, a white crispy shirt double-cuffed with cuff links and black patent leather shoes covering his feet. He radiated an air of quiet confidence, and she detected slight arrogance in his demeanour as if he was in power – as though nothing could touch him and she couldn't help but wonder, how?

His coiffed hair, incredibly high cheekbones and his gold Rolex, wrapped around his wrist like it belonged there but she couldn't help but think someone was wrong. He looked like a lonely king only desiring love in this cruel world with his broad shoulders, perfectly styled hair, thick lips and chin defiantly jutted out – his whole façade that he hoped someone would see through. Her heart couldn't help but call out to his.

The heat emitting from his sturdy body, the slow, throbbing music, his strong and smooth hands, the fast breaths tumbling out of his pretty lips, his scent of some sultry, earthy aftershave– all of it was driving her insane and Maddy didn't know if she could take it anymore.

"You know," she began, lips twisting inside of her mouth before she released her hold, "I still don't know you're name." She noticed that he slightly faltered with his step but quickly regained composure after and she didn't comment on it, silently waiting for his answer she knew he was delaying.

"Oh," he murmured in a low tone. "I didn't realize."

"Yeah," she muttered.

He nodded his head and leaned forward. "Elijah. My name's Elijah. Elijah Spectre." Her tongue silently rolled around his name and she couldn't help but feel at home but noticed the little fluttering sense of the name, Spectre – there was a lingering feeling that she had heard of it before but couldn't pinpoint it in the mess of her brain.

"My name is Maddison but everyone calls me Maddy," she responded.

"Maddison, Maddy," Elijah echoed, lips rolling as he repeated her name a couple more times and a smile curved his lips. "I prefer Maddison."

Her head pulsating, heavily pushing against the structure of her ribs and she couldn't breathe until she deeply inhaled and pushed air into the pathways. "Maddison," he murmured and she couldn't help but nod in reply, "would you like to go for a drive?"

She wasn't thinking clearly, her mind fogged by the tension he drew between them and she knew she should stay flat but her heart wasn't listening to her mind. She didn't realize that she nodded until she felt his hands curling around hers, fingers weaving into each space of her fingers and he walked towards the exit, her following him until they were stopped by a broad figure.

"Sir," she heard his deep voice first until she took in narrowed eyes, straight shoulders with hands behind his back and lips pressed into a thin line, "where are you going?"

"Away from here," Elijah quickly replied, side-stepping the guy who seemed to understand what he was trying to do and blocked his path.

"Okay. I'll come along."

Elijah paused. He tipped his head back with frustration for a couple of beats before looking back at the guy. Maddy continued to stay silent but her mind was anything near the opposite. "You're going to stay here, okay? I don't want any of you with me. Do you understand?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think that's a good idea. Your father won't approve of you wandering around alone without some sort of security. It's not safe for you to be by yourself. I'm sure you're well aware that you're safety is my one top priority and letting you roam around would put you in danger." The guy's shoulders flattened out and she saw how he looked at her for a very brief moment before returning his gaze at Elijah. Maddy suspected it was Elijah's somewhat unwanted bodyguard and the urgency coated around his words at the thought of Elijah being alone had her eyebrows furrowing with confusion as she tried to understand how important Elijah truly was.

Maddy felt Elijah's hand tighten around hers and she noticed how he straightened up. "I don't care what my father thinks at this very moment, Connor. All I know is that I'm going for a drive and you're not going to stop me. If there's an emergency and you need to contact me, you have my number. Now, please can you step aside so I can leave?"

If it was possible, Connor's body tensed even further and even took a small step forward towards them and Maddy didn't know whether to smile at his bravery or laugh at his imprudent action because right now, even though she couldn't see Elijah's face, she imagined a whirlwind of emotion displaying on his face – anger and frustration being one of the many.

"Move, now." Elijah took a step towards his bodyguard and they were so close that not even an inch of paper could separate them and Maddy didn't know what to do. Temper was flaring up between them two and she could detect something was going to burn up and she wasn't too sure that she wanted to be in the middle of that. Everything with him seemed too complicated. "That's wasn't a request – it was an order from your highness."

Maddy could feel her hold on his hand loosening with shock but he lightly tugged her forward, tightly gripping on her hand, not letting her go. She could feel the circulation being cut off from her hand and she looked down, positive that white imprints could be left on her skin from his power. A whimper almost tumbled out of her mouth but Connor shuffled to the left and looked ahead, ignoring the heated glare Elijah was giving him and she felt Elijah's hold on her hand somewhat loosening but not enough for her to run away if she wanted to. She didn't.

Elijah swiftly walked away from the room with a couple of long strides with Maddy trailing behind him, her body limp with surprise. Highness. Highness. Highness. Highness. The words circled around her mind without her permission and even though she was well aware of the meaning of her word, she just couldn't understand why Elijah called himself that. That's wasn't a request, it was an order from your highness.

"Take a seat," she heard him murmur, momentarily startled at the gentle voice he used because she saw how anger had just consumed him a moment ago, and she lifted her eyes to see him – this gentle eyes with apprehension swirling around like dark specks around his irises, sharp teeth digging into the soft flesh of his bottom lip and how his eyebrows slanted and made him look so, so hopeful and the power he was giving her made her dizzy but then she remembered what she just saw and held her breath. Elijah had opened the car door for her, his fingers pressing harder against the cool door handle, harder and harder until –

She looked back at him with parted lips and unconsciously took a step away from him and it didn't go unnoticed by him because he took a step towards her frozen figure. "Why did you call yourself highness?"

He didn't take a step back nor flinch – it was almost as though he was waiting for those words to pass by her lips. Maddy's gaze caught his fingers near her, carefully watching the skin outside his nail turn into a different colour, whiter, and whiter until –

"Can you please get in the car? I'll explain once we get out of here," he told her instead and she pressed her lips into a thin line as she noticed he was delaying his answer again. "I promise," he added, when he noticed her hesitation and the gentleness called out to her and she found herself nodding with agreement before her mind processed it.

She slowly walked towards the passenger seat, stopping for a beat when her hand brushed against his other hand dangling by its side, a tingly feeling enveloping her like a warm hug. Maddy took her seat and held her breath when he ducked his head inside, hand grabbing onto the seat-belt before she could and he brought across her chest, eyes connected and she swore she could feel the warm, moist breath hitting her lips and his nose faintly touching hers as he released a shaky breath. He was so, so close to her she thought her heart would burst out of something, and she could count each and every eyelash curving against his eyelid, the faintest and smallest freckles that made their way near his nose and she saw something flash in the irises of his eyes – maybe a wicked gleam that mirrored hers.

"Elijah..." she whispered and her husky tone broke him out of his trance and he quickly finished buckling her up before slamming the door shut and hurriedly walked towards the driver side and took a seat, quickly putting the car into ignition and reversed out of the car-park.

They were driving for some time but neither had spoken a word, tenseness filling up the silent car with the radio turned off as she waited for him to whisper out his answer and just as she thought that there was no hope and she could have to speak first, he surprised her.

"I was only calling myself 'highness' because everyone calls me that," he told her, fingers gripping the hard wheel with a tight hold, knuckled staring to turn white with the pressure. He briefly looked at her before returning his gaze on the road. "I'm part of the royal family," he whispered, confirming her silent thoughts. Maddy looked at the side of his face, penetrating his skin with a burning stare before nodding her head.

"Is that why that guy wanted to come with you? Because he needed to protect you?"

"I guess so." He turned around a corner until he settled into an almost, dead street. "My father thinks there are people out there that are a threat to me so to keep me safe and to keep the only heir alive, he's hired one too many bodyguards to be with me at all times."

"He's not wrong, you know?" Maddy told him, a twitch curving her lips when he shot her a quizzical look. "You do have people out there that aren't so fond of you. Remember the first time I met you?"

She could almost see the memory of their first meeting flashing through his mind, and she saw his knuckles turn a sickly white until he released a breath and his hands flexed around the wheel. "Oh, yeah."

"So, maybe your dad is right – that you do need protection to stay alive," Maddy pointed out and shrugged her shoulders. She lifted her fingers up and stretched them before bending them, relishing in the small cracks as the bone went back to its original space. Maddy could feel his intense stare of her face, burning a hot hole on the side of her head and after a couple of moments of hesitation, she returned the look and pushed down the flickering feeling growing from the pit of her stomach. "What?"

Elijah turned off the ignition and uncoiled his hands around the steering wheel, curling them into tight fists as he gently rested them on his lap, eyebrows almost shadowing his whirlwind pool of emotion he had not power to lock up. "Why aren't you freaking out?" he asked in a lone tone. "Why aren't you reacting to the fact that I'm the future King of a country? What – Why are you acting so...normal? Like I just haven't told you something big?"

Maddy shrugged her shoulders and curled up in the passenger seat as his long fingers tapped out a tune of some pop song on the steering wheel as he patiently waited for her to stop pondering for an answer and look at him. The silky material of Maddy's dark plum dress fell into a small pool near her feet as she pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. Maddy's hair cascaded down her back like an elegant waterfall full of peace, power and face. She tilted her head to the side and lightly smiled as a luminous ivory 2:36 displayed on the dash blinked back at her

The only thing she could see were the sequin-silver stars like the glowing embers of a vanishing fire winked down at her, enlightening the drape of sky stars stretching for miles, and the only thing she knew for sure is that she's never felt more alive and it's because of the man next to her. "Because at the end of the day, you're just a human. Nothing more nor nothing less."

She heard him release a shaky breath and she shot him a simple but graceful smile and he returned the action and she truly believed that she had just seen the most beautiful thing ever because small crinkles formed near his eyes and she could feel his body buzzing with energy, happiness and hopefulness. Maddy snuggled further into the car seat as she waited him to say something, somewhat enjoying the silence shrouding them around them like a comforting blanket.

"This is the first time someone's reacted so calm when I've told them that I'm a future king of a country," Elijah commented, gratitude washing over his features and Maddy couldn't help but smile at him. "And hopefully, it's the first of many," she told him, eyes twinkling with small flecks of faith for him and swore she saw his smile widening as it soon turned into a toothy grin full of happiness. Elijah slowly turned the ignition off and he could see – feel the burning heat of her gaze on the side of his face and he controlled himself to keep his head facing forward. They both breathed in sync, chest calmly heaving up and down as both waiting for each other to break the silence first. Elijah uncurled his fingers around the steering wheel, bending them into a tight fist and laid them on his empty lap. Elijah asked after a beat, "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"

Maddy bit the inside of her lip, slowly chewing on the sinuous flesh as silently pondered could she trust him? This was merely their second meeting – maybe their first as her cleaning him up didn't count as one and all she could think was that not a single one of his body could – would cause harm to her. She lifted her gaze and peeked at him through her eyelashes, a small smile twitching her lips upwards as she nodded her head – a shaky signal determined her future.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

— 24 MONTHS

HE'S A PUZZLE PIECE AND SHE DESIRES TO SOLVE HIM.

She looked at him with a peek underneath her eyelashes, eyes momentarily meeting his for a fraction of a second – or maybe even less before she dropped her gaze and onto her lap, a trial of fingerprints left in her wake as she firmly pressed her fingers against the skin of her outer hand. She saw his leg bouncing up and down as nerves consumed him from top to bottom, weaving in each artery embedded in his body as he fisted his hand and rested it on his shaky near.

"So," she began, her voice trembling a little bit at the edges before she regained control and pushed down the fluttering feelings, "you still haven't told me how it feels to be a future king?" Maddy smiled, a true twitch curing her lips upwards, silently encouraging him to open up, well aware he nervous just like her – maybe even more.

"Well, one thing for sure is that movies and TV programmes portray the royal family very differently as to how it truly is," Elijah told her, eyes twinkling with something. He weaved his hand through his hair, smooth fingers sifting through the soft strands and lightly pulled at the edges before retrieving back and Maddy couldn't help but want to pat down the a wake strands standing with attention but she forced the desire down.

"That's certainly not a surprise," Maddy replied. Elijah laughed; the top row of his teeth momentarily blinding her and she stared at him, silently capturing the light, playful and joyous chuckle and played it over and over again in her mind, relishing the tingles spreading across her body.

"Yeah, I guess so. To most people's surprise, the royal family are very close-knitted – always eating at least one meal with each other, instead of discouraging we support each other for our passions and hobbies, always fighting for justice to occur to anyone who steps foot in the palace and most of all, we just love each other." Elijah looked at Maddy and smiled at her and she felt her heart flutter for a beat. "No matter how many arguments or quarrels we have, at the end of the day we know that the only thing that we're only to be left with if you were to strip away our wealth and the country, is each other. We never turn our backs on each other, always there for each other when we're needed and most importantly; we fight hard and love fiercely."

Elijah pushed back a loose strand of hair and Maddy leaned forward, resting chin on her hands and elbows on the table as they waited for their food to arrive, her attention successfully captured by his voice. "We're just normal people who have been gifted with the responsibility of leading and protecting a country. If someone was to take that away from us, we would be okay because we would still have each other. As long as we do, we'll be okay. Everything would be okay."

"That..." She took in a deep breath and quickly blinked, pushing down happy tears, "That sounds amazing." Maddy detected a light colouring to his high cheekbones and she lightly smiled at the reaction. "What about Rosevelt? How's your home country?"

Maddy saw something light up in the dark flecks surrounding his irises and a smile curved his lips. Elijah's lips parted before he ruptured from a bubble of excitement at the mention of his homeland, but he was interrupted.

"Sir, Madam, you're food has arrived," the waiter spoke in a clear voice before placing the plates in front of them both. He placed his hands behind his back and smiled at them both. "Would you like anything else?"

Maddy shook her head and Elijah muttered a "no", silently signalling for the server that, that would be all and he left, leaving them to carry on with their conversation.

"Rosevelt is peace," Elijah sighed out and Maddy pushed her food to the side to resume her original position, chin rested between her open hands as she attentively listened. "The people are wonderful, happiness always filling up their bodies, locals always helping a passer-by when they're in need. We have a traditional holiday on March 31st where every single soul gathers in the Grand Hall and attend the annual feast held by the royal family in an attempt to thank them for supporting them every step of the way. There's carnivals, a circus, rides, games, a ball – everything that can be imagined under the sun that's included after everyone has eater and all together, it's just a ball of fun, where everyone can just let go. Although, my country is old-fashioned in their holidays, we are also very modern than most countries. As a united country, we do not know the meaning of racism, discrimination or prejudice. Everyone – no matter what their gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexuality or background is, they are and will not be judged or the person will face severe repressions. We have a zero tolerate policy when it comes to how people are treated and everyone abides by the rules and treats every individual with respect and love that they deserve. No-one – including me is superior or inferior to another. We love and accept everyone."

Maddy sighed with adoration. "Your life must be amazing." Elijah laughed at the dreaminess coating her features and nodded his head. "Yes, I have nothing to complain about. I am very fortunate to have what I have in my life. Very fortunate."

A peaceful silence shrouded them like a comforting blanket and just as she was about to nuzzle her face against the soft material, he spoke up. "I know that we've only known each other for a month and this is only the second date, but I was wondering if you would like to come with me?"

An evident crease of confusion imprinted against the skin of her forehead, pulling her eyebrows together. "To where?"

"Rosevelt," he replied and twisted his index and middle finger together, silently praying for the word, 'yes' to tumble out of her pretty lips. "Please don't feel oblige to say yes because you feel like you have to. You can always refuse if you think that we're moving too forward and want to slow things down. I won't –"

"Yes."

"What?" Puzzlement coated his words and his legs stopped shaking.

"Yes, I would love to come with you to Rosevelt," Maddy quickly replied, giddiness taking over her as she was unsuccessful to drown down the smile that twitched the edges of her lips upwards and she was beaming, her teeth on display. She pushed down the instinct to wind her arms around his neck and sat on her hands, forcefully trying to control herself.

Elijah smiled back and she was gone.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

— 20 MONTHS

FORTUNE AND WEALTH WERE DIFFERENT TO HER.

If you were to look at wealth under the oxford dictionary, fortune would appear as a synonym and vice versa but Maddy refused to believe the intellectuals. Her mind and heart has concluded that they were allocated in different categories and she believed in this. Wealth was inherited and fortune was earned. Many could be wealthy but only a handful of people were fortunate enough in their lives.

And Maddy considered herself as fortunate the minute he walked in her life. The light tint to his cheeks, his blinding teeth, the sterling flecks swirling around in the irises of his eyes, his husky laugh, his kind heart and the tinge of innocence that coated his features every time he directed a sly glance in her direction. The slight twitch against his lips when he caught her staring at him, the way he bit his bottom lip when she flushed with embarrassment as sinful thoughts consumed her and she thanked God every day for granting her, her own special angel she was allowed to keep.

Now, Maddy watched Elijah as he twisted his fingers together, nails picking at the skin surrounding each finger and he went deeper and deeper, all the way until she saw the pink layer of skin and –

She placed her hand on top on his, weaving her fingers into the tiny spaced between his own and when he squeezed once and then twice, she tore her gaze away from their conjoined hands and smiled reassuring at him. "Just breathe. Everything will be okay," she murmured, her voice low and quiet as she pressed her cheek against the knitted jumped that fitted like a glove around his body, nuzzling against it and breathed in through her nose, feeling it turn slightly red as the chilly air nipped at it.

Maddy felt his chest hurriedly move – quickly inhaling and exhaling as he tried to push down the nerves weaved into him. "You don't know that. Your brother might not like me. Your dad might hate me. What if I do or say something stupid in front of him? What if – what if he stops you from seeing you? I don't think –"

She placed a hand against his neck and felt the small hairs stand up with attention, pulling him down and soft lips touched his for a beat and she felt him take a sharp intake of breath before he kissed back, placing pressure on her lips, teeth lightly digging into her bottom lip. Maddy pulled back slightly, just enough for her to look at him but his breath still washed over the tingly skin above her lips and her eyes twinkled. "My dad and brother will absolutely love you. They will love you for who you are and that includes if you trip over or blurt something stupid out. Dad won't stop me from seeing you – he can't. I'm a mature adult who is capable of making a decision on who I want to be with. If you can handle being a king in the near future, then you can surely handle my dad and brother. They're nothing compared to a whole country looking up to you." She saw his eyes flutter as she spoke, a small smile gracing his lips and she swore it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Elijah licked his swollen lips and his eyes flustered open by a fraction, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm so glad that I have you in my life. I don't know what I would do without you."

Maddy bit the corner of her bottom lip and shook her head. "Well, you're lucky because you never have to find out."

"As much as some might find this cute and there would be a string of 'awws' in the background if this was a pantomime, I'm your father Maddy, so please – you need to take several large steps away from this boy so I can assess him properly." Maddy felt the coldness hitting her like a whirlwind of surprise as Elijah dropped his hand from her face and let it dangle from his sides. She turned her head as she heard the desperation in her father's tone, laughing quietly as she watched his nose turn up in distaste as he glared at her hand comfortably resting on his elbow.

"Dad, I'm so happy to see you," Maddy told him, dropping her hold on Elijah and took a couple of steps forward until she was in father's warm embrace with her arms locked around his neck. His comforting and safe smell consumed her and she smiled as childhood memories washed over her features.

"Not as happy as I am," he whispered into her mess of her hair as he squeezed her once and then twice before drawing back slightly – just so he could rest his hands on her shoulders and look at her properly. "I haven't seen you in a month and you've grown so much," David commented and she saw a light glaze covering his eyes and internally sighed.

"I'm the same person, dad. Your little girl." David laughed and Maddy smiled as happiness etched on his lips. "That's right. You're my favourite little girl."

Maddy felt a warm presence behind her back and she remembered him, turning her head slightly so she could direct a reassuring smile in his direction and she saw his hand tighten into his fist and quickly covered it with her own, squeezing his fingers with a firm embrace. "Dad, I want you to meet someone. Elijah, this is my dad, David. Dad, this is Elijah – my boyfriend."

Maddy saw her father's eyes narrow in confusion as he clicked his tongue. His tapped his finger against his temple as he was physically sorting out his memories until he found the desired moment, his eyes twinkled with achievement. "You're the guy from the party. The one who asked my daughter for a dance," David commented, as he pushed down the twitch against the corner of his lip as he watched the guy in front of him squirm on the spot. He saw the guy's cheeks turn a bright red hue on cue and how he avoided eye contact with his girlfriend's dad. "Yes, Mr. Martin," he quietly heard the murmur when he strained his ears.

Biting the inside of his lip, David purposely pressed his lips into a thin line and squared his jaw. "Did I say you could call me that?" David raised a nonchalant eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest as he straightened out his body to appear more intimidating.

Elijah felt his heart to skip a beat and he forced his eyes away from Maddy, mind telling him that he could handle the situation without her aid. He could do this. "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to – I hope I haven't offended you. It's just –" The words stumbled out like a jumble mess and he felt his cheeks warm up all the way to the tip of his curved ears. "I'm sorry," Elijah settled with and he heard the quiet hiss escape out of Maddy's mouth and he quickly loosened his hold on her hand – just enough for to let go if she wanted to. She didn't.

A long couple of beats passed between them and he could hear the crackle of the tension roaming around them and he couldn't breathe until she spoke up and his heart rate increased. "Dad..." Elijah heard the disappointment in Maddy's tone and he mentally beat himself up for ruining things already.

David tried and tried but he couldn't keep it in and slowly a curved his lips upwards until a smile stretched his mouth and the small lines near his eyes started to appear as he watched the confusion on their faces. "I was only joking. You two are too easy to fool."

"That's not funny, dad," Maddy grumbled at her father, nose screwing up with distaste. Elijah's chest heaved down as a relieved breath staggered out of his parted lips.

"Yes, it kind of was. I was only joking –" David paused and switched his gaze to Elijah with an expecting look on his face.

"– Elijah."

"I was only joking, Elijah. You don't even need to call me Mr. Martin – it's too formal. Just call me David."

"Okay, David," Elijah murmured, feeling a light weight filling his body from head to toe.

"Now, that's over and done with, why don't you guys come in?"

Elijah slightly bowed down; arms underneath his waist as he formally gestured for Maddy to walk first – and she blushed, a smile glowing up her face like the bright stars twinkling against the obsidian sky on a cold winter's night before directing a courtesy in his direction and entered first, with Elijah trailing behind her.

"Dad, who's at the – Maddy!" The voice was deep and husky, emitting from the back of the throat as Maddy looked up, happiness squeezing her body as she watched her brother – Isaac eat up the distance between them with a couple of long strides and hugged her, warm arms wrapped around her waist with hers interlinked around his neck. She breathed him in and a sigh tumbled out of her pretty lips and she finally felt she was at home. Maddy felt herself loosening her hold around his neck, and slightly tipped her head back so she could look at him, laughing underneath her breath as she realized he hadn't changed a bit.

"I missed you," she whispered, and she heard the voice of her words crack near the end, eyes lightly glazing over with unkempt emotion, a lodge stuck in her throat. Isaac uncurled his hands around her waist and shook his head; hand rose up as he ruffled her hair up. "Not as much as I missed you."

Maddy smiled, a true twitch curving her lips upwards. Her eyes were fixated on her brother who's gaze flickered to Elijah who was quietly standing behind them, silently praying their encounter would go as smoothly or even more so than Elijah's meeting with her father. She watched at how her brother's eyes widened for a mere second, it was gone in a flash but she saw and she bit down on her bottom lip. She pressed her index and middle finger together, pushing the skin together to try and calm down the nerves weaved into her.

She felt Isaac's hand brush against her bare arm, a shiver curling itself up and goosebumps appearing but she quickly and firmly repressed the feeling as she pushed her to the side until he was standing in front of her - almost as though he was protecting her. Maddy took a small breath in as she watched her brother take a more intimidating, slow step towards Elijah's figure. She watched at how her brother's shoulders straightened out, appearing to look more taller and so-called masculine and she wondered would he accept Elijah?

Maddy tilted her head to the side, eyes drawn to her boyfriend and an evident crease imprinted on her forehead in confusion as she took in Elijah's narrowed eyes, bunched shoulders and curled hands. She didn't know whether this was normal when two men meet each other but a small nagging feeling at the pit of her heart told her that this wasn't the case but the voice was quickly drowned out.

"Who is this?" Maddy detected hostility laced around her brother's words and she bit the corner of her tongue, silently praying that she was wrong and Isaac would be welcoming towards Elijah.

"Isaac, this is my boyfriend Elijah --" Maddy held up a hand and pointed it towards Elijah, taking a small step towards them both until she was standing in the middle, " -- and Elijah this is my brother, Isaac." Maddy knew she was naive but she wasn't that stupid because she could feel the crackling tension between the two men on either side of her, hard gazes never lifting away from each other, even from a moment.

She looked at Isaac and then Elijah, narrowing her eyes a bit and it as though he felt the burning heat on the side of his head, he tilted his head towards her, lips pressed tightly and hands curled into tight fists. Maddy lifted an eyebrow and nodded towards her brother, silently urging him to make the first move. She watched him swallow hard, his adam's apple roughly jerking with the movement and Elijah uncurled his right hand, lifting it up and offered it to Isaac.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Isaac. Maddison has told me a lot about you." Elijah voice was strong and hard, reminding Maddy of a powerful God and she noticed how his shoulders slightly slackened, relieving some of the tension that had built up as seconds passed between them, and a small twitch curving her lips momentarily. There was a pin drop silence as they waited for Isaac to make him move and as Maddy pressed her index and middle finger together in nervousness, she watched how Isaac took a step closer to Elijah's figure, dropping his gaze to the hand stretched and then back at him again, eyes slightly narrowing as the skin at each side creasing up a bit.

An evident sigh of relief tumbled out of Maddy's parted lips as Isaac clasped his hand over Elijah's, firmly shaking the hand for a couple of moments before releasing his hold and shoved his hand into the pocket of his trousers.

"All good things I hope." Isaac's gaze flittered towards his younger sister and Maddy shot him an encouraging smile who in return smiled back but she noticed that it didn't reach his sparkling eyes. Isaac returned his gaze back to Elijah and raised a nonchalant eyebrow, one foot jutted out and shoulders straight and broad. "So," he began, one corner of his lips lightly quirking up, "how did you meet my sister?"

Maddy's eyes widened as she remembered their first meeting -- Elijah's bloody nose, bruised ribs, swollen lips, limp in his walking and she once again wondered how someone could be so cruel and inflict such pain on another human being before leaving them there to die all alone. The corner of her eyes pricked with pain as Elijah's broken face flittered through her mind. Elijah's softer voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Maddison saved me."

An evident crease of confusion imprinted on Isaac's forehead and a low curse tumbled out of Maddy's lips when her brother voiced his thoughts. "What? What do you mean my sister saved you?"

Maddy's gaze caught Elijah's parted lips and she knew with everything inside of her that he was going to make things worse, so she spoke up, purposely interrupting him with good intentions. "Someone hurt Elijah and I cleaned him up."

Isaac 'hmmed ' in reply, leaning back on his heel, thinking for a moment or two and removed his hands from his pocket, quickly folding them over his chest. His gaze returned to Elijah. "It seems to me that you have some enemies out there."

"That's not true. I --"

"We'll talk about this later, okay?" Maddy cut Elijah's response, casting him a loving gaze that everything was going to be okay and didn't give Isaac a chance to reply before she spoke up again. "Let's go and eat. Dad must be wondering where we went."

" But -" Isaac bit his lip to stop himself as Maddy tightened her eyes on him and he quickly backed down because even though he was the older sibling between them, Maddy's wrath was one thing he didn't want to face - ever. Maddy closed to distance to Elijah with ease, linking hands with him. She looked up at him, gaze lingering and her hand squeezing his once before weaving her fingers in between the spaces of his hand, and showed him the way, walking towards the diner-room with a brooding Isaac slowly trailing after them.

Maddy felt a dark weight impose of her heart and it hurt with every step she took.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

— 9 MONTHS

HE'S AN ADDICTION THAT SHE'S FUCKING WILLING TO BEG FOR MORE.

Because she's soft whereas he's rough around the edges and when you mix them together, they're form a piece of clear cut clarity, shining gold, silver and bronze when the sunlight lightly bounced of them. And all she can think off are his perfectly shaped eyebrows, the small dent near his temple, his bright ruby lips quirked up into a sexy smile and his heart – vital organ she wanted tightly pressed against hers and finally tonight, he was granting her wish.

Maddy pressed her index finger and thumb together, increasing the pressure and she looked at him, light eyes taking in darker ones and she couldn't help but notice them turning into a shade of obsidian and she titled her head at that. Her eyes fluttered shut on instinct, tongue flicking out, licking the corners of her lips as she tasted her bare lips for the last time in a very long time because she knew soon, very soon she would be bared against him with his strawberry lips slanted against hers and soon that will be all she will taste. And she doesn't mind that thought. She doesn't know when her eyes open up but they do and she caught him in her gaze and she sighed with pleasure.

His smiled wider than the golden gates; God she was going to have him.

Maddy watched him take a few steps towards her, slowly eating up the distance between them and she held her breath, chest heaving up and lips pressed together in anticipation of what's to come next but then Elijah suddenly stopped.

Elijah lightly shrugged off his black blazer, removing one arm and then the other and threw it to his side, watching it drop onto the table from the side of his eyes as he continued to gaze at her. Unbuttoning his wrist button, he rolled up the loose material until it reached his elbow and did the same to his other arm, allowing his arms to be free and a peak of his tan skin to be on display. Underneath all the clothes, she knew he was all corded muscle of golden skin accompanied with a long, lean body of an athletic, light but permanent marks peppered all over his golden skin from years and years of practice fighting but she didn't care – he was perfect for her. Elijah stealthily remained his gaze on her and slowly licked his lips, almost tantalizing as he ever so carefully swiped his wet tongue against his full bottom lip before returning it to its cage and crossed his arms. Maddy's eyes like a reflex dropped to his arms as the dark, prominent vessels moved with the action and she could feel a tight coil in the pit of her stomach.

"Have I told you that you look beautiful today, love?" Elijah's husky, deep voice from the back of his throat quickly broke the suffocating silence shrouding them like a tight blanket and she nearly sighed as she heard him call her 'love'.

Maddy felt her eyes dropping to his curved lips and she badly wanted them pressed against hers but she held down the desire, waiting for him to make the first move. She returned her gaze to his eyes, narrowing them when she caught the mischievous glint swirling around his pool of emotions as though he knew what was flickering around her mind but he was purposely delaying the inevitable and cleared her throat before answering, "Only about a hundred times."

"I just thought I would remind you, wifey." On instinct, his eyes drifted the token of love tightly and firmly wrapped around Maddy's fourth finger. The day he bent down on one knee, right hand clutching hers flashed through her mind – him stuttering over his words as he tried to put his love for her in words but it was impossible and she chuckled, effectively stopped him from talking and all she did was nod her head vigorously, lips mouthing 'yes' over and over again.

Elijah took a step closer to her burning figure and she held her breath, eyes fixated on him and only him as he slowly ate up the distance to her until not even a fine sheet of paper could fit between their bodies. He leaned down, his moist breath hitting her cheek and he nosed her cheek, breathing her in deeply and nearly groaned, nipping at the curve of her jaw, before bringing his lips to his ear. He flexed the hand around her wrist and slightly tightened his grip; not too painful but strong enough to keep her still.

"I can't believe I survived almost a year and a half without touching you like this," Elijah painfully groaned against the shell of her ear, moist breath hitting the warm skin and she felt herself stir against him.

Maddy breathed through her nose, eyes fluttering shut as she felt him brush his lips against the nape of her skin, butterfly kisses pressed against the soft skin. "You're the only who wanted to wait," she breathed out, lips parted open with pleasure, satisfaction and happiness.

She felt him lightly hum against her, sharp teeth nipping at the skin and she pressed her teeth down on the soft flesh of her bottom lip and tipped her head back until it rested on the cool wall behind her. "I wanted to show you that I was – am serious about you."

Maddy lifted her gaze, eyes connecting with his – sterling and bright, and twinges of blue and golden orange floating around the pool of intensity, with flecks floating around the sclera of his eyes that caused small ripples in the irises of his eyes and suddenly she couldn't look away and she didn't want to. All she wished was to drown in the love reflected against them and never resurface again.

I love you.

She smiled at him, quietly breathing through her nose and her eyes fluttered shut on instinct, as she gently stood on toes and softly pressed her lips against his, tentatively and uncertainly but firmly, waiting for his eyes to flutter shut and when she felt it – the added pressure, she twisted her wrists around and he reluctantly released his hold on her, her hands quickly latching onto his forearms.

He responded with a deep groan, grasping her face with both of his rough hands, devouring her with ardour that had her knees buckling with untameable desire. His hands slithered from her cheeks to her light hair, plunging his hands into her soft brown hair like the hue of an oak tree without the golden hues and tipped her head, deepening the kiss further and tangling his tongue with hers, making the art of lust.

The act enticed a moan of her own from the back of her throat and she ran her hands over his broad shoulder and locked her arms around his neck, long, slender fingers lightly playing with the ends of his hair, a pleasantry sigh emitting from her.

Rough stubble scratched the soft skin of hers as one hands drifted lower and lower until he rested a hand on her curvaceous hip and pulled her forward, her front flushed against his, each hard lines of muscle, his taunt abdomen pressed against her.

A husky sound tumbled out of his mouth and into hers, the vibrations resonating against her chest and soared downwards to the building ache, straight between her legs, and she uncomfortably writhed against him. Understanding her silent message, he pressed his hot hard further against hers, his evident arousal digging into her lower stomach. She whimpered at the intensity and he withdrew, parting his mouth from hers and dark pearls of onyx stare at her, mesmerized at the sight of her swollen lips.

The pad of his thumb leisurely stroked her bottom lip, igniting a path of sharp tingles across the tender flesh, the feather touch that had her insides burning up with want and need, her eyes reflecting a shade of pure lust for her husband in front of her.

Maddy's eyes glittered back and he smiled in reply, leaning down to capture her lips for another passionate kiss.

I love you more.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

— 5 MONTHS

A sleepy groan rumbled out of her mouth softly, her eyes opening a fraction as she expected to meet the first ray of sunshine, illuminating the room with a golden glow, the glorious sunlight to spill between the tiny gaps of the curtains but as her eyes leisurely fluttered open, she was met with a low, dim light illuminating her bedroom. Her eyes closed again in tiredness as she tried shed the remaining glimpses of a dream, soaking up the warmth of her covers before finally keeping them open. Maddy's muscles felt weak, just like her energy, and she let out an exasperated sigh, a small groan tumbling out of her parted lips soon after.

Her head tilted to the side at the same time she outreached her arm to the other side and her eyebrows met in the middle as she felt the empty but somewhat warm mattress that belonged to her loving husband.

Maddy's eyes squinted - small creases appeared in the corners of her eyes as she looked ahead, an evident crease imprinting on her forehead as she strained her ears and listened - feeling her heart in her mouth and the small jabs in the palm of her hand but she ignored all of that as all her attention was on the low, murmuring voice coming from their bathroom.

A low sigh tumbled out of her pretty lips and she pulled away the duvet wrapped around her warm body, slowly swinging her legs over and stood up. Maddy took lazy, unhurried footsteps towards the source of the voices, covered feet gliding against the cool floorboards, and a hand lifted up as she rubbed away the last traces of tiredness coating her eyes. The same hand curled itself around the doorknob with full intent of pushing down and opening the door but Maddy hesitated, her hold on the cool metal tightening as she heard hushed whispers from the other side.

"No," Maddy heard them murmur and in a split beat she knew who's voice that belonged to - Elijah and her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as to who he was talking to late at night.

"I need you to sort it out before it gets out of hand." There was a moment of pure silence and Maddy held her breath because somehow she knew that something else was coming after. "I don't care how you do it, I just want it done." Elijah's voice heightened in volume before she heard a sigh tumbling out of his lips and she just imagined him running his free hand through the soft locks of his hair in frustration.

Maddy could feel her heart in her mouth and the heartbeat resonating loudly in her ears. Her hold on the doorknob began to slip as residue unconsciously built up and she bit the corner of her lips with nerves consuming her. "She can't find out about this, okay? It will kill her. She won't be able to live with herself knowing that her -"

A light squeal bounced off the four walls of the bathroom as she opened the door and just as Maddy entered the bathroom she was faced with her husband's bare back with grey sweatpants hanging low on his arched hips but what caught her attention was the tension beneath his shoulders, muscles freezing as he heard the sound.

"Just - make sure you do what I have said. I'll talk to you later," Elijah tried to whisper in a low tone but Maddy heard everything and she didn't know if it was possible if she could feel any more confused that she currently did. What was Elijah talking about? There was a beep as he ended the call and Maddy's gaze drifted to his hand that held the phone - hand tightly curling around the shape of the device, knuckles turning bright white for a moment or two before his shoulders sagged and he loosened his hold.

Maddy silently watched as her husband turned around, one eyebrow raised in question as she wrapped her arms around her shivering figure and she regretted not covering her body with a robe before she followed the sounds. Elijah noticed the little movement and he held out his arms, waiting a beat for her to catch up and when she did, soft footsteps were taken towards his warm figure until two arms wrapped around his waist, Maddy's head resting on his chest - right above his stammering heart. "Who were you talking to?" she asked, murmured words hitting his skin as a quiet yawn passing by her lips before she covered her mouth with a single hand.

Elijah's left eye momentarily twitched before he pulled the corners of his lips up. "No-one important. I just needed to tell them something they needed to carry out for the Royal WorkForce."

Maddy lightly lifted her head so she could look at him properly and she pursed her lips, eyes slightly narrowing with suspicion. "At this time of the hour?"

"I forgot to call him before I went to sleep and I randomly woke up and remembered, so I thought I'd call him now before I forgot," Elijah smoothly answered, resting his chin against the tumble mess of her hair, forcing her to once again lean her head against his chest.

"Was it something important?" Maddy asked.

She felt him hesitating for a moment before he muttered, "Yes, it was." Maddy opened her mouth to fire another question but it was as though he knew what she was thinking and what she was about to do and quickly interrupting, his arms around her body tightening. "But the most important question is why are you awake? Couldn't go to sleep?"

Maddy shook her head. "No, I just woke up. Guess my body realized that you were gone."

A light chuckle tumbled out of his pretty lips, moist air hitting her hair and Maddy smiled, relishing in the sound echoing in her ears and she bottled up the sound with full intent of playing it over and over again.

"You shouldn't be too dependent on me and my body," Elijah told her, pressing a soft kiss on her temple.

"Too late," she whispered, another yawn slipping past her and she felt her eyelids drooping with sleep, eyelashes fluttering against each other as she fought to keep her eyes open. Elijah dropped his gaze his wife and a small smile played on his lips as he watched her battle with sleep, slowly shaking his head.

"Come on," Elijah spoke in a hush tone, unwrapping his arms around her waist before curling them underneath her knees and picked her up, quietly laughing underneath his breath as he felt her take a loud sniff of his scent, sighing with pleasure and then leaned back into his embrace, head tipped towards him.

She felt herself momentarily departing from this world, her conscious slowly slipping away but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't mute her brain or particularly one thought circling around her mind.

Maddy couldn't forget how eager Elijah was to brush the subject aside.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

N O W

PEOPLE WERE LOVE, AND SHE WAS UNLUCKY TO APPRECIATE HIS BEAUTIFULNESS.

His disguise had been revealed. Because she was once told that the devil is real and not just a figment of imagination adults used to try and scare their children. No, he was truly alive and kicking and he wasn't a small, red man with curved horns and a long tail. No, he can be beautiful because he was a fallen angel waiting to erupt chaos amongst humans, and in that moment she couldn't help but think how true that was.

She remembered her father warning her look out for the monsters underneath herbed or between the clothes in her wardrobe and the dark spots in her home.

They were wrong. Monsters didn't only come at night. No, monsters were daring and adventurous. They loved excitement and the feeling of thrill when it consumed them. Monsters were confident enough to strut around with a mask covering their true identity and when they truly revealed, they turned to cowards and backed away, leaving you all alone with their false promises to deal with the repercussions of their actions. He was a beautiful monster.

Maddy was the first one to take an action, move, do something and she does – a large stumble away from him and she caught a glimmer of a semblance of pain flashing through his eyes and she was confused, head spinning around and she didn't know what to think. Her lips parted open but nothing tumbled out because she wasn't thinking of anything. All she was doing was looking – at him, around her, the bright hue covering his hand which slowly dripped onto the floor, drip, drip, drip –

" Maddison – "

She heard his words get caught at the back of his throat and she didn't know whether he stopped because he didn't know what kind of explanation will justify his actions or because of the hand she shakily lifted up because she wouldn't – couldn't bear to hear his voice. His smooth, silky, apologetic, soothing tone that she knew will forever trap her in a web of lies.

She felt so much, too much and she wanted everything to stop so she pressed her hands against the temple of her head and pushed, harder and harder, hoping that somehow all she would hear was silence but God didn't grant her the wish. She heard his soft footsteps eating up the distance between them two; slowly walking towards her as is she was a terrified prey that would run away any second and her heart was in her mouth. Maddy felt her eyes glaze over with a clear liquid but she didn't feel the pearly shaped tears roll down her cheeks until she heard her name tumble out of his pretty lips again and she looked up, the tear sliding against her cheek and down the slope of her neck.

In that lone moment she was reminded that the most crippling injuries you sustain deep within in life – past the layers of the skin and the heart until you reached the aching soul, they don't sting like a scrape or ache like a bruise. They firmly sit in you like a black hole, absorbing one thing after another until every scrap of joy and drive in your heart is gone. Elijah was her black hole, temporarily allowing her to be happy, float around the dark matter but with a simple click of the finger, he took everything away from her, consuming her whole until she was beyond repair because there was no remedy for the poison he leaked into her body. He was her deepest cut and no plaster was going to fix the pain travelling through her weak body. There was no formula for heartbreak.

" Maddison – "

She heard him call out to her again, almost as though he could pull her back in reality and he succeeded with some dire consequences. The lonely boy flicked through her mind like a movie, the sad smile dancing on his lips when they first met, their first dance, the hopeful glint swirling around his dark irises, the memory of wandering through the streets of Rosevelt late at night, secret little rendezvous but all those memories were all clouded by the here and now.

Maddy's eyes flickered to the ground, the lifeless body carelessly thrown over the floor and all she could see was red, red, red but she realized that it actually wasn't red. All she saw was the scarlet blood that once flowed in his veins, leaking out of his body, drip, drip, drip, each drop of blood slowly takes away the life of her loved one, leaving him pale and weak, but she realized there was nothing that could be done. He was gone. But, oh, there was so much blood - dark crimson, with a discreet, metallic scent and it cascaded across the man's skin, right through Maddy's finger tips that were pressed tightly and firmly against the damaging wound. Like millions of roses blooming, the droplets of blood fell to the floor and created a path from where he knocked over a chair and table as he struggled for his life but it was futile because her brother was gone.

She felt the pearly shaped tears rolling down her cheeks without permission and no matter how much she tried to stop them, it was a futile attempt as he eyes continued to glaze over with emotions too hard to control. Maddy felt hands clasped over her shoulders, hastily pulling her away until she was a metre away from the body and out of the way. She realized that she didn't protest with anger, silently allowing them to do what they wanted with her and her brother because he was gone and it was all her fault. She brought him to their lives and now he took one of the most precious people away from her. She had no-one to blame but herself. It was all her fault.

They huddled around her brother like a swarm of bees attracted to a pot of honey and soon he was gone from her vision, with many more pouring into the secluded room with buckets of water and cleaning products and she couldn't help but think, how many times had they done this? It seemed as though this was a norm for them and the thought terrified her because she knew this wasn't the first time. Did he know about this? Did he order for them to do this?

Maddy lifted her red-rimmed eyes, the skin underneath swollen with emotion and her throat clogged up until she heavily swallowed as a few beats of intense, suffocating silence passed between them. "I knew I shouldn't have taken a chance on you. I knew you were too complicated," she started, the words no louder than a whisper but she knew - she just knew he could hear her clearly. She watched Elijah shake his head over and over again, his clean hand crawling towards his soft hair and pulled hard at the tip of the strands as if he was in pain - physical pain and couldn't bear to hear the truth slipping from her lips. "I imagined you as a Prince in Distress, someone who needed another to love you for who you are and not the jewellery hovering over your head. And I didn't mind being that person because at the end of the day, all we want -- us humans is to be loved for who we are and not what we can become and wanting to be love wasn't a too big of an ask. I feel -- felt happy whenever I was with you, complete and most of all fortunate. I couldn't believe that you wanted to be with me. "

A bitter chuckled tumbled out of her pretty lips and he took a step forward, attempting to close the distance between them but she narrowed her eyes and he stopped in his tracks. "But I was wrong. You didn't need someone to love you. You needed someone to destroy. Someone's whose life you could ruin until there was nothing left for them, pushing them to the brink of the thought, what was the point of living? Well, congratulations, you've succeeded. I've finally seen you for who you are and it disgusts me. You make me think whether I made a mistake helping you the first time I saw you. I now wonder whether it would've been better if I had just left you there? Thinking was the guy who left you to die the first time we met was telling you the truth? That you're a disease and you shouldn't have been born."

"No, no, no...don't say that, Maddison," Elijah murmured underneath his breath, scrubbing his face until it was bright red. "You don't understand. You don't understand."

A bomb ticked inside of her and her anger released. "What? What don't I understand? Are you telling me that you're not a monster? You're not a murderer? That you didn't kill my brother? Tell me! What don't I understand?" The final words heightened in volume and she screamed, momentarily shocking the others in the room but she didn't heed them any attention - her eyes focused on him and only him.

"I - I just...I can't." Elijah blew out a deep breath through his parted lips and connected eyes with her, hoping she could read him, understand what he was trying to say but all he got back were a pair of emotionless eyes and his heart hurt at the thought of being responsible for all her pain. This was his fault.

"I - can't - You don't understand. I just -" Elijah's gaze dropped to the ground and she shook her head, annoyed at herself for thinking to herself, hoping even for a second - a mere second that she had misunderstood the situation. That he had a valid explanation as to what happened. She was a naive fool.

Her father's loving face flashed before her closed eyes and she felt a painful prick against the middle of her heart and she didn't know if she could endure anymore. What would she say to him? How would she tell him? That his only son was dead? That it was all her fault? His only daughter was a murderer?

Maddy's gaze lingered on him for a long beat or two and she could see it in his eyes what she was going to do – what she had to do but it didn't lessen the pain quickly travelling all over her body until everything was numb and she only had herself to blame for because she was the one that brought him to their lives.

"Just – stay away from me."

But she didn't know how that was possible. They were husband and wife, king and queen, the love of each other lives so how could she ask him to stay away from her? Her mind couldn't comprehend the thought of him not close by him but she stood firm with her decision and nudged her chin out, and squared her shoulders as though she was building an invisible wall between them, so, so high that it would be impossible for him to climb over.

She caught a glimpse of him taking a large, hurried stride towards her as she turned her back towards him but he was stopped by a guard, a large body standing in front of him, lips turning as questions spew out of his mouth and land flat against Elijah's body because he was not listening. His eyes, ears, mouth – everything was on her.

The love of his life, the only anchor holding him down, his heart, his queen, his fucking wife that he would gladly die for was walking away from him and he knew there was nothing he could do – nothing to bring her back to him.

She disappeared a moment later and he knew – he knew she gone forever.

***********

P.S. Don't forget to enter the 130+ #WattpadBlockParty Giveaways! Clickable links are at the top of my Wattpad profile! :)

GIVEAWAY LINK ONE:

http://kellyanneblountauthor.blogspot.com/2017/01/giveaways-for-wattpad-block-party_31.html

GIVEAWAY LINK TWO (with Widgets):

http://kellyanneblountauthor.blogspot.com/2017/01/giveaways-with-widgets-for-wattpad.html