You are mine

With all her strength, Nina pushed him and got up all flushed. Her heart is pumping aloud and her mind is clouded with so many thoughts. She hates herself for being tempted to kiss him.

Theodore watched her with a mischievous grin. Her powerful push is so gentle to him so he didn't frown at her.

"What are you trying to do, Sir?"

"What I tried?"

"You know it,"

"I don't know," he shrugs. "Why don't you tell me?" he purposely teasing her and Nina decided not to get angry.

"Forget it," Nina huffs, "If you tell me where I have to sleep then I won't disturb you, your highness,"

"You should sleep next to me,"

"What? No way!" Nina refused, right away.

"What?" he raised one of his eyebrows.

"I mean, not before marriage," she answers. "That's one of my strict family traditions," she lied.

"Oh, I see. I respect family traditions,"

Nina's anxiety calmed.

"Fine, you can sleep in the guest room," he said and Nina nods with relief. He got up and guided her to that room. Theodore gave her extra blankets, pillows, and a lamp. This room is great compared to her room but she misses it so badly.

"I guess you had your dinner?" he asks.

"Yes, sir,"

She was tempted to ask him the same but she didn't.

"Have a great sleep," Theodore kissed near her ears before walking out of the place. She couldn't stop him as he did that out of nowhere.

"You too," Nina whispered and touched the place where their skin touched. She nodded her head to come out of the thoughts and closed the door behind.

The bed was so soft and comfortable when she laid on it, and the room smells great too. Yet Nina felt difficult to fall asleep in this unfamiliar place; she sat up thinking how much her life has changed drastically overnight.

I am going to marry him? Am I going to do that?

Nina stared at the dark ambiance blankly, she couldn't understand anything, it's just too puzzling like she's standing inside the dark tunnel. There's no way out.

That's when she remembered the necktie he left is inside her pocket (That's the only thing she has taken from her home yesterday). She took that in her hands and traced it slowly.

Why? Why does he want to marry me?

She asked the question again and again but she couldn't guess.

Perhaps for this? She thought and shoved the necktie back into her pocket.

Meanwhile, Theodore couldn't sleep too when Nina is just in the other room. His sleep cycle has been ruined because of so many things. He barely sleeps at night and in the day if he wants to sleep he got no time for that.

He came out of his boudoir and looked at her door. She complicates everything for him, sometimes she acts like she knows his secret but sometimes she's so hard to read and acts as if she has no clue about anything. He couldn't trust her words.

Though he wishes to talk to her about the other night he thought it's better to leave it here.

Theodore didn't want to make any more problems until they get married. It's still a surprise for him that she agreed to this marriage, her yes made him understand that she loves her family more than anything and she can do anything for them even to marry the man she doesn't like.

He walked to the garden to get some fresh air and he looked at the moon, dreadfully. The monster inside him twitched his nerves and wanted to break out. For all these days, he controlled it so well, even now he came inside as soon as he felt his claws emerging.

He stumbled on the floor when he turned to normal. Before he was alone but now Nina is here. That made him anxious and at the same time, relaxed. Theodore stumbled on the chaise and slept out of exhaustion.

The next day, Nina came out of the room, leaving a yawn, and saw Theodore sleeping on the chaise.

She felt hesitant to go near him but her legs dragged her there, eventually. She watched his beautiful manly face and without her control, she got a smile on her face to see how different he is. She thought why he is sleeping here instead of in his room.

Realizing that she's admiring the wrong person, Nina walked to find the bathroom. She was amazed when she got a glimpse of Theodore's room. It's huge, the bed, windows, cushions.

It must be here somewhere, she continued to search for the bathroom and that's when she heard Theodore's voice.

"Have you lost?"

"Yes, I need to use the bathroom," she said.

"It's on the outside," he said.

"Thank you," she sighs.

"I will show you," he said and Nina followed him outside. Pointing in the direction, Theodore walked along with her.

"Why are you following me, Sir?"

"Because I going to take bath,"

"When I am inside?" she raised both her eyebrows.

He just smiles and walks overtaking her. Nina rolled her eyes, she couldn't understand what he meant until he gets inside the bathhouse.

The roof was covered in the glass showing the clear blue sky. The bathtub was so huge where at least ten people could take bath at a time. The maids filled the hot water with scented petals and arranged the clothes for today. It's such a waste of everything for a single person, Nina thought.

The lavatory was in the closed space at the corner so Nina got relaxed. She went there without minding anyone.

After washing up her face and teeth, Nina decided to leave without seeing Theodore but he called out her name loudly which she couldn't ignore at all.

She turned to him, his half-naked tanned body is glittering in the water. His hair is tied in a ponytail and his eyes were fixed on Nina. She's still in her yesterday's clothes and her long hair is left untied.

"Why don't you join with me?" he asks.

"No, sir. I can't," she nods. If she isn't a prince, she would have yelled at him for being so perverted.

"Why not. You shouldn't take bath with me, is that also one of your family traditions?" he chuckled.

Nina blinked speculating that he has found out that she has lied to him.

"Yes,"

"You know, I hate liars," Theodore stated. "I have never heard of such tradition in the west,"

Nina stared at him, helplessly. "I cannot do this before marriage. At least grant me this one request of mine," she asked.

Theodore considered for a moment, "Fine,"

"But sit here. I don't want to be alone," his tone was requesting rather than commanding.

Nina nods and sat on one of the steps to get inside the tub. He looks at her being shy to face him. Yet she tried to show off herself that she isn't by making occasional glimpses at him.

"Do you have anything to ask me?" Theodore asks.

"Yes," Nina drew the necktie from her pocket and placed it on the slab.

"I think you have mistakenly left it in the barn," Nina said and asked him to take it back.

"Yes, I lost it there," he agreed.

His answer made her somewhat sad.

"Why are you having it?" he asks.

Nina looked at him, "I don't know. I thought I should give it back to you. It must be important to you?"

"Yes, it is. But you can have it,"

"No," she snubbed right away.

"Nina," his sharp voice silenced her and his piercing eyes gained all her attention.

"Maybe I have accidentally lost it but I think it's on the right hands," Theodore took the string and placed it on Nina's hand.

"You should have this. Something that tells that you are mine," he smirks.

Nina finds that equally romantic and dominating at the same time.