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The words hung heavy with meaning and uncertainty. Regan called them merely lies. Anger flared inside her and she struck him with fire on his shoulder, sending him stumbling a few steps back.Then, she stood up on her own, glaring at him, "I'd rather die here than side with you. At least, if I die, I'd die with pride, knowing I didn't give in to someone like you." She took a step back, preparing for another attack.Sirius raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to her, "Ah, Regan. You see, I don't want you to die. No, I never wanted anyone to die either. I did what I did to survive. You've done the same. You also have killed to survive. So, why are you so different from me? You want to play the hero now?" he asked, his voice almost gentle.She felt a pang in her chest. Was she different from him? Of course she believed she was."You've killed to get power and authority!" she snapped, "It's not the same as defending yourself!" Her eyes narrowed as she continued, "You can't just try to compare yourself with me!"Sirius drew closer, swiftly sneaking his arm around her waist, pulling her into a crushing embrace. "Oh, but it's the same thing, Regan. You just don't see it. And you know, when I tell you to be on my side, to be with me....well, that's just a formality. Because you like it or not, you already are."His words were like velvet, trying to break down her defenses in a soft, subtle way. And as he was practically hugging her, she began to lose her fury, her anger slowly dissipating."You...you're wrong," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not on your side. I'm not like you."Sirius smiled against her hair, "Oh, but you are, Regan. You are. You see, we are the same. We've both been lonely and misunderstood our whole lives. We both had to fight to survive. We both had been bullied and hurt. We both know what it's like to lose everything."His words made her feel even worse. How was he bullied? He didn't have anything to be bullied for. She, on the other hand, was weird, had a scar on her face, was called a freak, nerd, and all sorts of things. He had no idea what that meant."You're lying," she whispered against his chest, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "You have everything you want. You don't know what it's like to be bullied. You don't know what it's like to wake up everyday and wish that you could be normal. You haven't lost anything."He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his hand caressing her hair gently, "I know what it's like, kitten. I've been there. I've wished for the same thing. I've been through the same. But now, I'm not. Because I killed them all. I made them beg for mercy. I made them fear me. And now, I have everything I've ever wanted, including you."She dug herself deeper in his embrace, feeling her anger fade as he spoke. His words were like poison, slowly seeping into her, making her feel safe in his arms. She knew that what she was doing was terrible. She was being a terrible fighter, a terrible rebel, and most importantly, a terrible daughter. What if her mother would see her hugging him? She would die of embarrassment.His hand moved from her hair and he pulled back a little. He held her chin, his thumb brushing against her bottom lip, his expression gentle, "Do you believe me?"But the more he spoke, the worse she felt. She felt like a fool. He was finally breaking her. He was right, she was lonely. She had been. She was misunderstood. But that didn't mean she was going to be with him."I don't," she retorted, her face a scowl. "I don't want to be with you. I don't care if you think we're the same. We're not!" She yelled and tried to release herself from his grip, but he held her tight, his expression unreadable.She was panicking now. He had her on his clutches and she couldn't help but fear his next move. He was so close to her and she knew that no one would hear her behind the magical barrier. His gaze was deep in her eyes, as if trying to read her soul, to find the part of her that he could use to convince her that they were alike. She looked away, not bearing it. Maybe she should have just killed him when she had the chance."What is it you hate so much about me? Because the more I look at you, the more I think you don't hate me at all," he said, his smirk never leaving his face. His eyes were cold, but still filled with amusement."Let me go," she snarled, struggling even harder against his grip. But he didn't budge. Instead, he held her even closer, trying to trap her even further into his embrace."What do you feel about me then?" he asked, his voice lowering, his eyes boring into hers."I hate you, I fucking hate you," she spat, her words harsh and raw. Her chest was heaving, her fists clenched. "You're a monster. You're a murderer. You're insane. I hate everything about you," she struggled even harder, her body tensing as she fought against his grip.He laughed, a low, dark chuckle that sent a shiver down her spine. "So passionate," he murmured. "You're lying. You can't hate me that much. Or maybe you do, but you hate my actions, what I have done. You don't hate me as a person." His hand trailed to her hair, stroking them."I hate you as a person and I hate what you've done as well. You're nothing but an arrogant, selfish, sadistic beast who deserves to rot in hell. You're pathetic and disgusting and I wish I had never met you." Regan's words were sharp and venomous, fueled by the anger and hatred she felt for him. She didn't know what else to do. She thought to do something else to piss him off. But she didn't hit his chest or something like this because she thought it was cringe and stupid.He smiled, his expression amused. "I see. So, it's not just my actions that you hate. You hate me for who I am. But I wonder....why are you so pressed? Why can't you just have a normal life, like any other girl? Why do you always have to fight against me? Why are you so pressed with the fact that I'm a monster, a beast?" He leaned closer to her ear, "You don't have to fight me, you know? Well, that makes the things more interesting and cool but it's not like I'm forcing you."Regan's frown deepened. She didn't want to be that close to him. Her hand travelled down the leather shirt she was wearing. On the belt of her pants, she was hiding the dagger her mother had given her. So, if he'd try something funny, she would... She didn't know what she would do. But she would make sure he'd regret it."And why should I not fight you?" she hissed, trying to shove him away. "You haunted me and made it look like I was mentally insane. You ruined my childhood and took my mother away from me. I don't care about my royal lineage, or anything like this. I want you to pay for what you've done. I want you to suffer." Her voice cracked, but her determination remained."So much passion," he remarked, "but if that's what you want, why don't you kill me? Where's the point in making me suffer? It's not like pain breaks me. And even if you make me suffer, I'll still be here, haunting you." He finally let her go, stepping a few steps back, crossing his arms."Come on, attack me. But know that it's not going to bring back your childhood, your kingdom or your grace. That's all turned to ashes, darling. Now, you only have your mother and your endless hate for me. Embrace it. Use it. But don't expect anything else."His words stung her, making her feel even more angry and frustrated. She clenched her fists, her body tense, ready to attack. "You're not going to win," she spat through gritted teeth. "I'll find a way to defeat you, to make you pay for everything."He laughed, the sound cold and mocking. "Oh, my dear, sweet kitten. I'm all here. I'm all ready. Defeat me. Why don't you try?" He spread his arms wide, a taunting smile playing on his lips. "Come on, show me what you've got. Kill me."She hesitated for a moment, her anger warring with her fear. She took a deep breath, steeling herself and then launched a powerful fireball at him. He quickly dodged and grabbed both her shoulders, spinning her around and pinning her against one of the nearby monoliths. His face was mere inches from hers, his eyes blazing with a cold, icy fire."You think it's that easy, don't you? You think I'm a pervert, a monster. You don't understand." His tone was surprisingly gentle, in contrast to his words, as he leaned down, his bangs shadowing his eyes."You are," she spat, "you're a male. All males are perverts and monsters." She struggled against his grip, but it was no use. And that was tiring her out. She felt tears prickle her eyes, "All males care about only one damn thing and this damn thing is slee-"He cut her off, pressing his lips against hers in a firm, possessive kiss. Her eyes shot up wide in shock as his lips lingered on hers. He loosened up, the kiss turning gentle, almost sweet. His hand held her jaw, his thumb caressing her cheekbone and her lips.But then, she realized what he had just done. And she felt like an idiot. She was. He had just taken her first kiss and she hadn't shoved him off before it. She'd shove him away now, but where would be the point? It was already done.Her anger flared and she punched him as hard as she could in his chest. He smiled against her lips, almost ending up laughing, "You're so adorable when you're angry," he teased, "and so beautiful."She shoved him away with all her strength, her veins bulging on her forehead. She slapped him, harshly and hard. He only chuckled, clearly enjoying this. Her blood boiled with rage, her mind was not thinking straight."You fucking bastard, you took my first kiss," she spat, tears of anger and frustration streaming down her cheeks. "You had no right to do that! I wasn't going to give it to anyone, especially not you!" Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides, her entire body trembled with rage. Then, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer, her face only inches from his."You're going to pay for that, and for everything else!"He smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement and raw fondness she denied to recognize. "Oh, really?" his hands went to her face and he wiped the tears away from her cheeks, "and how do you plan on doing that?"Her jaw clenched, her hands gripping his shirt tighter. She slammed him against the monolith where he had first pinned her, the impact making them both gasp. "I'm going to make you pay for laying your eyes on me. I'm going to make you wish you had died before you ever saw me," she growled, her words filled with a hate that burned hotter than any fire she could summon.He was caught aback for a moment, not really expecting her to slam him against the wall. But then, he smiled down at her, "Interesting, do it then. Come on," he taunted, "but I already kissed you."His words only served to fuel Regan more. She hastily searched around her belt, holding him still with one hand. It didn't seem like he wanted to let himself go. She gripped the dagger tightly and then without a second thought, she pressed it somewhere near his shoulder. She wasn't that evil, to kill him. But at least she could hurt him the same as he hurt her by taking her first kiss.He winced in pain and then looked down at his shoulder, the dagger still there. He had been stabbed before so he knew it wasn't a serious injury. But what hurt the most was that she was the one who had done it. His eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of pain, anger, and something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on."You really think that's going to make things better?" he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.Her grip on the dagger loosened as she realized she had gone too far. She backed away, tears welling up in her eyes once more, but this time they were not tears of anger. They were tears of confusion and regret. He reached out at the dagger and pulled it out of his shoulder, wincing in pain. Blood trickled down his arm and stained his robe. He hadn't really expected her to stab him but he didn't regret kissing her, still. He just wanted to make her feel something other than hate and rage once. He didn't mean to hurt her."You cheated," he stated, throwing the dagger away and holding his shoulder with his hand, "the fight was supposed to be fair, without weapons." He looked down at her, hurt and anger evident in his eyes.Although she felt guilty, anger and fury were still there, "I cheated?! You kissed me! You deserve worse!" she yelled, backing away even more. He pushed himself off the wall and walked to her, his movements menacing and controlled."So what if I kissed you?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I wanted to, and I did. And I'm going to do it again, even if you try to kill me." With every word, he took a step closer, challenging her.His eyes were intense, not with lust or desire, but with a raw, unspoken emotion she couldn't quite decipher. She panicked quickly. She had just stabbed him and expected him to act like an injured person, but he was more interested in their argument."You're insane," she breathed, stepping away again. "You're playing with fire. You don't know what I'm capable of." Her words were laced with fear, anger, but also with a hint of something else. She looked at his shoulder, that was bleeding, and she felt....really bad. But he had already kissed her, hadn't he? He had done it and she wanted revenge on that.He kept walking towards her, his eyes fixed on hers, daring her to do something. Anything. "Oh, I know exactly what you're capable of," he said, his voice low and calm. "You're capable of loving someone, even if you don't want to.""And you're capable of forcing yourself on people," Regan retorted, her words filled with anger and pain."I didn't force myself on you!" he growled, his eyes narrowing. "I wanted to kiss you, and I did." He took another step closer, their faces inches apart now. "You know that it was lovely. You liked it." His voice was deep, and still gentle, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She swallowed hard, feeling her resolve begin to waver again.She glared at him, trying to maintain her anger, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. She felt like an idiot, a foolish girl who didn't know her own mind."I didn't want to kiss you!" she finally managed to say, her voice breaking. "I didn't want to kiss a pervert who just sneaks up on people and kisses them without warning!" Her words were harsh, but her voice wavered, betraying her emotions. She could feel her cheeks burning with shame and anger. "You shouldn't have ever kissed me," she added, stepping away from him.He took another step closer, "And why so?" he asked, his voice low and husky. "Who's going to kiss you if not me?" His hands reached up, cupping her face gently, before brushing her hair away from her face, "Who's going to make you feel this way?""No one!" she yanked her face away, feeling a mixture of anger, frustration, and confusion. "I don't want anyone to make me feel this way!" she yelled, "I don't want this!""Why?" he drawled, his grip on her face loosening, but still holding her there. "Why you don't want this? Don't tell me you hate me because I kissed you now." His thumb caressed her lips, "You can't possibly hate me that much.""I hate you with all my heart!" She snapped, pulling away, "You're just a selfish, wicked man who only thinks of himself! I hate you, I hate everything about you!" Her words were venomous, but she could feel her breath hitching, and her chest tightening as she spoke them. "And I don't want to feel this way about anyone," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't want to care about you!"He smiled, his expression softening. "You do care, and you know it. You just are scared to admit it." And with that, he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers once more. His hand cupped her neck, drawing her closer, and she felt herself melt into the kiss. She knew it was terrible to like it, she knew she should pull away, but she couldn't. His other hand held her waist gently as if worried that she would either break or slip from him. It lasted for so long that she fell lost in thought.She couldn't believe she was letting him kiss her. Maybe because she had already done it, and there would be no difference if she'd shove him away. No. There was a difference. For what had she fought and vowed all that time? For what had she come around the dangers at every corner? To end up kissing him?The thought brought her back into reality and she pushed him away, harshly."Don't you dare!" she hissed, her eyes filled with fear and anger. "Don't you dare think that just because you kissed me once, you can do whatever you want!"She took a step back, trying to put some distance between them. "I'm not like your other girls," she spat, her voice shaking with rage. "I'm not that girl who acts innocent at first and then when she gets kissed, she wants....you know what I mean."Regan walked away, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Yes, she wasn't that girl. Maybe she liked how he kissed her, but she didn't want anything more than that.She didn't wait for him to reply, "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" she asked, her voice quivering. "You knew exactly what you were doing. You wanted to make me obsessed with you, wanted me to love you, so that you could use me later." She turned back, her eyes burning."And then I would believe your lies, wouldn't I? I'd think that you really cared about me, that you were different and you really l-l-loved me," her voice broke in the end. She didn't know what she was really saying but she couldn't think straight.He took steps closer to her, his eyes searching hers, his expression unreadable. "I wanted to make you obsessed with me? And why would I do that? There are hundreds of women who would die for a chance to be with me. Why would I add more trouble to my life?" He paused, a hint of a smile playing on his lips."No, Princess. You are mistaken. I didn't plan any of this. And, I never said you're like any other girl. You're extraordinary and unique. I don't really care what other girls want or would do. And as for the kiss thing, it was you who took my first kiss.""What?!" she shouted, her eyes widening in disbelief. "When did I take your first kiss? You're the one who kissed me!" She paused, taking a deep breath to steady her racing heart. He was lying, she was sure of it."I'm not lying," he smirked, "when I kissed you, you technically kissed me back. And you took my first kiss.""I never kissed you back!" Regan snapped and turned away from him, but he caught her waist from behind, pulling her against his chest."Well, it's not like I want you to kiss me back physically," he whispered, "you kissed me back with your heart and that's all I want. And I never thought I'd give my first kiss to my enemy."She tried to struggle free, but it was no use. He had already done so many things that invaded her personal space. She felt bad, terrible. She was mad at him but at herself as well. Why couldn't she just hate him as much as she wanted to? She hadn't really kissed him back, but it felt good to be kissed without having to return it.But then again, she didn't believe what he said."And you think I'm buying that lie? You're a ruler, you have mistresses. Of course you've kissed hundreds of women. Of course you've sle-""Dare say that again," he growled into her ear, startling her. "Dare say that I've slept with hundreds of women." He paused, his breath hot against her skin. "Because if you do, I'll show you just how far from the truth that is.""And what are you going to do?" she spat, as she turned to face him, "Are you going to force yourself on me? Are you going to r-r...." She trailed off, not daring to finish. Her words came out in a rush, and she felt a hot flush creep up her neck as soon as she said them. She hadn't meant to say that. But somehow, it felt true. He'd done so much already. It wouldn't be beyond him.Sirius's expression turned dark and obscure, his eyes clouded with pain, anger, and something she didn't know, "What did you just say?" he growled, his voice low and menacing. "You dare accuse me of such a thing? You think I'd ever do that to you?"She swallowed nervously. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had gone too far. But after all, she had always gone too far. And she wanted to know what his true intentions were. Why had he kissed her?His hand tangled in her lower part of the hair, keeping her neck high so she couldn't escape his gaze. Her neck was hurting from constantly keeping it high. She knew he could kiss her again. And somehow, she wasn't afraid. She was afraid of what were the intentions behind the kiss."You think all this is for your body? You think I want your body?" He demanded, his grip on her waist tightening. "No, I don't want your body. I want your soul, your mind, your heart. And I don't want to break them, but you keep pushing me away." His eyes searched hers, his features twisted in anger and pain. "You think I have such desires? You think I'm capable of such a thing?"She swallowed hard, her throat tight. He didn't want her body, then why did he kiss her? Why did he touch her? She opened her mouth to speak, to ask him the questions that had burnt inside her for such a long time. Since the start of all this. But no words came out. She could only stare at him, her own eyes burning with anger."Why did you kiss me, then? Why are you holding me like this?" she finally asked. She couldn't understand, she didn't want to believe he was telling the truth. He was a lord, he could have anyone he wanted. Why her? She had always thought the worst about him, just like she had thought about others."You want to know what my intentions are?" he asked softly, his voice almost gentle. "You want to know why I kissed you?" He paused, leaning even closer, his breath caressing her lips."I kissed you because I wanted to make you feel something other than hatred and anger." He paused, his eyes searching hers. "I wanted to show you that not everything in the world is as black and white as you believe it to be."His hand left her hair and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing over her lips. "And I kissed you because you're my dove and I've always wanted to kiss my beautiful, stubborn dove. What's so wrong with that?"His last sentence made her scowl and he laughed at her reaction, the sound deep and throaty, "As for why I'm holding you like this, it's because I want you close to me, I don't want you to slip away again. You're the only girl I've ever chased after, the only one I've ever held close and the only one I've ever kissed. I'm selfish, I know. I'm also cruel and vicious and all the other things you and everyone call me." He paused, his expression softening."But I'm not a pervert, I don't lust after you or after any other woman. I've never thought about you in that way. I'll never do. You're an angel, a pure soul, and I won't taint you."Her scowl deepened at his words. He was lying, she thought. He was just trying to manipulate her, to make her believe that he was innocent. She couldn't believe him. She didn't want to. But....maybe, there was really someone who wasn't a lustful, selfish, hungry, carnal monster.His hand caressed her face but then he let out a grunt of pain, making her flinch. And then, he looked down at his shoulder that was still dripping blood. He had lost too much blood and was growing weak."See what you do to me?" He smiled down at her and brought her wrist to his lips, kissing it gently. "You make me bleed, and I can barely stand on my own feet." His words were teasing, but Regan could help and feel a wave of worry spread over her. "Yes, I've haunted you. But you've haunted me as well." He winced again in pain, his grip on her loosening. "Have you ever thought what it'd be like to be mine? You already are but... you don't know it."