Chapter 26: The unforgivable wait

Anger, an uncontrollable emotion fueled by dislikes and aiming to cause disaster.

It was best to always keep your anger in check lest you act like a madman, but all that didn't matter at the moment.

The vexation Kara felt was like a roaring volcano. She had been waiting for Rox for two whole hours.

After what seemed like a never-ending wait for his royal highness, Kara decided to stroll home, only to realize she didn't know the freaking way.

Everywhere looked the damn same!, empty streets with streetlights, well that was just great, because why had she thought she could find her way alone in a town she just moved into and barely knew her way around?

Smacking her palm against her forehead, she swore, "Why did I not acknowledge the routes this morning? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she hissed.

The streets were getting dark. She stared at her phone, tempted to call her mom, but she really wasn't in the mood to speak with her mother or, worse, be lectured by her.

She tried though, preferring the be scolded rather than be left alone in the middle of nowhere. But there was no signal. "What the actual fuck!" She spat in frustration.

Her heels ached. She didn't know how long she had been walking; what she did know was the fact that she was freaking lost!

She actually tried to walk back the same route thinking she'd find her way back to school, but the town was a freaking dystopian movie.

A lone streetlight shone in the distance. She squatted beneath it, deciding to rest her feet for a few minutes.

Resting against the pole, she sighed as her stomach growled in hunger. She realized she also didn't have Rox's number.

Staring hard at the phone, she was tempted to call Dolly but would then have to explain how she got lost. Rox would kill her if Dolly found out. She groaned, "Screw Rox. Damn him. Screw him."

The unsettling feeling of being watched crept in. Someone was following her–or had been for a while.

The sound of footsteps startled her. She jumped to her feet, whirled around, ready to plant her fist into whoever it was creeping up behind her.

Only for Rox to catch her wrist in his large fist, rough hands wrapped around her smooth, slender skin.

"Don't freaking touch me!" she barked, pulling her hand violently out of his grip.

Rox released her, eyeing her with a blank expression. "Are you mad?" he asked.

Kara scoffed, a headache throbbing in her temple. She didn't have the energy for this.

She turned on her heels. "Where are you going?" he called out.

"Home!"

"That's not the right route," he drawled in a voice so deep it vibrated in her back.

Biting her tongue, she turned and headed the other way. "That's not the way either," he smirked.

She continued walking. "Damn you! Screw you!" she screamed, walking as fast as she could.

"Stop walking, Kara," Rox softly persuaded her.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you, you jerk," she said coldly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed it had come undone from her loose knot.

His voice was close to her ear. "You're hot when you're mad, Kara."

The whisper made her insides melt, but she forced her face into a disgusted frown. "Get away from me–"

Before she could finish, he lifted her. Her breath hitched as he gathered her gently into his arms in one soft swoop.

"You have bruises on your feet," he said, a bit remorseful.

"PUT ME DOWN!" she gritted her teeth.

He smirked. "No." His eyes danced. "You're not the only one who's stubborn, Kara."

She hated the way he said her name. "You left me, Rox. I waited for you for two hours, walked for another two, and here you are acting like nothing happened."

His dark eyes held hers with an apologetic stare. "What if something happened to me? What if I got kidnapped?"

"No one will touch you, Kara. No one but me dares touch you. I'd kill any other man who'd dare touch what's mine," he said primitively.

Her eyes rounded with confusion. "I'm not yours," she whispered.

Rox's eyes softened. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I forgot you," he said sincerely.

Kara yawned, tears wetting her cheeks. Unwillingly, she snuggled against him. Her words said one thing, but her body said another. She drifted off to sleep.

Rox stared at her, guilt eating him up inside. He hadn't meant to forget her. He got caught up in the thrill of the moment, and he regretted it big time.

Back at the house, Rai spotted him carrying Kara. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Rox mumbled.

Gen caught him by the shoulder, his eyes slitted with warning. "She's not one of your playthings, Rox. Don't mess with her."

Later, Rox rubbed ointment on her feet as gently as he could, wincing as she did in her sleep. He tucked her in, leaving her room quietly, only to run into Sila.

"If you hurt her–"

"It's not like that!" Rox snapped.

Gen frowned. "Then explain that look in your eyes, Rox."

"What look?"

Sila leaned in. "That look in your eyes when you're thirsty to break someone."

Rox remained composed, but his calm had been shattered. He exited the house with a chilling smile. "I need to kill something.