The Crown's Entrapment

Clara did her best to quickly compose herself. Sheba's sudden remark took her off guard, and Gilas was already looking at him worriedly as she inwardly snarled at her wolf.

[It's not like that, alright? How many times do I have to say it?] Clara insisted. [I want it to happen on my terms, not out of some self-imposed instinct that I have to follow.]

It was one of the few concessions she refused to budge on. She had already accepted Gilas as her mate, and she didn't even feel too bad about it either. She just wanted to mate whenever she wanted to mate. Not before. Not now. It was going to happen when she decided it was going to happen.

"Clara?"

She was taken out of her musings as Gilas suddenly called out to him. He must've noticed her momentary distress based on how worried his tone was. Nevertheless, she should soothe whatever fears he might have.

"I'm fine," Clara smiled as she nonchalantly waved her hand at him. "I just had something in my throat."

"Dust then?" Gilas wondered. "I swore I had this room cleaned earlier…"

​ [And now you're making him doubt his own servants? Some mate you are,] Sheba scoffed. [If only you just admitted to yourself that you like him enough to sleep with him… This wouldn't have happened in the first place.]

Clara's brows twitched at Sheba's condescending tone. [Being awfully chatty right now, are you? And after you gave me the silent treatment ever since our last conversation too.]

[I'm just saying what's needed to be said,] her wolf scoffed at her again. [I'm not going to budge on this too. So long as the Mate Bond remains incomplete, I'll keep nagging you to finish it.]

Clara sighed as she shook her head. Of course, now would be the time that her wolf would decide to be chatty to her again. Just because she already wanted Gilas didn't mean that she was ready.

[You've been ready ever since you accepted him.]

And no, she wasn't ready even after that. Her wolf was just being impatient.

[I'm not going to change my mind,] Clara grumbled. [It'll happen when it happens. Now stop distracting me.]

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Clara took a deep breath before she turned to face Gilas. Flashing him a small smile, she nodded. "Yes. It's nothing you should worry about. Far from this leftover poison I still have left in my system," she explained. "Also, no. This room is clean enough as it is."

"If you insist," Gilas shrugged. "I could always tell one of the servants to do a quick sweep around if it'll help your condition."

"No, really," Clara insisted with a shake of her head. "Let's just go to bed."

Gilas nodded before turning towards the washroom to clean himself up. Absently, Clara made her way to the bed, sitting down and letting herself relax in the atmosphere of the chamber. With Gilas still visibly fussing over her current state, she let out a smile as she let her body fall onto the mattress, her eyes still aimed at where she last saw the man enter the washroom.

[Get in there.]

[No.]

Clara scoffed at her wolf's sudden remark. Sheba's sudden chattiness would be a pain to deal with, but she was more than ready to bluntly shoot down any and all proposals that her wolf was going to give her. She wasn't going to listen, and she sure as hell won't mate with the man.

A few minutes later, Gilas exited the washroom wearing nothing but a towel to cover his decency. Against her better judgment, Clara found herself staring, her gaze lingering over his moist skin and bulging muscles.

[You're already staring.]

"You can go ahead and use the washroom, Clara," Gilas called out to her, taking her back to reality as she blinked away the image that was starting to burn into her memory. "There are already a few towels in there as well as a change of clothes."

She nodded before quickly making her way into the washroom. Thankfully, Gilas didn't seem to notice that she was staring. Really, he was just as muscular as Darius. How could she not appreciate that?

[So you can at least admit that,] Sheba sarcastically rolled her eyes at her. [That's progress that you want him enough to sleep with him.]

Ignoring her wolf's constant naging, Clara cleaned herself up. Taking a short shower, she helped herself with the towels and the change of clothes that Gilas had prepared for her. And after making sure that she was presentable, she left Gilas's personal washroom.

"Had a good bath?" Gilas asked. "The water was fine?"

"It's fine enough," Clara shrugged. "I don't think I'm supposed to start feeling chills until it's in the middle of the night though."

"That may be, but it's already pretty late," Gilas worriedly replied. "You might start feeling it now. Or maybe it only happens when you sleep?"

Once more, Clara shrugged. She really didn't have the energy to guess just how exactly her nightly chills worked. All she knew was that she had to suffer through them for a few days until her body flushed the remnants of the poison she got out of her system. If it meant that she had to cuddle with Gilas to get her through the night, then she'd do it without question.

"It'll happen when it happens," she scoffed as she made her way to the bed. "Regardless, I'm sure you'll take care of me just fine."

She didn't even think about what she just said as she let her head hit the pillows once more. She just wanted to sleep, and Gilas's presence was going to help her survive the night.

"I-I'll do my best, Clara," Gilas momentarily stuttered over her. "Get some rest."

Turning her head, Clara couldn't help but look at Gilas's face as he hovered over her. The concern he was giving her was touching, and she found herself smiling back at him as he pulled the sheets over her body.

"Good night, Gilas," she said as she closed her eyes. "And thank you…"