Sold to a Hybrid Prince

Chapter 9

XYLA

A number of days had passed by, and he still hadn't fed on me. Nor had he hurt me, or touched me inappropriately, or even yelled at me. I was starting to wonder if he even knew what pets were for. Maybe, he was just giving me some time to adjust to my new life. 

In any case, I appreciated the space more than I'd admit. After that day, he hadn't taken me along for any of the meals. He would either go alone, or just get our food delivered to our room. 

The food here was amazing. It was hard to believe that I got to eat such lovely meals every-day. If I wasn't constantly afraid for my life, my days were almost dream-like, as compared to those dreadful ones I spent in that shop.

Allister even allowed me to shower in his bathroom every day, and the water was so warm it would cover me in goosebumps. What I would not have given to have this at the pet shop. And now, it was a norm for me. 

I looked away from the window, and glanced at Allister, whose eyes were glued to the pages of a book. It seemed like a novel of some kind, and I was curious about it, but I didn't have the guts to ask him. I avoided making conversation as much as I could, not wanting to mess up and make him upset in any way. 

One thing I had noticed was that he had a short temper, and how the slaves and maids were terrified of him. I had already seen him yell at the slaves a couple of times, so that explained it. Once, he even yelled at the maid who came to clean up the room every day, because of a little dust on the side of his book shelf. 

It didn't take me too long to realize that he was either a clean freak, had OCD, or both. It was evident in the way not a single thing in his room was ever out of place, how his clothes were always ironed and neatly folded, and how he would make his own bed every day, despite having people to do that for him. 

The only thing that I had ever seen messy, was his hair. Those waves didn't seem to listen to him, and apparently, he liked them too much to get a haircut, or even tame them using gel. It was a good combination, seeing a man so prim and proper at all times, with hair like that of a lion's mane. Messy, and wild. 

"Is there anything you want to say to me, Xyla?" 

My eyes widened slightly, as I realized that he had caught me staring at him. I quickly shook my head, looking away. 

"Are you sure?" he asked, placing the novel aside as he crossed one leg over the other. "Do you want something?" 

I bit my lip. Well, yes. There were a million things I wanted. But I didn't know if I could have them. 

"You do," he concluded by the look on my face, and I sheepishly met his gaze again. "What is it?" He raised his eyebrows. "You can tell me."

"I... I was wondering if I could go down to the gardens today," I blurted, before pursing my lips. My eyes scanned his face for a reaction, but he retained a stoic look. 

He tilted his head to the side. "Why?"

I gulped, fidgeting with the fabric of my T-shirt. "It's just... I spent six years inside, and... I just wanted some fresh air. To feel my feet on the grass, and just, breathe." I'm sure I sounded ridiculous to him. He didn't know what it was like. He could never. No Superior could. 

Lucky pieces of--

"I understand," he said almost immediately, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. "You may."

"I may?" I asked, unable to hold my smile back. 

He seemed amused by my reaction, his gaze softening. "Yes, but go in the evening, and come back inside before it gets too dark."

"Thank you." I smiled. 

"You're welcome." He smiled back, causing a weird warmth to spread in my chest. 

It quickly got replaced with unease, when a thought popped into my mind. 

"Will... Will you come along?" I asked, looking anywhere but him. 

"Not unless you want me to." 

Not really, no. I just asked because I didn't want him to feel like I was trying to get away from him. Which I was. But he didn't need to know that. 

He hadn't hurt me, but that didn't mean I liked him. He was still someone who bought me and treated me like a stupid cat. 

"It's up to you," I said quietly. 

"Then no, I'll pass."

Phew. Great. Perfect. 

"I have a few things to do, so I'll take care of them in the meantime."

"Okay."

Yay me. 

- - - -

I glanced at the clock, perking up when I realized it was time. Allister was sitting in his chair, flipping through some papers, looking busy. I slowly stood up from the couch, and cleared my throat, to gain his attention. He gazed at me, raising an eyebrow. 

"Can I go now?" I asked, my heart racing for some reason. 

"Yes." He nodded once. "Don't wander off to the backside."

"I won't."

I'm not a child, Allister, but whatever you say. This is your castle after all. 

He returned to his papers, and my eyes lit up. 

I could go to the gardens! I guess, serving a Royal had its perks. 

I put on my slippers and hurried towards the door, a grin taking over my face as soon as I had passed him. My hand reached out to the handle, when he called me, making me freeze. My heart sank almost immediately as I turned to face him. 

"Yes?" 

He stood up from his chair, making my face fall. He went to his cupboard, and retrieved a belt, before walking over to me. I realized it was one with his symbol, a fancy looking 'AJV' engraved on the metal clasp. 

My eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

"You can't ever step out without a belt. Not everyone here knows that you belong to me, and without this mark of ownership, you're free food." He stepped closer to me, his arms going around my waist as he secured the belt over my T-shirt. 

"Right. I'm sorry." My eyes fell to the muscles of his bicep. They were practically bulging out the sleeve of his T-shirt. Superiors were so stupid lucky. 

"Be careful next time." He stood up straight, and his hand went to my hair, making me flinch slightly. He undid my bun, letting my hair fall to my shoulders and my waist. "Whenever you're stepping out of this room without me, you keep your neck as covered as you can. Do not make eye contact with anyone, and mind your own business. Most importantly, do not try to help anyone. Is that clear?"

I quickly nodded. 

"Good girl. Be back by six." He opened the door for me, gesturing for me to step out. I couldn't help but offer him a small smile, before hurrying out. 

- - - -

Oh my God. 

To say this felt amazing would be an understatement. It had taken me a moment to navigate my way into the gardens, but boy was it worth it. There was a light breeze blowing, causing my hair to dance around me as I took off my slippers, digging my toes into the soft ground. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, taking in the chillness of the air, in contrast to the faint warm sunlight shining upon my skin. 

The garden was bigger than it seemed to be from the window. The grass was higher than I thought, and it turned out that the best thing about this place had been a blind spot to the window. Towards the corner were glorious bushes of blood red roses, the scent of which hung gently in the air, making everything so much better. This garden was the only spot in the castle that didn't make me feel suffocated. It was open. It was nice. 

I walked around for a few moments, observing the slaves who were watering the flowers. How I wished I could take their place. It seemed like such a peaceful job. One of them met my gaze, and frowned, before turning to his partner and saying something. The other guy glanced at me too, giving me a charming smile. 

I felt my cheeks heat up, as he placed down the watering can, and slapped his hands to get the dust off. He walked towards me, causing my eyes to widen. 

"Hey there," he said, a soft smile playing on his lips. 

He was a good looking guy. Blue eyes, chocolate brown hair, tan skin. 

Good looking, for humans, of course. 

"What are you doing out here?" He placed his hands on his hips, looking around before meeting my gaze again. 

"I just came for a walk," I replied, tucking my hair behind my ear. 

"You're Prince Allister's new pet, aren't you?" His gaze flickered down to my belt. 

"I am." That was humiliating. 

"What's your name?" 

"Xyla."

"Hi, Xyla. I'm Clint." He grinned, offering me his hand. 

I blinked down at it, contemplating where to take it or not. My gaze automatically flew up to the window, and my heart gave a hard thump when I found Allister staring down at us. His face was stoic, and even though he didn't show any signs of displeasure or anger, I found myself stepping away from Clint. 

Allister had told me not to talk to anyone. He had told me to mind my own business, and I had instantly disobeyed him. He would definitely be mad. 

Clint's gaze followed my line of sight, and he looked up as well, a look of sheer fear taking over his features. He instantly turned around and walked away from me, making me gulp as I continued to stare up at Allister. 

He held my eyes captive for a short moment, before gesturing with his hand for me to come back. 

- - - - - -

Looks like someone is in trouble now. Hehe. Stay tuned!

Love you all. And your comments.