The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 041

The public display of affection ends when people announce the arrival of both Axel and Master Suvayan. We let each other go, but before we separate our bodies, we stare at each other as if we want more. Then, I break the connection and stand up. I look around and see Ethan raising his wineglass to me, as if congratulating me for such a scandalous behavior.

I check my dress to make sure there are no creases on it. I take a deep breath and smile. I need Axel to see me. Maybe he’ll remember his promise of meeting me the day before. 

However, there’s many people clamoring around him, more than around Master Suvayan. How could a Quad of a different nation be more popular than our own? 

I follow his movement as he makes his way around the room, meeting different people and talking for a few minutes with them. When his eyes pass mine, I raise my hand. He sees me, but he just waves and smiles. I hear girls giggling behind me, gushing over how Axel acknowledges them, and I doubt if he really saw me or not. I look back at Axel. He’s already moved on and is talking to a group of people that Ethan’s previously with.

I feel a hand at the back of my waist. “Should we head back to the inn?” Aaron whispers.

I glance up at him and force a smile. I can’t show him how disappointed I am that Axel never approaches to talk to me, as if he’s too far from my reach, as if he’s telling me I should stand on the same stage as him before I can actually have a decent conversation with him.

Dejected, I say, “Yes. I had enough of this party.”

“Me too, and I want to bring you somewhere we can be alone,” he answers.

**********************

We arrived at the inn late at night. The bar and restaurant is already closed and no one’s at the reception area as well. There are very few guests this week, probably because Axel is about to leave Benia. Sometimes, he attracts guests to the towns he visits, and if inns are fully booked at the town center, guests have no choice but to come to Pablo’s inn.

When I reach my room, I kiss Aaron’s cheek and say, “Thanks for the night.” 

I hope I can say that I enjoyed it but the way Axel ignored my presence had robbed me off of all the excitement of the night. 

I am about to close my door when Aaron stops it with his hand. What is it this time again? I look up into his eyes and I can see the unmistakably fire in it. I dare not speak in fear that I’d just fan the flames.

“Holly, I--” He’s struggling. “Until when am I to wait?”

I purse my lips. I knew it would come to this. 

“I’m only eighteen,” I evade, although inside, I am much older than that. 

“Are you not certain of me yet?” he asks, barely audible, as if he’s afraid to know the truth.

“Certain of what?”

He frowns. Oh s**t! I wanna hit myself for being insensitive. Of course, he’s referring to being lovers. He is important to me and I like him but...

“We are already together, right?” I ask, hoping that I’ll remove the sadness in his face.

“Do you like someone else?” he asks. 

Damn. That didn’t work. 

“Someone I cannot replace?” he adds.

I think of Axel, then I make his image vanish just as fast. Aaron’s frown deepens. 

“You just thought of someone else, didn’t you?” He lets go of the door frame and adds, “I won’t keep you for long then. Good night.”

The look on his face and the tone of his voice break my heart that I freeze on the spot. If there is someone living I care the most, it would be Aaron, and seeing him like this confuses me. 

Without waiting for my response, he walks away with drooping shoulders. I watch him as he walks in a tired fashion and drags his feet back to his room.

My next action comes as a surprise when I run after him and hold his hand. He turns towards me and then I tiptoe, grabs his collar and pulls him closer to give him a resounding smooch. I frown at the confusion on his face, but instead of explaining myself, I pull him into my room and close the door behind us. I push him at the side of the wall and kiss him, this time longer.

I withdraw and study his expressions. He is still dazed. Can he not understand my actions? I bit my lower lips in frustration. I hold his hand again and push him to the bed. He lays on his back and so, I straddle him. Now that he’s under me, I proceed to open the buttons on his shirt, revealing a well-defined pecs and a set of abs. I breathe in as I appreciate his beauty. Somehow, seeing someone as gorgeous as this brings me back to reality. No wonder a woman like Martha wants him too. 

“Holly, stop staring.”

I look up at him and see the redness in his face. I feel the need to cup his face in my hand. He’s not as handsome as Axel, but he’s definitely a competitor in the body department. Then, I remember how dejected he looked moments before because Axel flashed in my mind. 

I give a peck to his chin. “Don’t ever look like that again because of me,” I say. This might be a self-serving gratification, but I don’t care. I don’t like seeing that emotion in him. He gave me a home when I needed it the most, shouldn’t I return a bit of that favor? 

Then, I feel him growing below me and a rush of pleasure courses through my body. I lean on his arm and open my mouth slightly to exhale, to calm myself down from the new sensation. When I look back at his face, we are both breathing hard and we both know that we need to feel each other right now.

To be continued...