Chapter 4

Apple wakes up when she feels a scorching gaze on her.

She slides her glasses on and turns to the king. “Good morning, Onyx.” She says with a sigh and laughs. “Guess I couldn’t stay awake, right.”

“Have you ever been with a man before?” Apple is stunned by the question and throws the covers from her legs.

“What makes you think I’ve been with someone?” she asks with her fingers knotted.

“Your heartbeat suddenly sped up. You’re sweating.”

“What does that have to do with anything? Will you look at me differently if I’ve been with a man?”

“How old are you, Apple?”

The king’s sudden questions made Apple’s head swirl. She gulps, “Twenty-six.”

“Have you ever been with a man before?” he asks again as he takes a long gulp of his drink. Apple couldn’t fathom what was happening. How could she tell the Mighty Alpha King she was still a virgin? She wouldn’t be able to face him. He’s obviously been with many women, and she would end up being one of his conquests.

She trusts too easily.

And many people have taught her that they’re not worthy of her trust, yet she trusted the blind dogman that sat in front of her, his blind eyes resting on her and her alone.

“Yes,” she answers.

“How many?”

“If I asked you how many women you’ve been with, Alpha King, would you answer me?”

“Yes. Yes, I would.”

“Fine then. How many women have you been with?”

“Three. I loved neither one of them. They were there for my pleasure.”

“That’s harsh.” Apple says and looks at her thighs. “So, you brought me back for your own pleasure?”

“No, never. You’re far more precious than my own breath.”

“You never told me.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“I said-”

“Don’t lie to me, Apple.”

“Tell me,” she insists and the king growls.

“Onyx is my wolf. He prefers you close to us.”

“So, Onyx isn’t your real name?’

“No.”

“Care to tell?” she asks and the king chuckles.

“I’ve never told anyone my name. Only my parents knew it and me.”

“If Onyx wants me close to you, that means I must be important. And if I’m important that means I am allowed to know your name.”

“Apple,”

“Please. Then I’ll tell you the truth.”

“Dario. Dario Zeus.” By now, Apple had slowly walked towards the king. She carefully lowers herself onto his lap afraid she might be too heavy for his liking. The king’s breath hitches and Apple removes the whiskey glass from his hand. “Apple, what are you doing?”

Apple felt dangerous as she took Dario’s cheeks in her small hands. She slams her lips on his and shuts her eyes. Dario’s shaking hands grope Apple’s thighs. He swiftly shifts her onto his lap so that either one of her thighs are on his sides.

Apple, the instigator, is the first one to pull away from the kiss. Dario growls and tries pulling her onto him again as she gets up from his lap. “I-I shouldn’t have done that- I-I…”

“You’re afraid I’ll hurt you.” Dario says, his eyebrows slightly pulled together. “Who did that to you?” He rises from the couch and grabs Apple’s wrist. “Who hurt you?” Dario trails his index finger over the small cuts on Apple’s wrist.

“I think you should leave.” Apple tries prying her wrist out of Dario’s hand but she fails and ends up being pulled flush against his heaving chest. “D-Dario, pl-please.”

“Who did that to you? Who would hurt you?”

“I hurt myself okay.” She says and shoves Dario away from her trembling form. “Don’t assume everything… I hate it. You see the world different. The world consists of bad people because we are the bad people that makes the world a bad place… ugh, that makes absolutely no sense! Therefore, I don’t get close to people.”

“You cut yourself.”

Apple screams out in frustration. “Yes, Dario! Yes, I cut myself. You know why, because it’s the only way to block out pain when the world turns its back on you. I find solace in my own pain. It’s peaceful to bleed.”

“You need help.”

“Get out.”

“You need help.”

“Get out!” Apple throws Dario with a pillow. She watches him fall silent, and after nearly several minutes, he deeply sighs and leaves without sparing her a glance.

Apple sat on the windowsill; her mind completely foggy.

She has been crying since Dario left.

Her tears couldn’t stop.

How could she be so stupid? What made her kiss him? She still remembers the feel of Dario’s lips on hers. She could feel the tingle of his arms around her, the sensual way his thumbs ran over her bare thigh.

She looks out the window when she sees something flying. Apple soon realises it’s Dario who was training. His wolf fiercely jumped through burning hoops, then changed back to man again, he repeats the process over-and-over, and when he is done; he lands on his feet. A dark, hooded look masks his hard features.

Apple sets her fingertips on the window as she stares at Dario.

As if feeling her gaze on him, the king looks up at Apple but is called by one of his guards who made sure the king is safe.

Dario sat in his office. An eerie silence lingered over him as he chewed on his thumbnail.

He needed to kiss Apple again.

His eyesight has miraculously improved, and the objects that came into his view were clearer than usual.

I need her, Onyx nags for the umpteenth time. Go see her.

Dario rose from his chair and strides out of his office and into the dark hallway that led him to Apple’s room. He knocks and enters.

Dario narrows his eyes as he scans the room for his mate. He finds her sitting on the windowsill in one of his shirts. “A-”

“Dad died when I was ten. Mom started having all these affairs with all these old men,” she laughs dryly. “I-I just remember how I started spiralling… and spiralling…” she says in a daze. “The memory is still so vivid… I remember- I-I fell into a deep depression, a hole that swallowed me. I remember the first cut,” she slides her finger over a dark scar on her wrist. “I remember the second and third… they led onto sixty-three cuts in total. I hear their voices mocking me for my big body… I hear my mother scolding at me for doing everything wrong or clumsily.” Apple stops to breathe. “But I decided no more. I took a stand against their words. I burnt all the blades I used to cut me. I became this loud, ecstatic version of myself. I wanted everyone to know- no, I made sure everyone knew who Apple Joe was. I glued my own pieces together again. I made sure to make a noise, for them to know what they’ve put me through.” She gets up from her seat on the windowsill and marches towards Dario. “And do you know what Dario?” Apple puts her sweaty palm on Dario’s cheek. She stares into his eyes, hoping he’d see her, even if it was her outline, she needed him to see her. “I learnt that when you treat people the way they treat you, they cannot stand you. And that was my revenge.”

“You’re raging.” Dario answers as he puts his hands-on Apple’s hips. Her body is rigid as she explains her braveness to the king. “And it is not good.” Dario snakes his arms around Apple’s waist. “Tonight, we’ll blow off some steam.” He suddenly let’s go of her and takes a step back. “I’ll send Cecilia to guide you to the west wing. For now; rest.” With his words lingering in the air, he leaves.