Tears were now dripping from her eyes and falling on Dario's hands. Dario himself was fighting within, trying to stop the surge inside him.
His amber eyes flickered dangerously, almost turning red, his grip on her neck loosening slightly.
"No… not again!" he muttered, clenching his fists. I can't… I won't…
Every instinct screamed at him to feed, to surrender to the hunger that rose every time he touched her. But he forced himself to step back, taking deep, shuddering breaths. Focus… protect, don't destroy…
Slowly, the red in his eyes faded, replaced by amber tinged with gold. His hands shook violently, but they were no longer a threat.
He sank to the ground, pressing a hand to his chest, trying to steady the chaos inside him.
"I… I can't control Myself…" he whispered, his voice low, almost to himself. "Every time I'm near her… I lose control."
Thana's breaths were shallow and she had gone unconscious, but Dario forced himself to stay grounded. He couldn't hurt her,not now, not ever.
***
Benito and Benita approached King Henrik.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," they both bowed.
King Henrik looked up and smiled. "Prince Benito and Princess, right?" They nodded.
"You've both grown," he said, and they smiled back.
"Where is Princess Thana?" Benita asked. Through her frequent visits with her father, she had grown fond of Thana.
"I don't know. She was here, but we haven't seen her again," King Henrik said, glancing around.
"We will find her, Your Majesty. She's probably around here," Benito said.
"Hmm," King Henrik nodded with a smile. Benito and Benita bowed and walked away.
"And where is Prince Dario?" Benita asked, glancing around.
"Don't you know?" Benito asked.
"Know what?" she asked, fluttering her natural lashes.
"He's returned to his chamber. You know he can't live without it," Benito grinned.
"Oh… what if he's in love with his chamber?" Benita teased, and Benito laughed. She joined him.
"Let's go and bring him out here," She said, starting to walk, but Benito held her back.
"Just tell me you want to see Pablo," Benito grinned, making her blush.
"Let's dance," Benita cleared her throat and stepped onto the dance floor.
"Are you ignoring me now?" Benito called, rushing in, and they both laughed, twirling together.
Princess Liza frowned, watching. "What should we do about those two?" she asked her Brother.
"At first, I didn't want to give them attention, but they turned out stubborn and annoying," Javier said.
"Especially Benita. We can't deal with Dario and them at the same time," Liza said, sipping her wine. "We should speak to Mother,something must be done so their mother the third and them will leave the kingdom in shame."
Benita glanced at Liza while dancing, grinning and sticking out her tongue. "That wench," Liza cursed.
***
An hour later, Thana woke, her eyes fluttering open.
"Where am I?" she asked, looking around.
"You're awake," Dario said softly, approaching her with a glass of water.
Thana's eyes widened. Wait… am I in Dario's chamber? What happened?
"Take it," he snapped, pulling her out of her thoughts. She drank, eyes locked on him, she handed the glass back when done.
"What am I doing …?" She asked.
"You fainted following me," Dario cut her off.
"I… fainted?" she asked. All she remembered was trailing him into the woods.
"You're fragile. Like paper," Dario murmured.
"I'm not fragile!" she shot back.
"Says someone who passes out following me into the woods," He shook his head, voice low.
"You knew I was following you… and stayed quiet?" she asked.
Dario turned…his amber gaze intent on her. "Do you like me, Princess Thana?"
"What… like… what?" she stammered, cheeks heating.
He walked closer, hands behind his back, bending slightly to meet her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned we're alone on my bed? We aren't kids anymore, you know," he said calmly. Thana's eyes widened in shock.
Her gaze drifted to his red, alluring lips.His amber eyes burned into hers. Damn, he's seducing me without moving…
"Don't come close to me again again. Please keep your distance," He said coldly, stepping back.
But in that moment, he tripped on his garment, falling forward towards her,their lips met unexpectedly.
The door flung open, and two pairs of wide eyes stared in disbelief.
"Oh my goodness," Benito and Benita gasped, exchanging shocked glances.