Chapter 82: Possession and Confessions
His words hung in the air like a noose.
"It’s you," Raphael said, a little bit quieter now, cutting through her with his eyes.
Lirian stopped moving, her heartbeat thundered in her chest.
She blinked, once, twice, unsure if she had heard him correctly.
"What... did you just say?" She managed to speak.
"I said it’s you, Lirian," Raphael repeated, stepping closer to her. "You’re the woman I’ve wanted all along. It was always you."
Before she could respond, a voice called out.
"That’s enough."
Gabriel stepped out from the shadows, his golden eyes blazed like a dragon.
His hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword, and his posture was as tense as a coiled spring.
"Gabriel—" Lirian started, but he didn’t let her finish.
"You’ve said more than enough, Raphael," Gabriel snapped. "Step away from her. Now."
Raphael smirked faintly, crossing his arms.
"And if I don’t? What will you do, Gabriel? Draw your sword in the middle of my castle? In front of the woman we both clearly—"
Gabriel was on him in an instant, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him hard against the stone wall.
"I said, enough," Gabriel growled through clenched teeth.
"Gabriel, stop!" Lirian yelled, grabbing his arm. "Let him go!"
"He doesn’t get to talk about you like that," Gabriel hissed, glaring at Raphael.
Raphael raised his hands in surrender, but his smirk looked still unshaken.
"Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Gabriel. She’s not yours to control."
Those words snapped something inside Gabriel.
He released Raphael with a shove and turned sharply to Lirian, grabbing her wrist firmly but not painfully.
"We’re leaving," he said, leaving no room for argument.
"What? No, wait—" Lirian protested, but Gabriel didn’t stop.
Ignoring her protests, he dragged her through the castle halls, his hands on her skin were like iron.
Servants and guards stepped aside, avoiding them as much as possible as they passed.
"Gabriel, stop it! You’re hurting me!" Lirian cried, her voice started trembling.
At her words, he paused abruptly, his grip loosened as he turned to face her.
His jaw clenched, and his pupils turned small.
His lowered eyebrows and barely closed eyes twisted his features, but when he looked at her, a fierce need to shield her shone through.
"I’m sorry," he muttered, his voice sounded softer, but still tense. "But we need to talk. Alone."
Before she could respond, he opened the door to one of the guest chambers and practically pulled her inside.
The door slammed shut behind them, and Lirian found herself backed against the wall.
"Gabriel, what’s gotten into you?" she demanded.
He took a step closer, his eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her heart race.
"What’s gotten into me?" he repeated, gravelly.
"You. You’ve gotten into me, Lirian. Every thought, every breath, every moment— it’s you."
She stared at him, stunned. "Gabriel, you’re not making any sense."
He laughed bitterly, running a hand through his silver hair.
"Not making sense? Fine. Let me make it clear for you."
Without warning, he pulled off his shirt, tossing it carelessly aside.
His sculpted chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, his skin glistened faintly in the dim light.
Lirian’s cheeks burned as she tried to look away, but his presence was magnetic, overwhelming.
"Gabriel, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice was getting dry.
He moved closer, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him.
His hands pressed against the wall on either side of her, caging her in.
"What I should have done the moment I laid eyes on you," he said in a growl. "Claiming what’s mine."
"Yours?" she echoed, her breath hitching. "Gabriel, I’m not—"
"You’re my wife," he interrupted, his gaze looked dark and possessive.
"Or have you forgotten that? You said the vows. You swore to stand by me, to belong to me. And I swore the same. Do you know what that means, Lirian?"
His hand brushed her cheek, trailing down to her jaw, his touch both tender and commanding.
"It means no one else gets to have you. Not Raphael, not anyone. You’re mine, Lirian. And if anyone tries to take you from me, I’ll destroy them. I’ll destroy this entire castle if I have to."
Her heart pounded so loudly she thought it might burst.
She wanted to push him away, to tell him he was being ridiculous—but another part of her, a part she barely understood, was drawn to his intensity.
"Gabriel," she muttered silently. "This isn’t... this isn’t right."
"Isn’t it?" he asked, his face inches from hers.
"Tell me, Lirian. When Raphael said those things to you, when he looked at you like that, did you feel anything for him? Anything at all?"
She hesitated, searching for the right words. "I felt... uncomfortable. But not because of him. Because of you."
His eyes softened slightly, the anger in them started giving way to something deeper.
"Me?"
"Yes," she admitted, her cheeks flushed. "Because I knew you’d react like this. And because... because I didn’t want to hurt you."
For a moment, silence filled the room, heavy and charged.
Then, slowly, Gabriel leaned in, his forehead resting against hers.
"You drive me insane, Lirian," he murmured, raw. "I’ve fought wars, faced death, and stood against armies. But nothing terrifies me more than the thought of losing you."
Her breath caught, and she felt a lump form in her throat. She reached up, placing a hand on his chest.
"You won’t lose me, Gabriel," she said softly. "But you have to trust me. You can’t act like this every time someone looks at me."
"I know," he admitted, his eyes closed briefly. "But it’s hard. When I see someone else trying to take what’s mine, it’s like a fire inside me. I can’t control it."
"Then learn to control it," she said firmly. "Because I’m not going anywhere. But I won’t be caged, Gabriel. I’m your wife, not your prisoner."
He pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes with a guilt and determination.
"I’ll try," he promised. "For you, I’ll try."
She nodded, her hand still resting on his chest. "That’s all I ask."
Then Gabriel leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.
"I’m sorry," he murmured.
"I know," she replied.
"Lirian?"
"Yes?"