The Luna Queen - Chapter 60: Chapter 60

_Leah’s POV_
I didn’t need him to take off his mask for me to know who it was. Even without seeing his face, I could recognize him by his scent and those deep gray eyes that looked at me so intensely.
Kayden.
My heart thudded wildly. What was he doing here?
A part of me was scared, and another part of me was furious.
Before I could speak, I felt his hand still over my mouth. My hands were trembling and I could feel my chest tightening. I tried to twist away but his grip was strong.
I didn’t know who was worse between him and Tariq.
Athena? I whispered in my mind.
She was tense. “Stay sharp, Leah. He might mean you harm. Don’t let your guard down.”
I nodded internally.
And then I felt it; that horrible, familiar rage stirring inside me.
I bit down on his palm, my teeth sinking into his flesh.
He jerked his hand back and I gasped for breath.
“Kayden, let me go!” I screamed. “Let me go, or you’ll pay for this!”
Before I could do anything more, he grabbed my waist and hauled me off my feet.
“No,” I shrieked as my legs kicked wildly.
He was too strong and too fast.
“Stop struggling,” he growled while hauling me across the garden.
“You have no right!” I screamed. My hands were pounding against his back as he carried me like I was nothing but a sack of grain.
“Just listen,” he said, his voice tight with some emotion I couldn’t quite place.
“No! Let me go, Kayden!”
Athena was growling fiercely. “Kick him. Fight him. Get away!”
I kicked harder, my fists punching his shoulders.
But it was like hitting stone.
He reached a black car parked near the edge of the parking.
The driver jumped out and opened the back door.
“Get in,” Kayden ordered.
“Never!”
He didn’t wait.
He shoved me into the back seat before slipping in after me.
I pushed at him, my fists swinging.
“Stop this! Let me go!”
“Drive,” Kayden barked at the driver.
The car sped off. I could hear the tires squealing on the gravel.
I struggled in the back seat as Kayden caught my wrists.
“Please,” he begged. He was breathless, “calm down. I am not going to hurt you.”
“You already did,” I hissed.
“Leah,” he said, voice trembling, “I just want to talk.”
“I don’t believe you,” I shot back.
“You have to,” he whispered. “You have to listen.”
But I didn’t stop.
I punched him again and again. My hands were trembling with adrenaline.
He caught my hands easily this time and held them together.
“Stop,” he ordered gently but firmly.
“You can’t make me,” I choked out.
Athena growled inside me. “Get free. Don’t listen.”
And I obeyed. I jerked my hands back and reached for the door. I would jump if I had to.
But he was faster.
He grabbed my hands before they could touch the lock.
“Leah,” he begged again, his voice breaking, “I just want to talk to you.”
“You want to trap me,” I hissed.
“I swear,” he said. He sounded desperate, “I will not harm you.”
“You already harmed me,” I whispered. My chest was aching.
He closed his eyes like my words had wounded him.
“Please,” he whispered.
And then I tried to reach for the window. My hands were searching for anything to help me escape.
That was when he grabbed a rope from under the seat.
My eyes widened in horror.
“Kayden, what are you doing?”
“I don’t want to do this,” he muttered as he caught my hands, one at a time.
I fought like a trapped animal, my heels scraping the floor, my arms twisting and pulling.
“Stop!” I screamed.
He was too strong.
He pulled my hands together and tied them carefully, not too tight but firm enough that I couldn’t slip free.
I felt my heart thundering as my panic spiked.
“Let me go,” I begged.
“Just listen,” he said again, his eyes full of sorrow.
“You’re hurting me,” I gasped.
“I don’t mean to,” he answered quickly.
He took the seat belt and pulled it across my chest. Then, as I struggled, he bent down to my feet and tied them too.
“Why?” I whispered.
“Because I need you to listen,” he replied.
“You’re going to take me back,” I said, my voice trembling.
“No,” he promised.
“You’re going to make me your prisoner,” I choked out. “You will torture me.”
“Never,” Kayden said fiercely. His hands were trembling as he pulled back to look at me.
I stared at him.
He looked tired.
He looked scared.
And that scared me even more.
“What do you want?” I whispered.
“To talk,” he answered.
“You could have asked,” I snapped.
He stared at me. His mouth was tight.
“You wouldn’t have listened,” he murmured.
“You never listened to me,” I shot back bitterly.
And then there was silence. The car moved smoothly along the dark road. I kept looking toward the door. My hands were trembling.
Athena spoke again. “Calm yourself. If we listen, we can look for a way out later.”
“And if he traps me forever?” I thought.
“He looks different,” she replied. “More scared than angry.”
I frowned at her words.
Kayden shifted in his seat and took a breath.
“Leah,” he began softly.
I stayed silent. My chin was trembling.
He looked at me with sad and tired eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
That caught me off guard.
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “For rejecting you. For punishing you. For everything.”
My lips pressed together.
“You don’t deserve my forgiveness,” I told him.
“I know,” he agreed quickly. “But I’m going to try my luck. Maybe you will find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“You hurt me,” I whispered.
“I did,” he replied. “And I was blind. Selena manipulated me. She gave me potions and she has placed me under a dark spell.”
I blinked, confusion and anger swirling inside me.
“You didn’t want me,” I accused.
His hands were trembling in his lap.
“That’s what she made me believe,” he answered, his voice low and full of pain. “She cursed me so I would see you as nothing. She wanted me to hate you.”
My heart felt like it was splitting in two.
“You tortured me,” I said, my voice breaking.
He nodded and looked down.
“Yes,” he whispered. “And I hate myself for it.”
“You left me,” I choked.
He nodded again.
“You threw me into a cell,” I accused.
His hands curled into fists.
“Yes,” he breathed.
“You let me rot,” I whispered, feeling tears sting my eyes.
“Yes,” he agreed, his voice cracking.
“You called me worthless,” I hissed.
He raised his eyes to mine.
And that was when I saw a tear slip down his cheek.
“Yes,” he said again, softer.
And then there was silence.
I didn’t know what to say.
Athena whispered, “He looks like he’s dying inside.”
I stared at him. My chest ached so much.
“You don’t deserve me,” I told him.
“I know,” he whispered.
“You don’t deserve my forgiveness,” I added.
“I know,” he agreed again.
“You could never make up for what you did,” I said.
“I will spend my life trying,” he promised, his voice so low and sad it broke something inside me.
I felt my hands trembling despite the ropes.
“You destroyed me,” I whispered, my voice small.
He reached across the seat as if to touch my face, then stopped himself.
“I am so sorry,” he whispered.
My heart felt like a knot.
And I still didn’t know if I could trust him.
“You might be lying,” I choked out.
“I could be,” he agreed. “But I’m telling you the truth.”
“You want me to believe you,” I breathed.
“Yes,” he whispered. “More than anything.”
I stared at him.
“You took me against my will,” I reminded him.
He nodded slowly.
“Yes,” he whispered again. “And I hate myself for it.”
“You want me to forgive you,” I murmured.
He looked at me. His eyes were shining with tears.
“Yes,” he whispered one last time. “And if you can’t forgive me, I will understand.”
And then there was silence.
I sat there, my hands tied, my feet bound, my heart aching.
And I wondered if anything would ever feel the same again.