Chapter 135: "Don’t ever love me."

Two days passed by in a blink of an eye, in those days, Draven had been busy teaching Rhea how to shield herself from the lava. She was a fast learner, it didn’t take her long to get the hang of everything. And even though Draven tried not to show it, deep in his heart, he was proud of how fast she was learning to use his core to her own advantage.

Before midnight of the day they’d be going to the mountain, all the dragon soldiers were already prepared for the attack. As per Draven’s plan, they wouldn’t be flying to the border to avoid alerting the fire controllers, they’d be using the dragons magical Portal to enter the border.

Rhea was already dressed in black attire, intended to give her a more masculine appearance. However, when she met Draven, he couldn’t help but be captivated by her. The outfit hugged her body, accentuating her feminine curves. The belt cinched around her waist, highlighting her slim figure and ample chest. The black color of her clothes contrasted with her fair skin, making her appear even more striking under the moonlight. Even her hair, tied up neatly, enhanced the attractiveness of her face.

Draven had to repeatedly clear his throat and shift his gaze to avoid staring at her for too long. He found himself appreciating the curves he hadn’t noticed before. Simply looking at her now was enough to stir up heated desire and make his lower abdomen tighten. However, he resisted the temptation to act on these feelings. She was like a forbidden fruit he didn’t dare to taste. She awakened his desire and made him feel like a man, yet he couldn’t bring himself to take her into his arms and experience the pleasure of having her beneath him.

Internally, Draven cursed himself for having such thoughts about an innocent girl he was using for his own purposes. He felt like a predatory wolf, lusting after his prey. His corruption had been affecting him, and yet his mind was wandering to other matters instead of focusing on his mission.

The pair stood beside each other as they waited for the portal to be set for them to leave. However, as Draven was now concentrating on the men setting the portal, Rhea was staring at him with a deep worried frown on her face. Although, Draven was trying to hide it, she could see the change in his complexion from the effect of his corruption.

She noticed the sweat coated on his forehead despite the cold atmosphere. Not just that, his natural deep pink lips now appeared sickly purple. She had seen him before in this state to know how much he must be holding back his desire to have blood to suppress his corruption pain.

Rhea felt her heart clenched tightly at the fact that he was enduring another pain. She hated the idea that he was in pain. Thus, when the men finished setting the portal, before Draven could take a step forward, she grabbed his sleeve.

"Wait, how about I cut some blood out for you to take before we go?" She asked as he turned to give her a questioning look. Then added, "You don’t look well."

Draven’s knitted brows loosened, he looked down at Rhea, he saw her black orbs sparkle under the moonlight, his eyes trailed down to her full pink lips, the moon just made her lips more enticing to him. Despite the fact that she was offering him to take her blood, all he could focus on was her full lips and the satisfaction he felt from the realization that she was worrying for him again.

In this small body of hers was the only blood that could bring an end to his tormenting corruption for now, and the same body was successful enough to awaken the man in him. The body that could arouse him without even trying much...

Draven glanced down at her lips and looked down at her long exposed neck, he suddenly had the urge to lean down and sink his aching fangs into her neck, to feel her warm blood in his mouth, and hold her tight to his body.

Draven cursed under his breath. He closed his eyes and took a moment to collect himself. Then said, "There can’t be any scent of blood before we step into the seal."

"Then how about you drink directly from my skin. That way no scent would escape." She suggested so innocently, and even extended her wrist towards his mouth, taking Draven by surprise.

He stood frozen for a while, not moving to drink from her wrist. Rhea grabbed his hand, surprised to find it warm instead of his usual coldness. "Why are you hesitating? In the past, when I didn’t offer, you forced yourself on me and drank directly from my skin anyway. Now that I am willingly offering, you hesitate," she scolded, pursing her lips. "Hurry up and don’t waste our time."

When he still didn’t move, Rhea sighed and intertwined her fingers with his. She felt his body stiffen at her touch. Looking up at his expressionless face, she said, "If I can help satisfy your thirst, then use me. I no longer mind. We’ve always depended on each other, and I’ve come to understand that everything you did in the past, even when you hurt me, was out of desperation. So now, I’m standing here willingly, telling you that I don’t mind even if you drink from my neck." She spoke boldly and sincerely.

She had come to realize that what she felt for this Dragon was surprisingly... love, if it wasn’t love, why then would her heart only beat for him? If it wasn’t love, why then was she ready to turn her back on everything just to be by his side? If it wasn’t love, why would she have the urge to want to protect him all the time or want to feel his arms around her?

Although she didn’t fully understand what it meant to love someone. But her feelings were undeniable. She had decided to stop fighting it and accept her love for him. However, there was one thing she wanted to know: if Draven would reciprocate her feelings. If he told her right now that he liked her too, she would believe him. Even if he kissed her and drained half of her blood, she wouldn’t object. She didn’t want to deny herself the experience of love, but she was too afraid of rejection to confess her feelings to him openly. She would rather love him secretly...

"Do it already." She urged.

Draven’s eyes slightly trembled at her words.

"Rheanna," he called out, his deep and husky voice causing Rhea’s heart to tremble. She looked up at him and heard him question, "Why?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion. Why what? Before she could ask about his meaning, Draven raised his hands and delicately cupped her cheeks. Using his thumb, he gently caressed her cheek. "Why does fate play so cruelly, bringing us together after my heart has lost its ability to love purely? Why couldn’t it have been you that I met a century ago when I was still myself?" He asked, his voice soft and tender, tugging at her heart. However, the meaning of his words filled her heart with panic.

What did he mean by those words? For some reason, she felt as though her heart would burst out of her chest in a state of panic if his words truly meant what she was thinking.

Rhea held her breath as she saw his eyes lingered on her lips, then back to her eyes. With a bitter smile that sent a ball of disappointment to her heart, he spoke, "I am sorry, Rheanna. If only my heart hadn’t been darkened with revenge, I’d have sent the world upside down to make you mine, if only I could ever love purely again, I’d have courted you even before you showed the signs of submitting yourself to me..."

Rhea’s heart dropped at his words. She couldn’t find the strength to utter a single word and simply stared at him, her expression blank. The pain she felt in her heart was even more agonizing than being stabbed with a dagger.

How was he before he met Alina? Did he mean he wasn’t the same as the past Draven, and that he would never be sincere in love with another person again?

Rhea continued to stare at Draven, and his hands cupping her cheeks slowly slipped away from her face. He made no attempt of taking the blood she was offering and took three steps away from her, as if to put distance between them to show her it was impossible for him to consider ever loving, not even her.

His actions only made Rhea’s heart sink even more, she felt her eyes burn. Heavens! What was she thinking standing here offering herself to him? How stupid of her to think of letting her feelings show in her actions? She had just embarrassed herself!

From the beginning they’d met, he was forceful in spite of what she wanted, he brazenly followed her around and insisted that they belonged together. He had even kissed her, drank her blood. Even though she had wanted to get away from him, he had forced her to stay, and now that her heart had developed some unwelcomed feelings for him, and she was even willing to give love a chance to experience it for the first time, he had said those words to crush her feelings even before she let them out to him.

If he hadn’t forced her to stay with him, if he hadn’t insisted that they belonged together, and if he hadn’t defended her in face of her enemy and stood up for her. She wouldn’t have developed any feelings for him in the first place. He had killed her love even before she let it bloom.

Rhea felt that she had been treated unfairly in every aspect. This made her irritated and angry, both at him and at her own foolishness. She held back the hot tears that threatened to fall and forced a smile. "I understand that you will never love again, and I’m not saying that I love you or anything like that. Don’t assume things just because I’m offering you my blood," she lied. "I don’t love you, and you’re the last person on earth that I would ever love. I’m just offering you my blood as a friend. It’s natural for friends to take care of each other."

Rhea spoke against her true feelings, hiding her pain with a chuckle. She was grateful that she hadn’t been foolish enough to confess her feelings for him. Otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing and disappointing than it already was. So, she played it cool and said, "If you’re still interested, hurry up and drink the blood."

Draven shook his head and declined her offer, saying, "No, I’m good. We need to leave now." After a brief pause, he added, "Rhea, please don’t let yourself develop any feelings for me. Don’t ever love me. I’m not worth it." Without waiting for her response, he turned away and entered the portal.

Rhea’s forced smile slowly fell after he left. A tear finally rolled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it off. "Jerk, who said I will ever love you?" She murmured as more tears rolled down her eyes. She looked up at the moonlight. Why did she let her feelings show? Now, it was completely shattered even before it grew.

With a bitter smile, she followed behind him into the portal. While vowing to not let his indirect rejection hurt her again.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read