The Devil's Cursed Witch

Draven didn't move closer to his mate, seeing how she stepped back. No person would be glad to be on the receiving end of such a reaction, much less for a person like Draven who had been known for his bad temper.

His voice was icy cold when he spoke.

"Your lessons for today has been cancelled."

Ember only nodded, not willing to look at him. She didn't even try to apologise or make excuses on her behalf.

Draven could not take this kind of behavior from her. "Why have you turned mute? Are you suddenly scared of me? Where's the brave lass who came to my study on her own yesterday?"

"I am not scared—" she tried to deny it, but he cut her off.

"Then why are you like this? Are you scared of me?"

Ember shook her head weakly to say 'no'.

"Did you do what I asked you? About why I touched you, about how you reacted—did you even try to understand what you felt?"

She stubbornly shook her head.

"Why?"

"I don't want to," she voiced out honestly. "I don't want to think of it. I don't want to remember—"

"Are you angry at me?" He cut her off once more, this time, his tone sharp.

Ember felt her body heaving with strong emotion, but she shook her head though she wanted to say 'yes'. Of course, deep inside her, she wanted to honestly tell him how she felt—but being a mere subject leeching off the King's grace, as an outsider who became lucky enough to be the King's person, how dare she disrespect the man who saved her, who's letting her live such a comfortable lifestyle? Wouldn't that make her an ingrate, an ungrateful person?

However, her silent response angered him even more.

"Look at me!" he instructed sternly, his tone implying he would not take 'no' for an answer.

Ember swallowed her fears with great effort as she hesitantly raised her head.

"I see anger in your eyes, human," he snapped. "Are you upset at me for  giving you a simple task, or are you acting this way because I stopped you from getting what you wanted?"

She gave him a puzzled look. 'What I wanted?'

Draven scoffed. "Weren't you feeling good and wanted more but I stopped before you got to feel completely satisfied? You felt frustrated. Wasn't that the reason you are acting like a child?"

"I am not acting like a child."

Ember didn't get what he exactly meant, but she felt insulted.  She knew she was indeed upset that he stopped, as it gave her body a sense of frustration though she didn't know why, but she couldn't accept that he's blaming her for her reaction to what he did.

Was it wrong to be confused? Was it wrong to want and to ask to be left alone?

However, neither of them were in the right frame of mind to calmly talk about their situation.

"I tried my best to be patient, but it seems you do not appreciate my kind intentions." His tone showed how displeased he was with her at this moment. He took a stride towards her, his red eyes glittering with unknown emotions. "You say you don't want to think of it? That you don't want to remember? Then I shall finish where I had stopped yesterday since it's useless to wait since you have no intention to complete the task I had given to you."

Draven was never a patient man. He had never cared about people's feelings and he had never taken care of another being. Everything with Ember was a first for him.

For the first time, he listened to the people around him. He tried to understand her, tried to be patient with her, tried to show he cared for her. He had been doing his best to hold back and not hurt her at all, but his little mate didn't even try to understand his painstaking efforts and instead acted like this in response to everything he did.

Did she not understand he was doing all these for her?

They were mates, but they started off unconventionally and there were no feelings of affection between them since they were basically strangers to each other. As if that wasn't enough, she was an innocent and naive girl who had no understanding of what mating entailed.

That was the reason why Draven was doing these things—he wanted to show her he wanted to respect her, that they should consummate their bond with her consent and understanding, since he wanted her to accept him as his partner fully knowing what's in store for her future.

But why was she acting like this? Why was she trying to turn a blind eye on their situation?

The night of the full moon would come regardless of their will, and at that time, he knew he would be unable to hold back the urge to complete their bond. Even she wouldn't escape the seduction of his scent. He wanted to prepare her for what was bound to happen between them, but she was being slow-witted—no, she was being childishly stubborn and didn't want to understand anything. It was really frustrating for him as she was doing nothing but checking his patience.

But Draven's patience was limited.

"I stopped it because I wanted you to search for what you want on your own. I wanted you to understand yourself and what we would be doing to consummate the bond but…it seems you took it another way?" He sneered. "Do you think it's easy for me and I am not suffering anymore?"

Her green eyes turned teary seeing the scowl in his face. Was she truly wrong? Did she make a mistake?

His eyes darkened with all those unsteady emotions he was trying to control all this while. The fact that his mate truly didn't care about him made him want to vent them all out.

"Why aren't you saying anything, you who wishes to be my good mate?" The scorn in his eyes felt like stabs to her conscience. "I shall let you know what you have missed and then only then will you know what I was trying to make you realise."

Draven took a threatening step towards her, his looming figure that seemed to emanate frustration and anger causing her to back away.