Beth 1

Standing by the window, Nyx observed the street below. The sun was setting, and everyone was hurrying to their various destinations. Her expression was hard to read, but the man standing behind her didn't need to see what her expression was to know what she was thinking.

As much as he wanted to hold her, engulf her in an embrace, he didn't. He just stood there, giving his silent support.

"You are leaving again, right?" Nyx asked without looking back at him. He hummed, and she felt her heart clenched. She placed a palm over her chest and closed her eyes to calm down. She had always missed him, but now… it was different. A lot more than ever. Maybe it had something to do with the knowledge of their past encounter or maybe not. But she didn't care. The thought of him leaving again, even if it was just for a short while, broke her heart, but she understood the reason why he was distancing himself from her. "I will try my best not to get into trouble often, and you won't have to come to rescue me."

She decided to stay married just as she had promised her mother, so she should be able to handle this and not have him come to save her each time. He must be hurting, too, knowing how touchy he gets each time he has the opportunity to do so. Kisses and hugs were no exception. He wasn't like that when she was younger and now she understood why he stopped coming to her for so long. She was an adolescent when he stopped. He must have done that, so it didn't appear as though he was taking advantage of a minor.

He hugged her from behind and kissed the birthmark, and she shivered. "If you are ever in danger, I will know, and I will be right there to keep you safe," Reaper whispered.

Nyx touched the spot he kissed and then remembered that he hadn't told her anything about the mark yet. As if knowing what was on her mind, he touched the mark and gave it a gentle caress. "You will know all there is to know when the time is right," he kissed her cheek and stepped away from her.

Nyx gave a nod, knowing that he would not day a word unless he wanted to, and she trusted he would tell her eventually. "Alright," she uttered.

And just like that, he was gone in the blink of an eye, and she was left standing alone inside the room. It suddenly felt so cold and empty now, but she was used to the cold and emptiness. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms to warm up and get rid of the goosebumps that crawled up her skin.

Her stomach growled, seeking to be fed, and she realized just how long it had been since she had a meal. She walked to the door but stopped just before she could open it. She looked down at her clothes and didn't think it was wise to go out of the room looking like that. Blood stains could be seen on it, and she didn't want to go and stir up a commotion while giving the housekeeper and servants a heart attack.

While descending the stairs, Nyx could hear voices and knew that her father was not alone. Tracing the source, it led her to the dining room. The scent of the food wafted into her nostrils, reminding her of her hunger.

"N…Nyx," Roger nearly called her Natasha but was quick to correct himself before he said something he shouldn't. She was Nyx now, and she had no idea of her past, so it was wrong to call her that.

Hearing her name called Skye and the other person, a blonde woman whom Nyx was very much acquainted with, turned towards the entrance. Nyx walked to a seat beside Skye and sat down.

"Greetings, Father," she greeted and gave Skye a nod but ignored the woman. "How do you feel now? All better, I suppose," she asked Roger.

"I am fine. Thank you for what you did," Roger replied. He didn't know what else to say to her besides these words, and the dining room plunged into thick and uncomfortable silence.

"Nyx, I am so sorry…" The woman decided to talk, and Nyx glared at her. She looked at Skye, silently asking for help from him, but he rather focused on his food as if he did not feel the gaze on him.

"You will have your chance to speak, Beth. But not now. Right now, I just want to enjoy my meal without any troubles from you, anyone," Nyx said and focused on eating. Herind wandered back to before the wedding when she tried to run.

****

"Your wedding is in three days, Nyx. You should be home preparing for the wedding before coming to meet up with a singleton like me," Beth said, but Nyx frowned. She was not happy at the arrangement, and she still had no idea who the man she would marry was.

Nyx had only heard her parents talking to someone, but she was not allowed to see what he looked like. "I don't want a wedding. I don't want anyone at all. I am better off alone," was Nyx's reply, and Beth laughed.

"Sit here, let me braid your hair," she said and tapped on the fur rug on the foot of the bed. "I heard he is a good man, unlike the previous two. They died because they deserved it. Mr Morgan has been your fiancé for a week now but he is still alive, so I have heard."

"Dead or alive, I still don't want anyone," Nyx stubbornly replied, and Beth chuckled.

"So what do you plan to do about this marriage arrangement? Run away?" She asked jokingly.

"Yes, tomorrow. I would need your help," Nyxsaid and Beth burst out laughing. But stopped when she saw how serious Nyx looked through the mirror on the opposite wall, she also became serious.

"You mean it, don't you?" She said, unable to believe that her friend wanted to run away from a wedding. Every girl's dream was to wed, but Nyx wanted to run away.

"Will you help me?" Nyx inquired.