Chapter 11

He finally said, still staring out my window, "So that’s what has been eating you alive these past few days."Hmmm.It was very interesting, he had murmured.You know far too much for a young girl, but I wouldn't have it any other way.He then turned around and leaned lightly against the wall to face me.He had stated, "I am not the news animal."I don't like chaos, and I feed very neatly.“Catelyn, ripping my meal apart and leaving its torn limbs and carcass out there for any passers-by to see is really too uncivilized for my taste,” he said with a slight scrunch of his nose.I never was and never will be a part of that messy business.He had spoken with an emotionless, flat voice.It almost seemed as though he was making a comment about the weather because his face had appeared so serene and peaceful.

"I will try to explain as simply as I can because your other concern is a little more complicated than the matter of human corpses."He then pushed away from the wall and started walking toward me.I did my best to appear brave while his face remained emotionless.For the second time that night, he came close and lowered his frame onto my bed, right next to my chair.I was able to inhale him as he leaned in until his knees touched mine.He spoke barely audible, "Catelyn, I accepted you as payment for your brother's good health because I wanted you for myself, and I wanted you for myself because you are special."Catelyn, you will one day comprehend just how special you are.He continued to sit on my bed and leaned back.All of you are mine.This time, as he awaited the sharp response he had undoubtedly anticipated, his eyes sparkled with mischief.

I replied sharply, "I am not anyone's property, and you are a creep to prey on a 10 year old girl."Valerian began to chuckle once more, completely amused, which surprised me.

“A decade?”"Catelyn, I have preyed on you for much longer than that," he said.Since the day you were born, it has been.My jaw started to drop.What?Since the moment I was born?What was his age?I reasoned that he must be making fun of me.However, it wasn't a prank.He meant every word he had just said, evident by his serious expression.

He gently took my tiny wrist in his hands before I could ask any more questions.His hands were extremely, extremely cold.I jerked out of reflex and tried to free my hand, but he held on.Gently.Firmly.After I had settled into his grip, Valerian began to massage the birthmark on my wrist, drawing small circles and constantly gazing into my eyes.I didn't know how, but I started to feel warm more and more.While he gently rubbed my wrist, it began, and within minutes I could feel the warmth rushing down my belly and up my cheeks.My chest expanded and contracted with each breath was where I felt it most.What was going on with me?

"You don't feel it, do you?"I can tell you do, Valerian asked.“With a grin on his face, he explained, "That warmth you feel spreading throughout your body symbolizes our fated bond to be together."To make it clear, I gave my head a quick shake.I had a lot more questions to ask, but Valerian grabbed my hand, kissed my birthmark, and told me to go to sleep before I could say a word.I could save my inquiries for our subsequent meeting.This time, his voice was a whispered command, and I was both surprised and suddenly worn out by how close his lips were to my wrist.

Why did Valerian make me feel so secure?As I lay down on my bed, I had a thought and closed my eyes.What did each of these entail?I smelled his perfume as I drifted off to sleep.I felt a light kiss on my forehead before hearing that whooshing sound again.

PRESENT DAY

I woke up at five in the morning to begin my responsibilities for the day.I cooked crispy bacon, flipped a large stack of hotcakes, and scrambled eggs in a large pan.I placed the morning newspaper at Sirius' place setting, along with glasses of orange juice and milk for Balrus and mugs of coffee for our parents.I dashed upstairs to wake Balrus after washing the dishes and cleaning the counters.He was hidden beneath the mess of his blankets, curled into a ball.His toes, barely visible through the dinosaur-themed sheets, were all that was visible.As he let go of his foot, I playedfully tugged on his big toe.Under the warmth barrier, his giggle was muted.

“Balrus.It's time to get ready for school on the first day.The breakfast is served.As sadness crept into my heart, I felt my lips softly smile.I wouldn't be able to enjoy these sweet times with Balrus in less than a year.After I left with Valerian, I wasn't sure if I would ever see him again.I was moved by it.I only saw resentment and grief in my future, but that could change if siblings die to allow one to live a happy and healthy life while the other...Valerian might become my favorite.I couldn't deny that I was infatuated with him forever.With his perfectly formed curves, bulging muscles, and face that looked like it was being kissed by an angel, he was absolutely stunning.Besides, those eyes.That one-of-a-kind cadmium green that so captivated me that it made me feel so dizzy that I couldn't resist falling into them.In comparison to his, my emerald green eyes were dull.I was lost in his enchantment and filled with an undeniable passion when he combined his satirical, crooked smile with his gaze. This caused even my pessimistic mind to hush and for my lips to grow speechless.

Or perhaps Valerian's mystery fueled my obsession.

Over the years, I had looked for information about Valerian in the "human world," but everything I found always took me in circles or left me with ambiguous answers.Only a few things about him were clear:Vale Zakharov was his name, and he was a businessman.He was a billionaire and was filthy rich. He made his money by investing in big companies all over the United States.He primarily focused on healthcare businesses like hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and medical research labs.He was described as a "caring and giving man who always cared for those who were less fortunate" by employees at these businesses.I mocked every praise for him that was posted online.If only people were aware of his true identity.Nobody did so.me included.

He remained private.always kept from being seen by others.He was too blurry to even be captured by the paparazzi.When he was escorted from his car or walking down the street, the images found in a G****e search were taken from afar.He was loved by women.All of the online articles' comments extolled his beauty and stated that they would do anything to have him for a night.He was thought to be the most suitable bachelor available right now.I suppose I ought to have felt fortunate that someone so powerful and desired wanted me, but I just couldn't see the providence in my blessings.I assumed that Valerian's connections to the healthcare industry, wealth, and charitable reputation prompted my parents to seek his assistance.They probably didn't anticipate receiving a long life of servitude in return for a long life of good health.

Even the details of his upbringing were murky.On his company website, Vale Industries, his biography merely states that he was an only child, an orphan who lost both of his parents in a tragic car accident when he was twelve, and that he spent his childhood in a variety of Alaskan foster homes.However, when I investigated his family tree, I discovered that there were no documents to support his origins.Despite the oddity, no one dared to inquire.

Before I went back into my bedroom, I checked to see that Balrus had emerged from his sheets and started looking in his closet for an outfit.Before deciding on what to wear, I went through my own closet.I donned a candy-colored sweater, bootcut blue jeans that hugged my figure, and matching old red sneakers.About two years ago, I went to a thrift store and bought this outfit.I had given it to myself as a Christmas present, and it was the only one I received that year.I stole traditional eyeliner, mascara, and natural-looking brown eyeshadow from my mother's bedroom to finish off my look. I combed my hair.

I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth as soon as I was satisfied with my appearance.I glared distastefully at my canines as I greeted them in the mirror.

As I picked my canines with my index finger, I jokingly whispered to myself, "Maybe these bad boys are the reason why Valerian wants me so badly."

Since my teeth were otherwise perfectly straight and pearly white, those two fangs would not have affected my flawless smile.After washing my face, I wiped any excess toothpaste from the corners of my naturally pink lips.My focus shifted to my wrist birthmark.Over time, the discoloration had become darker and the engraving had become more obvious.Now, the letters M and V radiated with greater clarity.As I pondered Valerian's intentions with me, images of my past consumed me, and I scowled at myself in the mirror.

I last saw him at the height of the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis.In Fairbanks, the month of March was always the best time to see the vibrant green, purple, and blue lights flowing in distinct waves across the midnight sky.I had sneaked out of the house and raced to a remote meadow near my house.I laid down on my back on an old blanket in the grass and kept my eyes on the lovely scene above me as I fell asleep.I was too enthralled to hear Valerian approaching.He bashfully laid next to me, keeping his arms cuddled firmly against his sides.While I was taking in the phenomenon, he remained silent, but I could feel his eyes occasionally turning to me, and the sounds of his deep exhales reverberated all around us.I didn't want to get into a fight with him.I just wanted to relax and take in the moment as nature bleww me away.