“Who are you?” He growled at me.
His voice was deeper this time, rough enough to make my entire body stiffen.
I struggled to breathe.
His fingers were still wrapped around my throat, and every breath came out as a weak gasp.
I tried to think of something to say, but fear had emptied my mind.
I didn’t even know what to tell him.
The pain became too much.
“Selene. I’m Selene!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.
Buttins stared at me.
“Selene? Who is that?” he asked, looking confused.
His grip loosened.
“Please let me go,” I pleaded.
My voice shook badly.
My face had already begun to turn pale, and tears gathered in my eyes.
For a few seconds, Buttins simply watched me, then his hand opened and he released me.
I dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
I immediately curled forward, coughing violently as I grabbed my throat.
Every breath burned.
I rubbed the red marks around my neck, trying to convince myself that I was finally safe, but I wasn’t.
Buttins crouched in front of me.
Before I could move away, he grabbed my jaw and forced my face toward him.
I flinched.
His fingers were cold and painfully firm as he turned my face from side to side, studying me as though I were some strange creature he couldn’t understand.
His eyes moved over every part of my face.
“Are you lying to me? How do you have her face and look so identical to her?” he asked.
I stared at him.
I didn’t have an answer.
Even I didn’t understand why I looked exactly like Princess Imogen.
“Say something.” He growled and tightened his hold on my jaw.
Pain shot through my face.
“I don’t know. I don’t know.” I blurted out.
My voice cracked and tears finally slipped down my cheeks.
One drop landed on his hand.
Buttins immediately released me.
I quickly pulled my face away and covered my neck, breathing heavily.
For a moment, he said nothing, then his expression changed.
“Whoever you are, he is going to find out soon and you won’t like the outcome. I’m going to do you a favour right now. Once you get back to Earth, leave and never return. Forget about him,” he said.
I lowered my eyes and I was too frightened to argue.
“Did I make myself clear?” he said.
I nodded, tears still hanging from my lashes.
“I hope you’ll understand I’m not the villain here, and I only want what’s best for you two. Leave Cross alone.” he warned.
The words hit harder than I expected.
Buttins stood and began walking away.
Something inside me pushed me to speak.
“How did you know I wasn’t Princess Imogen if Cross didn’t?” I asked.
Buttins stopped.
Slowly, he turned toward me.
“Perhaps he did. He just couldn’t accept losing her and instead he chose you as a replacement,” he said.
Replacement?
The word echoed in my head and I looked toward Cross.
He was still asleep against the rock, completely unaware of everything that had just happened.
Maybe Buttins was right and Cross wasn’t seeing me at all.
Every time he looked into my eyes, he was searching for someone who was already gone.
My chest tightened.
“The barrier is at the end of the mountain. Go back to your world and let Cross focus on his world.” he said.
Then he turned and walked straight into the forest.
His figure slowly disappeared between the enormous crimson trees until the snow swallowed him from sight.
I remained there.
I didn’t even realize when the tears began flowing harder.
I pressed a hand against my chest.
I hated him, but the worst part was that I couldn’t completely ignore what he had said.
I belonged on Earth.
There were people there who looked like me.
People who knew who I was and I had a life that belonged to me.
Larvana was not my home.
Cross was not my man and Princess Imogen’s place was not mine to take.
I slowly stood and brushed the snow from my gown.
My fingers were still shaking, but I had made up my mind.
I was leaving Larvana for good.
Even if Cross found his crown and ruled Larvana again, I would never come back.
I wiped my tears and walked toward him.
Cross was still unconscious.
I sat in front of him and waited.
The wind moved through the trees, carrying tiny flakes of snow into the shelter.
The fire beside us crackled softly, but I barely noticed the warmth.
My mind was somewhere else.
Earth, my old life, boyfriend and my freedom.
I kept telling myself those were the things I wanted, but every time my eyes landed on Cross’s face, my heart seemed to disagree.
I hated myself to feeling that way.
Minutes passed, then his fingers moved.
I immediately looked up but my mind wasn’t really there at the moment.
Cross slowly opened his eyes.
“Imogen,” he called softly.
I didn’t answer.
I was still deep in thought.
“Imogen.” His voice came again, quieter this time.
I felt his hand touch me and I flinched immediately.
Cross froze.
His hand stopped halfway between us.
“It’s me. I didn’t mean to scare you.” he said softly.
“Oh,” I muttered.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” I replied sharply.
Cross’s brows pulled together.
Something about my voice had clearly caught his attention.
He looked around the forest.
“Did someone come here?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” I replied.
He didn’t answer.
Instead, his eyes returned to me.
Slowly, he reached toward my hair and pulled it back.
I stiffened.
The moment he saw the red marks around my neck, his expression changed.
The softness disappeared from his eyes and his jaw tightened.
“Who did this to you?” he asked.
The anger in his voice made the air around us feel colder.
“It’s nothing.” I said, moving his hand away from my hair.
“Imogen, I know you’re lying to me.”
Something inside me snapped and I unleashed my fear and worries towards him, but in a bad way.
“Does it change anything?” I raised my voice.
Cross stared at me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke, then I looked directly into his eyes.
“You know I’m not Princess Imogen, don’t you?”
His expression shifted.
“What are you talking about? Of course you’re Princess Imogen, my bride.”
“I’m not your bride.” I shouted.
His pupils dilated and he looked genuinely shocked.
“Why are you raising your voice at me?” he asked.
There was no anger in his voice now, only confusion and somehow, that hurt more.
The moment the words left my mouth, I saw something flicker across his face.
He looked hurt.
I knew my words were harsh and I wjas hurting him, but I had to.
The truth was right in front of me.
I didn’t belong here and if Cross ever discovered that I wasn’t Princess Imogen, what would happen to me?
Prevention was better than being sorry later.
I had to choose myself.
Then I heard his voice.
“Who touched you, Imogen?”
His voice was soft.
So soft that the anger inside me suddenly collapsed and my lips trembled.
I tried to hold myself together.
I couldn’t.
The tears came all at once and Cross saw the change in my face.
He immediately closed the distance between us.
I didn’t even have time to turn away before his arms wrapped around me.
His embrace was warm and firm.
My hands clutched the front of his clothes as I broke down against his body.
I cried like a little child who had lost her mother in an amusement park.
I couldn’t stop.
Everything I had been holding inside finally came pouring out.
The fear, confusion, guilt, the thought of leaving him and never seeing him again.
My shoulders shook violently.
I thought I was going to collapse from the force of my tears.
Cross held me tighter.
“I’m sorry I made you cry,” he whispered.
My eyes squeezed shut and he carefully cleaned my tears with his hands and kissed them.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered.
My heart melted instantly.
“Why are you so sweet to me?” I muttered through the tears.
His arms tightened around me.
“You’re my bride Imogen, do I have to always remind you.” He said as he wiped another tear from my face.
He hugged me tightly and for a few seconds, I allowed myself to stay there enjoying the warmth, then reality returned.
I carefully pushed him away.
“Can we just go to Earth?” I asked.
Cross looked at me for a long moment.
“Why are you so eager to go back to earth?” He asked.
“Are you not also eager, don’t you have a crown to find and a throne to claim?” I said
He held my hands.”All that matters right now is you Imogen.
I want you to know how much I really love you and every part of you.” He said.
“What if I don’t love you back Cross?” I said softly .
My heart betrayed me with one painful beat.
“I am ready to start all over again and win your love once more.” He replied.
“Even if it takes me a hundred years, I won’t stop until you love me back. I’m crazy about you Imogen.” He said still holding me tight.
A hundred years?
He was willing to wait that long for her.
His words should have made me happy.
Instead, they hurt.
Because he wasn’t loving me, he was loving the woman he believed I was.
I moved away from him completely.
“We can have this conversation again, let’s find your crown.” I said avoiding that topic.
“If that’s what you want, let’s do it.” he said.
My heart sank and I lowered my eyes.
Cross had no idea what I was planning.
Once we reached Earth, I would disappear.
I would leave Larvana, leave Cross, and return to the life I had before all of this began.
Maybe this would be the last time Cross ever saw me.
And this time, I wouldn’t come back.