Chapter 7 My slave is kind of demanding

Valerian placed Liliana gently on the bed and straightened up, his hands sliding into his pockets. His tall, intimidating figure would strike fear into anyone, but there was something in his eyes-a glimmer of something softer, almost contradictory to his imposing presence.

Liliana quickly scrambled back in fear, pressing her back against the headboard. She drew her knees together, her eyes wide as she looked up at him.

"You are Valerian D'Amato's wife. Are you going to stay timid all the time?" Valerian asked, a frown creasing his brow. He raised a hand to rub his temple, as if frustrated, before taking a step toward her.

"I thought you cleared me last night that I'm your slave, not a wife," Liliana said.

"Wife to the outside people," Valerian corrected her and continued walking to her side.

"Stay there!" Liliana's voice trembled, but she tried to sound firm. Despite her plea, Valerian continued to approach.

"You hit me, bite me, and expect me to stay quiet," Valerian growled, leaning down closer to her. Liliana's back pressed firmly against the pillows, her hands instinctively flew up to push him away.

Valerian's hand slid to the back of her neck, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. His lips hovered dangerously close to hers, the heat of his breath brushing against her mouth, making her cheeks flush with a mix of fear and something she couldn't quite name.

"You haven't paid me for the bite on my lip last night," he murmured, his voice low and charged with tension. "Women throw themselves at me while you..." His words trailed off as his gaze shifted from her eyes to her mouth, lingering there with a strange intensity.

Valerian was deeply unsettled by Liliana. She was different-she defied him when everyone else obeyed. The fact that she had resisted him from the very beginning, on their first night, gnawed at him. Yet, here she was, challenging him in a way no one else dared, and he couldn't understand why it both infuriated and fascinated him.

"Shall we proceed where we left off last night?" Valerian asked, his thumb gently tracing the contour of Liliana's trembling lips.

"Please let me go," Liliana pleaded, her voice soft but desperate.

"Then, how will I fulfill my revenge?" Valerian replied, his eyes boring into hers with a cold, unwavering intensity.

"What did I do to you? Rowan should pay, not me," Liliana argued, her voice trembling but her reasoning clear.

Those rational thoughts. Valerian hated that.

"A slave doesn't have the right to speak before his master. Have you forgotten that?" he questioned, lifting her chin to force her to meet his gaze. "Obey me, and I'll be good to you. Do you get it?" he asked, his tone stern and unforgiving.

Liliana swallowed hard and lowered her head, nodding slowly. Her hands, shaking with fear, moved to the buttons of his shirt, fumbling as she tried to undo them.

"What are you doing?" Valerian asked, his tone suddenly shifting to one of confusion.

"Don't you want this?" Liliana responded as she fought to hold back her tears. She didn't understand him, nor the twisted game he seemed to be playing with her emotions. All she knew was that in this moment, she was trapped, trying to appease a man whose desires and motives she couldn't fully comprehend.

Valerian stopped her, his hand swiftly grabbing her wrists. In the next second, he flipped her onto the bed, pinning her hands above her head. The shirt hung loosely on Valerian's body, its buttons all undone by Liliana's trembling hands.

"I'm the master," Valerian declared, his voice low and commanding. "You only have to obey."

His eyes darkened as he looked down at her, a dangerous edge to his gaze. "Do you know what you just did?" he asked, his tone laced with something almost taunting.

His hand began to move sensually from her leg, his touch lingering on her knee before slowly slipping underneath her thigh.

Liliana's breath hitched as she felt the weight of his intentions, her body trembling beneath him. Valerian's proximity, combined with the way he asserted his dominance, left her paralyzed completely.

Valerian tucked a loose strand of hair behind Liliana's ear, his voice a husky whisper as he said, "You'll call me 'Master' whenever we get intimate. Understand?"

Liliana, her breath trembling, replied, "If you promise me you won't treat me badly."

A smirk tugged at the corner of Valerian's lips. "My slave is kind of demanding," he remarked, amusement flickering in his eyes. "I won't do that unless you obey," he affirmed, his tone both reassuring and authoritative.

"I will call you Master," Liliana responded, though her voice wavered slightly. Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt his hand pinch the sensitive skin on her inner thigh.

She should have been angry, outraged even, but instead, a strange sensation washed over her. Her body seemed to react in a way she couldn't comprehend, a forbidden ache forming within her.

Valerian raised an eyebrow at her response, clearly unimpressed. "Making me wait?" he muttered, his tone filled with dark amusement.

Liliana, her heart pounding, shut her eyes and leaned in, pressing a quick, almost timid kiss to his lips. Pulling away immediately, she whispered, "It's done, Master."

A low chuckle escaped Valerian as he looked at her with a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" he mused, his voice laced with a hint of mockery.

"Master asked for a kiss, and I did that," Liliana replied, keeping her eyes lowered, her voice betraying her hope that he might finally leave her alone.

Valerian's hand slid from her thigh, resting beside her head as he leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "That's not how you kiss," he stated, his voice firm but with an undercurrent of something deeper.

Liliana lowered her eyes further, feeling the weight of his presence. Desperately wanting to create some distance between them, she whispered, "Get ready. We have to go outside."

Valerian watched her for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. He slowly pulled away, but the intensity of the moment lingered between them, leaving Liliana unsettled and unsure of what would come next.