227 She's Mine

"She's not free!"

Jareth shocked everyone with his sudden outburst. Even Astrid wasn't expecting him to react that way.

She knew he had feelings for her, but he clearly stated that they couldn't be and now this.

"Master," Snow called out to her through their mind link. All these while it had been silently watching the scene unfold before him, but now, he knew there was danger, so he reached out.

"Snow, don't draw any attention to yourself. I would be fine."

"Master, I do not like these men and trust me, if I were to pick between them and Jareth, I go for Jareth. After all, you love him right and not these ugly looking people?"

If it was in a different situation and circumstance, Astrid would have burst out laughing from her little beast's words, but now, this was a different situation entirely.

She couldn't just laugh or talk anyhow. One wrong move could be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"It is okay. I would never choose them," Astrid said, reassuring her little beast.

Everyone fixed their gaze at Jareth as if to say, 'who asked you to talk,' shooting him their sharp and deadly glares.

Jareth himself didn't know what possessed him just now to yell like that. What was happening? Did he mean that he wanted to claim her as his and forget his earlier words to her that they couldn't be?

He couldn't place his thoughts and pushed his worry to the back of his mind. He would think about his feelings later, but for now, he needed to make sure she didn't end up with them.

"What do you mean by she is not free? I do not see a ring on her finger," Clive questioned.

"She doesn't need one, does she," Jareth replied him and turned his head to the side, so he was looking at Astrid face to face. "When her heart belongs to me?"

"Play along," Jareth whispered to her, as he leaned his head closer to hers. Astrid gulped, knowing full well what he was about to do.

As much as she enjoyed kissing him, she wasn't used to this kind of public display of affection. Yes, she kissed him when Snow was around previously, but Snow was her baby, she didn't count it.

Besides, it was not that they could have much privacy as the two times they kissed in Snow's presence where when they were in the valley and when they were saying their goodbyes.

But before she could protest or do anything, his lips claimed hers, kissing her fully on the lips. His eyes closed the moment their lips touched, while hers was still wide open at his sudden action.

Not getting any response from her as her lips were still closed, Jareth lightly bit down on her lower lip, making her wince at the pain and parted her mouth for him.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss the moment his tongue slid into her mouth, leaving everyone present stunned at the sight.

"Separate them," Clive mouthed to his men.

"Whoa! Master, that was…" Snow was talking to her but suddenly he stopped when he noticed the men approached.

Immediately, two men stepped forward and pulled Jareth away from Astrid, snarling at him. Rather than feeling angry a sinister smile spread across his cheeks as his body fell on the dusty ground.

One of the men proceeded to kick him in the gut and the other followed, kicking at his stomach.

"Noo! Stop it!" Astrid cried out.

"Stop!" Clive's voice rang out, making them halt in their movements and stepped away from Jareth.

Astrid quickly kneeled her way to Jareth and bent her back, so she was hovering protectively over him.

"Jareth," she called his name in a whisper, making him open his eyes to look at her.

"Hey. Sorry, you had to see that," he apologized when he noticed the tears that formed in her eyes as she gazed lovingly at him.

He knew he asked her to play along, but watching her now, he knew this wasn't just an act. She was really feeling bad and the look in her eyes gave away her true feelings.

He felt a sudden sting in his heart watching her being hurt. He knew she was breaking what little resistance he had left and was slowly stealing all of his heart away.

"No, I am sorry," she said, refuting his words with an apology of her own. Her lips parted, trying to force out a smile at him, before asking, "Does it hurt?"

"It won't hurt as much as watching these miscreants lay a hand on your body."

As much as he wanted to believe he said that out of his care for her as a friend, he knew within him that he meant every word. Still, he couldn't bring himself to telling her how he felt.

He still thought he couldn't fall in love, he shouldn't, even when his heart screamed at him too.

"Thank you."

"Don't cry, I would only break a rib or two."

Astrid's eyes shot open at his words. Her eyes trailed down his chest to his stomach and back at his face. "Relax, I am joking. It would take more than that to get my ribs broken."

The men all watched them, this small chat of theirs further, deepened their grudge against him as it showed how much Astrid cared for him.

Clive signalled on them to pull them up. He averted his gaze from them before he lost it.

"Pull them up."

Two other men step forward and pulled both Astrid apart, making then kneel before Clive.

"Hmm," he scoffed as he trailed his eyes over Jareth then came to land on Astrid. The moment his eyes landed on her, he gave her a toothed grin.

"You've got the nerves."

'No, you've got the nerves staring at her like that,' Jareth said in his mind. He so much as wanted to voice out his displeasure, but the more he talked, he knew he was going to get it rough.

Rather than having to go through that and making Astrid worry, he kept quiet, leaving his eyes to do the talking.

"She's mine and belongs to no one else."

His sensual husky cold voice sent chills running down her spine at his claim over her. This only intensified the tingling sensation she felt from his kiss just now, causing butterflies to twirl in her stomach irrespective of the situation they were in.

"Since you are here, you would have to fight for her hand like everyone else."

Clive was quick to shove that reply in Jareth's face as he eyes him repeatedly. Just who did this boy think he was to go against him, Clive, leader of the outlaws?

He felt he could easily defeat Jareth and then he would have Astrid to himself to enjoy, but little did he know things weren't always what they seemed.

"Anyone ready to accept a challenge for her hand?" Clive called out, his gaze diverting to the men present.

Even though they all fancied Astrid, no one could dare make a move, especially when their leader had his eyes set on her. All they could do was to withdraw silently, thus making him the only one who could have her.

All that would have been true if Jareth wasn't there. Now that he was supposedly part of them, he voiced out his interest.

"Shouldn't whoever it is be fighting with me for her hand? I accept the challenge. I won't be handing her over to anyone."

Silence ensued after his speech. Clive turned around to face him now, staring intently into his green orbs. "You are brave, I give you that, but we shall see how long that bravery would last. Time to head to the arena!" he announced, raising both hands in the air once more and turning to face the path he came from.

"Wait!" a small and cute voice shouted. The panic was obvious in the tone of who just spoke. Clive turned his head to the side and asked with a blatant tone. "What?"

"My beast, give him to me or there would be no fighting and no giving out of my hand to anyone," Astrid declared, her resolve became stronger than ever before.

She didn't care about their duel and all that. Worse comes to, she could free them using her powers and destroy this so-called outcast village while she was at it. All that mattered to her was her little beast and not their useless brawl.

"Give him back and… release… him…" she drew the last words out, to emphasize her point.

"Feisty, I like that. I would indulge you this once," he said and looked forward. "Release the beast to its owner. Unbind them and bring them to the arena. Have everyone come and witness the duel. Our challenger would prepare as well."