273 Do You Really Belong To Him?

"Come here, you."

She dropped her hands to her side and leaned down to carry him in her arms. 

She was never going to be tired of carrying him no matter how he grown he was, well technically not till he is too big. 

With a smile on his face, Snow jumped up into her waiting arms and nestled himself in her arms, indirectly hugging her close. 

"My baby is growing strong and fat, you know."

"What? Master, I am not fat. Do not joke around. Rather than tell me I am getting fat, pet me, master."

"Is someone complaining?" Astrid asked as she gently caressed his fur just thw way he liked it. 

"No, master. How can I be complaining when I am being treated with care."

"Tsk, I see you have been learning so much from these villagers, haven't you?"

"Master. It is not like that. You have just been too busy for me. So I try to make the best of my time."

"Look at you talk like a grown up. Okay that foes it. It is time for me to go help Sabrina and the others. We would see later, okay?"

"Ohh, master. Just a little bit more please."

"No my love. Work calls." Without waiting for his response, she gently bent down and pulled him from her chest. 

Rather than releasing her obediently, Snow clung to her clothes so tight and refusednto let her go. 

Astrid looked at her baby cub and shook her head. "I thought you were grown and mature."

"Yes, I am. This has nothing to do with it, master."

"Hmm, it does. You are not a baby anymore, dear. Now be good."

"Master," Snow protested but Astrid shook her head as her eyes dropped close, dignifying she won't have any of it. 

"No. Okay, let us do this. I would pet, caress and cuddle you so close once we get back from today's activities okay?"

"Promise, master."

"Don't you trust me?"

"That is not the case. I do trust you. Whom I do not trust are the male species around you. They would steal master away."

"My baby is jealous again."

"Master is mine. They came last, so they should also queue up."

"And what of Jareth?"

"Jareth... "

"He came before you."

"It is different," Snow argued. He refused to admit it or loose to any of the MALE SPECIES in her life. 

"How so?"

"I am bonded to you, whereas him... Hmm he has always caused master to cry. Me on the other hand, I have been good."

"Okay good baby. You won. I am yours this night, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now get going and do not cause trouble unless when necessary."

After all the pleading and coarsing, Snow finally let Astrid go and they both went their separate ways. 

By the time she arrived at her usual work place, the women had been doing their work without her help. 

Of course, they were more than happy to have her but the bags under her eyelids showed she lacked sleep  and had been crying. 

Elena wanted to ask her about it as they were all worried she did not come early today. 

After seeing her like this, they could clearly discern why. Before she could ask her, Sabina signaled her to keep quiet about tuw whole issue and pet the poor girl be. 

By the time they were half way done with their work, Sabina dismissed Astrid, telling her yo go take a rest and recover herself. 

As much as she wanted to argue about it, Astrid knew for a fact that she needed it and without arguing thanked them and pleaded as well for not being of much help to them today. 

"It is not like you would be of much help if you remain like this tomorrow, either."

"Elena is right, Astrid. What you need is proper rest and do jot think while you are at it. Just letbnatire take its course and everything would work out well for you," Katrina chipped in. 

"I have heard you all. I won't."

"Good. Now go dear, go and relax. We would handle things from here on our own. If you want tonhwlpbus, then take care of yourself first, dear."

"I will. See you tomorrow, l" Astrid said and waved her hands at them as she headed for the direction she came through. 

In no time, she had arrived at the place where she and Snow parted and began to trace her steps to where he went to. 

After searching for a while and found nothing, she reached bout through their mind link to find him. 

From their link, she could feel he was happily playing with the younger adults and showing them some of its fore skills. 

Apparently, they tickled him till he almost passed out but when he recalled what Astrid had told him, he spat out flames from his mouth in hopes to scare them away from him. 

Rather than scare them as planned, he got them overly excited and their attentions shifted from tickling him to asking him to spit out more flames. 

Sensing the fun he was having, Astrid decided against spoiling his fun and went ahead without him. 

Slowlynahe made her way to their small house to catch up on some rest. 

On her way she passed by Cari's house and wondered why she had not seen the merman today, considering what had occired or almost happened yesterday. 

She let out an exasperated sigh recalling the discission that had transpired between her and Jareth. 

'It is better this way. He doesn't understand you and so do you. It would do both of us good to let this feelings go. Sigh... It is hard!'

Minutes later, she found herself home and entered the house closing the door behind her. 

The firs thing she did upon entering the house was to sit on the bed and after some seconds she leaned back, resting her full body on thw bed with her front facing upward. 

Dropping her eyes closed, Astrid decided to relax her nerves first before going to take a proper bath.

It wasn't even up to three minutes that she decided to relax a bit when a sudden knock sounded on the door.

Knock! Knock! 

Her eyes flew open at the sound, causing her to get up abruptly. 

It was not until she got to the door that she recalled it won't be Jareth knocking. 

Even though she chosed not to think about him and let the feelings go, hearing the sound of the knock, her heart skipped a bit and she immediately made for the door.

Upon realizing that Jareth wouldn't knock, her shoulders slouched and she turned the door knob.

The door opened and the person standing right before her was someone that she would never have expected to be in her life. 

"Hello, Astrid." His deep voice resoundednin her ear drums bringing back the chill it caused and sending slight shivers down her spine. 

'What the... Did he just mention my name? How come he knows... What is he doing here?' Astrid asked herself mentally. 

All these while her eyes never drifted from his face but remained locked on him. 

"Wouldn't you welcome me in?"

"I am sorry, but you are not welcomed here,  Clive."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Still feisty, I see. Well that would change sooner nor later. You are one of us now."

"Keep dreaming. If you had come to see Jareth, he is not here. I haven't seen him either all day," Astrid quickly informed him and was about pushing the door close when he stretched one foot out, preventing her from shutting the door close. 

Her gaze dropped to where his leg was preventing the door from closing and thwn redirected them back to his face. 

Her eyes landed on the smirk on his face and her heart beat increased. 

She had smelled trouble the moment she saw he was the one at the door and was not happy that she was alone with the nuisance. 

Irrespective of the mild fear that erupted in her heart and mind, Astrid kkept a neutral face as her brows creased. 

"What do you want?"

She felt her adrenaline begin to rush in her body and she held the door tighter. 

"You!"

'Damn it. Jareth is not home now. Why would he come and find trouble today of all days?'

"What do you want with me?" Astrid asked him, feigning complete ignorance. 

"Everything about you."

"You set the laws and the rules in this place. So you know fully well that you cannot have me. He won the duel fair and square. I belong to him."

Astrid could feel the atmosphere change under the soft but wicked chuckle Clive let out and then his eyes changed, suddenly becoming more serious than before. 

"He did but do you really belong to him?"