twenty three

Negan held Ariana tightly, but even his fierce embrace couldn't dispel the icy fear gripping her. His constant demands and high expectations were suffocating her, making it hard to breathe. She didn't want to disappoint him or lose his love, but the thought of betraying her former family gnawed at her conscience.

The lines between good and evil were becoming blurred, and the weight of choosing a side was crushing her from within.

Ariana's body tensed against Negan's, her fingers clutching at his shirt. The warmth of his embrace suddenly felt stifling, a stark reminder of all she had left behind. She took a shaky breath, steeling herself for what she knew would be a difficult conversation.

"Negan." She whispered, her voice barely audible. "I... I miss them."

She felt his body stiffen beneath her, his fingers halting their gentle caress. The air in the room seemed to thicken, charged with sudden tension.

"Who?" Negan's voice was low, dangerous.

Ariana swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. "Alexandria..."

Negan's grip on her tightened, almost painfully. She could feel the anger radiating off him in waves, his body coiled like a spring ready

"I miss Michonne. I need to see her, to know she's okay."

Negan's expression darkened, a sneer twisting his lips as her words hit him like a punch. He jolted up and away from her.

"Michonne?" He spat, his voice laced with venom. "The badass chick with the dreadlocks and that damn sword? The one who probably smiled while Rick's group butchered my men? That Michonne?"

Ariana felt the sting of his words but refused to back down.

"She's like a sister to me, Negan. She doesn't want this, none of them do. They are just trying to survive, just like us. I need to see her. I have to know she's alright."

Negan leaned in closer, his tone shifting dangerously low.

"You want to play house with them again, after everything? You think they'd do the same for you? I'm the one here, Ariana. I'm the one who's got your back. You need to remember that."

Negan's eyes narrowed, a simmering rage bubbling up within him. He strode towards her, his aura suffocating.

"You really think I'm gonna just let you go? After all we've been through together? After the shitstorm we've endured?"

Ariana's heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to back down.

"I'm not asking to go back to them." She replied, keeping her voice steady. "I just want to see her, to talk to her. She's like my family, Negan. Can't you understand that?"

Fury contorted Negan's features, his already short temper rapidly dwindling.

"Family? You wanna see her? You wanna talk to her? What the hell do you think that's gonna accomplish, huh? You think she'll be all warm and fuzzy after finding out you've been screwing me? Lying in my goddamn bed?"

Ariana's eyes filled with tears, the pain of the situation tearing her apart.

"I need to try. I need to see her, Negan. Please. I can't even imagine what they're all going through right now."

Negan's anger boiled over, his voice rising as he stepped even closer, looming over her.

"You're not seeing her. You hear me? You belong to me now, Ariana. Not to them. Not to her. You think I'm just gonna let you waltz back into their arms, after everything that's happened? Hell no!"

Ariana recoiled from his fury, tears streaming down her face.

"You don't own me, Negan!" She shot back, her voice shaking with emotion. "I care about you, but I can't just forget about the people who were my people. I can't just erase them from my life! You can't say you care about me and then keep me hostage like a fucking prisoner!l

Negan's large hands balled up into tight fists at his sides, his fury barely contained.

"I do fucking own you." He growled, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll be damned if I let you run back to those idiots and jeopardise everything I've built. Do you honestly believe they'll just let you walk away? Rick and Michonne would use you as a weapon against me without hesitation. You're out of your goddamn mind if you think that's even an option."

Ariana shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "I'm not trying to betray you, Negan. I just... I just miss her. I miss them. Can't you understand that?"

Negan's features contorted with a volatile combination of rage and vulnerability. "What I comprehend is that you're still clinging onto something that's dead and done for. And if you can't relinquish that, well then we've got ourselves a major fucking predicament, sunshine!"

Defeated, she whispered. "I just want to see her. Just once."

Negan's jaw clenched, his eyes burning with intensity as he stared down at Ariana. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was their ragged breathing. Then, unexpectedly, his expression softened ever so slightly.

"Fuck." He muttered, running a hand over his salt-and-pepper stubble. "You're really not gonna let this go, are you?"

Ariana shook her head, hope flickering in her tear-filled eyes.

Negan sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging as if a great weight had settled upon them. "Alright, doll. Alright. I'll take you to Alexandria."

Ariana's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Really?"

"Don't make me fucking repeat myself." Negan growled, but there was less venom in his tone now. "Alright, here's how this is gonna go down. We'll head out at first light tomorrow, but my men are coming too. I said a week but screw them, I don't want Rick or any of those other assholes getting the wrong idea."

Ariana nodded, her heart racing with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. She watched as Negan continued to pace, his leather jacket creaking with each movement.

Ariana's heart raced, a cocktail of excitement and anxiety coursing through her veins. "Thank you, Negan. I-"

He cut her off with a raised hand. "Don't thank me yet. This ain't gonna be some happy reunion. You're mine now, and everyone there needs to understand that crystal fucking clear."

Ariana nodded reluctantly, knowing it was a small victory, yet it felt like a far cry from what she truly needed. As he turned away, she caught a glimpse of his grin, a dangerous sort of satisfaction lurking behind it. In this world, she had to tread carefully, because with Negan, there were always stakes involved.