My wolf?
I don’t mean that, do I?
Prying my eyes open, I startle when I find him already looking right at me, a soft smile on his face as he strokes his finger down the side of my face.
“Good morning, Petal,” he rasps, sleep scratching his voice, and I smile at him.
“Good morning.”
“You’re so fucking pretty when you’re sleeping,” he murmurs, leaning in close to nuzzle his face into the crook of my neck, and I shiver at the contact as his words make butterflies swarm in my stomach.
Pretty.
Such a simple word, but the effect of it isn’t lost on me.
I feel like I’m living in a fantasy, all whimsical and soft, and I don’t want anything to get in the way of it, but reality waits for no one.
“What time is it?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“Some time after nine,” he offers, and my breath lurches in my throat as panic kicks in.
“Nine? We’re late. What were you thinking?” I say with a gasp, pushing to sit up, but I don’t make it far before he knocks my arm from under me and pulls me back against his chest.
“Relax, Petal, it’s the weekend,” he explains, and I blink at him, disbelief slowly morphing into relief as he smiles at me.
“It is?” I finally manage when my tongue can move again, and he nods. “I really haven’t had a clue what day it’s been since Jude showed himself and his true intent,” I admit, leaning into his embrace, and he wraps his arms around me tighter.
Safe.
Another simple word this man is capable of making me feel deep in my soul, and I can’t take it for granted.
“That’s understandable, Elodie. You’ve been through a lot since the second you got here. How your head is still screwed onstraight, I’ll never know.” There’s a hint of awe in his voice, but I brush it off, sure it’s not meant for me.
“I should probably find my cell phone and text Ocean to let her know I’m okay,” I mumble, recalling the fact that I agreed to text when I was done researching last night, and I haven’t even looked at my cell phone, never mind actually used it.
“Okay. You do that, I’ll figure out breakfast,” he states, and I don’t argue until he slips from the bed, taking his warmth with him.
With an internal pout over the sudden loss, I shuffle up to lean against the headboard and Rion places my backpack on the bed beside me. He doesn’t say a word; he simply winks as he saunters out of the room, giving me the perfect show of his ass in only his boxers.
Damn.
Wiping a hand over my face, I attempt to push away the lust that clouds my vision, but it’s useless. In an attempt to distract myself, I reach for my backpack and search out my cell phone, but not before the books inside remind me of the things I’ve also learned in the past twenty-four hours. My mind could wander in one hundred different directions at this point, and keeping myself on track is more complex than ever.
The hidden history of the scythes and my apparent heritage.
The Institute Games.
Jude, and all of his mess, which also includes the lingering pain of Walker.
The Sanctum, who are hellbent on forcing me into a mold I can’t fit.
Kael as a whole, because that goddamn vampire needs his own damn spreadsheet.
Thorne and the weight that lingers between us because of my ancestors’ actions and his pain.
I’m still waiting for further backlash from Professor Drayker because lord fucking knows you don’t lose a man like Rion and get over it.
Then there’s Willow and all of her bullshit, and a figure that slips into my room at night, despite the lock and cameras in place.
