I slowly slip my arm around her waist, pulling her gently back against my chest. Her body is small and warm against mine, fitting perfectly into the curve of my body, as if she were made to be there.
“Shh,” I whisper as she stiffens slightly in her sleep. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
I don’t know if she can hear me, but her body seems to recognize me. A purr rises in my chest, and she begins to relax, her breathing slowing.
I tuck my face into her hair, inhaling deeply. Cherry blossoms mixed with the clean scent of shampoo. It’s intoxicating.
Her tears slow and then stop altogether, her breathing deepening into the steady rhythm of peaceful sleep. The change in her calms something in me too, some restless part that’s been pacing since I first met her.
I know I should leave.
This is beyond inappropriate, breaking into an omega’s apartment, climbing into her bed. If she wakes up, she’ll be terrified. She could call the cops. My pack would be furious at the scandal. It would destroy our business indefinitely.
But I can’t make myself go. The feel of her against me is too right, too perfect. My wolf is settled for the first time in years, content to simply hold this omega, to guard her sleep and keep the grief at bay for a few hours.
I adjust my position slightly, my arm tightening around her waist. She makes a small sound in her sleep and nestles back against me, her body seeking comfort even unconsciously. The trust in that simple movement pierces something in my chest.
Exhaustion suddenly washes over me. I hadn’t realized how tired I was until this moment, with her warm and safe in my arms. My eyelids grow heavy, the steady sound of her breathing lulling me toward sleep.
Tomorrow, I’ll deal with the consequences of my rash action coming here. I’ll figure out why this omega has such a powerful hold on me after just one meeting.
But tonight, I’ll just hold her and keep the nightmares away.
As I drift off to sleep, my last conscious thought is that Kieran, Rowan, and Elias are going to give me so much shit about this if we get in trouble. But I don’t give a fuck. All that matters is the omega in my arms, and absorbing the feeling that she could be my fated mate.
A piercing shriek yanks me from deep sleep.
My body instinctively tenses before my brain fully wakes. Eyes snapping open, I see Francine standing at the edge of the bed. She looks clearly horrified to see me there, her red hair a wild halo around her head.
For a moment, I’m completely disoriented in this unfamiliar room and the beautiful, furious omega trembling with anger before me.
Then reality crashes down, and I realize how monumentally I’ve fucked up.
I fell asleepin her bed.
“What the fuck are you doing in my bed?” she screams, her voice pitched high with panic. Her chest heaves with quick breaths, and her scent spikes with fear and rage.
“Hold on, I can explain,” I say quickly, raising my hands to show that I meant zero harm to her.
“Explain? There’s really no explanation why you’re here. What are you doing in my fucking apartment?”
She backs away, grabbing a can of hairspray that she points at me like a weapon. Under different circumstances, I might find it endearing, but right now, the terror in her eyes makes my stomach twist with guilt.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I say, keeping my voice calm and even despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. “You were upset yesterday. I was worried.”
“So you broke into my home and crawled into my bed?” She shouts, shaking with anger. Her hair is a wild tangle around her face, her green eyes blazing. Even in her fury, she’s stunning. “That’s stalking.”
I swing my legs over the side of the bed, moving slowly to avoid startling her further.
“The door was unlocked,” I say, as if that somehow makes it better. “Anyone could have walked in. It’s not safe.”
“Oh, and I should thank you for proving that point by being the creep who walked in?” She backs up until she hits the wall, still pointing the hairspray at me. “How did you even find where I live? Did you follow me?”
Fuck, no answer will sound good in this moment. Nothing at all.
“Yes,” I admit finally. “I followed you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and you were so upset after I saw the tissue in your car. I feel…drawn to you.”
Her face turns pink. “You don’t even know me. We literally met for five minutes!”
