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“Is there a reason?”
I shrug, then take a few steps away from her. “Not really. Anyway, I have a meeting to attend with my men. I’m sure they all want to know if I’m alive and what steps we’re taking next.”
There’s no way I am admitting to her that I’ve kept the sacred space next to me and reserved it for my Fated.
A naive thought remained from back when I used to believe in romance and courting, back when I believed someone could love even a monster like me. The act stuck, though, and even now, I still don’t invite women into my personal space. Well, all except her.
She gets out of bed and glares at me. “But we had a deal–!”
“And I won’t be longer than a few minutes, then I’ll be back in here. Unfortunately, I am their leader, and leaders do not sleep in,” I say, trying my damndest not to smirk at the concern in her eyes.
I don’t know what’s changed with her between the ambush and now, but little Katherine is acting like she’s worried about me. Was it because I didn’t bother to lock the door when I left her in here or is it something else?
“You’re not healed yet, Gabriel….”
I draw my fingers to her chin and caress it with the pad of my thumb while trying to hide the fact that I love the way my name sounds coming out of her mouth.
“I won’t be long, little lamb, I promise. Why don’t you get cleaned up and try to get some sleep, hmm? You’ve had a hell of a day too.”
From finding out her guild wants her dead to saving the man she swore to kill, I’d say she’s had more than a hell of a day. There’s an unreadable look in her eyes when I say this, almost pained, but she nods and then looks down.
“The poison has not left your system yet, so please don’t push yourself too hard,” she says before stepping away from me and heading to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
I’m going to need to ask Valentine what the fuck is up with her and if something happened while I was out. I don’t really understand her sudden concern for me, and granted, I did save her life by planting her in my bedroom. But that shouldn’t have caused her to change her tune completely.
Ah, perhaps I’m just reading into things.
I walk out of the bedroom and make my way towards where my men are gathered. Today can be considered a victory since none of them lost their lives, and the hunters lost theirs.
The vampire blood spatter turned out to be nothing but defensive, and to say that I am proud of them is putting it lightly.
By the time I head up to the bedroom, two hours have passed, and I’ve broken my promise to Katherine. But it wasn’t all for nothing; we’ve planned out the next wave of defense for when they decide to attack us again.
However, we know that they won’t be attacking us any time soon since they’re nursing their wounds.
No doubt Xenia is getting an earful of a lifetime from Katherine’s father for fucking up this mission. Speaking of which, Church still seems distant, and this attack has just fueled his anger.
But even as he wants this revenge, he knows that he will never be able to harm his Fated, even if they hurt him deeply.
I stop outside of my bedroom and strain my ears, listening for any sound coming from the inside but hearing nothing. Katherine’s breathing is labored and her heartbeat steady, which tells me that she’s asleep; I knew she’d crash sooner or later.
Careful not to make a noise, I slip inside my bedroom and remove my boots along with my jeans and t-shirt. There’s nothing else I can do since I sleep in my briefs, so she’ll just have to deal with it.
I can smell her sweet caramel right where I’m standing and when I get into bed, I blanch.
She’s wearing a t-shirt of mine.
Seeing this makes me smile for some unknown reason, and the more I try not to smile, the wider my grin gets. I’m a fucking idiot, I know, feeling happy seeing her in my shirt as if she’s mine, as if her body and soul belong to me. However, that can’t ever be, even though I find her intoxicating as fuck.
I sigh and get under the covers, but as soon as I lay down, she rolls over right into my arms, groaning while her slender leg slips over my thigh. Her hand falls on my chest, and I hear her mumble something intelligible before she smiles and takes my breath away.
Wrapping my arm around her neck and pulling her close, I exhale and feel at peace for the first time in weeks. I can easily fall asleep with her in my arms, just listening to her heartbeat, inhaling her scent, and feeling her warm body against mine.
She feels perfect at my side like I’ve always kept the space next to me reserved only for her.
Even while sleeping, Katherine does something to me, and as much as I hate to admit it to myself, I want her. Her mere presence causes my dead heart to beat with purpose again, and it terrifies me since she can never be mine.
But since I’m a selfish asshole, I want every part of her in every way possible. I want her underneath me, on top of me, on her knees, and calling my name. More than that, I want her to smile at me the way she’s smiling right now…
