Page 28 of Midnight Deception

“I’m just exhausted. Let me sleep, and I’ll be fine.” My words come out a garbled mess, but he seems to understand them, pulling the covers over me and turning off the light as he leaves. He calls out something as he goes, but I don’t hear him, already half asleep.

A loud banging wakes me. Startled, I look around with no clue where I am or what time it is. The noise comes again, followed by Star’s snarl. I jump out of bed, almost tumbling to the ground on my unsteady legs, but I catch myself just in time. Slowly, I make my way towards the door, Star putting herself in front of me, always trying to protect me.

My power thrums inside me, and I briefly think about creating a shield, but I don’t have enough energy to try to control it. Shaking my head to wake myself up, I reach out and open the door, stepping back hesitantly, but all I see is Atlas leaning against the doorframe. He’s out of breath and his eyes are unfocused, at least until he raises his gaze and seems to work through his haze, seeing me. His relief is so strong that it shows on his face, and he makes no effort to hide it. We continue to stare at each other in silence. The only sounds are his heavy breathing and Star’s low whine.

This seems to snap him out of his stupor, and he runs a hand through his hair to smooth it out. “I’ve been out here for ages. I thought you were dead or something.” He’s trying to sound cool and collected about it, but he’s failing. Plus, he can’t deny what I just saw, even though he’s trying to cover himself now.

“Clearly not,” I bite out, gesturing to myself, although from the look he’s now giving me, I probably look half dead. “What do you want?” I don’t have the patience to deal with any of his bullshit tonight, and I just want to crawl into my warm bed and sleep for another week.

He brushes past me, striding into my rooms, going straight to my bedroom like he owns the place. Blinking, I realise I’m still standing with the door open, staring like an idiot. Shutting it, I glance down at Star and find her looking up at me in confusion, clearly not understanding what’s going on. I wish I knew. Sighing and rubbing a hand across my face, I walk hesitantly into the bedroom and find him kicking off his shoes and taking off his trousers. His shirt comes off next until he’s standing before me in all his tattooed, half naked glory, and holy abs, is he stacked. His clothes do nothing to show off his body. I knew he was fit, but I had no idea this was hiding beneath his loose clothing. My bond awakens, suddenly wanting to taste him and complete our connection. It pushes at my restraint, and even the presence within me raises her head to appreciate the sight.

“Um, what do you think you’re doing?” I manage to blurt out, my voice high and tight as he strides to the bed and pulls back the covers.

Looking up, he takes in my red cheeks and frozen position by the door. “What does it look like? Which side is yours?” he asks with a quirk of his lips, enjoying seeing me flustered.

Mutely, I point to the left, closest to the door, and he promptly climbs into the right side of the bed. My mouth opens and closes as I try to compute what’s happening, only my brain is too scrambled to come up with anything.

Knowing that I’m ogling him, he gives me a satisfied male smirk that makes me want to bite him, and not in a fun way. As if knowing what’s going through my mind, he barks out a laugh and gestures for me to come closer. “You look like a fish. Stop gawking and get in, mate.”

Blinking at the insult, I scowl at him but climb in anyway, my bond only too happy to lead us forward and climb in beside him. His body is like a furnace against me, and I want to burrow into his side and absorb his warmth. I settle down, hitting my pillow a few times to get it comfortable, and lie stiffly on my side. However, as soon as he presses his body against mine, my brain kicks back into gear, and I jerk away.

My face is already set in a glare when I see his smirk. “This isn’t the sickness, so you don’t have to be here, and if you think I’m going to have sex with you—”

Rolling his eyes, he cuts me off by grabbing my shoulders and rolling me onto my side so my back is to his chest, causing me to let out a quiet, “Oh,” in surprise.

“Cool it. I’m not here to fuck you,” he murmurs as he tucks me against him, fussing with the duvet until he’s happy we’re both covered. Dropping his chin so it rests on the top of my head, his arms tighten around me slightly. “I can feel your pain. There’s no way I can sleep while feeling that, so just be quiet and get comfortable.”

He may be trying to brush this off as something for his own benefit and not because he actually wants to be here, but I can feel the contentment of his bond and how relaxed his body is against me.

Part of me wants to snap at him, to pull away and demand he get the hell out of my bed. I have mates that I want to be wrapped around me, and he isn’t one of them… Only I’m not sure how true that is anymore. Not wanting to think about that startling realisation, I shove it away and reluctantly note that he’s right about one thing. My pain is already easing, his presence helping to soothe away my aches, and I can feel myself being pulled back into sleep. Maybe it’s selfish, but I’m going to make the most of this while I’m here, because once I learn control, I’ll be leaving. Our bond can never be completed, so I’m going to take as much comfort from him as I can get.

ChapterEleven

“Laelia?” a familiar voice calls. “Mate, can you hear me?”

My heart races as I become aware of a presence close by. Not just any presence, but one of my mates. Glancing around, I see that I’m in a forest, but it’s almost like a backdrop, and I know I’m not actually in a forest. It’s the strangest sensation, but I don’t care, not when one of my mates is so close.

Spinning around, I find my burly alpha mate. “Joel?” I call, not quite able to see him properly, as though he’s surrounded by a mist. His form slowly solidifies, and he fully comes into view. There’s still a fuzziness about him, like he’s slightly out of focus, but I’m just happy to see him. Realising I’m in another strange dream and I don’t know how much time we have, I hurry over, determined to make the most of every second of this gift from the goddess. His arms wrap around me instantly, holding me close, his scent surrounding me and making me feel safe. His touch is solid, despite his wavering appearance. Pushing up onto the tips of my toes, I press a desperate kiss to his lips, needing this connection. His noise of surprise quickly turns into a groan of desire as he kisses me back, taking charge.

When he eventually pulls away, he places his hands on my shoulders, checking me over for injuries, his expression concerned. “Something changed. I can feel you again, but I can’t figure out where you are.” Frustration coats his words, and I can only imagine how hard this is for him. At least I knew what was happening, even if I was suffering for it. My mates had no idea and probably imagined the worst. “Are you okay? Are you safe?”

Nodding distractedly, I glance around to see if I can spot my other mate, but there’s no sign of Syn. Trying to hide my disappointment, I look back up at Joel.

“I’m still at Haven. Being cut off from you guys made me sick, so they had to restore the bonds. There’s some sort of tracking block over me.” His expression twists in anger at the mention of me becoming unwell, but I hurry to continue. “I’m safe for now. I just need to learn control.” Rushing through the explanation, I press my hands against his chest, needing more physical contact. “Are you okay? How is everyone? Is the council causing problems?”

I’ve been worried about what the council would do after I was taken, fearing that my family might suffer because of it. From their reactions so far, I’ve learned that the werewolf council is harsh and unforgiving, and it seems my fears might actually be a reality as Joel winces at my question.

“Joel?” I ask quietly, my eyes begging him to tell me that I’m worrying for nothing. Something twists inside me, and I look around again as icy terror moves through my body. “Where’s Syn?”

Sighing, he runs a hand across his face, his body disappearing for a second like the images from old TVs coming in and out of focus. “Something happened.”

Filled with dread, I stare up at him with wide eyes. It’s not like Joel to hold back like this. His hesitation means whatever he has to say is going to change things forever. He opens his mouth to speak when a strange feeling comes over me. I’ve felt this before. I’m about to wake up.

“No, no, no, no!” I shout, clutching onto him like it will help me stay in the dream longer. “Joel, is everyone okay?” I demand, desperately needing to know the answer when I feel a yank…

Jerking upright in bed, I clutch my hand to my chest, my heart pounding against my ribcage. I don’t need to look around to know that I’m awake and back in my room, tears rolling down my face.

“Mate?”

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