His Queen

24. Allegations

Damien's POV

Aliya was sound asleep in my arms.

It only took a few layers of clothing, a hot tea, the burning fireplace in my room, and my arms around her to keep her warm.

Her head was resting on my arm, her hand still clutching onto my shirt. Even in her sleep she was determined to hold me close. Facing towards her, I brought her closer while wrapping my other arm around her waist. Her sweet scent indulged me as I took a notice of the black hoodie that she was wearing.

My hoodie.

An unfamiliar serenity washed over me as I watched my mate sleep in my bed, wearing my clothes, and in my arms.

I never thought I would live to see this day.

To have a person of my own, someone destined to be with me, to share her life with me. There were times I still didn't believe it to be true, it was much easier to deny the fact that she was my mate until I told her myself.

But now she knows everything.

It was something I never expected to tell her, because I was still unsure of what it meant.

What it meant for us.

I was still trying to figure that out, how it affects us and our future.

Could I dare to dream of a future with her?

It takes a lot for me to lose control of my senses like that, but this girl had that unimaginable effect on me. I surprised myself by telling her she was my soulmate, it just slipped in the midst of the moment. I couldn't resist or fight it anymore, not when she was in such a close proximity, looking straight into my eyes as if searching for answers.

Her lips almost brushing mine pushed me over the edge and made me fall into her trap. A part of me was proud of her for that, she made me confess something I never thought of telling her. That was the effect that she had on me, one look at her and I wanted to tell her my deepest and darkest secrets. Like I could lay out my life story in front of her if she asked me to. I wanted her to know me, to know every part of me, even the parts that I'm not familiar with myself.

I didn't want to hide anything from her.

That's how much I trusted her.

Aliya shifted in my arms and turned her head a little, her hair falling out of place. I reached out to push a strand away from her closed eyes, letting my hand linger there for a second longer, caressing her soft skin.

She looked so peaceful.

It had always been difficult for me to fall asleep, too haunted by my own thoughts to even close my eyes. Because when I closed them, I could still hear the screams and picture the horrors of the battlefield. The number of wars and small battles that I've had to partake in before I even turned twenty would take days to count. I would still find myself back at that dreadful place. Filled with the stench of sand coated with blood.

An unexpected noise in the middle of the night would be enough to send me reaching for my sword, so I stopped keeping it with me at all times. Besides, I didn't need a weapon to defend myself and there are guards standing alert right outside my chambers at night. But no amount of protection could get rid of that awful feeling.