"Amara." A deep husky voice called nearly making me jump as I sat in the quiet library the only sounds being the occasional flip of a page or the even breathing of little Adrian who slept peacefully in my lap.
"Lo-" he starts coming into view interrupted by my shushing as I point at the little bundle of curls and chubby cheeks that slept in my lap.
I carefully picked Adrian up setting him softly back onto the large chair we had been cuddled up in. I turned to look at Alaricus who watched us with soft honey eyes a gentle smile quirking up his plump red lips. Pointing out the door I tiptoed behind Alaricus who walked quietly as he always did out the large doors.
"I just wanted to tell you that it's confirmed, I'm leaving tomorrow morning." He says turning to face me, his large hand coming up to cup my cheek, his rough thumb rubbing over my cheek softly. I tried to keep my face straight not wanting him to see that I was upset to see him go.
"When will you be back?" I ask hoping for it to sound casual but my voice sounds sad even to my own ears.
"A week angel." He says softly, and I bite the inside of my lip to prevent myself from looking like a recently vaccinated puppy.
"I won't go if you don't want me to." He says his thumb rubbing over my bottom lip softly.
"No you need to go, you've deferred that meeting as long as possible." I say avoiding looking into his honey eyes afraid I would beg him to stay so that I don't feel lonely in the empty palace the way I always do when he leaves.
"If it's that important they can come here I'm no use away from you anyway, I keep thinking about you when I'm away from you, they'd be better off coming here." He says.
"It's a land dividing problem Alaricus I think it'd be best if you went to see yourself to see which of both packs are most deserving." I say softly fiddling with the button on his black blazer.
"Come with me." He asks softly tucking a stray strand of hair away from my face placing it safely behind my ear.
"I'll only distract you." I say.
"Not at all." He says but sadly we both knew that wasn't true.
"I'm gonna take Adrian back to Victoria, I'll meet you in your room." I say and he looks like he's about to protest but before he can I step away from him going back in to see a barely awake Adrian looking around rubbing his half closed blue eyes a small yawn slipping out through soft parted pink lips forming a perfect circle, his chubby cheeks flushed from sleep, curls in disarray. I walk over to him scooping him up into my arms, and he cuddles closer, resting his little head sleepily on my shoulder.
"Let's get you to bed monkey." I say and he giggles softly, he had a habit of latching onto people tightly with his arms and legs, and was proud of it.
"I miss falling asleep in momma's arms." Adrian mumbled sleepily pouting at me while rubbing his eyes with the back of his little hand. Since Victoria had become pregnant she wasn't picking up Adrian making the little munchkin even more cuddly then usual.
"Don't you miss your parents Mari?" Adrian asked lifting his little head off my shoulder to look at me.
"All the time baby." I said softly and he frowned his little brows creasing lips jutting out.
"Then go see them." He said too tired to keep his own head upright, he rested his chubby cheek on my shoulder nearly falling back asleep on contact.
"It's not that e-" I start to absolutely no one in particular, but I was wrong, maybe it was.
Alaricus was going to be away for a week, I could spend that week with my parents, he was gonna be away from me anyway, my location wouldn't matter.
The door to Frank's room swings open revealing a tired looking Victoria in a long floral nightgown followed by her husband who held a jar of peanut butter in his hand a large spoon placed in the open jar. I quickly handed Adrian to Frank startling his very sleepy pregnant wife. I kissed Victoria's cheek quickly mumbling quick good nights to the sweet little family as they stared wide eyed at my manic behaviour, but in my haste to speak to Alaricus formalities didn't matter.
I rushed to my room quickly changing into a fuzzy pair of pale pink polka dotted pyjamas. I revelled in the warmth and comfort the pyjamas provided as I stumbled over to Alaricus' room not even bothering to knock I burst into his room.
"Alaric-" I started but my voice soon turned into a high pitched screech as Alaricus turned towards me the tan skin of his chest revealed, his dress shirt laying on the couch beside him along with his dress pants. He stood in front of me in just his black boxer briefs, looking more like the statue of a Greek god than anyone should have the right to in only their delicates.
"You're naked." I squeak embarrassingly my burning face buried in my hands.
"Actually love I'm wearing boxers." He says his voice still smooth and velvety not at all panicked the way I was.
"I'm so sorry." I say my voice still shrill, cracking slightly, and I turn back towards the direction I sincerely hoped the door was in. I stumbled forward stopped by a warm large hand resting on my shoulder, the rough skin meeting the soft skin of my shoulder where the huge button up shirt had slipped making me squeak again.
"You have nothing to apologize for angel, there's no need for you to knock this palace is yours as am I." He says mumbling the last part making my eyes widen beneath my fingers and I turn to him to retort only to cover my face again as I realize he is not yet clothed.
"I-I'll come back later." I get out hoping to escape.
"Take a seat love I'll just put some clothes on and be back." He says urging me towards the bed by resting a hand on the small of my back.
I sit on his bed pulling my knees to my chest I bury my face into them trying to hide from the embarrassment but unfortunately that was a psychological thing one couldn't hide from. Alaricus walks out of the washroom now fully clothed, a grey sweater covering the wide expanse of his chest, plain black pyjama bottoms covering his long strong legs. He sits himself on the bed beside me gently pulling my arms from around my knees and watching me slowly uncurl as I stare into my lap refusing to look up at him. His fingers come under my chin urging me to look at him.
"Don't be embarrassed love, you don't need to knock to enter a room that is yours, or to enter a room in which I am, because I too belong to you. You've had me wrapped around those fingers since the first moment I looked into those sweet chocolate eyes." He says softly and my cheeks burn even brighter my toes curling as I listen to his husky velvety voice the words he says slowly wrapping their way across my heart binding tightly.
"What did you wish to say angel you seemed very eager to speak to me." He says an innocent smile on his face but his eyes were filled with laughter making me glare at him.
"I'm sorry go ahead love." He urges softly grabbing my hand in his own.
"You're leaving for a whole week." I start but he interrupts me.
"It's going to be exceedingly difficult to stay away from you for that long, I dread even thinking of it." He tells me a frown taking over his face.
"Me too but if you would just listen to what I have to-" I say making his eyes brighten drastically and he grips my hips tightly yanking me into his lap as I let out a yelp. He holds me close to his chest his arms wound tightly around my small form.
"It's going to be difficult for you to be away from me?" He asks grinning widely, his smile so beautiful that I forget what we were talking about for a moment.
"Y-yes." I say embarrassingly not even thinking through my answer but just blurting out what I thought in my trance.
"You make me so happy baby girl." He says softly his honey eyes filled with warmth.
"I-I mean it's boring around here, t-the palace is very empty." My breath falters at his endearment and I struggle to sound nonchalant but fall short after looking at that smile, the gold in his eyes was prominent and contrasting against the black lashes made his honey eyes look so ethereal and wild that I couldn't look away.
"All I can ever think about is you, what you might be doing, if you're alright and if you just may be thinking of me." He says his hand coming up to cup the side of my face softly fingertips gently threading into my hair.
"No matter where I may go or what I may do you seem to be a like a constant presence in my mind, you don't understand how happy it makes me to know that you may even be slightly as reluctant to let me go as I am to be away from you. I detest it with all my heart." He tells me softly.
"Would you like to come with me?" He asks after a moment of silence and I stiffen.
"Actually I-I wanted to ask you something else. You're going to be gone for a week and in this week originally we weren't going to see each other anyway but instead of staying at the palace for this week, could I go back home to visit with my parents for just one week?" I ask my words rushed and his muscles tense against me, his hold on me growing tighter.
"It's not safe." He grumbled out.
"Who would attack your mate that's suicide, and I could take guards with me." I say.
"You could take guards but not this whole palace, everyone in here is capable of keeping you safe, there is no place anywhere safer then here for you. I'm not a good man Amara, for you I'd do anything but I have enemies who would do anything to take me down. Before they had nothing to use as leverage but now there's you. They know that if they get you they will basically have my heart, it's not safe for you.While I'm gone I need to know that you're safe." He tells me and I try to squirm out of his hold but his arm stays firm around my waist, only allowing me slight room to turn around to look at him directly.
"There's security in the human sector, and nobody has to know I'm going home for the week, they could think I'm going with you. I promise I won't step out of my home." I say, before finally looking up into his eyes to see them darkened, the honey no longer present.
"This is your home Amara." Alaricus growls out, making me jump slightly and I struggle to get out of his firm hold, but he doesn't let me go, his arms like a gentle barrier that encases me to him.
"To me you are my everything, but to you, I'm nothing. Your everything lies in that one house where no one would be able to protect you, I could protect you. From everything that you could ever fear, I could keep you safe. I'd do anything to make you happy, to see my angel happy, this is your home." He growls out tilting my face up to look into my eyes.
"I want to see my parents Alaricus you can't stop me from seeing my own parents." I say tilting my chin so that its out of his touch but he doesn't seem to like that very much. His arm tightens around my waist yanking me to him until I'm completely pressed against him eliciting a small gasp from me.
"Is that what you want?" He growls out staring at my parted lips leaning down slowly.
"Yes." I answer trying not to look directly into his eyes.
"I'd do anything for you except put you in a compromised position your safety is my first priority, so I'm sorry angel but you're not going to see them this week." He says softly stroking my cheek with his hand, I pull away from his touch swallowing thickly a familiar burn stinging my eyes but I refuse to let him see it.
"Baby please look at me." He asks softly but I stare stubbornly into my lap I wouldn't let him see me as weak. His hand comes under my chin softly pulling my head up, a soft gasp escaping him as my tear filled eyes connect with his. His dark eyes melt back to the honey, deep sorrow filling them until they look so soft that I feel as if I got too close I'd melt within them.
His hands go behind me and he yanks me to him crushing me to his chest, his hands raking gently through my hair as he rubs my back softly.
"I'm so sorry baby I didn't mean to make you cry, I hate it when you cry please don't cry angel. I just don't want to see you get hurt, there's some people that would risk their lives just to hurt me, and the only way to get to me is through you. You're my only reason to exist. Meum miraculum." He mumbles softly into my hair. A sob escapes me muffled by his chest as I clutch onto his sweater, his hands tremble slightly on my back and he struggles to steady them.
Pulling away from his chest I look up into his eyes sniffling slightly my hands still rested on his sweater clad warm firm chest.
"I haven't seen my parents in months please." I ask looking up into his eyes my eyelashes soaked with my own tears that still run down my pale cheeks.
"Okay." He mumbles and surprised my sniffling stops as I look up at him wide eyed.
"W-what?" I stutter out as his hands come up cupping my tear stricken cheeks and he leans forward resting his forehead on mine. His large warm rough thumbs rubbing away at the tears, his minty warm breath blows against my face softly as he speaks.
"You can go visit your parents." He says and I jump onto him wrapping my arms tightly around him making him stiffen suddenly in surprise before he relaxes. Wrapping his arms tightly around my waist pulling me closer as I mumble my gratitude to him repetitively. He pulls away suddenly his hands cupping my cheeks as he lifts my face so that he can look into my eyes, the intensity of them making me want to look away. It was like staring into the sun for too long.
"Promise me you're gonna come back to me angel, promise me." He commands his voice deeper then usual and I nod my head.
"I want to hear you say it angel." He says.
"I'll come back to you I promise." I say looking unflinchingly into his eyes as they glow a brighter gold at my words and he pulls me back into his chest burying my face into his chest, his intoxicating scent filling my senses.
"You're my angel, all mine." He mutters darkly and I frown into his chest choosing not to say anything.
"Stay with me tonight." He pleads.
"I ca-" I start but he interrupts me.
"Please I'm not going to see you for a week please." He pleads quietly. I grimace slightly not entirely convinced.
"It's a lot for a wolf not seeing their mate, not hearing their voice. A week is too long without you, I'm not gonna see your cheeks redden the way they do every time you laugh, the way you're so soft and frazzled when tired, pliant almost the way you wrinkle your nose or seem to just know when I'm lying." A sad smile forms on his face as he speaks, looking like a man that's losing the person he loves and not just sending them away for a week. His feelings for me were intense beyond what I could comprehend, beyond what I could ever reciprocate.
"Okay." I concede, if nothing else then I could give him this.
A/N--------------------------------------------------
Hey guys I know it's been a while I hope you enjoyed the update. Some of you may have read my other book The Beast it's a romance book and I'm so excited because its reached 15th in romance oh my god I actually wanna cry and dance and sleep because I'm exhausted but so happy. Okay my lovelies have a nice night.