"Thank you for saving me, Alpha… I mean Damien," she corrected herself at the last moment, "I owe you my life."
He smiled at her, nodding slowly as he looked at her, "You looked like you could use a hand. If you don't mind, may I ask you a question?"
"Anything," she breathed.
"You've learned my name, but I've yet to learn yours," he asked with a smile.
The curve of his lips, the way his cheekbones were lifted, how could a man look this handsome? Safira snapped herself out of it. Just a while ago, her entire life came crumbling down at her feet over a man, a wolf she thought she was in love with.
Now she was infatuated with another?
"Goddess spare me," she muttered to herself in defeat.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Damien chuckled as he raised an eyebrow.
Realizing that he heard her, Safira quickly tried to explain herself.
"No, I… I was just thinking about something else, "My name is Safira."
"Safira," he echoed her name, "A beautiful name."
She loved the way he said her name, but she desperately tried to hide it. Damien got up to his feet. He walked over to a chest of drawers and opened one of them to take a fresh set of clothes.
It was at this moment that Safira came to a realization. This room that she was in, was Damien's room. She looked all around, taking note of all the details she did not see before.
How could she have ignored the strongest indicator of them all? The room was filled with his scent and his alone. The drawers contained his clothes. She was in his bed!
As if a fire had been lit under her, Safira tried to leave the bed again. The moment her feet touched the plush carpet, Damien was at her side again.
"Where are you going, Safira? Leaving so soon?" He mused as he held onto her hand.
He wasn't menacing or threatening, in fact, his voice was coated in honey. Their close contact sent Safira's heart palpitating again.
"I shouldn't be here," she confessed.
She was grateful that he saved her life. She would do anything to repay him, but she was just a regular werewolf. Hell, she was a cursed werewolf with no wolf.
She didn't belong in the Alpha's room.
"You were and still are injured. You should be on your feet just yet. You can stay here as long as you like," he reassured her.
"But this is your room," she blurted.
Damien turned to look at her, "Oh, you noticed?"
Safira was speechless. That satisfied grin on his face, she just wanted him to stop!
"If I sleep here, where are you going to sleep?" She asked defiantly while crossing her arms, knowing she had the upper hand in the conversation.
But Safira was gravely mistaken. She had completely underestimated how shameless Damien was going to be. He took off his shirt while shaking his head, throwing it into the laundry basket before putting on a fresh one.
Then, he got in bed and laid down next to Safira. She was too stunned to move as she felt him get closer to her with the same grin. The mattress sank a little lower, causing a dip between them.
Losing her balance, Safira ended up falling right into his embrace. Her head rested on his arm as he caught her in the nick of time. Before she could move away, he leaned in close and whispered in her ear.
"I'll sleep right next to you. This is my bed afterall," his voice by her ear lit a fire in her like never before.
But he wasn't done.
"If my lap is more comfortable for you, we could make some changes to our sleeping arrangements," Damien mused.
Perhaps it was a reflex movement, Safira curled her hand into a fist and punched Damien square. Though he was caught completely off guard, he narrowly dodged her attack. He took the opportunity to hold onto her hand.
It took a moment for Safira to realize what she had done. The look of anger in her eyes quickly turned into one of horror and shock. She had almost punched the Alpha in the face!
What was she thinking?
"I…I'm sorry, I…" she was usually so eloquent with her words, yet infront of him, she was stuttering at every line.
Damien couldn't believe it either. If it had been anyone else, the she-wolf would not have lived. But there was a reason he had a soft spot for her. One that mattered above all else.
He shook his head and smiled, "I should be the one apologizing. I might have taken things too far."
He released his hold on her hand and laid back down in bed.
"I think both of us could use some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow. Goodnight, Safira."
With that, he gave her one last smile before turning to face the other side of the bed and turned off the lights. He really intended on sleeping next to her, he did not joke about that.
In the cover of darkness, Safira could hear her heart pounding in her chest. The scenes of what happened in the last hour replayed in her mind over and over again. She could not believe any of it was real.
'Perhaps it's all a dream,' she thought to herself as her eyelids grew heavy and sleep came for her.
The next day, Safira woke up to the aromatic fragrance of breakfast foods. She was quick to notice that Damien was no longer by her side. However, she could still feel the warmth of his body around her.
How was that possible?
Did he hug her while they slept?