A follower was someone like a loyal servant, not bound by any oath but by choice. Andrew wanted to be her follower. But why? Arella's mind clouded over his words, and then, one sentence pierced her thoughts like a ray of sunlight.
Did he say that she gave off the same warmth as the Sun? What did he mean by that?
Andrew maintained his posture, but his eyes gave away the nervousness. Becoming a follower was akin to being adopted by someone. The leader would have to consent and then would bring the follower under his/her wing.
He waited for the dazzled Madam's response with bated breath. But the said person kept on contemplating without saying anything.
Looking at the dampening situation, Andrew swallowed and said kind heartedly,
"Madam, please do not feel burdened. I do not seek anything else. Please allow me to stay near you, if acceptable."
"But why? You said that I glow like the Sun. What does that mean?" Arella finally expressed the source of her confusion.
A sigh of relief unconsciously left Andrew's mouth. So, she was not confused about him being her follower, but about this? That was a good sign.
"Some Beasts have a closer relation to the Sun. It is similar to the cat clan that has a closer relationship with nature, and Beast God. No one knows when it all started, but some Beasts could release a Sun like aura, warm and bright. And us, the bird clan members, are inadvertently drawn to it." Andrew explained patiently.
"You Madam, though might have a dormant Beast, but since the morning, I could feel the change in your aura. Maybe your Beast has stirred. Maybe it can awaken in the near future." Andrew continued while instilling positive thoughts into Arella's mind.
Arella's eyes widened after listening to his words. It was a fact that last night, she felt the presence of her Beast. But she has only disclosed it to Adrian so far. Andrew could sense the change so soon! And he even said that her Beast was closer to the Sun!
Thinking deeply, his words sounded logical. She knew for a fact that she was a member of the Bird clan. Only birds had a deeper connection with the Sun.
"Madam, about the follower, please take your time to consider it. I will not disturb you further. Please have some rest. I will come with the lunch. Goodbye." Andrew bowed formally and then left.
By the time Arella could react, only Andrew's shadow could be seen. What was he running for? Arella went into the bedroom and laid on the bed.
The thoughts regarding the wings, the stirring of her Beast, the possibility of being a bird clan member, and the chance of being able to awaken her Beast soon ran rampant in her mind making her restless.
She already had a lot to sort out, and now her thoughts were once again tangled. She felt as if a lot of things had happened in a short duration, making her mind hurt. Unanswered queries were mounting like a mountain.
As she thought, a resolve glinted in her eyes. She had to find the answers. Be it something as small as Adrian's shifty attitude during her first night in the military compound or as mysterious as Nicholas's words, she wanted to know everything.
Time ticked, and soon it was time for lunch. A knock woke Arella from her musings. Andrew had brought the table of lunch. Arella wanted to invite him, but he left as soon as he delivered the food.
A blank question mark appeared on her face. What was wrong with Andrew? Was not he the one who wanted to stay near her, why being shy now?
Arella put Andrew's attitude at the back of her mind and focused on consuming the meal. She took a short nap afterward, and then, in her sleep, she felt that she was being stared at. She jolted awake and found an extra presence on the bed.
Her mind became alert within a second.
"Woke up? Feeling better?" Adrian remained unaware of the fright he had given to the sleepy girl. He checked her body temperature. Everything was normal.
Arella checked the time. It was early evening. Adrian had come earlier today. Was it because he was concerned about her? Her body warmed up at this thought.
She lazily hugged him.
"You wanted to tell me something?" Adrian softly asked. Her lazy appearance was just like a soft small docile cub, sweet enough to melt anyone.
"Hmm. But I have things to ask as well." Arella kept her eyes closed as she nasally answered.
"Sure. What is it?" Adrian indulgently asked.
"Wait, let me go freshen up first." Arella decisively stated and then took determined steps to the bathroom. Inside her mind, only one thought stayed: let's deal with one question at a time.
Adrian happily waited for her. He was glad that he took the injection before approaching her. Otherwise, looking at her enticing appearance, it would have been hard for him to control his urges.
Arella took longer than usual, but Adrian waited patiently. Because to him, if it was for Arella, it was worth the wait.
When Arella came out, Adrian's breath hitched for a second. All because of her attire! She was wearing nothing but a loose bathrobe! Its belt was not tied properly, so when she walked he could see her fair thighs.
Also, the bathrobe was his, so it was naturally huge for her. The neck was too deep! A fair share of white skin filled Adrian's eyes as he remained seated on his spot, dumbstruck.
Arella walked toward Adrian and sat in his lap. One of her shoulders was peeking out of the bathrobe, and her chest was dangerously lurking behind a thin covering.
She was directly seated on his body, so she could feel the changes. As soon as she felt satisfied, Adrian, as if breaking through a trance, tried to distance himself from her.
Sensing his intentions, she quickly wound her arms around his neck and brought him closer. Without a moment's delay, she started kissing him.
Adrian's pupils dilated from pleasure, and his eyes widened from shock. Her advances came as a surprise to him. It was a pleasant surprise, but it was not the right time! He had only taken a small section of the vial today!
Had he known this would happen, he would have injected two vials! Because that is how much it took to control his urges when it came to Arella!
She kept kissing him as passionately as she could. Her soft mouth devoured his lips, and her little tongue kept teasing his big tongue. He found it hard to concentrate. He had terribly missed her and wanted nothing more than her body at this point, but he knew he was not ready yet.
He still needed time to learn how to control himself. Pleasure started to consume him. He was almost on the verge of drowning. He wanted to push her away but delayed. He craved her more intensely than she could ever imagine.
One more minute, he thought, he would push her away after another minute.
So, for the next minute, Adrian took the lead and demonstrated to her what kissing a person madly meant. He devoured her as if his life depended on it. His hands held her close, and his lips kept caressing hers in a frenzied manner.
His tongue kept teasing hers. Pure bliss and passion consumed him, and his one minute had long become more than that. He only slowed down when he realized that she found it hard to breathe.
Only after slowing down did his passion filled eyes gain some clarity. He opened his eyes and found Arella's alluring face. Her eyes tempted him to continue doing what he wanted to do without any consideration.
He haphazardly put his face in the nook of her neck. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to invade her. His primal desires were at the boundary of taking over. Adrian hid his face and took deep breaths to calm his raging mind.
His body refused to calm down, and Arella could feel how ardently he desired her. But he refused to claim her! At first, she only had an inkling of doubt, but now it was crystal clear. He really was evading her!
Since her arrival, they have not shared a night of intimacy, which is alarming considering their fondness for each other. And even today, when they could happily indulge, Adrian insisted on putting a distance between them.
"What is wrong? Did something happen?" She calmed her raging thoughts and asked him.
"Nothing, you…you have just recovered. Let's not burden your body." He refused to look into her eyes. It was not like he was lying. It was partly true. He did want her to have enough rest.
"Is it because of me? But are you okay? Is everything alright with you?" Arella's breath had evened out by now, and her mind was alert.
"Hmm, everything is fine. You should have some rest." He finally took his face out of her neck but refused to look at her.
"Then, care to tell me what these are?" Arella voiced nonchalantly.
In her hand was an empty vial, a filled vial, and a few syringes.