66

As soon as I woke up, I immediately felt weak and drained. I felt like my whole body had aged years and lost strength as well. My arm was throbbing, my head was pounding, and I now regret only asking for sleeping pills. A stupid mistake.

As I slowly woke up, I felt a cozy warmth on my back and an arm that held me tightly around the waist. Of course it was him, I recognized that immediately from the smell that was in the air. His breath tickled my hair and gave the back of my neck a pleasant goosebump, which I immediately shook off to look around curiously.

The first thing I saw in the room were my suitcases, sitting in the corner by the bed. It made me sad to see her and I wanted to quickly look elsewhere to not feel that sadness again. I rolled onto my back carefully, trying not to wake him. With the moonlight shining through the window just opposite the bed, I could see everything around me.

The room seemed huge to me. It was much larger than my old one and everything was fashionably decorated to match.

In the corner by the white door was a full-length mirror that had a dark brown frame and reached almost to the ceiling. Right next to it was a massive dresser with several drawers, on which a beautiful table lamp in bright pastel colors found its place. The rest of the furnishings were plants and the bed as well as a small bookshelf that drew my attention curiously. Interested, I raised my nose towards the books and took a deep breath and to my delight they smelled very old which made me smile. I loved that familiar smell.

But with the smell of the books, his smell also came deeper into my consciousness. The confidence that this scent radiated for me made my heart jump and immediately unbearable heat flooded my veins, making me so hot that I had to sit up and gasp for air.

"Everything okay?" Killian asked me worried, who also sat up and gently stroked my back. I turned my head slightly towards him and looked deep into his eyes, which looked at me with great concern, but I also saw in them a coldness that frightened me.

"It's nothing, everything okay," I whispered so quietly that I wasn't sure if he had even heard me and I quickly avoided his eyes again.

Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed my waist, carefully lifted me up, and then sat me sideways on his lap, where I eyed him in confusion and surprise while his hand took my chin, forcing me to look at him again.

"I'm sorry about Brando. Something like that will never happen again. You are mine now and no one has the right to touch you anymore!"

Fear swept over me as his eyes suddenly went black again. Apparently the thought of someone hurting me made him livid. But then why had he hurt me and snatched me from my father? I wondered what was stronger in him. His understanding, loving, nurturing side, or his aggressive, possessive side. I hoped for the former, because otherwise my life at his side would be anything but nice.

"Would you like me to go?" he asked into the emerging silence between us, drawing my attention back to himself. Apparently he sensed my fear and my turmoil, so he didn't know what to do either.

Everything inside me wanted to push him away, but my strength was gone and if the sense of security went with him, what would I be left with? I looked out the window and shook my head no, even though I felt ashamed at the same time.

He immediately lifted me gently back onto the bed and then took the thin, red blanket to tuck us both under it and snuggle up close to my back.

"Sleep tight, my little mate," he whispered softly in my ear while gently stroking my arm. His soothing touch made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the warmth he released in me made me fall back asleep in comfort.

***

I woke up in a sweat and gasped for air in panic. There was no longer any sign of his security, but unbelievable heat, which this time had absolutely nothing to do with him.

The climate here in the south was simply different. It could get a good 20 degrees warmer here than here, which really didn't do me and my circulation any good. Still gasping for air, I frantically jumped out of bed and immediately opened the window to take a deep breath. But I suddenly had to cough hard because the air outside was even hotter than the air in the room. Like sucking in the Sahara and miserably choking on it.

"You'll get used to it," a voice suddenly said behind me, and I turned to the door, startled, to stare straight into the grinning face of a boy who was about my age. Without giving him a reaction, I began to eye him curiously. His hair, black and curly, fell past his ears and his mischievous grin made cute dimples in his cheeks. He looked very different from the others and somehow didn't fit here. He also had the typical dark skin, but he looked playful, not as cold and forbidding as the three musketeers.

"So you're Alicia," he smiled kindly, then politely held out his hand. "I am Resul."

I hesitantly walked up to him and carefully gave him my hand.

"Are you Killian's brother?" I asked as our hands parted, eyeing his brightly colored shirt and black shorts. He kind of looked like the guys who collected comics and games.

"You could almost say, but my real brother is Damiano, our beta. They both left early to clear something up, so I'll take care of you today."

He was proudly pointing both thumbs at himself, which looked so funny I couldn't help but smile until his eyes suddenly turned serious.

"You know, Alicia! Brando shouldn't have attacked you, whether you took his phone or not. The three of them left, this morning. Killian probably would have cast him out by now, but he has to get permission from Get Caleb. Brando is lucky to be alive at all. Had my brother not stopped Killian-"

He stopped and exhaled heavily while avoiding my gaze and turned to face the window.

"Who is Caleb?" I asked curiously and waited anxiously for his answer.

"Our Ober Alpha, Killian's father. Only he can make such decisions," he explained, turning back to me.

An ice-cold shiver ran down my spine. The Upper Alpha. How many stories I had read about him. The man without mercy and of all people he was Killian's father. I slowly took a few steps backwards and dropped onto the bed. I put my sweaty hands trembling on my thighs and stared at my terrified face in the standing mirror.

Breathe Alicia , breathe

My head told my lungs to calm down. I slowly drew the air through my nose and then pushed it out between my lips. I had to digest it all and while I was about to spin the wheel, Resul took a step towards me to kneel down in front of me and take my hand in his.

"Don't worry. You belong to Killian now. I know the stories they tell you about Caleb. Don't believe everything other people put together." He tried to calm me down, but I still couldn't control my breathing.

You belong to Killian now, I repeated his words in my head and I immediately got pleasant goosebumps on my arms, which slowly made me relax again. The curly hair said that so naturally it felt right and most importantly he said TO Killian which sounded kind of adorable.

"The bathroom is right next door and if you're hungry, just come down here," he told me and then got up to give me my space, which was more than fine with me.

"How long have I been here? How long have I been sleeping?" I wanted to know before he left.

"Hmmm. Yesterday morning Killian carried you here from the pack doctor and then you slept until now."

So I had slept for almost 24 hours, with a break the previous night. My eyes fell back on Resul, who smiled straightening his hair and then disappeared from the room.

Finally taking a shower ...