9

After I took off my clothes and took a long shower, I got out of the shower stall and put on the white bathrobe that was hanging on the wall with the small window, looking out into the darkness.

I could only make out the outlines of the houses, it was so gloomy here in the middle of the forest at night, but soon I would be able to live in a city again and see the brightening street lamps.

"Aria?" Keno spoke to me through the door and knocked on it, which made me roll my eyes in annoyance.

"Was?!"

"I have your bag here."

I forgot about that!

I quickly padded to the door, pulling my bathrobe even tighter, then opened it and looked at Keno. His dark irises eyed me curiously, but I just quickly snatched my bag from him and slammed the door, making him curse softly.

"Would you like to eat something?" I heard him ask slightly irritated, but I definitely had lost my appetite for today.

"No!" I called back, pulling underwear, white pajama shorts, and a black tank top out of my bag. I took my time getting dressed and then dried my long, black hair with a towel. Only then did I open the bathroom door again and was amazed.

The strings of lights tied around the beams by the bed were probably turned on by keno and lit up the master bedroom in a really pleasant way. My eyes fell on the dresser, where the TV was on, playing a movie softly on it, while Keno sat in bed, dressed only in dark sweatpants, with a book in his hands.

"You reading?" I asked and immediately got a confused look from him, while also noticing very well that his eyes briefly stared at my bare legs before he looked me back in the face with a soft smile.

"Yes, why? Can't I?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and I immediately shook my head.

"Yes, but it doesn't suit you," I said, crossing my arms. "I thought you were the type of guy who works out all day and spends hours looking at his muscles in the mirror at night."

"So you think I'm superficial?" he grinned, closing the book to give me an amused look. "I'm someone who has never judged a book by its cover. What interests me is the inside, not the outside for everyone to see."

I thought he must be faking me, but his expression revealed no ruse, which impressed me slightly. But I didn't show it.

"And what are you reading there?" I asked then and walked around the bed to take his book from his hand. "The taming of the beast. How do I win her heart", I read the title and immediately looked at him in bewilderment. "Are you serious? Do you think I'm a beast?"

He just shrugged with a grin and then stretched, which gave me a glimpse of his toned upper body before I dropped the book right over his stomach and he winced slightly.

"Have fun taming, then," I laughed triumphantly, walking to the other side of the bed to look at him expectantly. "Would you please sleep on the floor then. I'm tired."

"No way."

I looked at him with my arms crossed, but he didn't avoid my gaze, which made my wolf howl. She probably would have thrown herself right at him, but then I just sat down on my side of the bed, pointing at the bed between us.

"That's the limit," I explained and only got such a hearty laugh from him that it lightened my heart, which I skilfully ignored.

"I see no limit," he smirked in amusement, rolling onto his side to rest his head on his hand and study me.

"She's still there," I told him decisively, snuggling under the thick blanket and then staring stubbornly at the television.

"All right, little one," I heard him and rolled my eyes theadrically while he switched off the fairy lights and covered himself. Only the light from the TV lit up the room and it was incredibly difficult for me to continue ignoring my wolf.

His pleasant smell was in the air all around me and even the blanket released his scent, which made me snort in annoyance.

"What is it now?" Keno asked and I just turned my back to him to close my eyes and let my mind wander. Already tomorrow I saw myself jumping over the fence, laughing, off to freedom, until a really loud clap of thunder startled me.

"Oh God," I breathed and looked behind me to the window, where lightning immediately illuminated everything outside. "Is there something like a lightning rod here?"

In a panic, I turned to Keno, who was lying calmly on his back, staring at the television.

"No, what's that supposed to be?" he said seriously and looked at me questioningly, which made my eyes widen and I almost went into cardiac arrest at the next thunder.

"Aria," he said quietly, grinning stupidly. "That was just a joke, of course we have a lightning rod here."

"Okay," I mumbled frantically, laying back down to pull the covers up over my head. I just hoped the thunderstorm would stop soon and also noticed that Keno turned up the volume on the TV and got up.

"Where are you going?" I asked anxiously, pulling the covers down a bit to watch him pace around the bed.

"I'll pull down the blinds so you don't have to see the lightning."

My breathing slowly calmed down again and when he had closed everything and the TV was now so loud that you couldn't hear anything from outside, my heart beat more evenly again and I finally found the relaxation I sorely needed after this day.

"Sleep well, little mate," I heard Keno say, who had laid down next to me again, but I didn't answer him anymore and immediately fell into a deep sleep.