Adea
The crunch of the gravel under their feet was a sign that Devin and Liam were following close behind us. Shane held my hand tightly as we headed towards the packhouse. As soon as we were inside, Shane spoke.
“You’re dismissed.”
He didn’t look back at them, didn’t show them the least bit of respect they deserved for being loyal to him. He kept his eyes on me as if I were the only thing that mattered in the world.
As we crossed through the sitting room and headed for the stairs, I realized how tired I was. When we made it to the second floor, my feet ached and my body was itchy. The wet material clung to my body and I was ready to get out of this dress.
I hadn’t really slept last night and I didn’t eat until he took me out to the Iron Pot. It was late and I wanted nothing more than to hop into bed. Would I be sleeping in that dressing room or would I get my old room back?
I didn’t really care which one I got. I was looking forward to knocking out and not having to deal with my panicked thoughts. The break that sleep promised from all of this was very much needed.
When we passed my old room, I was a little disappointed because I was curious if it looked the same but I was fine with the other room too. At this point, I didn’t care where I was going to sleep or so I thought.
As we passed the Luna room, I was about to protest and tell him we missed it when we came to a stop in front of Alpha’s room, or Shane’s room. The words died on my tongue and I swear my heart stopped beating as I stared at the door.
I watched in shock as Shane reached for the door and opened it. His other hand was. on the small of my back and I kept my mouth shut as he led me in. The lights were off and I felt as if I were walking into a dragon’s lair.
Had I actually thought he was going to have me sleep in a different room? Yes. Was it naive of me to think he would let me out of his sight? Yes, it definitely was. I wasn’t even thinking of sharing a bed with Shane but I wanted to slap myself now that I realized I hadn’t considered this as an outcome.
You would think I would have been better prepared, especially since I’ve seen it. I saw us share a bed before my death and somehow it didn’t carry over. I should have seen it coming if not at least expected it.
The lights turned on and Shane walked past me. I watched as he disappeared into the bathroom. I didn’t move from my spot, my brain was split between shutting down and self-destructing.
I would have turned to stone if I stayed still any longer. Looking around the room, I realized it was still dark even with the lights on. the walls were a charcoal gray, a large black-tufted framed California king-size bed sat along the wall.
Despite the way my fingers twitched with the need to run my hand over the design etched into the wood, I was not going near that bed. As I scanned the room, I realized it was pretty bare.
The wall to the right was basically just the wide window. It started from the left and ran across to the right side. The window had a thick white frame and I’m sure during the day, the view is breathtaking.
There was a large white granite fireplace that sat across from the window. There was a fur rug spread out on the floor and stretched from the bed to the fireplace. There was no furniture other than the bed.
I did spot a door that led to what I’m assuming is a walk-in closet. His room felt empty and if not for the fireplace, it would have felt cold. The walls were bare, there wasn’t a single picture in sight.
What have I gotten myself into? Look at where I was, I’m standing in Shane’s room. I fought the urge to crumble to the floor and curl into a ball. I had been looking forward to crawling into bed and crying my heart out but now I doubt I would be able to even get a wink of sleep.
Shane’s head popped out from the bathroom and I fought the urge to fly back against the wall and disappear. When I looked at him, he waved me in. I took a step towards the bathroom.
Yes, that’s right. Go on, Adea. Listen to the psycho killer and follow him into the bathroom. He’s got a nice toasty shower waiting for you where he’s going to massage your shoulders and ask you about your day.
I was faced with the reality of my situation, I was about to undress in front of Shane. I’m the queen of brilliant ideas but there wasn’t anything I could do about that right now. I could sit here and mope about what I’ve done and how I got myself in this situation or I could grow a pair and hold myself accountable for the hole I dug for myself.
Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I applied the same amount of effort I’ve been using to spiral towards seducing Shane. I needed to mentally check out before I could convince myself to ruin everything I’ve set out to achieve at Half Moon.
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my chin, and without a second thought, I let my feet lead me through the bathroom door where I found Shane. When we left the forest, he had been shirtless but still had pants on. Since turning on the faucet, Shane had gotten rid of his pants and now stood in the shower completely naked.