I wake up in the middle of the night to someone moaning in pain. Pulling away from Nickolas and turning, I find him dripping with sweat, a deep frown etched on his face. His fists are clenched, and he continues to groan as if in agonizing pain. Could it be a nightmare?
“I will kill you. I will fucking kill you,” Nickolas shouts in his sleep, his voice laced with anger and desperation. Startled by the sudden outburst, I jump, my heart pounding in my chest. But as he continues to thrash and yell, a wave of concern washes over me, overpowering any fear I may feel.
Feeling the urgent need to do something, I hesitate for only a moment before gently moving closer to him. Ignoring his request to only call him by his title, I reach out and tap his shoulder, calling his name softly. In this moment of distress, I believe it’s necessity and it might help bring him back from whatever nightmare is plaguing his dreams. He doesn’t answer and continues to curse and scream in pain. My heart aches to witness my mate like this, so I try harder to wake him up. I straddle his waist and begin to shake his shoulders, screaming at him to wake up. It works, but what I didn’t anticipate was having to beg Nickolas not to kill me. His eyes shoot open, and he quickly flips us over, his hand around my neck, choking me.
“Nickolas, it’s me,” I say, my neck burning as he presses me into the bed. My words don’t seem to register.
“It’s me, Amelia, your mate,” I plead, staring into his still-hooded eyes. He’s not fully awake yet. I struggle hard to free myself from his grip but fail. An idea pops into my head.
“Please don’t kill me,” I kick him in the balls. It does the trick as his eyes clear, and he groans in pain, releasing my neck.
“Fuck, Amelia,” he says, holding his groin, falling to the side.
“I’m sorry,” I quickly rush out of bed, putting some distance between us in case he decides to harm me.
“You could have fucking woken me up any other way,” he grits out.
“Sorry,” I whisper, moving closer to the bed. I pick up my nightgown that Nickolas took off earlier and pulled it over my body.
“I need to shower,” Nickolas says, sitting up on the bed.
I hear the bathroom door close. Nickolas is acting strangely. Why did he just do that? I’ve never seen him shirtless, but I doubt he has anything underneath to be ashamed of, so I don’t understand. The man is sexy; I bet my knees would have been trembling at the sight of him shirtless, so it doesn’t make sense. I ponder over it as Nickolas showers and fall asleep thinking about it.
***
The following morning I slowly flutter my eyes open, stretching my sore limbs. Glancing to my right, I find Nickolas peacefully asleep, a stark contrast to the tumultuous night before. My gaze lingers on him lying on his back, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a calming cadence. He’s wearing a vest again and isn’t shirtless, as I would expect. As I listen to his steady heartbeat, an inexplicable tranquility washes over me. Shifting onto my belly, I relish the opportunity to fully admire his striking face. Despite the fear he instills in me when awake, watching him sleep brings an odd serenity to my heart. My fingers ache to trace the contours of his full brows, to explore the softness I imagine lies beneath. Yielding to the temptation, my hand inches toward his face but is abruptly caught before reaching its destination. His emerald eyes shoot open, darkening the second they land on me. I bit my bottom lip, fearing I might have ruined my day before it even started.
“Don’t ever fucking try to lay your hands on me again. I will chop it off if you dare,” he utters, flinging my hand aside. A painful grip tightens around my heart. Though not unfamiliar, his words pierce through me, leaving a lingering ache. It’s not the first instance of such threats, yet the repetition fails to dull the hurt. He, of all people, should crave my touch, yet here he is, threatening amputation. It’s a sorrowful realization, one that stings deeply.
“Sorry, I won’t do it again,” I murmur as he rises from the bed. Expecting him to head to the bathroom, I’m caught off guard by his unexpected move. Nickolas seizes my ankle, pulling me to his side. A yelp escapes me as he lifts me to my feet, his hand now at the back of my neck. I’m bewildered as he buries his nose in the nape of my neck, taking in my scent. My breathing seizes. What on earth is he doing?
“You smell as you fucking should if I fucked your brains last night. Good,” He murmurs against my skin, the words sending a rush of heat through me all the way to my center. My knees involuntarily clench together.
He pulls away from my neck and stares into my eyes. I swallow hard as his hand continues to rest on my neck. My eyes gaze into those beautiful emerald eyes of his, and I find myself lost staring at them. They are so beautiful but filled with much sorrow, pain, and sadness. How can I tell? I don’t, maybe because we are mates, but I can see it behind the void look he is giving me right now. And not just that, I feel a strong tug in my heart to erase all those pain and suffering. He doesn’t deserve it, but my heart can’t bear not to want to help.
He withdraws his hand and heads to the bathroom, leaving me pondering whether to follow the pull in my heart to unveil the mysteries behind his stern look and emotionless eyes.
***
Nickolas and I step outside the hotel an hour or two later, greeted by the sleek Mercedes parked at the front. We finished getting ready a few minutes ago. As Nickolas hoped, his scent still lingers on my skin even after showering. I approach the waiting car, ready to step in, when a sudden glint of reflected light from someone’s shades catches my eye, momentarily blinding me. Squinting against the glare, I attempt to identify the person, but in the blink of an eye, they vanish as if they were never present. Weird! Deciding not to dwell on it, I step into the car to be on our way.
As always, I sit quietly in the back while Nickolas ignores me, engrossed in his phone. After a few minutes of driving, the car comes to a halt at a golf resort. Upon entering the lobby, my eyes catch sight of Eric patiently waiting for us. A surge of genuine happiness courses through me, and without hesitation, I hurriedly make my way towards him. He is the only person in this whole kingdom who likes me. You can’t imagine how thrilled I am to see him.
“Hello, Eric,” I greet, a genuine smile gracing my lips.
“Hello, Amelia,” he responds, mirroring the warmth, and extends his arm towards me. Nickolas strides ahead toward the golf course, leaving us.
“Can I know why we are here?” I inquire, taking Eric’s offered arm as we follow Nickolas.
“Nickolas has a business meeting with a human living in the city.”
“Oh,” I acknowledge, recognizing that while it might be lycan territory, it’s merely another city for humans. Curiosity nudges at me, prompting further inquiry.
“Do you mind telling me what business?” I question, my interest piqued.
“He is trying to build another hospital in town to make it easier for us to access blood, but the man he is meeting today is holding up the deal. Nickolas plans to talk him into changing his mind while they play golf.”
“Oh, alright,” I nod in understanding.