Page 49 of Maddie

Chapter Twenty

Noah

A soft sound woke Noah, and he tugged the large pillow closer to his chest.No.Not a pillow. It was too warm for that. He looked down to find Maddie’s purple hair on the pillow beside him and his heart leapt at the sight of her nestled there. He tightened his arm around her waist. Her bare back was pressed against his chest, her perfect arse against his semi-hard cock. The events of the night before flooded through him. How they moved together, how she tasted. He smiled to himself as his length swelled even more. But more than the amazing sex, he liked waking up beside her.Well, maybe notmore. It was equally as enjoyable though. Seeing her features so relaxed and knowing she trusted him made his chest warm.

Maddie released a soft sound and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

“Morning,” he whispered.

“Morning,” she sang and rolled to face him. Grinning mischievously, she lifted the blanket and peeked down at his growing erection. “And good morning to you.”

He chuckled and traced her cheek with his thumb. “I’m tempted to suggest we make it agreatmorning.”

“We have time,” she said, peering up at him from beneath her lashes.

“Do we?” he asked, and quickly rolled on top of her, eliciting a surprised squeal from her. “You’re not too sore from last night? I wasn’t exactly gentle.” The first time, anyway—the following rounds hadn’t been as rough, but still…

“I liked it,” she admitted and ran a hand down his chest. “And no, I’m not sore. We heal too quickly to worry about that.”

“Well, in that case…” He lowered his mouth to hers and tangled their tongues in a slow, lazy kiss. His hand ran down her side, past her hip, to grip her thigh. Breaking away from the kiss, he leaned back enough to hook her leg over his shoulder and slid inside her warmth.

Bathed and dressed in a clean shirt, jacket, and trousers that belonged to Ferris, Noah held the front door open for Maddie. She spun, hair still wet as she gathered the white and red hatbox into her arms. The hat itself had been packed away before he got a good look at it. Her movements were slow and reluctant as she walked toward him, her gaze lingering on random items.

“You’ll be back one day,” he assured her.

“I should hope not,” she said as she stepped outside, carrying a large bag with clothes for Mouse and extra supplies over her shoulder. “It wasn’t ever a real home to begin with. It was just a place to create my hats which I can do anywhere. Ivory is my home.”

Noah knew Maddie was right, but he felt her sorrow like a tangible thing. She loved her hats that still hung on the walls inside, but it wouldn’t be safe for her to return while Imogen and Rav ruled Scarlet. They would know who broke Mouse out of the dungeons. The sisters would need to hide in safe houses for years, if not longer. So would he and Alice—but they would be hiding in their own world. He hated thinking of them alone, even if Ferris planned on joining them, and forced into hiding. While he was a new vampire, slightly impulsive, and undoubtedly a risk to them, the idea of leaving Maddie made him want to stay and protect her all the more.

“Coming?” she asked from a few paces away.

Noah shut her front door and strode to her side. They walked together in silence for a handful of streets. He took the time to notice things he hadn’t before, like the goods displayed in shops. Various clothes in styles from different eras, cages with skeletal birds, and scrolling table lamps that cast elaborate shadows on the wall. Another held mirror shards pieced together along the back wall of the display, showing their selection of sex toys from every angle. Noah was torn between stopping to take a longer look and hurrying past that particular shop to avoid the distraction. If they survived long enough, he was definitely circling back if Maddie was up for it.

“This way,” she said softly, noticing his distraction before they turned again.

It was early morning and few others were on the street, but Maddie was known for her hats. Carrying a box tied with a giant ribbon wouldn’t be strange from the best hat maker in Scarlet, so no one spared them a second glance. Hopefully they got the same amount of attention when they went to the palace.

“I was thinking…” he started, but stopped himself. Before he could say anything about maybe staying a bit longer to help Maddie hide Mouse, he needed to see how Alice was doing. With their parents being in Leeds he mightneedto go home with her if she wasn’t recovered enough to take care of herself. And that was even assuming they could return to their London flat. They might need to move to avoid Rav or Chess dragging them back to Imogen.

“Noah?” Maddie prodded.

He sucked in a breath. “Sorry, I should probably think a bit more before I open my mouth.”

Maddie arched a brow and nodded. “Speak when you’re ready then.”

Did she evenwanthim to stay? She said not to break her heart, but that didn’t necessarily mean he would be welcome to practically move in with her. There were plans in place for three: Maddie, Mouse, and Ferris. His tagging along could cause problems. But he was getting ahead of himself. Alice had still been in pain when he ran after Maddie and there was no telling what state she was in now. His sister had barely overcome her agony before he left her, sleeping, to speak with Maddie.

Only she hadn’t been in the safe house—she’d left the cure with Ferris. The male had wasted no time handing over the mushroom and telling him that Maddie went home. Ferris had watched him carefully after breaking the news, as if he was genuinely curious what Noah would do. He could’ve sworn the vampire had smiled when he left without another word. Noah winced. And then he’d spent the entire night fucking Maddie when his sister was going through an extreme transformation.

He shook the guilt and worry away. One step at a time. First, he and Maddie needed to get to the safe house. They had three days until they had to go to the palace to talk and figure out their plan to free Mouse which gave him a little time to sort through what he truly wanted.

After a quick look around to make sure they weren’t being followed, Maddie led the way, slipping around the corner, graceful as a cat, to the front of the safe house. She shifted the box and rapped the secret code on the door. Ferris swung it open a moment later and ushered them inside.

“Noah!” Alice called in a weak voice.

He spun to find his sister sitting on the sofa with a plaid blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her damp hair framed her face, and a bit of color stained her cheeks. The vividness of her blue eyes had faded, making her look almost human again. She smelled human too, but her blood held an acrid, bitter note now. “Sis.” He smiled. “You look much better.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She lifted a strand of hair and dropped it back down. “But an improvement, surely.”

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