Page 32 of Craved By the Werewolf
She was curled against me, one leg hooked over mine, her hair spilling across my chest like a silken snare. I let my gaze travel the length of her—bare shoulder, smooth skin kissed gold by the early light leaking through the curtains—and for the first time in longer than I could remember, I didn't feel like getting up.
She shifted in her sleep, pressing closer, and my arm tightened around her instinctively. The protective urge was primal, as natural as breathing. Last night had been... more than I'd intended. I'd meant only to keep her safe. Instead, I'd given in to the pull I'd been fighting since the moment we met.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers graze her cheek.
Mine.
Her breathing shifted, lighter, and then those sharp, dark eyes blinked open. For a second, she looked almost surprised to see me—like waking up here wasn't inevitable—then the corner of her mouth curved.
"Morning," she murmured, voice low and husky from sleep.
"Good afternoon." I kept my tone even, though my wolf was practically preening at the sight of her wrapped in my sheets.
"Afternoon? Finally back to my regular schedule." She stretched, and the movement slid the covers lower on her chest. My gaze followed without apology. Her lips twitched like she'd caught me looking—because she had—but instead of covering herself, she propped up on an elbow, studying me in return.
"I've never slept this late in my life. Always up before dawn."
"Good Goddess. I prefer the vampire way. Windows shuttered by sunrise." She rolled in the sheet. "Another form of beauty sleep."
"You are beautiful when you sleep."
"You always watch women sleep?" she asked, teasing but with a thread of genuine curiosity.
"Only the one I plan on keeping," I said, and meant it more than I should.
That earned me a raised brow, but no denial. "You're still in Alpha mode," she said. "All protective and possessive."
"That's not a mode, Vala. That's just me."
She didn't look away, but I could see her thoughts turning behind those eyes. A part of me wanted to press her for answers—to ask if she regretted last night, if she was thinking of leaving right now—but another part knew I'd get more truth by waiting.
Her phone shook on the nightstand. She glanced at the screen, thumb flicking across it before setting it back down face-down.
"Mika," she said when she caught me looking. "I'll call her back later."
So I leaned back against the headboard, close enough for our legs to brush, and let the silence stretch between us.
It was the kind of stillness that got under your skin—steady breathing, the faint rustle of sheets, the scent of her tangled up in mine. I could've stayed in that moment forever.
Then my phone buzzed. Once. Twice. Persistent.
"It's never quiet around here." I reached for it without thinking, scanning the screen.
Raina: East perimeter sensors tripped twice in five minutes. Nothing on the camera's. I'll monitor additional sensors. Kai will meet you.
My wolf bristled instantly, the hairs at the back of my neck lifting. I tapped out a quick reply:
On my way.
Sliding out of bed, I pulled on sweats, aware of Vala stirring behind me. "Something wrong?" she asked, voice still rough with sleep.
"Gate sensors," I said, keeping it short. "Could be nothing. Could be connected to last night."
She pushed up on one elbow again, the sheet slipping to reveal the smooth line of her shoulder. My focus snagged there a beattoo long before I forced it back. "You're going to check it out," she said—not a question.
"Stay here," I told her, pulling a hoodie over my head. "Lock the door. I mean it, Vala."
Her lips curved in the faintest smile. "I'll be fine."
