Delta [Epsilon #2]

Chapter Forty-Three

Kyra

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I stirred in the warmth. Muffled birdsongs greeted me, beckoning me to wake. I buried myself deeper in the covers. Five more minutes, I decided, because it was far too warm and far too cozy to step out into the morning chill. And had my bed always been this plush? 

No, it hadn't, I realized. Within moments, I was sitting upright, staring at two black pillows that weren't mine. I flipped over with wide eyes, scanning the rest of the dark bedsheets. For a moment, I worried I'd gotten myself kidnapped until I spied the log walls. My eyes roamed the room, darting from the mahogany dresser to my life to the plush armchair to my right. No pictures peppered the walls and no trinkets accentuated the surfaces. In fact, there seemed to be no hint of personal touch.

My eyes roamed further, and that's where I found him. I sucked in a sharp breath. His arms were folded over his broad chest, the outlines of his muscle visible through the flimsy material of his shirt. His head rested against the back of the chair, his jaw line looking sharp enough to cleave rocks. Even so, I couldn't help but notice how soft his lips looked without that permanent sneer, or how strange his forehead was without the wrinkle of a scowl. For a moment, I forgot where I was, or why I was even here. 

And then it came rushing back to me. The drinks, the cookie, the confessions... I pushed my palms into my eyes. Idiot. Of all places I could have ended up, of course it had to be the Delta's bed. Just my luck. 

As I peered at him between my fingers, his soft snores the only sound in the room, I recalled something else, too. His name. He'd told me his name. 

I swallowed the ash in my throat. "Faelen?"

My voice was barely above a whisper, but immediately the white-haired male jerked upright, his eyes darting about the room as though in search of something. They were wide, almost wild, and when they landed on me, I could have sworn something died in them. He looked almost disappointed. 

His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer. "You remembered."

It wasn't so much a statement as it was a question. I leaned back against the bedhead, searching his face. He didn't seem angry, or even annoyed that I'd remembered. In fact, he looked indifferent. "You shouldn't be surprised. I have a good memory."

One side of his mouth twitched up into a smile. Slowly, he leaned back against the chair, bracing an arm behind his head. I tried not to look at where his shirt had ridden up to expose a slither of his chiselled midriff. "So, take it you remember everything else that happened last night?"

I suppressed a wince. "Unfortunately."

"And has the humiliation set in yet?"

I puffed out my chest in indignance. "Of course not. Why would I be embarrassed?"

He breathed a chuckle, leaning forward. "Well, I don't know if you remember, but you actually called me sexy." He smirked at my widening eyes "I'm curious. Do you think I'm hot, Sunshine?"

Sunshine. I picked up a green accent pillow and threw it at him. He caught it with a chuckle, staring at me with that wicked grin. I fought the heat rising to my cheeks and turned away. Alright, maybe I was a little embarrassed. 

"Stop that! I was talking out my ass last night, so don't let it get to your head. I don't intend on stroking that damn ego of yours."

He cocked a brow. "Ego? Well, correct me if I'm wrong..."

His eyes darted somewhere below me, and his voice trailed off into silence. I frowned at him before following his gaze, and what I saw left me gaping in horror. I must have been fidgeting a lot during the night, because the majority of my skirts had ridden up around my hips. Now, the vast expanse of my left thigh was displayed for the world to see.