The Prophecy - ACOTAR

Chapter 34

Astrid stretched awake, the feeling of a hard and bigger body shifting beneath her, reminding her that Az had come to check on her last night. Astrid hadn't wanted to be alone after he had helped her figure out dreams vs. reality and she had fought to push past the louder voice in her head. The whisper had stayed silent, but she could still feel its presence in her mind. It felt like it knew she needed to take that step on her own, she needed to ignore the louder voice.

Astrid knew she still had a long way to go, but something about the male beneath her felt safe. She had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with their mating bond, at least partly. It allowed her to feel safe enough to begin to see the male underneath the dark and hard exterior, it allowed her to remember how he was in Rhys's memories. Because she struggled to remember how Rhys was Under the Mountain, she struggled to remember how Cassian was in the memories, all she could see was that they were a male.

Time, that's what she needed. To be able to trust other males like she's able to trust Az, and maybe she would never trust them like she did him, but she wouldn't want to murder them on site. She would never be able to trust someone immediately, her training and upbringing wouldn't let her, but before she had been able to be level-headed and kept her mind open to the possibility. Now, she over analyzed every movement and word that came from a male.

With Az, the only thing she worried about was whether her past would push him away. The scars on her body didn't seem to affect his attraction to her, she had felt that last night. Her anxiety had spiked a bit, but he made no move to act on whatever was going through his head, he kept his hands on her back or playing with her hair. There was something comforting about that, knowing he found her attractive but that he recognized that she wasn't ready for that yet.

Everything about last night had proved to her that he was being honest when he said he'd go at whatever pace she wanted. That he wouldn't push her.

She could feel the sun shining through the window, but she wasn't quite ready to leave the comfort of Az. He may be all muscles, but he was the perfect pillow, and he smelled amazing. She nuzzled into his chest, taking a deep breath, her chest warming. Astrid had already decided she was going to accept the mating bond, she made that decision yesterday when she licked his hand, she just hadn't realized it until this morning. She still needed time before she accepted it, she knew what came after, lots and lots of sex.

The idea of exploring Az definitely appealed to her, but her chest grew tighter the more she thought about it. She wasn't ready for that kind of intimacy.

Astrid couldn't say whether her decision was because of the bond or because she chose it. She thought it might be a combination, but she couldn't really say she cared much. Out of all the males, she was lucky it was him. Most would have shaken her awake, assumed they could hold her, and she would have freaked out, probably stabbed them in the process. But he was careful, only touched her when he needed to or she asked, exactly what he had told her yesterday.

She let out a happy sigh as his fingers combed through her hair again, she loved that.

"Good morning, Astrid." His deep voice rougher, a sign that he had also recently woken up.

"Mornin." Astrid mumbled, tracing little patterns on his chest.

Az chuckled, "How'd you sleep?"

"No more nightmares, so a lot better. Thank you." Astrid paused her patterns, her eyes catching on Az's massive wings splayed across the bed.

Her curiosity got the best of her as she reached her hand towards one, wanting to know what they felt like. He gently grabbed her wrist, "As much as I would love to feel your hand there, probably best to wait on that." He brought her hand up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.