Discovering the Void

Chapter Ten

"Why are you in my room? Especially on my bed with a gun?" The deep rumbling voice woke me up with a start, causing my heart to race as I quickly sat up. My head spun slightly from the sudden movement, but I managed to focus just in time to see Ulf towering over me, his expression a mixture of confusion and anger. That sinking feeling of awkwardness I had been desperately trying to avoid was now crashing down upon me. I realized with a flush of embarrassment that I had fallen asleep on his bed, and now he was confronting me with a gun lying by my side.

The situation couldn't have looked worse if I had tried. It was akin to an assassin caught napping on the job.

"Couldn't resist your comfy bed, obviously," I said, trying to inject some fun into the situation, though my heart was pounding. 

"But you found me not here, and were so disappointed you crawled into my bed to wait for it?" His eyebrow was raised. Did he think I came in here to sleep with him? Oh no.

"No that's not-" he held his hand up to stop me from talking, annoying me instantly.

"No head or heart shot, but go on. Take your shot, I deserve it," Ulf's voice was low and intense, his gaze avoiding mine as he spoke. It was clear he believed I was there to exact revenge. The weight of his accusation hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt a pang of guilt and regret.

"Believe it or not, I didn't break in here to play hitman," I quipped, hoping to diffuse the tension. "I came to talk, not to hurt you."

Ulf thrust the gun from the bed into my hand, his anger palpable. "Come on. I deserve it. Fucking do it, Aina. I hurt you. I killed you," he growled, his voice rough with emotion. I could sense the turmoil within him, his inner conflict threatening to spill over into something much more dangerous. We both knew he was on the edge, his wolfish instincts barely contained.

"Ulf," I said softly, taking a deep breath as I carefully placed the gun back on the bed, a silent plea for him to listen. Standing to face him directly, I grasped his arms firmly, forcing him to acknowledge my sincerity. "Stop it now. Yes, it hurt like hell, but you didn't technically kill me. The other guy did. And hey," I tilted his face to meet my gaze, his eyes finally locking with mine, "I'm right here, still kicking. And because of you, I found out some valuable information. I'll share it with everyone once we gather."

He snorted a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. "Information, huh? Is that what we're calling pillow talk these days?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I shot back, smirking. "You're not that good."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were still troubled. "Fine, you're here to chat. But next time, maybe skip the whole 'sleeping in my bed' part. It sends mixed signals."

"Mixed signals? Please, you wish," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "I just wanted to be comfortable while waiting for you to arrive. There nothing to talk about now, basically just said it all."

For a moment, everything hung in the balance, the weight of our unspoken words heavy. "It wasn't a pleasant way to die, but I'm not mad at you," Ulf confessed, his voice carrying a mixture of emotions.

And then, with a hesitant but determined movement, Ulf closed the gap between us, his lips meeting mine with a forceful yet undeniably sincere kiss. The warmth of his lips against mine felt strangely comforting, almost addictively good. Despite my less-than-stellar experiences in the past, this moment felt different, and special. I couldn't help but pull myself closer to him, craving the sensation of him all around me.

Ulf responded by deepening the kiss, his tongue gently exploring past my parted lips. His hands gripped my hips tightly, and I could feel the arousal growing between us, a subtle bulge forming in his pants.