The Heat

7

I felt like such a creep, just watching Sofia sleep next to me. She was exhausted after her heat, and I felt bad for her.

At least the pill had helped her, but I knew that it was just a one time thing. The silver in it would be dangerous if taken a second time, so we would need to be completing the mate bond within the next few weeks.

She was the most beautiful creature, and my wolf absolutely adored her already. My wolf was very straight forward, but I had other plans to woo her.

The sun had gone down a long time ago, and I just stayed here laying on my side and watching as slow and steady breaths slipped past her lips at a gentle tempo. Her chest rose and fell, the low cut in her shirt exposing more skin than what she'd most likely be comfortable with.

I gently pulled up the shirt a bit from the neckline, covering her cleavage up so that this wouldn't be too weird. Who the fuck was I kidding, me watching as she slept was creepy enough.

I carefully moved her hair back from over her face, tucking it behind her ear so I had a better view of her features.

Just as I was about to gently brush my thumb over her cheeks, which had stains from her crying, her eyes opened. My breath almost caught in my chest at the wonder that was her.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, voice husky and tired.

"Nothing," I mumbled, quickly lifting myself up to sit on the edge of the bed, not wanting to be judged by those damn eyes of hers. The pull I felt towards her was crazy, and constantly growing to a point where I felt like I was really going insane, unable to do anything about anything.

"What time is it?" She murmured quietly, also sitting up and leaning her back against the headboard. My back kept turned to her.

"Uh..." I pulled out my phone and silently cursed, "two AM..."

"How long were you watching me sleep?" Sofia hesitantly asked, and I swear I groaned.

"I wasn't- I just... your chest was spilling out so I lifted your neckline up a little, and your hair was in front of your face," I told her, voice sounding almost pissed off. This couldn't get much worse, and it made me feel even more frustrated.

"Oh," I could feel the confusion she was feeling, and also her eyes glued to my back.

There was nothing left to say and since I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, I got up and ran a hand through my hair.

"Why are you such a drama queen?" She huffed, and immediately I turned around with furrowed brows.

"Excuse me?"

She gave me a nervous, but still a very gentle and stunning smile. "Just stay here, stop making everything so difficult".

My heart rate increased at the thought of sleeping in the same bed as her, my mate. She must be feeling our bond growing stronger as well, as she didn't want me to leave. This was good.

"You don't mind?" I raised my brows at her a bit, just studying her in the dimness.

"You did the right thing, Damian. Giving me the pill instead of... you know... and I want to thank you," she spoke quietly, eyes leaving mine and focusing on her fiddling fingers. What did she mean by thanking me? My mind was racing in places it definitely shouldn't even be in, still knowing someone like me would never stand a chance with her unless we had this bond.

"Yeah," I let out a small breath and nodded, probably looking like a complete fool. Yet again without saying anything, I climbed back onto the bed. She handed me a little of the duvet and I covered myself with it.

I wasn't going to start taking any of my clothes off, not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable than she was already. I didn't mind sleeping in day clothes when it abled me to be this close to her.

"Do you feel it?" I asked after a moment of just staring up at the ceiling, referring to our bond growing stronger. Sofia had shifted down to lay beside me, also on her back.

"Yes," she replied in a quiet and gentle tone that literally had my dick twitching. She was so beautiful, pure and sweet, and then there was me.

"I'm sorry-" I began, but got cut off with her tone turning sharp.

"You've already apologised for kidnapping me. I don't want to talk about it right now," she sounded almost wounded, and I felt the pain she was feeling. I sighed, closing my eyes for just a moment.

"That's not what I was going to apologise for, Sofia. I'm sorry you got stuck with me as a mate," I began again, voice low to match our surroundings and situation, "I'm not some prince Charming and I never will be. I don't know what you've heard, but I didn't have Alpha Sawyer killed because of some stupid territory bullshit. I couldn't stand the thought of you two fucking-"

I cut myself off, not wanting to make any crude remarks about her dead boyfriend, who she had cared for - as much as it killed me to admit it.

"I should have just left you alone, never even met you," I finished.

She was quiet for a moment, before speaking quietly in return.

"Then you wouldn't have gotten more powerful, you'd have just grown weaker and most likely died..."

She was right. Since I'd seen her years ago - before she was 18 and also able to sense her mate - I already began creating the bond on my part. The longer I was away from her, the weaker and angrier I felt.

"You deserve someone like that fucker Sawyer. If I could go back, I wouldn't have had him killed just because you two were together. You could have stayed with him and never had to meet me," I spoke, not understanding why I was spilling this all out to her. Poor girl must feel so confused right now.

"It's too late to think of that stuff now, Damian. I'm stuck with you, and that's it," she sounded almost cold, and I completely understood, "Sawyer was sweet and I loved him. I always will," a small growl powered by possessiveness I was yet to be able to control rumbled up from my chest, but she ignored it, "I can't leave you. If I do, we'll both end up dying a very painful death. Please, just-"

"I'll be good, Sofia. I'll be good to you," I told her quietly, "I'm fucked up, but I don't want you to be as well. Whatever you want, it's yours". This mate shit was really getting to me, I actually cared about her, definitely more than I should and more than she did me, surely.

Again, she was quiet for a moment. My whole body craved to touch her, but I held myself back.

"Give me two days with my family".

Fuck. "I was planning on that happening after we'd mated..."

"What? Why?"

I sighed, hating myself for this, "because then our bond would be completed and... so on". It was just my fucked up brain thinking it would be easier for her to see her family when she felt things for me, making it less hard to leave them again. I guess it wasn't that fucked up, but still...

"Oh".

"Look, I'll just go and see you in the morning. I know you feel uncomfort-" just as i was about to sit up again, her small hand reached over to grab mine. My head darted towards her, immediately feeling comfort from her touch. It felt ecstatic; just being around her did as well.

"Stay. Are you really skipping a chance to sleep next to your mate?" There was almost a sort of teasing tone in her quiet voice.

"You're right," I chuckled almost inaudibly, awkwardly getting back under the covers of the bed. She was now laying on her side, curiously watching me.

"Does this mean you like me?" I turned to head towards hers.

A small smile tugged at the side of her lips, "no". I chuckled again, finding her playful tone amazing.