The Alpha's Daydream ✔️

Chapter 27

2986 words

Malachi jolted awake with the painful scream.

"Noooooo!"

"Ariella? Ari, wake up! Ariella!!" he shook her carefully, his heart twisting at the painful expression on her face. She thrashed around, her hands pounding into his chest.

"No, no, no!" she sobbed, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Ariella, it's okay. I'm right here." After flicking on the light, he pulled her to his chest, holding her close. "It's okay, I've got you."

Her eyes flew open, glazed with the nightmare, and took a moment to search his eyes. Many emotions crossed her face. Fear, terror, disbelief. But when realisation crept across, he felt her sag against his chest.

"You're alive. You...you're okay," she placed both of her palms over his heart, and loosened a sigh when it sped up. He wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but feeling his heartbeat seemed to wipe away the vestiges of her nightmare. She looked back up at him and smiled weakly through the tears that were still slipping from her wide brown eyes. "It's beating. Your heart is beating and you're alive," she ran her hands up his chest, around his neck, and rested her forehead against his.

Malachi pulled her closer, unsure how to answer. He was content to just hold her and let her recover, maybe talk about her night terror when she was ready. Whatever was plaguing her in her dreams, he wanted to leap in and tear the monsters to shreds. He didn't think he'd forget her traumatised expression anytime soon, and it was instinct for the Alpha to want to protect his mate.
Even from her dreams, which he knew was impossible.

"I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere, Ariella," he smoothed back her tussled hair from her tear-streaked face.

Her beautiful brown eyes lifted to his again, arresting him in place and piercing his heart with tender arrows. "I'm so glad you're okay," Ariella pressed a firm kiss to his forehead, her hands placed firmly on both sides of his head. "So glad, you have no idea." Her intoxicating lavender scent smothered him with its beauty, dragging him under her spell.

He remembered what it felt like to have his lips against hers, the electricity pulsing between them amplified by the water above them.

He wanted to kiss her again.

And again, and again.

But at the time, she had been drowning, her lungs void of air.
Now, while she was still shaking from the nightmare, he doubted she would be okay with a kiss. A real kiss.
That would have to wait for when she was ready, when she chose him.

Or not at all.

Shaking off the negative thoughts, Malachi just lay there and enjoyed the feel of Ariella in his arms, her ear against his heart, her breathing becoming more regular as he stroked her back comfortingly.
She was his mate, and he would do everything in his power to protect her.

Even from himself.

~~~🖤🖤~~~

"So what's on the agenda today?"

Malachi looked at her through his glasses even though they were prescribed for close computer work and reading. His vision of Ariella would always be crystal clear even if he had mud in his eyes. "My agenda is to finish this stack of paperwork, then hopefully get down to training this afternoon and check up on the new warriors. Feel free to tag along."

Ariella gave him a sheepish grin from her position on the velvet loveseat. She had made herself perfectly at home in his office, tagging along wherever he went. She had stuck to him all morning, following him like a shadow ever since waking up in his arms. Though insisting she was okay and slept perfectly fine since her nightmare during the night, her furtive eyes betrayed her words.