Make Me Believe

Mommy or Monster

Warmth. That was all I felt aside from the strong feeling of protective arms around me.

I snuggled closer to the warmth, thinking it was my blanket. But then I felt something hard.

I opened my eyes to see a tanned chest. The protective arms around me because real, and I could feel his chest rising an falling with every breath.

My eyes slowly made their way up to finally rest on his face. Derek. What? Why are Derek and I snuggling? Why is he in my bed?

Then I remembered last night. Where was Autumn? She fell asleep in between Derek and me. I tried to sit up, but ended up falling on Derek's chest when he rolled from his side, to his back. His eyes opened, and they automatically locked with mine.

My cheeks grew warm, because well, I was laying on him, and his arms were wrapped around my waist holding me against him in a way that my hands were flat against his chest to keep me from fully laying on him.

"Where's Autumn?" I whispered.

He sat up, letting go of me and looked around the room, as did i. I let a breath out when we both spotted her laying at the end of the bed, her feet hanging off. The bathroom light was on, so I assumed she had gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night and left it on, and falling back asleep before she fully got back on the bed.

I felt arms around me again, and looked down to see Derek's arms wrapping around my waist. Then I felt him pull me to him, and my back pressed against his hard chest. I tensed up but then relaxed after a moment or so.

Maybe he thought I was someone else. He could still be half asleep. He probably already has a mate that was arranged to be married to him since the day his mother found out his gender.

I sighed and fully leaned against him, my head resting on his shoulder, rising and falling with every steady breath to took. It was so peaceful, and it had me drifting off again...

~~~

When I woke up, i was laying on my side, and his arms were still around me. I could feel his chest against my back, and his head was cradled in the crook of my neck. I smiled and then caught sight of the clock that sat on my night stand.

11:43

I turned onto my other side and faced Derek.

"Derek!" I whispered, and shook him slightly by placing my hand against his chest and pushing repeatedly.

His eyes opened, alarm was visible. Then his gaze met mine and it went away, being replaced with a look I've never seen. A look I couldn't explain.

"It's almost noon." I told him. He sighed and sat up, taking his arms from around me.

I frowned at the vacancy that his arms left when they weren't there. I sat up and looked at the end of the bed. Autumn wasn't there. I climbed to the edge and looked over. I sat up straight and started laughing.

"What?" Derek said with that amazing morning voice.

"She fell off the bed after we fell back asleep." I said, too busy laughing to fan girl over his voice.

He smiled and then got up. Going to the end of the bed, he picked Autumn up and set her on the bed.

"I can give her a bath and get her ready for you." I offered.

"Thank you." He said, as he pulled his shirt he had worn the day before over his head and down his torso, covering his abs.

He walked over to me and kissed me on the forehead before turning and leaving.