Chapter 106

I turned back to my room closing the door behind me. My heart was so full. I was almost dizzy with the feeling of Candido’s lips against mine and his voice in my ear. I shivered and walked away from the door.

Then, a knock sounded on the door.

“Yes?” I asked.

The door opened and Candido stepped in. His eyes were full of light and hungry. My heart lurched. Then he was across the room, cupping my face and kissing me. He turned me towards my bed and shove me down. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him against me.

He groaned into my mouth and lifted me up. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but it didn’t matter. I just hoped this wasn’t another dream.

He kissed me and ran his hands over my body. I shivered and gasped. Then, I felt something giving way, like there was a resistance in me that was falling. I pushed back against the feeling and he grunted, rolling his hips against mine and pinning my hands over my head as he kissed me deeply and possessively. I moaned and wrapped my legs around his waist. My heart was racing.

He growled against my mouth and lowered his head, nipping at my neck. I squirmed, trying to get him to stop, but he pressed his body down on mine and held me still, taking in a deep breath.

“You smell so good,” he growled. “Delicious.”

I felt his teeth scraping over my skin and shivered. I twisted, but my resistance started to fade. No, I felt like I was growing weaker, pliant. I felt a little breathless and dizzy from how much he’d been kissing me.

Then, the scent of cold air hit my nose, and suddenly, I wasn’t beneath Candido on my bed at the estate. I was on the cold tile of the locker room. Above me was a man I didn’t recognize. My stomach dropped and I screamed.

“Hedy!” Candido drew back sharply as I turned over, shuddering and drawing away from him as the memory started to fade.

My blood was running cold. I didn’t know what to say or do. I was so scared for some reason, though I knew that man was dead and I had nothing to fear from Candido.

I looked up and shivered as he leaned over me. His eyes were full of concern as he stroked my hair.

“Shh,” he hushed. “It’s okay. It’s all right. You’re safe.”

I nodded, reaching for him. He pulled me up into his arms and stroked my hair.

“I’m sorry, princess. I’m sorry. Just breathe for me. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll go.”

I tightened my grip on him and shook my head, still shivering. He went still as if he was trying to decide whether or not he should go, but he continued stroking my hair and whispering sweet, soothing things in my ear.

“Let’s get you into something warm, okay? You’re freezing.”

“Don’t leave.”

“I’ll make you hot chocolate if you want?”

I nodded and drew back slowly. He stood and walked to one of my drawers before pulling out some pajamas. He offered them to me before steering me towards the bathroom.

“Go change. I’ll be right here.”

I didn’t want to close the door in case he planned to dart out, so I left it open and changed behind it. He laughed. I walked out with a pout.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“I told you I wouldn’t leave,” he said gently and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Come on, precious. Shall we?”

I nodded and headed out of my room with him, feeling like I was walking on air as we got down to the kitchen. He took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders as he guided me into a seat. I watched him patiently as he went around looking for ingredients. He pulled out a pot and simmered the milk before dumping the hot chocolate powder I liked into a mug.

“Are you feeling better now, Hedy?” Candido asked.

I looked down. “I’m okay.”

He moved stiffly, like he wanted to ask more but he said nothing as he mixed my hot chocolate and came back to me.

“Come on,” Candido said. “I want to take you somewhere.”

I frowned, but nodded and followed him out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I had no idea where I was going until the décor changed color and my heart started to race.

The estate was divided into four sections: staff, guests, pack members, and the alpha king’s section.

I had never been in Candido’s section of the estate. I took in everything I saw, barely restraining myself from asking a bunch of questions. We turned down a hallway and I gasped as I saw a large portrait of the woman with Candido’s eyes.

His mother.

She had a kind smile.

As we passed, there was the faintest scent of ash that tickled my nose. I gasped and stopped, staring up at it.

“I salvaged it,” he said softly. “It was… one of the few things that I could.”

I swallowed and looked back at him. “It’s… a lovely portrait.”

He turned back and grinned. “She hated it.”

I laughed. “Really?”

“She did,” he said. “Not as much as my stepmother hated it, but she hated it all the same. She complained the entire time she sat for it.”

He turned and looked up at it. “Still, the painter did a great job… I’m hoping she’ll treat you with the same hand though she’s older now.”

“She’s still alive?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said. “She didn’t live on premises.”

I caught up with him and we kept walking. There were a set of large doors at the end of the hallway. They looked polished and ornate even in the darkness.

“What’s that?”

“My room,” he said. “For… obvious reasons, I’m not taking you there right now.”

I swallowed and nodded my head. He nodded towards a more delicate set of doors. “Open it.”

I hesitated, but I pushed the door opened. Both opened inward and I gasped. The antechamber was huge and decorated with rich gold and cream on the walls.

“Look around. It will be yours soon enough.”

I turned back and looked at him. “Really?”

He smiled. “I don’t expect you to use it often… I’d prefer it if we shared a bed, but I understand that you might want your own space when you’re being huffy.”

I stuck my tongue out at him and turned to explore the rest of the room. The bathroom was huge and luxurious. The tub was twice as large as the one in my bedroom. There was a separate shower and it was so beautiful that I could hardly wait to use it. The bedroom had a large four poster bed with a canopy. There was an attached study with an extra door.

“Not that way,” he said.

I turned back. “Where does it lead?”

“My office.”

I licked my lips and glanced at the door.

“There’s another door that you might be more interested in.”

I doubted it but I followed him out of the study and into another door where a small sitting area was. The back wall was a row of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out to a balcony that overlooked the forest and mountains. He nudged the door of the terrace open and I found it surprisingly warm.

“One day, I’m sure you’ll want a table or something out here, but for now, I had a little nook set up.”

The loungers looked over-stuffed and comfortable. There were thick blankets there and the space heater blocked in the area neatly against the cold. It was so quiet on this side of the estate that I could believe that there wasn’t a war going on and there was no danger lurking in the woods below. I heard owls hooting and the occasional gust of wind, but nothing else.

He set the mugs on the small table beside the lounger before sitting and offering his hand to me. I took it and let him pull me into his lap. The moon was bright overhead. He wrapped us up in a blanket and gave me my hot chocolate. He pulled me back to lean against his chest and for a few moments, we sat quietly, sipping our drinks.

It didn’t take long for the scare from earlier to catch up with me. I started to get sleepy. He set my mug down.

“Do you want to stay here or should I take you back to your room?”

I shook my head. “Here… Stay with me?”