Fated: The Alpha's Unwanted Luna-Chapter 98: Her presence in his room

Sebastian woke up past midnight, just as he normally did, even when he managed to get a little bit of shut-eye at night, because his body was not used to a full night’s sleep with so much responsibility resting heavily on his shoulders. His sleep schedule was so messed up that not even the antidote could keep him asleep for long.

His eyes opened to the familiar ceiling of his main quarter, and at first he was confused about what he was doing there until he recalled the events of yesterday morning. His tensed muscles immediately relaxed as it dawned on him that Matt must have brought him back here, as expected, to hide the fact that he had saved Viola from having to be admitted into the healing house.

Viola. The thought of her made the corner of his mouth twitch slightly as he recalled how leaning on her had made the discomfort in his chest feel less unbearable. He also remembered how he had leaned on her in the car, where, despite how much smaller she was compared to him and how awkward the position had been, it had almost felt like the most comfortable place in the world.

But then, as expected of a mate, he was supposed to find comfort in her more than anywhere else. What baffled him was how she had felt even more comforting than the other women he had taken as mates so far, women he had eventually distanced himself from for being annoyingly clingy and demanding more than he could ever give them.

Perhaps he was more drawn to Viola because she wasn’t that kind of woman. Perhaps it was because she played so hard to please and constantly confused him. All the women he had been around before had been the willing type who rushed toward him before he even noticed their presence.

Sebastian belatedly realized he was lying in his bed thinking about women, and that particular little woman, when he should be getting up to handle some of his work in the private office within his quarter, which had the same system as the one in his office at the High Tower. He was never short of work.

Yet this was the first time he had woken up with the thought of any woman lingering in his mind, and it made him scowl faintly as he sat up on the bed and ran his fingers through his disheveled silver hair. That simple action made him strangely aware of her delicious daisy scent still clinging to his body, and Sebastian instinctively inhaled, feeling it soothe something restless inside him.

Had she come inside his room for her scent to linger this strongly in the air? He wondered, noticing that he was still lying in bed with his shoes on and fully dressed, his suit now wrinkled from being used like sleepwear.

The thought of her being in this room and perhaps helping to put him to bed made something inside his chest feel unexpectedly light, but he quickly shook the feeling away as he swung his legs off the bed, about to stand.

But his eyes immediately fell upon a small figure curled up on the floor right beside the bed, so close that if he had stepped forward without looking, he would have accidentally stepped on her.

Sebastian was completely taken aback to find her there. Had she really come inside with Matt and then fallen asleep on the floor? He could hardly believe it. He found himself crouching down next to her just to make sure his mind was not still clouded by sleep and imagining things.

The mate bond could be a very strange and powerful thing, and the fact that he had been thinking about her so intensely almost made him doubt his own sight. But when he gently reached out and touched her shoulder, he felt the solid warmth of her body beneath his hand, not an illusion.

She was really here.

The corner of his pale pink lips curved into a faint smile as he looked down at her. She was curled up tightly with her knees drawn to her chest, her right palm tucked under her cheek as a pillow. The position had caused her dress to ride up slightly over her milky fair thighs, giving him an unintended view of her bare legs and a brief glimpse of her underwear.

Pink boyshort, he noted silently. Wasn’t that unexpectedly adorable? He’d never had a woman who wore pink boyshort, sexy lacy tong was the trend.

He forced his eyes away before he tortured himself further by looking at something he knew he shouldn’t. He had a strong feeling she was the kind of woman who would throw a punch if touched without consent rather than melt into pleasure like the many women he had previously known and grown accustomed to.

She was just so different.

His gaze softened as it trailed to her face, where her glasses had turned crooked from lying on her side and her hair had become disheveled around her cheeks. She hadn’t even bothered to remove her glasses before falling asleep. Little idiot, he mused silently, reaching out to carefully remove them from her face and placing them gently on his nightstand.

Unable to stop himself, he brushed the strands of hair covering half her face aside and tucked them behind her delicate fair ear, which wore no earrings or any other accessories.

Why hadn’t she worn the set of jewelry he had sent her? He was well aware that many women loved jewelries, and his sister in particular had once begged him to buy her that exact set. Because he had thought Viola and his sister were close, he had assumed they might share the same taste.

It had taken him calling in connections and paying a large sum of money to secure that set, and because he knew it would look stunning against her fair skin and complement the color of her eyes, he had immediately purchased it for her without hesitation.

Didn’t she like it? He hadn’t heard her opinion about the jewelry yet, and the unanswered question settled in his mind, making him unexpectedly curious about what she thought about his gift. He supposed he would only find out when she woke up.

Without the hair covering her face, he had a clear view of her peaceful sleeping expression and her adorable, slightly pouted lips that looked as soft as a rose petal. Curious to know whether they felt as soft and smooth as they appeared, Sebastian slowly trailed his fingers toward her mouth and gently traced the curve of her lips with his index finger.

Just as he had expected, they felt soft, far softer than the first time he had met her in Moonwillow, when her lips had been chapped and cracked from hardship.

Remembering that version of her sent a sharp, unexpected pain through his chest, because at that time he had truly intended to turn his back on her completely. No wonder she disliked him now. But then again, could anyone really blame him for wanting to escape weakness after losing so much already?