His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 100: Sleep with me (2)

I tried to turn around, but Eryx’s strong arms kept me still. I squirmed a little, and his face lowered inches from my ear. "I know what you are doing, little one, but it won’t work."

"Excuse me?" I breathed, stopping my actions. "I wanted to turn around."

"Uhuh... You thought we were going to mate moments ago... I wouldn’t put it past you trying to rub yourself against me," Eryx chuckled darkly into my ear. His breath was warm against me, much like the rest of his body, I squirmed a little, but it wasn’t intentional.

He chuckled again, then said more sternly. "Sleep."

"Will you let me turn around? I move a lot in my sleep." Or so I figured after waking up in odd poses with Theo throughout the night.

"Do you now?" He murmured but relaxed his arms around me.

I turned around, ignoring the way his hands felt around my hips as I did so. Tilting my chin up, I asked, "Why have you insisted I sleep? You could have asked anything of me." Even though technically, this shouldn’t have been a bargain, to begin with, I had to choose my battles, especially when there had been so little time, and I had a man as big as a tree blocking my way.

Eryx shrugged nonchalantly. "I need you at your best. You need to recover."

"I don’t see you doing this in bed with Faidon. Or did I miss those moments?" Eryx opened his eyes, their sides crinkling at my attempt at a joke. "Anyway, it was only a little bit of poison, I won’t die. This is unnecessary, and you know it."

"Only?" He scoffed, eyes searching my face as his eyebrows furrowed more and more. "You were expecting it."

His accusing tone turned into harsher breathing as his eyes flickered, pupils dilating at the realisation. "She’s been doing it to you all these years."

My eyes widened as I stared back at him and placed my hands on his face. "Calm down," I demanded, yet in a soothing tone.

Eryx ripped them away, his hold firm and glowered at me. "And you want to stay here instead of the escape I offer you? The freedom I offer by becoming my mate?"

My lips parted and closed as I glared back at him, but I blew out a breath as his words registered. I wanted freedom. But-

"Well?" He pushed, hands squeezing my wrists. I flinched a little, and he instantly let go, caressing the area with his thumbs before those same hands landed on my hips.

"Do you honestly want me to be your mate?" I asked, peering up at him as we lay facing each other, a little too closely but somehow comfortable all the same. "I mean... Look at me."

"I am," he growled, hands tightening on my hips.

"I am without a wolf."

"You are."

"I hold no power here."

"You do. You have more influence than you realise."

I halted for a split second and scoffed, shaking my head. "I cannot give you what you need."

Eryx arched an eyebrow. That harsh breathing was gone, replaced with an intense stare. "And what do I need?"

"Someone who can bear you strong pups."

"When did I tell you this?" His fingers began to draw circles at my waist, reminding me just how thin my nightgown was.

"It is what is expected-"

"You didn’t ask me, Idalia." Idalia, not Lia. I’m not sure why my heart skipped a beat at that. His eyes then drop to my lips. "Something keeps drawing me to you."

Those eyes flicked back to mine with a sharp intensity, captivatingly so. "If it is not your wolf, then your wits, your sheer strength, courage and power of will. Not to mention..." His thumb caressed my bottom lip, and my breath caught. "Your undeniable beauty."

I swallowed and almost cringed at the breathlessness of my voice. "I thought you didn’t want to sleep with me."

"There you go, making assumptions again," Eryx chuckled, and I couldn’t look away from those eyes. "I told you to rest."

"Then stop charming me," I whispered, my breath hitched at what I had admitted to him. HIM of all people. Ugh his arrogance will surely be unstoppable now.

Eryx’s eyebrow quirked, and a dangerously seductive smirk graced those sinuous lips. "Am I charming you?"

Those fingers continue to tease me, the swirling movement slowly raising the skirt of my nightgown along my thighs. From the sharp inhale of his nose, I knew my pheromones permeated the air, affecting him. My heat scorched my skin, and an ache was growing between my thighs.

I leaned into him, my hands sliding along his chest, almost purring to the low growl vibrating through him, feeling the beast just beneath the surface, waiting for him to be unleashed. I coaxed him to play with me. I craved him.

Eryx’s lips coasted mine, teasing me. I teased him back, arching my full breasts into him, tongue gliding along his bottom lip. He groaned, answering my tease, crushing his lips to mine, one hand pushing into my lower back, pushing my hips against his as the other- huh?

"I’m sorry," he murmured against my lips.

A pressure hit my neck, and darkness fell over me.

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ♛ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

When I next stirred, I felt his rumbling voice beneath me. I don’t know what happened, but Eryx decided to put me to sleep instead of sleeping with me. Heat coloured my cheeks in embarrassment, and I hid my face further into the warmth beneath me.

That’s when I felt his hands in my hair and hip. I couldn’t quite figure out the position I was in.

"It’s unnatural," Eryx said quietly.

"I can’t believe you didn’t give in... She was in heat." That was Kharis’ voice. When did he return? Better yet, how long was I asleep?

"Believe me... It was a struggle." Then why?! I’m so embarrassed! As though in answer to my silent question, he continued. "She’d been poisoned, Kharis. And it wasn’t the first time. What if the reason she hasn’t received her wolf or she keeps fighting these urges has something to do with the poisonings? Deyanira has a serious problem with Lia. Why not stop her from finding a mate and reclaiming her rightful place? I can feel power under the skin, waiting to be freed."

"You could have just restrained her," Kharis joked. "What will you tell her when she wakes?"

"For now, I will keep it to myself and watch like you and Faidon have. I know there is an Alpha wolf inside of her, but you’ve seen how she reacts to the idea of it. She doesn’t want her hope to be dwindled again." His fingers were soft in my hair, caressing in a comforting manner. I found myself snuggling further into him, unaware it was exactly what I needed.

"She has been through enough."

"She has," Kharis agreed.

"We will protect her."

"We will," Kharis agreed, then added. "So... When will you tell her?"

There was a pause, not in his hands but like he was deep in thought. I held my breath, straining to hear what this mystery piece of information was.

"Did you sleep well, Lia?"

Ugh. I feigned sleeping still, but Eryx tucked some of my hair behind my ear. "Idalia, we both know you’re eavesdropping. It doesn’t take a genius."

With a frown, I opened my eyes and shot daggers at both of them even as I remained on Eryx’s chest unabashedly, my leg over one of his. "What do you need to tell me then?" I demanded in a haughty voice and arched my eyebrow. "Well?"

Kharis whistled and decided the dark winter garden was suddenly more interesting. "I’ll leave that to you."