Somniphobia

* Leroy POV*

“Excuse me?”

She gets off the bed and winces when her feet touch the floor. The fact that she remains standing speaks to the amount of pain she is able to bare.

“Please, don’t go.”

She sounds really shaken but I don’t understand why.

“Are you are scared of Marcus?”

She turns her head away. I don’t know if that’s a confirmation or not.

“He will never touch you. You have my word.”

Marcus might come across as an ass but he is the gentlest of souls.

“Please stay,” she continues to plead until I close the door and walk back towards her. She looks genuinely scared but I don’t get it.

“Okay, what is it?”

She swallows her saliva and casts her eyes down.

“So?”

“I.. I have shared a shed with other slaves my whole life.”

“I know. This is much more comfortable,” I explain but I still don’t understand why she is scared.

“I’ve never slept alone. This room, it’s massive.” Her voice is like a whisper. It’s sad that she grew up like that but the implications of her unspoken words are quite amusing. I can’t help it but dive into my mischievous side.

“So, you want a sleeping mate?”

She nods and my heart dances. I can’t believe this!

“And what do I get?”

“I will kiss you anytime you want.”

I should be worried by the fact that her bribe is more than acceptable to both my wolf and I. I am already looking forward to exploring those soft lips again.

“Is that all you got?” I ask to avoid being so easy. She shrugs her shoulders in a confident stunt as if saying ‘it’s your loss.’ I can only conclude that she knows how hot she is.

“Marcus won’t approve and people will talk.”

She nods her head, but I can still see the fear in her eyes. The goddess is really scared of sleeping alone.

“You know she is just going to ask someone else if you leave right? I bet that person won’t be stupid enough to refuse,” Sky links and I curse inside before studying her for a few minutes. Bruised and battered, she is still gorgeous and those pyjamas are not meant to make anyone look like this. Maybe it’s because she always hides her bootylicious body with the extra sized clothes she always wears. It’s a futile exercise to try imagine her still in her usual baggy clothes, not when her bust, tiny waist and curved hips are accentuated like this. I feel like my fate is already sealed here.

“Keep that window open. I might just come by later,” I instruct.

Her eyes turn towards the window, the smile that forms on her face melts my stupid heart.

“Sneaky! I like it!” My wolf is actually thrilled while I am terrified of what I am doing. If Diana or Rose hear of this, she will be as good as dead.

She nods her head but remains standing on the same spot until I walk out and close the door behind me.

Marcus must have heard the door open and close because I find him on the stairway.

“Satisfied that she is safe?” I can tell from his tone that he is still not impressed with with.

“It was not about that. You know that I trust you.”

He folds his arms across his chest with a straight face.

“What was it about then?”

“I promised not to leave her when I found her in the woods. I had to keep my word.”

He nods but I can tell that he is letting me off easy.

“See you tomorrow then.”

“We don’t have any scheduled meeting for tomorrow.”

He grins at me. He is my best friend but I don’t see him everyday. He is assuming that I will come back for her. The unsettling thing is that he is right. In fact, I am not even leaving.

I let Sky take over and sprint towards the gate. Marcus’ guards bow when they see me dash out. Instead of heading home, I make a run around the high walled fence until all the lights in the mansion are off. That’s when I jump over. It helps having an Alpha wolf, these walls are nothing to Sky.

Her window is directly above the veranda. It is unsettlingly easy getting on the first floor and back inside.

I left over thirty minutes ago, but she is still standing on the same spot I left her on. She has clearly not moved since I left.

“Your Majesty!” she exclaims, and looks away with her cheeks burning when I shift into my naked human form.

I chuckle at her reaction as I quickly get dressed. I am able to shift into my clothing, but her reaction is much more rewarding. She has already seen me naked before. I felt her heart race that day in the woods. Today I get to hear it and see her face.

“You should be in bed, unless you want me to tug you in.”

She blushes, before regaining her composure.

“You came!”

Her sparkling eyes and excitement makes deceiving my best friend worth it.

“I keep my word, nameless girl.”

“Thank you,” with that she slips back in bed and leaves the blankets open for me.

I slip in beside her and expect the whole thing to be uncomfortable, but it’s not. That on it’s own should make me worry. She sleeps like a baby while I stare at the ceiling wondering what the fuck I am doing. I am almost beyond teenage years, I should not be acting this way, especially when I know what’s at stake.

I don’t know when I finally fell asleep but her golden eyes are the first thing I see when I wake up. Something about her eyes makes me lose every bit of self control but I can’t afford to. I focus on her button nose and luscious lips instead. Damn! Those are so juicy.

“And I am thirsty,” my wolf adds.

“Your Majesty.”

“Morning, Cali.”

She sits up and looks curiously at me.

“Cali?”

“It means beautiful. Cali Taylor is your new name.”

Leaving someone nameless is the cruelest thing ever in the warewolf community. It speaks to how ruthless her master was but also to our pack laws that allow it. At least the Omegas have some rights however limited. They have documents and some sense of belonging in their lowest hierarchy, not the nameless slaves.

I went through a vast number of names and this was the most fitting for her and the only one Sky agreed on.

“You….” she chokes and tears roll down her cheeks.

“Hey, it’s okay. We can come up with another one if you don’t like this one.”

She frantically shakes her head and smiles through her tears. “I love it. It’s unique.”

“Like the owner,” I respond charmingly, relieved that she likes it.

She blushes and wipes away her tears. Sweet!

“Slow down with flattery lover boy. Unless you plan on finishing it,” Sky links but the thrill is unrealistically tempting.

“Shut up Sky.”

“It’s enough that we slept next to her. I hate being left hanging,” my wolf complains.

Not touching her the whole night was torture for my wolf and I, but I like seeing her cheeks burn.

“Get used to it.”

Sky huffs, not impressed with me but my attention is on her and the breathtaking smile that has replaced her tears. I have never seen an angel but I am certain one would look more like this.

“I have an identity,” she whispers.

I sit up and tug back her hair loc.

“You have an identity, gorgeous.”

“I guess I owe you a kiss?”

I had completely forgotten about my reward for being her sleep mate. My heart is now racing with anticipation.

“Don’t!” Sky warns.

I ignore my wolf and lock eyes with her.

“What do you think?”

It’s like a dare and she rises up to the challenge. Alarm bells go off in my head the moment our lips meet, but it’s too late. I soon have her pinned under my body. My head is buried on her neck when her hands slip under my shirt trying to remove it. That’s when I snap out of the spell and curse out loud.

Shit! This girl is dangerous!

“I told you not to,” Sky is irritated but we were together in this.

“Are you not going to stop me?”I ask and she looks at me like I am crazy before responding. “No.”

“You are eighteen, damn it!” I snap, getting off her and out of the bed.

I am more frustrated with myself than her. She sits up but remains on the bed. Her sharp stare tells me that my tone is not appreciated.

“You bought me. I don’t know the extent of your ownership on me.”

Fuck! This girl is even glaring at me.

“I bought you to save you, not for this. I have to go.”

She shrugs her shoulders as if to say ‘soothe yourself’ and I want to kick myself for kissing her in the first place. She is an immature seventeen year old for heaven’s sake.

“Told you.” My stupid wolf links, rubbing my stupidity in.

“Shut up Sky. Have you sensed something about her?”

“Like what?”

“She does not shrink when I raise my voice. She…”

“Glares and retaliates?” Sky responds. He gets it. Her reactions are not subtle, she does not even try to hide her emotions. As the Alpha, every wolf in the pack submits to me. No one dares raise their voice at me, let alone glare like she does.

“Slaves don’t do that.”

I have saved a lot of slaves, they would take every crap you throw at them and do anything to please. It takes a lot of therapy to get them off that slave mentality.

“You think she is royalty?” Sky asks.

“She acts like it but I don’t know anything about her.”

In fact, no one knows anything about her. I presume someone would have come looking years ago if she was royalty.

“I can’t sense anything right now. I will be able to when she has her wolf.”

I can hear the desperation in Sky’s voice. He hates uncertainties.

“I guess we will know soon.”

“Until then, stop kissing her unless you want a pub with her.”

I can’t believe that my wolf has become my voice of reason when he is usually the one cheering me on.

“Okay.”

I would be stupid to after what happened this morning.