The pack doctor, Lesley, had arrived shortly after Zeke left, she was kind and funny and immediately put Merlin at ease. After a thorough physical examination, she had dressed the minor cuts and given her some painkillers before leaving her to get dressed and rest. Finally alone, Merlin fell asleep, the day's events having caught up with her.
Night had fallen by the time Merlin awoke, blinking slowly as she looked around the room, she realized that someone had turned on the lights. She hurriedly sat up in bed, her eyes scanning the room when she spotted Zeke, asleep in a chair in a corner of the room. She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the pillows, feeling safe now that he was here. She watched him sleep for a while before he seemed to sense she was awake and his eyes snapped open, momentarily startling her. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you", she apologized and surprisingly, she found that she actually meant it.
"It's fine, how do you feel?", he asked, a look of genuine concern on his face. She took a deep breath and exhaled before answering, "Ok, I guess......physically anyway". She shook her head, trying to dispel the memories of her ordeal in the forest as a frown appeared on her face. "Hey it's over, you're safe now", Zeke assured her as he moved to sit down beside her on the bed, "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again while you're here, you have my word". She nodded and attempted a smile but it came out more like a grimace and she self-consciously looked down at her hands. Zeke reached his hand out to hers just as the door opened and Sandrine walked in.
"Oh Zeke! I didn't know you were here. I thought Merlin was alone and thought to come check on her", her voice, shattering the moment as Zeke surreptitiously let his hand fall back down in his lap while a faint blush colored Merlin’s cheeks. Oblivious to the atmosphere in the room, Sandrine continued making her way to the bed while holding a tray of food. "I brought you some dinner", she said brightly, setting the tray down on the bedside table. "Thank you, it's very kind of you but please don't trouble yourself on my account", Merlin replied softly. "No trouble, I'm just glad that you're ok", Sandrine replied while smiling, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Sensing Merlin’s discomfort, Zeke intervened before Sandrine could sit down and get comfortable, "Merlin is still quite tired and needs more rest but you can visit her tomorrow ". A look of surprise spread across Sandrine's face as her eyes flickered between the Alpha and the witch before she responded, "Of course, I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night". Sandrine nodded at Zeke and quickly left the room.
Alone again, Zeke turned to look at Merlin and found her gazing at him with a strange look in her eyes. "What is it?", he questioned her, wondering if he had upset her somehow in sending Sandrine out of the room. "It's nothing ", she sighed, "I just didn't expect you to be so.......".
"Human?", he finished for her.
"No! That's not what I meant.....I don't know what I meant, I'm just tired and not thinking straight"
"I'm a werewolf, Merlin, but I am also human and what happened to you today shouldn't ever happen to anyone regardless of who or what they are", his voice was firm and he kept his gaze steady on her face to make sure that she understood that he meant it. "Thank you.....for everything.....I truly mean it", her voice shook and tears rolled freely down her face, as all the emotions she had kept inside came pouring out. Zeke reached out and took her in his arms, holding her close against him as she cried.
He didn't know how long they stayed that way but at some point, she had stopped crying and he felt her body relax against him while her breathing had deepened and he realized that she had fallen asleep. Gently cradling her head, he leaned forward and laid her down on the bed before arranging the covers over her. Just as he was pulling back from her, he felt her grab his arm, "Don't leave", she whispered sleepily. He briefly paused, thinking to grab the chair in the corner and move it closer to the bed when she rolled over to the other side of the bed to make space for him to lie down beside her. Again he paused, before he quickly climbed into bed beside her and lay down on his back, one arm behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling and listened to the sound of her breathing.
Merlin dreamed of running naked through the forest while being chased by a wolf that eventually caught up to her and pushed her to the ground as his open jaws drooled saliva onto her face and he viciously tried to stab her between her legs with his enormous erection. She whimpered and tried to push him away as her hands met with a solid, bare chest, the skin warm and smooth beneath her fingers. She felt strong arms wrap around her as the smell of the forest after the rain and fresh pine filled her senses. She recognized his scent and the feel of his body against hers and she relaxed into his embrace without a second thought, her body molded perfectly against his.
It was still dark, the sun's rays just beginning to creep over the horizon when Zeke woke up and gently untangled himself from her and climbed out of bed. Looking down at her asleep with her fiery red hair spread out over the pillow and her full, sensual lips just slightly parted, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. His thoughts drifted back to her lying naked in the forest, tears streaming from her eyes and blood seeping from her lips and he remembered that something inside of him had snapped at seeing her hurt. He had never meant to hurt her but now he wondered if none of it would have happened if he hadn't captured her and brought her here and he resolved to let her go. He could find another way, he had to, she was affecting him in ways that he couldn't understand or control and killing the boy, without knowing or meaning to, was proof of that.
Making up his mind to take her back home later that day, he took one last lingering look at her before dragging his eyes away and heading for the door. But for the second time, just as his hand touched the door knob, he heard her call out to him again, "Zeke?"
"It's still early, go back to sleep", he answered without turning around.
"I'll do it, I'll help you"
He froze, his whole body going numb as he turned back to the bed, his mouth open to say something when he noticed that she had fallen asleep again and probably wouldn't hear him.
Descending the staircase, Merlin saw Zeke standing at the front door, talking on his phone. Just as she slowed down to give him time to finish the conversation, he suddenly turned around and looked up, his gaze locked onto her as she came toward him. His eyes seemed to bore into her very soul and she couldn't help but avert her gaze, unable to meet such close scrutiny. She reached the bottom of the stairs when he turned and started walking down a corridor on his left while calling over his shoulder, "Come with me", leaving her with no choice but to follow.Following close behind him, Merlin studied his back, noting how his hair, grown long in the back, hung in haphazard strands against the collar of his shirt while his broad shoulders stretched taut, the crisp, white fabric before tapering down to his waist. The memory of how he had found her yesterday in the forest, rose unbidden in her thoughts, and she inwardly cringed, even though, she had already seen h
His softly whispered question hung heavy in the air while they stood facing each other with barely an inch between them. Her face was flushed, lending her cheeks a rosy glow and her eyes seemed to darken and glimmer in the sunlight that filtered through the open windows. She felt a soft breeze gently caress her face and lift the strands of her hair, stroking it back away from her neck and shoulders. She didn't know how long they stood there, only that she was frozen in place, mesmerized by his hypnotic gray eyes. She didn't see him lean closer until she felt his lips brush lightly against her own, that one touch, sending thousands of tiny sparks of electricity rushing through her every nerve.Then the door to his office burst open and Abel, his Beta, walked in, halting just inside the door when he saw them. "Alpha?", he questioned, not willing to believe the sight before him.Zeke raised his head toward him, taking his time, his hands still on her arm
Suddenly he released her and Merlin stood, her chest heaving and her body trembling from something other than the cold, their eyes locked onto each other while the storm raged unabated around them."Go now Merlin!", he shouted, his voice immediately swallowed by the sounds of the storm.Reluctantly, turning away, she ran through the balcony doors and once inside, she quickly turned around but he was already gone, the balcony empty except for the rain falling in an unbroken sheet of water. Lying alone in bed, later that night, Merlin fell asleep while thinking about his lips and dreamed of his mouth on hers.The next morning, after breakfast, Zeke took her with him to the training grounds, where Sandrine had brought her on her first day at the camp. He made her sit in the shade under a tree, where he was able to keep an eye on her wherever he was on the field. Merlin, unused to seeing werewolves strip naked to shift, had kept her eyes studiously
Catching movement from the corner of his eye, Zeke turned to find Merlin on her knees, her head thrown back and her arms open wide, just as an icy blast of wind howled through the library, ripping books from the shelves and scattering them across the walls and floor. The bookshelves teetered precariously under the force of the wind, only barely remaining upright while the lights flickered, almost going off completely.A cracking sound from beneath him, dragged his attention back to the witch trapped under him, who suddenly screamed, a gut wrenching scream full of pain. Looking down he noticed that her arm was twisted at an impossible angle, the bone obviously broken. Zeke jumped back from her and shifted back, confused and shocked, when her leg contorted at an odd angle followed by another cracking sound eliciting another shriek of pain that echoed throughout the library. His eyes moved back to Merlin and a split second later, he was beside her, pushing her arms down an
Merlin was descending the staircase just as Zeke entered the foyer, their eyes meeting as he held her gaze until she reached the bottom.She walked slowly towards him, her hands clasped nervously in front of her but her eyes never left his face."I.....I'm sorry....I should explain.....", she spoke haltingly as she came to stand in front of him."Let's walk outside, the fresh air might do you some good", he said, gesturing towards the front doors.Quietly, she accepted and together they walked through the doors and out into the forest. They walked for a while in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest, just enjoying the crisp air and warm sunshine. Being a werewolf, Zeke naturally enjoyed the outdoors, preferring it to the indoors and he found that he was not uncomfortable with having her here with him. He could tell that she was also enjoying being outside so he took the opportunity to point out various landmarks and features of th
"Excuse me?", she asked, her eyes wide.He sighed impatiently, "You're soaked, you need to get out of those clothes before you catch a cold""But I have nothing else to wear", she protested."There's some blankets here that we can use", he replied, gesturing to a large wooden trunk beside him.She looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes, as a draft blew through the cave making her shiver."Just change out of your clothes over there while I start a fire", he said, waving his hand in the general direction of the trunk as he crouched down and began lighting a fire.The cold was seeping into her bones and she grit her teeth to stop them chattering as she rushed to the trunk behind him and began taking off her clothes before quickly pulling a blanket around her. She stood behind him, quietly watching as he started a fire and patiently tended it, leaving her wondering how he could stand the cold."Could you pass me a
It was late when they eventually returned to the mansion and Merlin went straight to her room to bathe and put on some clothes. She had dinner alone in her room before retiring to bed but, unable to sleep, she decided to go back to the library and find the book.The mansion was quiet, everyone having already retired for the night as she made her way downstairs and through the long corridor to the library. Pushing through the heavy wooden doors, she found the library bathed in the soft glow from the moonlight streaming through the French windows that bordered one side of the room. Reaching to turn on the lights, she thought better of it, not wanting to alert anyone seeing the lights on and come to check. Moving quietly to the back of the room, she quickly located the shelf where she had first seen the book. She scanned the books on the shelf but couldn't seem to find the one she was looking for.She paused, trying to remember if this was where she found it,
"Through the kitchen and down the hall, on your right, there is a guest room, which is where you will stay while you are here. I will have your things from the second floor brought up in the morning. I expect that you will have an alternative course of action for me within the next twenty four hours since your recent endeavor to retrieve the book has proven fruitless. ", his voice, like his face, was blank, devoid of any emotion and not waiting for a response, he turned and walked into his bedroom.Merlin felt the tears, stinging her eyes, feeling somehow that maybe she deserved this for allowing herself to believe that she could ever be more to him than what she was. They had a deal and that was all it was to him, she felt so incredibly stupid that she had even dared to hope that he had genuinely cared for her. She was just an asset that he needed to protect until she had served her purpose, that's all it was and all it ever would be.The facts were crysta