I lay in my bed listening to his agonized groans that keep getting louder. The moaning of my name from his tortured lips is tormenting me. Gosh! Nope, I shouldn’t go back to his room again tonight. Nope.
After a while, the sound dies down and I let out a sigh of relief. I roll to my side and promptly fall asleep again.
It doesn’t feel like I’ve been asleep for very long when I’m awoken by another loud moan from the room next door. Not again! How many night terrors does a man have in one night? My heart goes out to him, but I don’t want to get into a situation like last night.
I flip to lie on my stomach and grab an extra pillow to cover my head. I press my ears with it with both hands to muffle the sound.
Suddenly there’s a loud crashing sound and I whip the pillow off and lift myself up on my elbow. Now what? Something is broken, but now not a sound can be heard from the room next to mine. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and lay back down on the pillow. It was the bedside lamp last night, I wonder what’s broken this time. I wonder if he’s okay.
Now I’m debating whether or not to go check on him. No, stay Penny! Stay! Remember what happened last night?
Now I can’t sleep because I’m waiting for him to start making noises again. All I can hear is the silence.
All of a sudden a gust of wind blows in from the balcony door. I lift my head up and my breath lodge in my throat.
He’s standing there, a tall silhouette framed by the glow of the moonlight. He has nothing on except for his pajama bottom hanging low over his hips. Even his feet are bare. His smooth skin and his fair hair seem to glow in the silver moonlight. Wordlessly he steps inside, closing the door behind him while facing me. He moves deliberately over as if waiting for me to tell him to go away.
He looms over my bed. With a little light coming in through the windows, I can see the glimmer of his eyes gazing down at me. His blond hair is all messy from sleep. I can see the rise and fall of his muscled chest and that little black oval medallion hanging from his neck. I always wonder what’s on it. His stomach is perfectly sculptured. His magnificent body is really a work of art.
My heartbeat increases and my mouth suddenly feels dry. I scoot back and he slips in underneath the blanket, laying his head on my pillow. With a groan he reaches over, wraps his big arms around me and pulls me to him, burying his face in my hair. Taking in my scent in a very deep ragged intake of breath like he’s in a desperate need of it.
His arms are holding me possessively and protectively close. One hand is cradling the back of my head, pressing me to him. I rest my cheek against his broad bare chest and close my eyes.
The scent of him excites me and calms me. The shelter and the warmth of his body thrill me yet make me feel safe.
We’re friends. Friends do this for each other…right? Maybe I should be worried about this.
Maybe not? I don’t know. Sometimes I think too much. Sometimes not enough. Gah! Stop it, Penny!
This feels too nice. I breathe in his scent. His steady heartbeat lulls me to sleep.
I wake up feeling happy without knowing why. I burrow my face into the blanket and breath in the wonderful intoxicating smell with a smile on my face. Then I almost jump out of the bed, looking wildly around. My bed is empty. Oh, thank goddess! What a crazy dream I had last night!
I dreamt that Darius came and snuck in my bed with me. How crazy is that? Silly Penny!
It felt so real, though. Even my room smells like him. Wait! My room does smell like him. I start sniffing around. My pillow smells like him. My blanket. Even I smell like him!
I groan as I lie back on my pillow that smells like him. He was in my bedroom last night! He was in my bed. We slept together. Oh, gosh!
Friends do that, don’t they?
I shower to get his smell off of me. Not that I don’t like the smell of him. I do! Maybe a bit too much. I don’t want my nosy lycan friends to get a whiff of this. If they did, they certainly would come to a wrong conclusion. Besides, I have to get ready for class.
I’m a bit worried about facing him this morning. Act normal! Not weird! I remind myself before I go downstairs.
Everybody is already at the breakfast table except for Genesis and Constantine. I sneak a glance at Darius. He looks so hot. Darn him! Remember, do not act weird, Penny!
“I believe everybody slept well last night,” remarks Lazarus casually.
“The best,” answers Darius and I almost choke on my coffee. His answer sounds innocent and he doesn’t even blink as I place the mug to my lips again to hide my face. I notice that “the best” is his standard answer every morning.
“Maybe not as well as some others around here,” says Caspian eyeing the empty seats at the table where Constantine and Genesis always occupy. “Or maybe there’s another painting round in session.”
This time I really choke and spit the hot coffee all over myself.
I go back upstairs to get changed and walk out to find Caspian sitting in the car by himself, waiting for us while listening to the music.
“Genesis and Serena aren’t ready yet?” I ask him as I slide into the passenger seat beside him.
“Obviously! You know how mated lycans are,” he mutters, lifting his sunglasses up.
“Yes, I sure do,” I smile politely up at him.
For some reason, my answer seems to irritate him. He leans forward and hugs the steering wheel.
His eyes steady on my face, thinking.
“I think I’m going to call you Penny Penis from now on,” he remarks suddenly just as Serena and Genesis open the car door and slide into the back seat.
“Of course,” I say as I grit my teeth and keep my smile in place. “If that’s what you wish.”
“French fries is the vilest thing ever. It shouldn’t even qualify as food.”
“If you say so.”
“Penny, stop it!” he suddenly bursts out.
“Stop what?” I give him my most innocent stare. “I’ll stop it if you tell me what it is that you want me to stop doing,” I tell him pleasantly.
“Beany, cut the crap please!!!!” he now moans into his arm that’s draped over the steering wheel in exasperation.
“Why, whatever you mean by that, Caspian?”
“Penny Beany…why are you acting this way?” he groans pitifully. Genesis and Serena burst out laughing in the backseat.
“Acting what way?” I gasp. “Aren’t you happy that I’m as sweet as honey?”
“No, I’m not!” he says, scowling. “Have you not seen yourself in the mirror? Your smile is creepy when you’re all pissed off. I swear you’re giving me nightmares with just your smiles.
Just act normal, please. Where’d my old Penny Beany go?”
He’s looking so annoyed that I can’t hide my smile. This is fun! I miss torturing Caspian.
“Ha! That evil smile. I can’t believe I’m so happy to see that smile again,” he declares triumphantly.
“Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you miss my abuse,” I grin up at him teasingly.
“You’re such a masochist!”
“I am not,” he denies vehemently.
“Yes, he is. He’s been bugging me more than usual because he wasn’t getting his usual dose of torture from you,” Genesis announces.
“Shut it, Red,” he says, starting the car.
“So, everything is good with you and Darius?” asks my meddling best friend from the backseat.
“Yes, we’ve talked it out,” I answer.
“Good! Finally! What’s with you guys waiting for three years before mating? Constantine waited three years before claiming Red. Darius had to go and waited three years too?” remarks Caspian.
“Congratulations, girl!!!” shrieks Genesis excitedly, hugging me from behind.
“You’re finally REALLY going to be one of us!” exclaims Serena squeezing my arm.
Uh, I think they misunderstood what I just said. “Well, we’re…friends now.”
Caspian’s eyebrows shoot up his hairline and both Genesis and Serena are staring at me as if I just announced that I’m giving up french fries.
“Friends?” asks Caspian as if appalled by that word. “What about mates? Why not mates?” he’s looking pissed off all of a sudden.
“Uh…Darius doesn’t like me that way…”
“Not like you…? What the hell!” he explodes, then he let loose a string of curses in Russian.
“Caspian,” says Serena warningly.
“Okay, okay….none of my business,” he relents, but he’s still scowling. The drive to campus is very quick since Caspian is driving like a maniac, cursing in seven different languages along the way.
All our classes end at noon today. I’m sitting with Serena at Club Espresso Degree Cafe, waiting for Caspian and Genesis. Serena is looking like she mulling over something as we’re sitting there, sipping on our smoothies.
“What is it, Serena? You look like you’re thinking very hard.”
She looks up and giggles. “Sorry, lost in my head for a while there,” she smiles. “Sometimes I’m glad that Lycans don’t get pregnant easily.”
Yeah, I knew Lycans don’t get pregnant easily. A mated lycan couple lives for hundreds of years together and only have two offsprings at the most. A lot don’t have any at all. King Alexandros has two other brothers, which is rare for lycans. I think it’s the nature’s way to balance life.
Lycans are dangerous and live a long time. If they have lots of kids like humans or werewolves, pretty soon, this world would be overtaken by lycans.
“Okay…why’d you say that?”
“Because a lot of lycans don’t make good parents,” she sighs. “Take, for example, Constantine’s, Lazarus’s, and Darius’s parents. They all abandoned their sons at a very young age.
At least growing up, Constantine had his uncle, King Alexandros and his grandmother. Lazarus had his great-grandmother. Darius had no one. He grew up with nannies and governesses and was shipped off to the military school when he was just nine. He’s been alone all his life.
According to Lazarus, he doesn’t have anybody.”
“Okay, that’s sad,” I reply, but I don’t think it has anything to do with Darius and me being friends and not mates.
Serena takes my hand in hers. “Look, I’m not trying to defend him or anything. I’m just telling you this so that you’d understand him better.”
I just nod, but I’m nowhere near understanding the complicated man. I don’t think I ever will.
I’m lounging by the pool in my American stripe bikini, working on my tan. This has been our favorite pastime apart from working out and practicing for the last couple of months. Darius and Eva weren’t home when we got back from class this afternoon, so there are just the six of us.
The sun is shining bright. The sky is clear azure blue. The sea breeze is refreshing and cooling.
The sound of the birds and the waves hitting the shore is comforting.
Constantine is in the pool with Genesis doing Goddess knows what. So far all I can hear are their whisperings and Genesis’s giggling. I’m scared to look and see what they’re really up to.
Serena and Lazarus are in the hot tub quite hidden from my view by some potted miniature palm trees.
Caspian is lying on the lounge chair beside me with only his boardshorts hanging low over his hips and a pair of Wayfarer on, looking better than any male model in a Wayfarer ad.
“Do me a favor, babe. Can you please put the sun lotion on me?” he drawls lazily, holding up a bottle of sunscreen.
“Not unless you do my back first,” I drawl sleepily back, I’m too lazy to get up.
“Okay, turn over,” he says.
Caspian never says no to this request. The lycan Prince gets up to do my bidding. Ha! I smile a little to myself. I always get a kick out of this. Every. Freaking. Time.
He moves my hair to the side, then I feel his hands on my back. The lotion is cool, but his hands are warm.
His big hands unknotted the stiff muscles of my shoulders while spreading the lotion on.
Aaahhh…that feels so good. I might have let out a soft moan of pleasure as his hands make their way down my back. Vaguely I feel him pulling the string of my top off.
I’m almost drifting off to sleep when I hear Caspian cheerfully says, “Oh, hey Darius, Eva. I didn’t see you there.”
I feel myself stiffen all of a sudden. When did he get back here? Why didn’t I feel him?
Suddenly the atmosphere doesn’t seem so relaxed anymore. My body is no longer feeling at ease, but I hold myself still. I can feel his eyes sweeping over my exposed skin. I can almost feel his anger coming at me in waves.
I try to get up, but one of Caspian’s hand is pressing me and keeping me firmly down. I turn my head to look at them and give them a little wave while Caspian continues to massage my lower back. Then he moves to smooth the back of my thigh with the lotion.
Eva takes a seat on one of the loungers while Darius continues to stand there staring at us.
I don’t miss how amazingly hot he’s looking. His light tan Bermuda shorts show off his muscled legs. The sleeves of his white button down shirt are folded up to his elbow and a few top buttons are undone, giving the glimpse of his beautiful muscled pecs and a black chain around his neck.
His almost white blond hair is slicked back as usual, and a pair of dark Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Both of them are watching us intently. Eva with curiosity. Darius with clenching jaw and flaring nostrils. I can’t see his eyes behind those sunglasses, but I can feel them.
“Would you like some beer? Anya, get some drinks for my friends, please,” says Caspian, nodding to Anya at the bar who flies on her feet to do his bidding. Poor girl.
“When did you get in?” asks Caspian casually seemingly oblivious to the tensed air around us.
Darius continues to watch us in silence. His whole body is stiff. Eva glances up at him with a little frown before she looks back at us.
Anya emerges real quick from the bar, handing the bottles to Darius and Eva.
“Not that long ago. We followed the sound to find you guys back here,” Eva answers as she takes the drinks from Anya. She looks thoughtful as her eyes move from Darius to watching me then to Caspian then back to me.
“My turn now babe,” Caspian taps my nose playfully. He gets up from my lounger to lie face down on his.
“Caspian! You assh0le!” I huff as I make a grab for my bikini top as it slides down when I get up. He undid the strings, but he didn’t tie them back on.
Caspian laughs, but he gets back up to help me tie my top back on.
I glance quickly at Darius. I don’t think he saw much. I don’t know what he’s thinking with his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, but his jaw is set. He takes a quick swig of the beer. The action looks almost casual, but his knuckles are white from gripping the bottle so tightly. I wonder if the bottle would break at any moment.
What’s his problem now? He seemed okay this morning…and last night. Gah! Forget about last night, Penny!
Caspian lies back down on his stomach and I jump onto his lower back. Both my feet on either side of him, basically straddling him.
“Ooompphh..” comes the sound from underneath me. “When I asked you to ride me, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Assh0le! I flick his ear before I squirt a blob of lotion into my hand and start massaging his back.
There’s a loud bang and I look up in time to see Darius’s retreating back as he storms back into the house, then I hear the sound of the front door banging. The car door slams and then engine revving, burning rubber as he goes.
I think he did break the beer bottle after all. There’s a broken beer bottle in the recycling bin next to the bar.
Everybody goes quiet. Even Serena and Lazarus peek out from behind the potted plants. After a while, they quietly walk over.
“A jealous lycan warrior is dangerous,” warns Serena quietly as she smacks Caspian at the back of his head before she joins Genesis and Constantine in the main pool.
I can only see one side of Caspians face, but the corner of his lips lift up into a grin. He did that on purpose!
I wanted to tell her that I don’t think Caspian was in any danger. Darius and I are friends now, and Polina is who he really wants. I keep my mouth shut though. I saw how upset Caspian and everybody were with the word “friends” this morning.
I feel like smacking Caspian’s meddling head, but then again, he thought he was helping me and that makes me feel like giving him a hug.
I settle for giving Caspian a good back massage. He’s boneless by the time I’m done. I’d totally smack his head later if I feel like it.
“Damn! You’re good with your hands,” he drawls sleepily.
Eva just sits there watching all of us in bewilderment the whole time.
