FULL NOVELXO Chapter 11 - Stone (Part 1)
Birdsong roused Stone from his sleep. The delicate scent of vanilla and roses wafted over him and for a moment, he forgot who and where he was. At that moment, time, matter, and space were irrelevant. The essence of existing in its pure, stateless form, and simply being, filled him with the utmost peace.
The steady rhythm of a beating heart thumped gently against him as a warm presence rested on his chest. His eyelids fluttered as morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains from the window. He looked down at the mass of shiny golden hair below him as she continued to sleep serenely in his arms. He brushed her soft tresses back from her face so he could see her more clearly. His lips curved up in a smile. How beautiful she looked while she slept. With him. In his arms.
This was where she belonged. With him. And he was never going to give up on her, nor let her go.
Goddess, what had he done to deserve this?
The cawing of a crow interrupted the birdsong outside and snapped his brain awake.
It was morning? How could it be morning?
He reached out through the mind-link to Gwen. [Dammit, Guinevere! You were supposed to wake me up!]
Aubree stirred as he tried to slip from her.
Gwen’s voice was quick to answer, albeit sounding a bit sleepy. [You’ve barely slept in a week. We all agreed not to disturb you. So sorry, for letting you sleep in.]
He scowled at her sarcastic apology as Aubree moaned in her sleep, wrapping her arms more securely around his waist.
While it was true that he’d struggled to not only find time to sleep in the last week but to actually fall asleep when he did give himself time was another battle. Especially the last couple of days when Aubree’s emotions had wreaked havoc on her heart. He struggled even in his waking hours to function properly.
[Be that as it may, I am Alpha, and I have a duty to uphold and—]
[Blah-blah-blah,] Gwen interrupted. [All you have to do today is relax. We all agreed that you need a day off to spend time with Aubree. So suck it up.]
He growled lowly, the vibrations causing Aubree to stir more from her sleep.
Gwen sighed. [You’re welcome. It’s my turn to sleep now, so goodnight.]
Heaving a sigh of defeat, he closed his eyes again and leaned back against the bed’s headboard. [Thank you. Goodnight, Schatzi.]
It was too late to relax and go back to sleep. He was wide awake and his restlessness had completely woken Aubree up now. He peered down at her as her head tilted up and her eyelids fluttered open. His agitation melted away as a sleepy smile greeted him.
“Morning.”
He traced her eyebrow with his finger and let it trail down along her soft cheek. “Good morning.”
“You going somewhere?”
The little furrow in her brows warmed him and he smiled. “No. Not anymore.”
Her beautiful hazel eyes closed as she nestled closer to him. “Good, because I don’t want you to leave yet.”
His smile broadened as he began to play with her hair. “Me too. This is quite the treat.”
“Hm?”
He continued to absentmindedly play with her hair. “As the alpha, it’s my job to rally the troops and lead the hunt.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle at the mental image of everyone lined up in army gear while he barked orders in their faces. He shook the thought from his head. “I was supposed to get up at midnight to join the others in the hunt. Instead, they took pity on me and let me sleep. I haven’t slept this long and this well in a century.”
Her breath caught, making her muscles tense. She slowly opened her eyes, her brows frowning as she pressed her lips together. The look she gave him tugged on his heart. “I’m sorry.”
His hand rested on her shoulder and he gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
A rosy hue shaded her cheeks as her heart fluttered and she lowered her gaze. “I shouldn’t have taken so long.”
He pulled himself up into a sitting position, forcing her to sit up alongside him. Taking her cheeks in his hands, he tilted her face up so that her eyes would meet his. “Aubree, I told you to take as much time as you needed. I meant it.”
Her eyes lowered. “I know, I just...”
“Listen to me.” He waited for her eyes to meet his again before he continued speaking. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. Soulmates only come around once in a lifetime. How is it that you are here with me after our souls were separated for a century? I could have waited another week, another month, another year, another decade if it meant I would be with you in the end. Okay?”
Her eyes brimmed with tears before she gave her head a slight nod.
He kissed her forehead. “Go freshen up in my bathroom. I’ll bring your things up from downstairs and I’ll meet you in the kitchen for breakfast. I’m starving.”
Her stomach growled at the mention of breakfast, making her blush again. “Okay.”
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. He pulled himself up from the bed, still fully clothed since the previous evening, and stepped out of the room. He hurried down the stairs to fetch her luggage. Gwen left her large suitcases by the front door. Taking the two pieces in both hands, he carried them up the staircase and set them in his room.
Aubree was slipping into the bathroom then. She gave him an awkward little smile as he went to his dresser to pull out some clean clothes for himself before he stepped out and closed the door behind him. He could hear her unzip one of the suitcases and ruffle through clothes as he headed down the stairs to use one of the other bathrooms.
As quickly as he could, he showered, dried off, and pulled on a T-shirt and jeans. When he left the bathroom, he could still hear the water running from his room.
He figured she would take her time. After everything that had happened, she needed to unwind.
Walking into the kitchen, he glanced at the digital clock on the microwave and shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe he slept for thirteen hours straight. Sure, he had been tired, but that was double what he needed.
It had to be because of her.
He noticed a brand new coffeemaker sitting on the counter. Nothing fancy. Just a simple eight-cupper that could be purchased for twenty bucks or less.
There was a yellow sticky note attached to the box that made him smirk and shake his head.
’Our girl likes coffee, remember? Coffee’s in the pantry. Cream in the fridge. Learn to use it. Love you ~ Gwen’
“Looks like you thought of everything,” he mumbled to himself as he opened the box and pulled out the plastic contraption and glass pot.
He set to work on the coffee and soon a heavenly aroma with a hint of vanilla filled the kitchen. His eyes flicked to the canister of coffee and scowled. French vanilla flavored. So artificial. The real thing was upstairs finishing her shower.
It was quiet up there now.
He gripped the counter as he strained his ears for her movement upstairs, his heart clenching nervously. Why was he nervous?
Shaking it off, he opened the cupboard over the coffeemaker and pulled out two mugs. He set them on the counter below and poured himself a cup before he went to the sliding door to the patio to stare outside into the woods.
A blue sky with a few marshmallow clouds hung over the treetops with the sun beginning to rise over the branches. The deciduous trees were filling out, their leaves growing fuller and thicker in the last few weeks. A dozen birds twittered and sang their morning songs as soft footsteps on the stairs announced Aubree’s descent.
Sipping on the coffee, he pushed aside all mental images of her sleeping in his arms. The way her body hugged his. The feel of her heartbeat as her chest pressed against him with every breath she took.
He shifted his weight, wishing that he had opted for a pair of workout shorts instead of jeans. Why did humans wear such rough, unbreathable material all day, every day? His shifting wasn’t easing the discomfort. While Aubree’s footfalls were still on the staircase, he quickly readjusted his crotch, growling at the fact that he was getting aroused already.
Rubbing his face, he wondered how he was supposed to manage when the urge to mate with her was so strong. How could he do it without hurting her? Without marking her and turning her into a deadly creature of the night?
We have to go see the Spirit Walker soon. He might know something about how to manage all this.