Della’s eyes gently fluttered open, meeting a sliver of natural sunlight streaming through the almost-closed windows.
The sight in front of her looked different from what she expected, and her survival instincts kicked in hard, making her jump.
But something solid stopped her movements, and she snapped her head toward it to see a very large hand thrown over her body.
Almost instantly, the scent hit her.
Moonlit Frost and Ash.
Slowly, she turned around, holding her breath, and witnessed a sight that had her wondering if she had maybe, woken up in the wrong world... because there’s absolutely no way that Malachi was lying next to her.
Della blinked more times than she could count. She even pinched herself, but she wasn’t waking up.
His deep breaths spread across the skin of her back, and it felt like her skin was being awakened from slumber and into something... strangely pleasing.
She blinked again and stared harder. What in the power of the Moon Goddess was Alpha Malachi doing lying next to her?! Fast asleep...for that matter?! Was he afraid she was going to escape if he left her alone? But still...he couldn’t have at least lain somewhere else!
She lay back down and closed her eyes again, trying to go back to sleep. Maybe by the time she awoke again, he would be gone.
He’d better be gone...or else!!
The only issue was that she wasn’t asleep anymore. So she could only keep her eyes shut and hope he wakes up soon and realises what he’s done.
Della kept still for as long as she could, till she couldn’t anymore. One arm was beginning to go numb because Malachi was pressing on it, and she needed to move it and adjust. Slowly, she began pulling it out.
As carefully as she could, not to wake him up.
And unfortunately, the arm on her waist suddenly tensed, and the deep, steady breathing behind her faltered almost imperceptibly before becoming still.
Completely still.
Della instantly dropped her arm and pretended she was asleep.
Malachi slowly opened his eyes, and for several long seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling. Then his gaze shifted downward.
To the arm currently wrapped around Della.
Silence.
More silence.
An unbearable amount of silence.
Della’s arm was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second, and the silence was making her sweat. She could feel beads of water rolling down her forehead, and her heartbeat was going mad.
"Look at me,"
Her heart jumped, but she didn’t move.
"I know you’re not asleep,"
She finally peeked an eye open, gently turning her face to him. Their eyes met, and neither of them spoke or moved.
But one thing was clear, both of them looked equally horrified.
"..."
"..."
Malachi looked at his arm, then at her, then at his arm again.
Della watched his expression carefully. The man looked genuinely confused. Like he also couldn’t explain how they had gotten to this position overnight. The last time she had seen him, she was on the ground and he was staring at the Moon.
"What," Della finally whispered.
Malachi blinked once, then he asked, "What are you doing?"
Della’s mouth fell open, "What am I doing?!"
"You’re in my room."
"You put me here!"
"You were supposed to sleep on the floor."
"I did sleep on the floor!"
Both of them immediately glanced downward, since Della was very much not on the floor anymore.
The bed beneath them suddenly was enormous, and quite very noticeable.
"You moved!" Della pointed accusingly.
"I did not."
"You absolutely moved!"
Malachi narrowed his eyes, "You are the one attached to the mate bond."
Della looked personally offended, "So are you!"
The accusation hung between them, and neither of them had an answer because annoyingly, both of them knew exactly what had probably happened.
It was the cursed bond’s doing!
Due to them staying in one space, the bond had probably stirred during the night and one of them had moved closer. Then the other.
And apparently neither of them had enough sense left to move away.
Malachi exhaled heavily and rubbed a hand over his face, probably regretting bringing her into his room.
Through the bond, Della felt it immediately.
Embarrassment.
Actual embarrassment.
"Wow, that makes two of us," She spat, "Like I want to wake up and the first thing I see is your face! Ha!"
"I am not embarrassed!" He argued.
"You are."
"No."
"You absolutely are."
Malachi slowly turned his head, and the look he gave her promised violence.
"You are." Della grinned.
"I am considering throwing you out the window."
"You can’t."
"Why?"
"Because then you’d have to explain why I woke up in your bed."
The corner of his mouth twitched and then disappeared. Malachi’s brows furrowed...how was this woman capable of bringing humour into his...world?
"If you keep that up, I’m gonna do something that’ll make us both explode,"
She smirked in disbelief, "Like you could. That embarrassment of yours is about to turn into irritation, then rage. And that, is the only kind of explosion I expect from a man like you,"
It sounded like she was daring him.
And even though he wanted to throw the pillow on her face and use it to strangle her to death, the mate bond wouldn’t let him be. Her words were daring him in another way...one he knew he would regret after he was done.
*She’s your wife, though. It’s not wrong*
Malachi wanted to slap himself for even thinking that day. Plus, he needed to stand up from this bed immediately. But...her skin felt so smooth. When he had first woken up and felt something pressed against him down there...he had almost...
"Are you ok?" Della whispered, "It feels like you’re... fighting yourself...,"
"You should move away from me," He warned.
Della didn’t even wait another second and started to roll out of the bed. One more minute with him, and her rational thoughts might get flattened completely. It’s really harsh to be mated to someone you hate...and the feeling goes both ways.
Before Della could get down, a warm, somewhat shaky hand suddenly caught her arm and she froze.
Then, it pulled.
Her body was yanked back to where it was before, and she almost cried out in shock as her small frame melted into what was the most... outrageous, yet warmest feeling ever.
His arms.
Malachi’s...arms!
Wrapped around her back.
Does it get worse? Yes. Because his face was currently buried in her neck and he was... breathing her in like he had been dying to do so for the longest time.