Beautiful
A few months later
Adea
Shane comes into my room almost every night. He usually climbs into my window after sunset. The nights that he doesn’t come are colder and darker than the nights that he does. He stayed true to his word and he hasn’t done anything. We hold hands, or when he comes in late, he crawls into bed with me and cradles me as if I were the most important person in the world. I feel the crazed flutter of butterflies whenever he’s near. My mind races when he touches me, hugs me, holds me. I feel valued, I feel precious.
I do my best not to rouse suspicion. Even though I want to skip dinner, if I do it too much I know Ava would make it her life’s mission to find out why. It was hard not to bounce my leg anxiously underneath the table. I couldn’t even taste the roasted chicken and potatoes. When my father finally got up and walked out I excused myself and slowly exited the Dining Hall.
It wasn’t until I passed a window in the hallway that I started to quicken my steps. The moon shone through and my heart was beating fast at the thought of seeing him. When I turned the corner and started up the stairs, I started to run. It wasn’t ladylike and it wasn’t good practice for a female heir, but to hell with that. I held the fabric of my skirt up as the sound of my shoes echoed off the stone walls.
My chest constricted and my lungs protested as I held my breath until I got to the top of the stairs. My head pounded as I dropped my skirt. Inhaling a lungful of air before I passed out, I rushed for my door. Pushing it open, I was filled with disappointment when I bolted the door and found he wasn’t in yet.
It’s fine. This is fine. This is good. I have time to get dressed for bed and maybe brush out my hair before he arrives.
Reaching back, I pull the string at the back of my dress. The smooth material falls apart and drops to the ground as I kick off my shoes. I’m in my undergarments as I walked over to my vanity. I pull open a drawer and take out my brush before I take a seat. I pull out my braid and comb my curls as they spring free. I look at my reflection and watch as a blush works its way across my face.
I pull open the drawer again and fish out a tin. It’s a new product that the maids gushed over. Popping off the lid, I dabbed my finger into the moist goop before spreading it over my lips. The color matched the blush of my cheeks. A voice whispered I looked pretty, that I somehow looked more mature, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I looked silly.
A scratching sound made me drop the tin and I scrambled to throw it back in the drawer before a leg came over the window ledge. Shane pulled himself up and his eyes locked on me before trailing down my body. When he looked back at me, his gaze locked on my lips and I averted my eyes. The sound of footsteps told me he was heading toward me.
My chest tightened, my heart fluttered, and my toes curled as he came to a stop behind me. I stared into his reflection in the mirror. I forgot how to breathe when his hand landed on my shoulder. He leaned down and I felt his warmth on my back. I closed my eyes and he chuckled. I opened my eyes as the brush was pulled from my grasp.
He straightened and he squeezed my shoulder before he grabbed my hair. Gently he dragged the brush through my curls and it took everything in me not to let my eyes roll into the back of my head.
“You’re so beautiful, Adea,” Shane whispered.
“Lies drip from your tongue like honey, Shane,” I murmured.
“They’re sweet because they’re true,” he said, his voice laced with admiration.
After he brushed my hair we ended up in bed. It was like any other night. Shane lay on his back staring at me. His lips caught my attention first, followed by his pearly white teeth as he noticed me staring. The ease in his posture spoke volumes about how comfortable he was in my bed. Shane’s curly hair demanded I run my fingers through them. I moved without thought. My fingers danced up his forehead and through the mess of curls. His eyes fluttered, but he kept them open and on me.
“What did you think of me?” Shane asked in a low voice.
“My initial thought?” I asked. Shane nodded. “I wanted to tell you to leave, or run away. I thought you were trouble. You were handsome, but oh you knew it, and it was only a matter of time before I got caught in your snare. I made up my mind to never speak to you again, but that obviously didn’t work.”
“Obviously,” Shane chuckled.
“Hey now,” I cautioned.
“What?” Shane asked deviously.
He grabbed my hand in his and yanked. I was pulled down. My chest squished against his as he stared up at me. My breath caught as I stared into his eyes. A knowing smirk spread across his face. Before I could tell him where to go, he leaned up and I was caught off guard as he kissed the tip of my nose. He pulled me into his side and we spent the rest of the night talking. I’ve never had a close girl friend and being the daughter of the Alpha there weren’t many places I could go without supervision. Sleepovers with Shane were good for my soul. As he went on about what he’d done that day, I stared at his side profile. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone as beautiful. I liked sleeping next to him. The thought of a life where I went to bed with Shane every night made my heart warm. There was something about Shane that screamed majestic.
He was … kingly.
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