Chapter 20 - One Day Down

*“Everything that happens to you matters to me.” ― Cassandra Clare*

***Kiya***

One day down, two more to go.

Yet, strange happenings were among us.

The day started off when a mysterious note was slid under my hotel door as I was texting my friends back home. Neron was in the shower, and I caught the culprit’s shadows scurrying away after their delivery. Suspicion hung over me like a storm cloud as I approached the lone note and, against my better judgment, picked it up. It was a simple, folded index card.

The five words printed inside with elegant penmanship poured a bucket of chill down my spine.

*Alana and Aiyana*. *Save them*.

My breath seized in my throat as I read the message over and over. Who are Alana and Aiyana? Was this message meant for Neron or me, or us both? Why us and not the many other alphas and Lunas in attendance? The more questions I had, the more perplexed I became.

I was so deep in my thinking that I didn’t register Neron emerging from the bathroom.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Whoa!” I jumped, whirling around on my heels for my eyes not to meet with Neron’s face, but his tautened physique, baptized by the sun’s rays kissing his every groove and crevice. My cheeks grew hot as my eyes racked from his thick neck down his abs to the forbidden vee, sinking under the fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist. His hands worked a second towel through his ridiculously long and wet black hair, squeezing the excess water into the cotton.

His muscles undulated with his every movement. I noticed his every vein, groove, and goosebump on his tanned skin. I wanted to slap myself for ogling, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

*Oh, sweet Selene*…

Artemis’ eager growls rippled throughout my head.

“Kiya?” He inquired. “Are you alright?”

*Don’t say anything stupid*. *Don’t say anything fucking stup—*!

“I am now.” I purred, the corner of my lips curling to a smirk.

There was a charged pause.

And I realized what the *fuck* I just said.

Neron looked at me. I looked at him. I jammed the note in my back pocket, clearing my throat. The heat on my cheeks exploded, and I was positive he could see my blush because I could see his. I wondered if I jumped out the window right now, would the height be enough to kill me.

“Um…” Neron averted his eyes from me, tossing the towel he used to dry his hair on his bed. “I… well…” He shut his eyes, his broad chest expanding with a heavy inhale. A mild tremor rattled his joints. When his eyes flew open, they were no longer blue, but gold.

*Oh, hell*…

Onyx shot me a glare that doused my entire body in flames, his rumbling chuckle striking lightning bolts to the moist heat in between my legs. Embarrassingly, I squirmed under his teasing smile. “You like what you see, my queen? If you like, I can show you *more*…”

*Queen*? *That’s a new one*.

“**Oh, yes**!” Artemis panted.

“*Oh, no*!” I rebutted.

My lips squeezed together hard. The screams of a teenage girl running from a killer bellowed in my chest. Ignoring the powerful jolt through my body, I bolted toward the closet, seized a handful of Neron’s shirts, and started catapulting them to Onyx’s face, one by one. The wolf sputtered, taking off one shirt only to be hit with another.

“Kiya! What the—!”

“Put! On! A! Fucking! Shirt! You! Troglodyte!” I ordered with each pitch, swiftly running out of ammunition. Onyx’s sputtering quickly spiraled into laughter as he started catching the shirts with his hands.

“Oh, I know you can do better than that, love!”

It became a weird game of dodging and weaving, with Onyx narrowly avoiding my onslaught when I upgraded from shirts to lotion bottles. As fun as it was, the forbidden desire pooling in the pit of my stomach wasn’t. It simmered, boiled, and burned, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hate it or love it. To give in or continue resisting.

It’s the fucking mate bond. It *has* to be!

The game ended when Onyx pounced toward me, wrapping his arms around my smaller frame, and picking me up as I weighed nothing. I screeched, my hands gripping his shoulders for purchase. He grinned, planted a firm kiss on my cheek, and gave me a wink.

“Until next time, my sweet. Do try to work on your aim next time.”

“Wha—!”

And just like that, Neron was back. He saw the rather compromising position we were in, blushed ten times harder than before, and gently set me on my bare feet. Clearing his throat, he fixed the towel around his waist when it threatened to slip, and averted his eyes from me again.

“I’m going to get dressed.” He whispered, his voice tight. “Thanks for picking out my clothes.”

“I-Is that supposed to be a joke?” I asked, his heat lingering on my body.

“Sort of.” He hastily gathered his wrinkled shirts, tossed them all back in the closet but one, plucked out a pair of slacks and jogged back into the bathroom. Once he was out of sight, I took in a deep breath, pressing a hand over my heart. I don’t know if it was palpitating from the game or that I was pressed against the Alpha’s naked chest a second ago.

*What a fucking morning*.

But the afternoon topped the craziness.

I met with Alesia and Lyria to swim in the humongous luxury pool behind the hotel. Other mated couples were there spending time with one another, lounging in lounge chairs, and sunbathing, amongst other things. With two Lunas flanking at my side, it provided me some protection from the onlookers who were ogling us from the distance. Anthony and Dimitri met up with us half an hour later, but I didn’t see Neron.

The urge to find him was strong. I climbed from the pool, snagged a large towel to wrap around me and my one-piece purple bathing suit, and began my trek. His sandalwood scent led me to the hallway of the first floor that led to the pool area. A resounding thud shook the walls and rattled the doors, followed by a pained grunt and a deep snarl.

“I don’t care if you think you’re hot shit, you’ll stay the fuck away from her!”

*Neron*.

“Or else what, infant Alpha? You can’t tell me to do a damn thing! You hold no claim, whatsoever!”

*Wystan*?!

My legs carried me to the end of the corridor, where I found Neron holding Wystan by the tee up against the wall, seconds away from tearing his throat out with his jaws. Blue and gold flickered in his eyes like a faulty lightbulb, the wolf and human fighting for control.

Was it to stop the madness or to be the one to end Wystan? Instantly, I dashed toward Neron to pull him off of Wystan, my towel fluttering behind me.

“Neron, stop!” I hollered, tugging at one of his arms. “Let him go!”

“You better listen to the little lady, Neron.” Wystan sang with a grin. “You wouldn’t want to do anything unruly in front of her, do you?”

Neron growled, his fists shaking, veins swollen with his fury. Whatever Wystan had said before had set him off. I couldn’t let him do whatever he was trying to do. Slithering between the men, I pressed my hands on Neron’s exposed chest. His breath hitched. His muscles stiffened. I looked up, and he looked down, looking at me for the first time, his blue eyes melting in my gaze.

“He isn’t worth it, Neron,” I murmured, curling my fingers into my palm. “Let him go, please. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

His eyes leaped from me to Wystan before emitting a heavy breath. Neron released his grip on Wystan, dropping him on his feet. I was pulled into Neron’s chest not a second after, away from Wystan, while he adjusted his tee, smoothening out the wrinkles.

“What is your problem?” I demanded of Wystan. “Does civility even exist in your vocabulary?”

“You should be speaking to the big boy here about civility.” His lips curved into a knowing smirk. That’s when I knew that whatever transpired between the alphas was his fault. Wystan’s gaze hopped from Neron to me, to his shaking arms cradled around me, to my hands on his chest. His eyebrows rose heavenward as his lips curved to an ‘O’. “Ooh, I see what’s going on here! Are you two—!”

“We’re done here,” Neron pulled me to my forgotten towel, bending down to pick it up. “I meant what I said, Wystan. Stay the fuck away from Kiya or else.”

Wystan rolled his eyes before his smoldering gaze found mine, making my skin crawl. “If your little *situationship* doesn’t work out for you, Kiya, you know where to find me. You’d be treated like a princess if you select me as your chosen.” He shot me a wink, turned on his heels, and walked away from us. Neron rose to full height and exhaled a sigh of relief, leaning inward to kiss both my curls and my forehead.

“Are you okay?” He asked me.

“I should be the one asking you that. What the hell happened, Neron?”

He dusted off the towel and draped it around my body. “Wystan wants to claim you as his and I… I just…” Neron shut his eyes, calmly shaking his head. It did nothing to calm the minor quakes undulating underneath his skin. “This won’t happen again. I won’t lose control like that again. You’re… not mine, so I shouldn’t be acting like you are.”

It was like someone grabbed a sledgehammer and smashed it against my heart. “N-Neron, I—”

“We should get back to the pool. Your family is waiting.” And with that, he walked ahead of me, running his hands through his hair. All I could do was stand there and watch his retreating form. I followed behind a minute after, my thoughts running a marathon that a dip in the pool couldn’t calm.

The madness didn’t end there. The evening didn’t offer a shred of comfort.

I was in my bed when a savage scream ripped me away from my dreamless sleep. Bolting upright in panic, I turned on the table lamp to see Neron writhing and wailing in his bed, stuck in his dream. Or his *nightmare*.

“Oh Goddess, Neron!” Jumping out of bed, I was at his side in seconds, grappling his thrashing arms by the wrists. I struggled against his grip, refusing to use my true strength. “Neron, wake up! It’s me, Kiya! You’re having a bad dream!”

As if my voice was the light switch, Neron’s bloodshot eyes shot open, his irregular breathing coming out in puffs. Tears slid from the corners of his orbitals down to his temples. His breathing hadn’t slowed at all, even when I tightened my grip around his wrists. Neron was stuck in panic.

“Neron… Neron…” I mumbled, propping one knee onto the bed. “You’re okay. You’re safe. We’re in a hotel room in Miami. No one is out to hurt you.” My heart ached at the all-too-familiar situation, like needles to the heart. Years ago, I was in this position, panicked and sobbing after my nightmares. Mom held my wrists to stop me from hurting myself, and here I was, holding Neron’s wrists to stop him from hurting himself.

Finally, his eyes found mine, and his face crumbled. He rose from the bed and pulled me in his arms with a sob, his face finding refuge in my neck. I felt his chest inflate with his breathing, inhaling my scent as if it’ll chase away the demons in his mind. Strong arms tightened around me, almost painfully, but I didn’t mind. My arms snaked around his body, pushing myself as close as I could against him. That was when I felt his shirt adhering to his flesh from his sweat. The air conditioner hummed around us, but all I could hear was Neron’s haggard breathing beating against my neck.

“Neron…”

“I-I thought… t-they… h-he… h-he was…” A violet tremor rocked his entire body, eliciting another sob from his throat. Neron’s fingers dug into my pajama top, bunching the fabric in his fists, threatening to tear it from the seams. “Y-you… I… you w-were g-gone. H-he killed you…”

“I’m not dead.” I cooed, running a hand through his damp strands. “I’m here. I’ve always been here.”

“Y-You were gone!”

“I’m right here.”

“You were gone…” He wept, a fresh set of tears raining on my shoulder. “He took you from me…”

“*I’m right here*.”

How many times have I’ve heard the phrase ‘alphas don’t cry’? Countless times. How many times have I seen an alpha cry? Even less. I’ve seen Anthony cry were when his children were born or when Alesia or our parents got hurt. Dad cried when he held his grandchildren or whenever Mom cried. Society taught men crying was for the weak, that tears made them lesser. Crying was more acceptable for women and thus, were forced to hold in their emotions. Let a tear slip out and you’ll never be seen as strong again.

Yet, here Neron was, sobbing into my shoulder from a night terror that ripped us both from our slumber. My mind was split into two separate, yet connected, thoughts. One half was happy that Neron felt comfortable enough to be this vulnerable with me. The other wanted to do anything and everything to chase away the demons who orchestrated this hell.

Neron breathed in my scent and held me for what seemed like an eternity. I whispered, *I’m right here* in his ear like a sacred mantra, slowly but surely, feeling his rigid muscles slacken. He sniffled and exhaled, finally releasing me from his hold.

He looked worse for wear.

“I’m sorry.” He groaned, unable to meet my eyes. “I… I don’t know what came over me.”

“Don’t apologize.” I squeezed his bicep gently. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.” A moment of silence passed by before I spoke again. “You had a nightmare?”

“That wasn’t a nightmare.” Neron shook his head. “It was much more than that.”

“… Was it a vision?”

He stiffened, but eventually nodded. “Yes.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I just… I can’t. Not right now.”

The rawness was still there. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I don’t want to talk about it right now, Kiya.”

“Okay… okay.” I breathed, climbing out of his bed. “Your shirt is soaked with sweat. I could get you a spare from the closet.”

Neron shook his head, shoving the covers from his legs and yanking the tee over his head. “Don’t bother. I don’t think I can get back to sleep now.” He looked up at me. “You should go back to bed. I’ll be fine.”

“No way.”

“Kiya.” He blew out a trembling sigh, rubbing his forehead. “Seriously, go back to sleep.”

I shook my head, turning to walk to the bathroom. I grabbed one of the smaller hand towels from the top of the bathroom closet, flipped on the faucet, and ran it under cool water. Bunching it up in my hands, I wrung out the excess. Neron looked at me with confusion when I came back with the towel at hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Turn around.”

He stared at me in confusion. “Why?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes. Wholeheartedly.”

“Then do as I say.”

Neron hesitated for a second, but relented, turning his muscled back to me. I got on my knees behind him and rubbed the towel across his back. Instantly, he sighed in relief, his muscles slacking underneath my palms. “Mom used to do this to me whenever I had nightmares. It cleaned me up and cooled me down.” I ran the towel over his arms and neck. “Nightmares are a bitch to deal with, but it helps to have something or someone to take care of you afterward.”

“Why are you doing this, Kiya?” He asked, peeping over his shoulder.

I stopped, staring back at him. “Because I want to.” I glanced over at the digital watch at the corner of the suite, reading 2:05 AM. “Let’s change these sheets so you can get back to sleep.”

Neron and I worked together to change the sweat-drenched sheets into clean, dry ones. Thank Goddess, we didn’t have to call the sleeping hotel staff for assistance. We changed the pillows and blankets. In ten minutes, we were finished. The Alpha sat back on the mattress, rolling his fingers over the new sheets.

“… Thank you, Kiya,” Neron whispered, looking up at me. “I… I appreciate it.”

“It’s my pleasure.” I flashed him a smile. “Let’s hope no more visions come about tonight. Will you talk to me about it when you’re ready?”

“Yes.” He nodded without hesitation. “I will.”

I turned back to my bed.

“Kiya?”

“Hmm?” I turned around. “Is there something else you need, Neron?”

“I…” Neron bit his bottom lip, twiddling his fingers. “Can you sleep next to me for tonight?” I regarded him with a curious look as he continued. “J-just for tonight. With the vision and… I just…”

“Scoot over.”

I took one of my pillows with a white silk covering plus my blanket and marched to the other side of his bed. Adjusting the pillow next to his, I hopped into the bed. “Come on. Don’t tell me you’re backing out, now.”

Neron moved slowly, shimming under the blankets as if he was afraid to touch me. Afraid of doing something wrong. After a minute, we settled in bed with my back to his front with my hair splaying over my pillow.

“No bonnet tonight?”

“I don’t need to wrap my hair up every night. Silk covers help a lot.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Neron knocked out a minute, his large arm draped lazily over my waist. I dragged the blanket up to my neck and watched the curtains flutter from the cracked window. Many questions buzzed in my head from what Neron said about the vision.

Who was this ‘he’? Could it be the mad god, Apophis? Or was it someone else that scared the shit out of him?

Silver light bled through the window onto the bed from the sky, from the billowing curtains. A gust of wind flailed the curtains upward to display the full moon to me.

Bigger and brighter than any I’ve seen in a while. It was beautiful.

Another jolt of power rocketed through me, my body flinching. This time, however, was a little gentler than the ones prior.

And before my mind could ask more questions, I fell deeply into another dreamless sleep.

Neither of us were disturbed for the rest of the night.