5. Chapter FiveMelina
Chapter Five
Melina
L ying next to Aaron was a test from the underworld. This sinfully beautiful male. This shirtless, sinfully beautiful male was lying next to me, and he expected me to sleep? His skin looked like smooth caramel that I maybe wanted to lick in a brief moment of insanity. He had a few jagged scars on his toned physique, most likely from battle, but it did nothing to mar his beauty. His abs were slightly defined but nothing extreme, just enough to let me know he worked to keep his body in good shape for fighting.
How could I relax when the heat from his body, only inches from mine, wrapped around me like a warm blanket? Even when I closed my eyes, his masculine alpha scent floated over to me and permeated every pore, refusing to let me go. And there he was, snoring lightly, peaceful, happy, and calm. Meanwhile, my body was wound so tight I thought I would explode. And this jerk thought I could sleep?
I wanted to punch him awake so he could join in my misery. Why was he so persistent about this? I didn’t believe it was because my scent helped him sleep, although he did seem sincere when he said it. The memory of that vulnerable look on his face maybe tugged at my heart. I huffed in the silence of the dark. No, I would not fall for his act. He just wanted me to comply.
If love wasn’t going to be in the picture, then why couldn’t we be roommates? From what he was offering, that would be the perfect setup. And I couldn’t figure out how he could live that way. No matter what happened, giving up was no way to exist. He needed to forgive himself. Love was a necessity. At least to me, it was. I couldn’t understand a mind that did not need it. I wasn’t sure I could ever punish myself in that way. However, he was different. Perhaps he thought if I continued to sleep beside him, I would eventually want to have sex with him. Little did he know having a loveless marriage filled with sex was the least desirable thing I could ever want.
Not that my body cared. She was different. She liked his earthy, forest scent. She wanted to jump on top of him and ride him until her legs shook. She would easily get weak and bear her neck to him to be claimed. That bitch.
I shut my eyes tightly as if that would prevent the images of me and him from intruding into my thoughts. Of course, that would not work. Instead, I stared at the wall and hoped boredom would send me to sleep.
I’d managed to eventually fall asleep, and the next morning, I rose from the bed before him. His hand shot up, grabbing my wrist. I looked back at him, but his eyes were still closed, the side of his face mushed against his pillow. My eyes wandered to the defined muscles of his back and over to the flexed muscles on his bicep and forearm that led to the large hand gripping me. My thighs clenched at just the stirring of seeing his form.
I cleared my throat. “Can I help you?”
“Where are you going?” he mumbled halfway into the pillow .
“It’s morning. I want to get up. Or do you plan to force me to stay in this bed forever?”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Tempting.” He opened an eye. “I didn’t realize it was morning. My sleep was interrupted last night by someone.”
I raised a brow. “Wonder who that was?” I shook my hand, still in his grip. “Can you let me go now?”
He twisted, exposing more of his face as he looked down at our connection. The movement yanked me forward, and I fell back onto the bed and into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug before kissing the top of my head. “Good morning, Rabbit. Did you enjoy our first night together as husband and wife?”
His woodsy scent washed over me as I lay against the heat of his hard chest. If I decided to lose my mind, I could just let go and relax on top of him. It would be so nice to lay like this for a while. Just for a while. No. I couldn’t give in. I huffed and pushed against him. He easily let me go, a playful smirk on his face as I scowled down at him. He enjoyed pushing boundaries. “Are you serious?”
He widened his eyes in innocence. “What? You said we could hug each other.”
“As an alternative to the bed. Not both, and definitely no kissing.”
He raised his arms in the air, stretching, and I once again gazed at his stupidly gorgeous physique. He was a whole distraction. “You sleep so far away from me; I don’t see how our scents could ever mix.”
I rolled my eyes and spun around, not sure how to respond. I was not prepared for him. I didn’t think he would be this challenging. Why couldn’t I be set up with someone who didn’t want this marriage either? Or at least someone who longed for love and romance as well. Preferably with me. Not some charming soldier with a closed heart who only cared about duty to his kind. I had to implement my plan.
We spent the rest of the day unpacking his things, cleaning together, getting to know each other better. I tried my best to sound as unappealing as possible, but he seemed undeterred. It didn’t help that he really wasn’t awful company, but I couldn’t forget that his being nice to me was not because he wanted anything more than my friendship.
He wouldn’t talk about why he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, ever love me. He just kept saying that he just couldn’t. There were many possibilities. He wasn’t attracted to me, despite his words. One could think someone was attractive without wanting to be with that person. Or maybe he had a secret lover he couldn’t discuss. Then again, what happened to his lover, Mona, had to have damaged him as well. That was easily a pain that could have closed his heart. I didn’t know how to address that one. I couldn’t relate to such an experience, nor did I want to be insensitive. Also, I wasn’t the most persuasive, and he seemed to be a very stubborn Fae.
Ultimately, my only option was to get out of this arrangement. I was not going to get the love I desired from him. This marriage was a sham. And as such, I needed to get out of it. Quickly. I was certain that the longer I would be with him, the more likely I would fall for him. I was susceptible that way. Then, that would be where the pain happened. The pain I was not only familiar with but thoroughly exhausted from. I had no more emotional fight in me for another broken heart. I had to get out of this. That would start with being my most annoying self.
That evening, I began with the food.
“Dinner’s ready!” I called out from the kitchen.
I placed two bowls of curry chicken and rice on the dining room table that I cooked. Truth was, I enjoyed cooking, but he would not know about that. He would never know about it.
Aaron soon appeared from the ground floor living area, where he spent most of his time besides the bedroom. He raised his brows as he looked at the food. “Looks delicious. I didn’t know you could cook.”
I shrugged as he sat down. “I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will.” He grinned at me with his perfect teeth, and he did look appreciative.
I held back a grimace as I tried not to let his smiling face affect me. I waited in silence for him to eat, picking up my spoon. He scooped a heaping amount into his mouth, and for a moment, I felt guilty. He trusted that what I was feeding him would be good.
He nodded his head, enjoying the initial flavor, and then, seconds later, I saw his eyes water. He coughed, clutching at his throat. Grabbing the glass of water beside his bowl, he chugged it down, driblets of water seeping out of the corners of his mouth. That wouldn’t help .
“Oh, no. Are you okay?” I asked in a deadpan voice.
He entered a coughing fit, sliding back his chair and running to the kitchen. I waited as he shuffled around, finding something to remove the burning in his mouth. When he finally returned, his face was tear-streaked and red. He was practically panting.
“Dear wife,” he panted. “What is in that curry?”
I looked up at him with a sweet smile. “Crushed Mardun peppers.” Mardun peppers were the hottest spice of all the realm. Fae only ate them if challenged or as a small part of an elixir to cure serious stomach pains.
His brows wrinkled in confusion as he rubbed the back of his hand over his sweaty forehead. “You must have a high tolerance to spice.”
I took a bite of my own curry, having not put any crushed peppers in it. “Yes, it’s super high. I can barely taste the spice. Are you too sensitive to eat spicy food?”
I knew by the way I phrased it; it would irritate his ego.
He blew out a breath, seemingly unaffected by my teasing. “Well, there’s a limit, wife. For instance, my tongue is now numb.”
I widened my eyes in false shock. “Should I take you to the infirmary?”
He looked like he was seriously considering it, but then pride got in the way as he walked back to his seat, eyeing the offending dish. “No. Seriously, how can you eat that?”
I dropped my shoulders, poking out my lower lip. “You don’t like it? I just wanted to cook a nice meal for my husband.” I sniffed, dropping my spoon on the table and hanging my head. “You should be with someone who can cook properly for you.”
He leaned over and clasped my hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Or I should be with someone who doesn’t try to purposely burn me from the inside out.”
I looked up at him, and he was now giving me a sardonic smile. Damn it, he was on to me. “Well, then, yes. Be with someone who isn’t trying to set your insides on fire.”
He let go of my hand and sat back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “No, thank you. I like a challenge. Plus, I don’t need a wife who can cook.”
I frowned. “Hey, I can cook.”
He shrugged. “Eh, I doubt it. Guessing that’s also why you use all these spices. To cover up your poor cooking abilities.”
Was he baiting me? I would not be that gullible. “Don’t insult me just because you can’t handle spicy food.”
He snorted. “You think letting me know you can’t cook will be enough to run me away?”
I cut my eyes at him, falling into this trap but not caring. “I can cook.”
“I’d ask you to prove it, but I value my taste buds. So, what else do you have for me? Throw it at me. I told you that I’m not leaving. The way I see it, you have two options. You either run off and face the dire consequences from your leadership, or you give in to the life I’m offering you. I’d take the latter if I were you.”
I narrowed my eyes and pushed my seat back, getting up. “Neither.”
He chuckled and grabbed my bowl. “You don’t have any other choice, wife,” he stated before scooping the curry from my bowl onto his spoon and eating it.
I turned away, heading to the kitchen. “You’ll change your mind. Your silly duty to your kind is not worth your sanity.”
“Yuck, this is just as bad,” I heard him say behind me.
I spun around, ready to throw hands as Lila would say, but Aaron winked at me before digging back into my curry bowl that I had purposely prepared differently. I twisted my lips and stormed away. Maybe I was secretly pleased he liked my food, but that wasn’t part of the plan.
I was starting small, but if I was going to get rid of him, I had to do more. I needed to drive him crazy.
* ~ * ~ *
A few mornings later, I woke up with my head resting against a warm, hard body. My leg was tossed over thick thighs covered in loose, thin pajamas, and my crotch pressed so tightly to one of those thighs that I could feel the heat of the body through my thin panties. Those said thin panties were also slightly damp.
I was partially lying on Aaron. How had that happened? My body seized in a panic. Did he feel my wetness? Had it stained his pajamas? Had I wrapped my body around him in the middle of the night? I snuck a peek up at his face, careful not to move and wake him up. His eyes were closed, a slight smile on his face that gave him a serene look, and his long black hair fanned out across the pillow. Gods, he looked even more handsome asleep. Almost innocent and younger. It made my heart squeeze.
However, his body was sinful. His pajamas were hanging dangerously low to almost exposing below his pelvis. Naturally, my eyes went to his length, which I could see the print of under the material. Actually, he was semi-hard. Morning wood, as I’d once heard the humans call it. He was well-endowed, and I felt my pussy clench at just the thought of him inside me. Dangerous thinking. It felt a bit voyeuristic to look at him like this, but he was my husband, so it was acceptable, right?
I looked up to his face again and caught his sleepy, now open, gray eyes staring down at me. Great, he caught me looking. “Oh, don’t stop on my account, Rabbit.”
Rabbit? Why did he call me that? Wait, stop what on his account? Looking at him? Had he caught me staring at his cock? “I wasn’t doing anything.”
He tsk-tsked. “Oh, you were doing a lot in your sleep.”
My heart froze. Had I done something in my sleep? No, please, no. He was just joking, right? Then again, I had found my way over to his side of the bed and was clearly wrapped around him while his hands remained to himself. “What…what did I do in my sleep?”
“You were grinding on my thigh quite vigorously. Did you come? I could help you if you didn’t. Are you near your heat, perchance?”
I could die. I could curl up into a corner and just fade away. How had this happened? I knew I should have tried to sneak away again. Had so much time apart from other alphas, beyond my family members, caused my body to react this way? My heat wasn’t due for a while. That would make sense if it was close. I’d be in my feral state, wanting to give myself to an alpha. At its most primal, it was because my body would want to procreate. As time had passed, we’d become less ruled by such baser instincts, and our heats were also times to give in to our bodies and desires outside of breeding. I had no excuse now except pure horniness after being celibate from being with another alpha for so long.
I pulled the comforter over my head and rolled off the bed, taking it with me. I curled up in a ball on the ground, wrapping the comforter around me like a tiny hut.
I heard Aaron laugh. “Why are you embarrassed? You’re an omega, and I’m an alpha. It’s only natural for your body to react that way. I could share stories about myself that would make you less embarrassed. Come out from hiding, Rabbit.”
I didn’t move, still too mortified. “Why do you call me Rabbit?” I didn’t hate the nickname, but whether I liked it would depend on the why.
“Because you have red eyes like the white Rabbit, and you can be a bit skittish and mysterious.”
I suppose that made sense. I would accept it. I heard movement, and soon, my cover lifted. Aaron scooted under to join me. He lay on his back, a lazy smile on his lips as he looked up at me still, in my hunched form.
“Why are you under here?” I asked.
He ran a finger down my exposed arm, and I fought the very real urge to shiver. In my waking hours, I needed to not be so horny. However, my body didn’t care. I was still electric from being so close to him. His scent, his touch. What had I awakened in my sleep?
“I know it’s been less than a week, and you don’t know me, but I want you to. I don’t want you to ever feel embarrassed around me. I want you to be comfortable.”
He said nice words. They rang sweetly in my ears, but I’d heard nice words before. I’d fallen for nice words and had my heart ripped apart because of nice words.
“Uncurl for me, Rabbit,” he said in such a gentle voice I almost obeyed. It glided over my skin and into my muscles. It wasn’t his alpha voice. The tone that could cause an omega to submit. He was trying to coax me into relaxing.
I shook my head, looking away.
“May I touch you?”
His request, his whispered breath gently moving the hairs on my arms, caused my horny body to betray me, and my nipples hardened. I absolutely wanted his touch, but I couldn’t give in. I huffed. “I apparently humped your leg without your permission; I think you have the right.” Humiliation burned my skin once again. “Sorry about that.”
“I enjoyed it, so there is no need to apologize. And just because you got very friendly with me, doesn’t give me free access to you. So, I’ll ask again, may I touch you?”
There was something about the way he asked that melted me. Who knew consent could be so sexy? Gods, it was going to be hard to maintain my plan. Still, at the current moment, having him touch me couldn’t hurt. Having fun along the way, as he suggested before, wasn’t so bad. As long as I kept my head and my heart in order, I’d be fine. Famous last words.
“Ok,” I replied quietly, still avoiding his face.
Horniness was winning.
I felt his hand lift my chin and turn slightly to him. “Ah, there she is. Just as lovely in the early morning.”
I tried to lower my head, but he wouldn’t let me. I wondered if he would think I was so beautiful if he saw me without my glamour.
He threaded his hands through my braids and brought me closer to him. Before I could pull away, he kissed me. It was slow and soft and so respectfully gentle. My body heated at the taste of him. Spice, forest. His lips felt almost healing. I trembled, confusing myself. How could this be? He was a Nodoorian. I wasn’t supposed to enjoy this so much.
I pulled slowly away from his mouth. Not because I wanted to stop but because I needed to breathe. Looking down at him, he gazed up at me with an odd mix of wonderment and desire that fired my core. That look on those cold steel eyes only captured me even further.
We stared at each other for several more seconds, his hands gently running down my braids. I had no idea Nodoorians, or alphas for that matter, could be this soothing.
Finally, he broke the silence. “I know we are still strangers to each other and former enemies, so, trust isn’t easy but I liked kissing you, and I want to do it again.”
He smiled when he said that last part, and my heart cracked just a minuscule bit. I wasn’t sure if I could believe any words coming out of his mouth, but I wanted more. My body wanted more.
I kissed him again, and it was just as heavenly as before. I felt his hands around my waist, and he lifted me until I was straddling him, my comforter falling down my back. He kissed me deeper this time, his mouth pressing harder against my lips until I parted them, letting his tongue slide in. The slickness of his tongue glided across mine, and my core tingled at the connection. I could feel the hardened length of him between my legs; I wanted to grind down on him so badly.
I felt his hand reach up from my waist and gently squeeze my left breast. I froze at the contact but quickly relaxed against it as he began to massage it. His thumb grazed my nipple in a circular motion over the thin silk of my nightgown, his touch zipping through my nerves and further awakening them. I moaned in his mouth, trying to let go of any worry in my head of how stupid this was and not at all helping my plan. It would just be this one moment and then nothing more.
He moved his mouth from mine, disappointing me. Although, his hands were now massaging both my breasts, building my pleasure as my panties dampened further in response. “I want to make you come, Little Rabbit. Will you let me do that?”
I gazed at him with lowered lids, skeptical. I was torn between wanting a release and scared to give in to him. If I did, the feelings I couldn’t have for him would grow. Still, it was really hard to think with him tweaking my nipples. “Um, I don’t want to have sex.”
He leaned up and licked across my right thinly covered nipple in a quick movement, my core drenching further at his attention. “That’s perfectly fine. I know many ways to make you come, Rabbit.”
Before I could ask him about his methods, I felt something cool and slick brush across my pussy lips. I gasped, eyes wide and confused. I had not imagined that. “How?”
Aaron wiggled his brows but said nothing as the pressure in my core continued. The invisible tongue, I didn’t know what else to call it, swiped over my clit, flicking at it in a rapid pace. I closed my eyes and tossed my head back, rocking against the air. My body was simmering with an impending release. It wouldn’t take much; I was already wound up from my in-sleep activities.
Aaron looked down between my legs, grinning as his lids dropped in a lust-filled gaze. “Rabbit, you’re so wet. I can see you dripping right on my cock. I could come in my pants just looking at you.”
Gods, his words were turning me on. He then released my breast from the top of my lingerie and took one nipple into his mouth before I could blink. I cried or moaned; I wasn’t sure what it was actually. My head was starting to feel cloudy from the multiple points of pleasure he was giving me. The intoxicating, invisible sucking on my clit increased in pace, and he matched the speed with this tongue on my nipple, teasing the other nipple with a feathery touch.
I was done; no, I was undone. My body wound tight and then exploded. I shuddered above him, gripping his shoulders so tightly I could have left nail marks on his bare skin. He would have to forgive me later because I was losing control as wave after wave took me over. When I floated down from my euphoric release, I collapsed on top of him, feeling the dampness between my legs spread over his hardness. I lay my head on his chest, catching my breath as I waited for the muscles in my body to work again.
“Has anyone ever told you that you are so sexy when you orgasm?” Aaron asked in a low voice, pressing another kiss to the top of my head.
He was being sweet. I couldn’t handle that from him. Not when he stated he could never love me. I should have gotten up. I should have moved away, but my body was almost a magnet to him. I couldn’t go. Instead, I chuckled. “Never heard that before.”
“Well, you should know that you are.”
“Thank you. I have to ask…”
“What magic did I use?”
“Yes, that was amazing. Thank you, by the way.”
“You’re quite welcome. It’s a very low-level body manipulation magic I learned years ago. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I can do it anytime you’d like. ”
Of course, this guy was almost perfect. He could hold a good conversation, saved my life, was sinfully handsome, and could give me an orgasm without even touching me. It was annoying. “I’m trying to dislike you, but you’re making it hard.”
He snorted. “No, Rabbit, I think it’s you that’s made me hard.”
And he was funny. I playfully slapped his chest then slid it down toward his stomach. “I can help you with that.”
He wrapped his arms around me in return, restricting my movements in a very pleasant way. I wanted to hate being in his arms, but it was a challenge. “Not this time. Just wanted to focus on you for right now.”
I could get used to this. I could fall for him. That would be dangerous for my heart. “What do you want from me?”
He moved his lips to my ear, and I could feel the heat of his breath as he spoke. “Everything, Rabbit. Everything.”
If he couldn’t give me love, then what did that even mean? He was going to be a problem for me, and I had to find a way out quickly.