Chapter 112: Chapter 112

/Rose POV/

A succession of heavy blurred sounds and unfamiliar faces haunt me in my sleep that remain imprinted onto my mind even when I open my eyes again. They did not make sense, but they seemed so real that I could not forget about any of them, fisting the sheets. It took me a surprising amount of strength to manage to roll on the other side, search for Aiden.

“Bad dream?”

I hiccuped, “I….”

“It’s okay….” The Alpha murmured, bending down slightly and reaching around my shoulder, pressing me tightly to his chest. “I am here, baby.”

A thumb brushed across my cheek for a blissful moment; it made me feel weightless, mattress giving in slightly underneath our combined weight moving.

Aiden collected the blankets, and as he draped them over me, I slowly started to come back to it. My body was felt tired and exhausted, but I could make out my surroundings again, the private cabin we rented drenched in light that flooded through the panelled windows. The dust particles danced through the rays, broken apart by the Alpha leaning forward to secure a thick quilt around my shoulders.

“What time is it?” I managed to croak, my body shutting down, not even managing to lift my head anymore.

“It’s still early in the morning. Go back to sleep. I will wake you soon.”

***

A few hours later, Aiden had planned a few more activities for us instead of staying cooped in the room. I think he understood that I needed distraction from my last night's dream. More like a nightmare. The memory was a bit hazy, but I could still remember someone trying to take Aiden away from me.

He ordered room service, almost every item on the menu, to have my pick. It overwhelmed me and almost made me feel like he was making up for last night revelation. The news of us being mates still did not sink in; maybe it will take more time for me to adjust.

Once we finished our breakfast, the Alpha took me for a quick stroll outside. We had a couples spa appointment shortly, and it was the most relaxing part of the trip.

***

I was bouncing on the balls of my feet, mostly to warm up my muscles and a little bit from anticipation. The black and blue suit clung to my body like a second skin, almost making me sweat underneath. Adjusting my googles, I felt his intense eyes digging into me, the surfboard slowly slipping from under my arms.

"Alright there, baby?" He stepped close enough to nudge me. "Need some help?"

“I am fine, but—” My teeth sunk on the bottom lip, eyes widening. “—do we have to do this? What if the waves drown us?”

“It’s fun. Besides, I'll protect you."

"You'll protect me," I repeated flatly. "So, like, you'll do it on your own then?”

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to rob you of the experience. It's like taking a leap of faith. But," The Alpha took a step forward, tugging at my loose strands, "you can rest assured that I will be with you." He was warm in his wetsuit, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead that I should not find attractive.

“Are you starting to regret it?” He asked after a moment, a furrow in between his brows. Aiden looked at the sea in front of us before turning to me. “I mean, we can still... We don’t have to if you don’t want, baby.”

My lips twitched before schooling my face and melting into a smile. “No, not really. You get adorably concerned, though. I will be fine, Aiden.”

I could get used to this—could get used to having the Alpha around all the time, could get used to his breathless laugh, crinkles by his eyes and his tangled hair, messed up from their trip, and him running his fingers through it. Or I might be used to it already.

***

By the time we returned from surfing, the afternoon had melted into a sunny, windless evening. Aiden insisted on taking me to a club, and I usually would have said no, but it wasn’t often I had danced in places like this. The thought of having the Alpha touch my waist created an unreasonably scary swirl in my gut. Still, I agreed to it.

A thrill shot up my spine as he carefully pressed closer, grasping my hand in his.

Before I had registered what was going on, the Alpha was moving, arms solid around me as he dove into the rhythm of the music. Aiden led well, and without a doubt, knew what he was doing as he lifted our arms and spun me twice on the spot before catching me and resuming with a laugh at my breathless lungs.

His eyes were slim slits as the skin beneath crinkled, and his grin was more comprehensive than ever.

The song perfectly fitted the vibrant atmosphere around us, and we moved with ease among the couples surrounding us. My eyes turned soft each time Aiden so much as grinned at me, and for the moment, it was so easy to forget that I still had a lot of issues to sort.

Aiden’s eyes were shining under the colourful lights hanging from the ceiling, and as the song continued into a slower tune, he pulled me closer, arms winding around my frame. My belly fluttered, lips parting into a low gasp as he closed the distance between our bodies.

We were quiet for a minute, my gaze focused at our feet as I felt his eyes browse across my face. They were too penetrative, and everything felt far too real whenever he would drill those moss greens into me.

He smelled familiar, warm, musky. The Alpha smelled in a way that I wanted to burrow further into him until my nose was pressed to the curve of his shoulder. Aiden’s grip tightened around me as he shakily exhaled, his cold breath falling on my mouth. I watched as his hand shifted to the curve of my hip. The Alphas fingers felt heavy, significant as they squeezed around, and he held me securely to his body, pressed impossibly close.

Seconds later, I felt his thigh slotted between mine.

I released a soft moan against his lips and promptly collapsed into the Alphas arms. He crushed our mouths together, his hands instantly squeezing me in sure motions. I fumbled against the Alpha, my heart pounding in an utterly painful manner against my ribs. Our lips tangled in a wet mess, breaths uneven and searching for more even though we were as close as we could manage.

“Oh,” I whined against his soft lips, and I could feel how Aiden's body jolted at the single word. Before a moment had passed, his mouth took control of the messy situation, where we had finally gotten close enough: his hands grasping desperately at my body. His lips slowly left my mouth but reattached at the nape of my neck, teeth scraping against the mark in hungry motions. I had never thought Aiden would take it this far, to be moaning into my skin as he invasively felt down my body.

Pulling back, the sound of his voice brought my eyes up while I struggled to catch up. It was filled with so much wonder and adoration that a shiver ran down my back. “You are so beautiful right now; you have got no idea, baby.”

I swallowed against a hard lump at the bottom of my throat. Why did the Alpha perpetually have to do that? Why did Aiden have to say things that were so unbelievably hard to ignore? He was looking at me with such tenderness, voice so raw and honest. No one had ever said something of that sort to me before.

“Aiden…” I lowly whined, looking away, past his shoulder and roaming my eyes around the crowded club.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t do that.”

“Tell you you’re the most beautiful person in the room right now?”

I turned red but slowly managed to bob my head, still not meeting his eyes.

“But I want you to know how I feel,” He let out a sigh, gazing at me earnestly. “What is the point if I don’t tell you my honest feelings?”

Gazing into his eyes, I sincerely hoped for this honeymoon to last forever.

***