Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance-Chapter 90 - NINETY - SLEEP TIGHT

Darius stayed for a long while, unmoving except to shift Serena gently into his lap. Her head rested against his chest now, soft and still, and he absently patted her hair as if to soothe himself more than her. Only when her breathing fell into a slow, steady rhythm did he let himself exhale.

He looked up at the silent moon, a constant in everyone’s life, watching them wordlessly. He absentmindedly ran his hands through her hair. Serena’s chest rose and fell rhythmically, she was a quiet sleeper.

Darius draped his hands over his face and sighed yet again. The stress had started to get to him; he had so much to think about and so much to implement. He loved his job, but sometimes he wished he was not the son of an Alpha, to have all this workload placed on his shoulders.

His mind drifted to when Serena had asked him what he would have liked to do if he were not the Alpha of Ironshade, and to which he could not give a proper reply. He looked down at her and smiled. Just two days ago, he had picked up a brush for the first time in years to paint.

Darius wanted to do that more often, just sit, relax, and paint what his heart desired. In Serena’s clutched hand was the napkin she had made a design on.

Wishful thinking had clouded his thoughts. Maybe in some other life, he would be able to be with this beautiful woman and finally relax. He pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Foolish boy, what is stopping you?" came Ronan’s voice, deep and ever-impatient in the back of his mind.

"I am hardly a boy," Darius replied with a roll of his eyes. "You know how complicated it is."

The wolf made a sound that was akin to a scoff. "Two heads are better than one. I do not understand the point of staring at a tangled ball of thread you’ve been trying to unravel, only to refuse help."

Darius tilted his head slightly, as though he were considering Ronan’s words. "I understand."

"We have not seen her shift. That concerns me. I’d know if my mate were a runt, but this? This is something else." Ronan said.

Darius looked down at Serena, who was still fast asleep. He ran his thumb over her cheek and clicked his tongue.

"We may have to visit the priestess. They were in the process, but I am still in the dark about what went on," Darius replied.

Darius shifted slightly in his seat. Serena had stopped him from rejecting her from the beginning all because of her wolf, the same wolf she claimed to have only just discovered. That in itself was strange. The more he thought about it, the odder it seemed.

The situation was peculiar to begin with. He was mated to a bona fide rogue. Lunara had seen this and made the decision for Serena to own part of his soul, and for he to own part of hers.

He bent his head slightly, lips close to her ear. "I’m sorry," he whispered. "For trying to force rejection on you."

Ronan growled low in his head, not angry, but aching. "You are wise, but my trust in you wanes by the day. Stop depriving me of my mate."

"She’s mine as well, in case you’ve forgotten. Though I suppose that’s expected, given the amount of sawdust packed between your ears," Darius retorted. His voice was not biting, but held a hint of amusement.

The wolf grunted and said no more.

Darius placed one arm beneath Serena’s knees and the other behind her neck, lifting her as if she weighed nothing at all. Her head lolled slightly against his chest, strands of her hair brushing his jaw. He adjusted his grip and held her closer.

He soon disappeared into the archway. He climbed up the familiar stairs of the castle where he had grown up. After a few minutes of quiet walking, he reached the door to her room. He twisted the knob and walked in.

He noticed where the wardrobe had been pushed, and the new position of the desk he had given her. She really had made it her space.

Darius crossed the expanse of the room and placed Serena on the bed. Crossing the room, Darius knelt beside the bed and laid Serena down gently. He slid a few pillows beneath her head, adjusting them with careful hands before laying her on her back.

He stood for a moment, just watching. Her face was softened in sleep, lips slightly parted, lashes casting shadows across her cheeks. He turned toward the window, lifted the latch with a soft click, and pushed it open.

When he returned to the bed, he sat on the edge slowly. The mattress gave beneath his weight, the frame creaking faintly in protest. He watched her chest rise and fall, rhythmically, peacefully.

He stood up, ran a hand over his face, and sighed. He felt like a peeping tom. Darius turned his back to her and made for the door.

"Darius," Serena called out softly.

He stopped dead in his tracks and then turned around to confirm that he was not going mad. Her green eyes gleamed in the dark as she looked at him.

"Oh, I did not mean to wake you," he said apologetically.

Serena stirred in the bed, turned over to her side, and gave him a lazy smile. "It’s okay."

"Did you need something?" Darius asked, taking a step closer.

"Yes." Her hands fidgeted with the hem of the blanket, her eyes dropping for a moment before lifting to meet his again. "For you to stay the night."

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. Darius looked at her wide-eyed as he processed her words. Serena played with the hem of the blanket, wondering if she had done wrong by asking him for something like that.

"Is that all?" Darius asked.

Serena nodded. "Yes, that is all."

Darius brought his hand to his chin like he was making a complicated decision. "I cannot turn down a request made by my lady," he said with a small smile.

Serena chuckled as she watched him approach the bed. She moved to make space for him to join her.

Darius pulled the covers aside and slid into the bed. He draped an arm behind her and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight now."

–

Serena opened her eyes to see Darius sitting up in the bed. She had fallen asleep soon after he had given her a goodnight kiss on the forehead.

He was adjusting his collar and looking out into the room. Serena craned her neck to check the window, the sun had not risen yet, but some birds were chirping. It was early morning.

Darius turned to see that Serena was awake. He smiled and slipped his hand into hers. "You’re awake."

Serena nodded and tried to sit up, but he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"No need. Listen, I have to leave before everyone else is awake," Darius said.

The warmth of his palm lingered even after he withdrew. Serena yawned, stretching slightly under the blanket before turning to face him fully, her cheek brushing the pillow. "I see. I would ask you to stay just a bit longer, but that would be asking too much."

Darius pushed her hair out of her face and smiled. "I too would like to be selfish, but I can’t afford any slip-ups so close to when Riven is coming."

Serena blinked at the unfamiliar name. "Riven?"

Darius relaxed on the headboard and nodded. "Riven Caldric. That’s the name of the delegate we’re expecting."

Darius sighed. He felt more comfortable conversing with her, it flowed out of him naturally whenever he was near her.

"I have no idea what he looks like, or what kind of man he is." Darius looked at his palm and then clenched his fist. "This is a daunting task, unlike anything I’ve ever done," he admitted.

Serena sat up and placed her hand over his clenched fist, offering a small smile. "For what it’s worth, I’ve never done this sort of thing before. Actually, I never imagined doing any of this."

Darius’ lips parted slightly, and then he laughed. He opened his hand and squeezed hers.

"I’ll do my best, and support you in whatever way I can," Serena said.

Darius smiled and brought his face closer to hers. "Thank you."

He placed his hand on her face and kissed her forehead. Serena folded her lips and looked down. Her neck felt hot, even though the room was cool.

"I don’t want to keep you any longer," she whispered.

Darius didn’t move away. Instead, he tilted her chin upward with one knuckle, coaxing her to meet his gaze. In the stillness of the dim room, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

"Yes, I have to leave now," he murmured.

They both leaned in closer and met in the middle. His lips brushed hers once, then deepened the kiss, slow and searching. When he pulled back, he didn’t leave right away. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then another to her cheek, her brow, and finally her forehead, as if memorizing her features through touch alone.

"I’ll see you in a few hours," he said with a soft smile, already moving toward the door.

And just like that, the warmth of the bed felt emptier without him.