Chapter 185
~ ROWAN
By the time I finally made it upstairs, Nyssa was knocked out in bed.
I watched her carefully, tracking the steady rise and fall of her chest and the soft snores that escaped her lips. She hadn’t changed from her earlier clothes, and her feet dangled off the edge of the bed.
I couldn’t even bring myself to continue to be upset, not when she looked so peaceful.
After changing her into comfortable clothes, I grabbed the empty paper cup that sat on the table. As I picked it up, a small vial rolled onto the floor, stopping mere inches from my feet. I leaned over to pick it up, turning over the little tear shaped container in my hands.
I’d never seen anything like it before so it had to be Nyssa’s. I placed it carefully on the bedside table where I knew she’d see it tomorrow and crawled into bed next to her.
As if sensing my presence, she nestled closer to me, mumbling soft, incoherent words under her breath. I wasted no time in pulling her closer to my chest, my arms banding around her.
“You little liar,” I murmured, brushing her hair out of her face. “I wonder where you really went to today p>
She couldn’t respond, and even if she were awake, I knew she wouldn’t.
I could’ve asked Eric directly, I knew that he wouldn’t lie to me, but I wouldn’t—not yet. For now, she was safe, and I trusted that if she were in any kind of danger at all, then Aria would tell me. She could keep her secrets, eventually, I’d have them all.
Movement stirred me from my sleep and I peeled my eyes open to see Nyssa wiggling out of my arms, murmuring something under her breath.
I wrapped my arms tighter around her and pulled her closer. “Stay p>
“I can’t,” she squirmed, trying to get out. “I need to pee p>
“Can you hold it p>
She turned to me incredulously. “If you don’t let go of me in five seconds, I will pee all over the sheets p>
I groaned loudly but released her from my grip. She dashed into the bathroom, muttering curses as she went. I lay back against the bed with a sigh, glancing at the bedside clock. It was only a few minutes until I had to be up anyway, so with a huff, I pulled myself to my feet.
“Where are you going?” Nyssa asked, poking her head out of the bathroom “It’s not even light out p>
“I go on a run in the mornings,” I explained to her, making my way over to the closet to pull out my running shoes.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really? How did I not know this p>
“I always get back before you wake up. Do you want to join me p>
She hesitated for a moment, chewing her bottom lip into her mouth. “I guess so, I feel… better p>
I sat at the edge of the bed, tying my running shoes as I watched her pull on a pair of light grey leggings that hugged her hips tightly. I itched to grab her, to cradle those hips in my hands and pin her against the door—
“If you keep thinking like that we’re not going to leave this room,” she mumbled as she pulled her sports bra over her head. She turned to me, her lips pulled down into a frown. “Your Wall is down p>
I grinned, shrugging innocently as I pulled myself to my feet and closed the distance between us. She held up a hand, trying to keep some space between us but I grabbed her palm in mine, bringing her fingers to my lips.
Her cheeks warmed, a light sheen of pink creeping up the back of her neck and her ears.
My eyes trailed down her body, her toned stomach and wide hips. It took a considerable deal of effort for my eyes to rise back to her face. Her cheeks were flaming red as I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers.
“We should go,” I murmured. “Or we’ll never leave p>
I walked out of the room, leaving her standing there.
She joined me at the bottom of the steps five minutes later. She’d thrown a black tank top over her sports bra and as disappointing as it was that I wouldn’t be able to look at her tits as she jogged, I was relieved that no one else would get a glimpse of them either.
We took my usual path, through the trees at the side of the house and down the road
I slowed my pace a little, but that seemed pointless because Nyssa was able to keep up with little effort. The sound of our feet slamming against the floor echoed through the air and the forest came alive around us.
I watched her carefully, trying to make sure she was okay, but she barely broke a sweat. Her breathing remained even, her chest rising and falling with each step.
We ran for thirty minutes before I came to a stop.
The sun was rising on the horizon, the sky taking a soft yellow hue above us. I handed her my bottle and she smiled as she took it, a small smile forming on her lips.
“Are you good?” I asked and she nodded. “You’re not tired p>
“Surprisingly not. I think I could take you p>
My brows rose in amusement. “Really p>
She nodded. “Want to make a bet p>
My insides lit up with excitement. “I’ll give you a head start. You have five p>
She didn’t let me finish before she took off into the woods. She was like a flash of light, flying through the trees. She moved faster than I anticipated, her figure disappearing in a second.
My eyes widened in surprise.
“She’s faster,” my lycan said to me. “Was she training p>
“She must have been,” I murmured. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll still catch her p>
I gave her two extra seconds, stretching my limbs as I took off into the woods.
“Ready or not, little wolf,” I murmured down the mind link.