Chapter 39 38
Soraya's POV
Darius just held me like that until my heart finally stopped racing so much. I let out a soft sigh, slowly pulling away from him as he wiped the tears from my eyes.
“What happened?” he asked gently.
“I had a nightmare,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He tilted his head a little. “A nightmare?”
I nodded and looked away. “Yeah. I’ve… I’ve been having it for years. It gets scarier each time.” I tried to laugh it off.
He didn’t say anything, just reached for the nightstand and handed me a glass of water.
“Thank you,” I murmured, taking it with shaky hands. The water felt cool against my throat, and somehow, it helped.
He took the glass back and set it down carefully, then pulled the blanket up over my legs again, tucking it gently around me.
“Do you want to tell me what this nightmare is about?” he asked softly.
I hesitated as the images flashed in my head again—the huge, black wolf, its golden eyes, the sound of its growls still echoed in my ears.
I didn't even realize when I flinched.
Darius noticed immediately. “Hey,” he said quietly. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. Tell me when you’re comfortable, hmm?”
I nodded weakly.
The next thing I knew, I was slowly opening my eyes from a deep sleep. The room was dim. It looked early, it was clearly morning, but the sun hadn't set.
I checked what time it was on my phone—6:02 a.m.
I sighed softly and turned to my side, and that’s when I froze.
Darius was there. He wasn't lying down, he was sitting right beside the bed with his head tilted against the headrest, his arms folded loosely and his eyes closed. He was asleep.
Had he slept here all night?
I suddenly remembered last night. How he just held me. I hadn’t even realized when I fell asleep in his arms.
He must be so uncomfortable sleeping that way.
I rose up quietly and leaned toward him, tapping his shoulder. “Darius?”
He stirred, blinking a few times before his eyes met mine. Then, that soft sleepy smile appeared on his face. “You’re up.”
“You… fell asleep here,” I said, glancing around awkwardly. “Why didn’t you go back to your room?”
He stretched slightly, rubbing his neck. “I felt you move when I tried,” he said with a tired chuckle. “You asked me not to go.”
My eyes widened. “I…I did?”
He nodded, pushing himself up to stand, his voice a little rough from sleep. “You did. And I thought… maybe I should grant your wish.”
He put one hand into his pocket and gave me a faint smile. “You should get ready for school.”
Then, just before he turned to leave, he reached out and brushed his fingers lightly against my cheek. “I’ll drop you off,” he said softly.
And just like that, he left the room, while my heart raced like crazy.
I got ready for school quickly. It was Tuesday, and for the rest of the week we didn’t have to wear the uniform.
I ended up wearing a plain white t-shirt tucked into a pair of boyfriend jeans. Funnily enough, they were the ones Darius got me the other time.
After having breakfast, I stepped out. The morning air felt cool and fresh. I spotted Darius’s car right away, parked neatly by the driveway.
He looked up the moment he saw me, a small smile tugging at his lips.
I walked toward the car, trying to keep my pace casual.
“Good morning,” I said softly, opening the door and getting inside.
He turned slightly toward me, his eyes meeting mine for a brief second that felt too long.
“Morning,” he replied. “Ready for school?”
I nodded quickly, fastening my seatbelt. “Yeah.”
The next thing, he glanced at me with that smirk of his, on his face.
I looked at him. “What?”
He shook his head.
“You know you talk in your sleep,” he said casually, starting the ignition.
My head snapped toward him. “What? No, I don’t.”
He chuckled. “You did. You said my name in your sleep too.”
“I…what? You must’ve imagined that!”
“Sure I did.” He chuckled in amusement.
When we finally arrived at the college, I unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed the door open.
“Bye,” I said, stepping out.
“Call me once you’re done, okay?” Darius said.
I nodded. “Okay.”
He gave me one last small smile before driving off. I found myself staring after his car until it disappeared through the gate.
“Darius…” I whispered under my breath before turning toward the building.
Inside, the hallways were already buzzing with voices. I made my way to the classroom and took the same spot I’d sat in yesterday—by the window. I pulled out my books and started arranging them, waiting for the class to start.
Soon, more students poured in, chatting and laughing as they took their seats. Then a man I didn’t recognize walked in, probably the lecturer for the day. He set his bag down and began writing something on the board.
Just then, Carl walked in, slightly out of breath but still wearing that grin. He sat on the seat beside me.
“Hey, you’re quite late,” I said quietly.
“I know,” Carl groaned. “I woke up really late. Gosh, even though I set my alarm, I ended up snoozing it.”
I chuckled. “Classic you.”
He turned to me, his eyes bright. “You look really great in that outfit, by the way.”
“Oh thank you,” I said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
The class began, and the lecturer—Mr. Jones, started talking about literature—its definition, its connection to art, and how it shapes human emotion. His voice was calm and painful to listen to. Within ten minutes, I was already fighting to stay awake.
Honestly, the way he spoke was so monotone it felt like he was trying to hypnotize us.
This is going to be a long class, I thought with a sigh.
It was so boring, I could swear I yawned at least ten times during that class. And I wasn’t the only one. Every time I looked around, I caught someone else stifling a yawn too.
God, I thought, please tell me all the other teachers aren’t like this.
“Okay, and that will be all for this lesson,” the man finally said, closing his notes. “We’ll look at the other aspects in our next class, which should be Friday. So, enjoy your break.”
The moment he stepped out and the door shut behind him, almost everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Carl leaned back in his seat beside me and exhaled dramatically. “Finally, that’s over. That was the most boring thing I’ve ever heard. I’d rather listen to my mom talk about her childhood days than listen to Mr. Jones again.”
I chuckled. “It was like he was singing a lullaby.” I tilted my head and added, “A painful one.”
Carl laughed, rubbing his face. “So true. That was torture.”
We sat quietly for a bit, just enjoying the short break, until he turned his head toward me. “You went out with that man yesterday.”
I blinked at him. “Huh?”
He smiled knowingly. “I… I recognized him.”
My stomach did a small flip. “Recognized him?”
Carl nodded, grinning. “Alpha Darius.”
My eyes widened. “You… know him?”
“Of course,” Carl said. “He’s quite known, really. Powerful, too. He’s a werewolf and a CEO on top of that. He's a reputable man to this school too.”
I just stared at him for a moment. So Darius was that famous?
Carl smirked slightly. “So… Alpha Darius took you out for ice cream. That’s something you don’t see every day.”
I felt my face heat up immediately.
Then, he leaned closer. “Uhm, is he your boyfriend by any chance?”