Chapter 20: Chapter 20
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. You conquered your fear for me, and that’s amazing. I’m proud of you, buttercup.” His handsome features softened when a smile curved his lips.
“I wouldn’t give my blood to anyone else,” she answered. “Only to you.”
“So I’m special?” he teased, causing her to blush. He heard the fluttering of her heart and smirked. This time, it wasn’t her fear that caused the beautiful melody of her heartbeats to change. This time, it was something else.
“You are special,” she said, smiling shyly.
---
Elena was tired. Her limbs felt heavy. She had eaten dinner in Ryder’s room since he had insisted on it—her soulmate could become very stern when he set his mind on something. And right now, that something was restoring her health.
“Is this really okay?” she asked for the hundredth time, undecidedly gnawing on her lower lip as she stared at his bed.
“Of course it is,” he said, voice layered with annoyance. He had lent her some of his comfortable clothes because he refused to let her leave the house in the middle of the night and in the state she was in. It was crucial to him to keep an eye on her while she recovered.
“I don’t want to be a burden,” she frowned.
“You are not,” he stressed and took her hand to tug her towards his bed. It looked inviting with its huge and fluffy pillows, dark blue covers, and soft mattress. Yet at the same time, staying the night in his bed was more than a little bold. She had yet to break up with her boyfriend after all… And Ryder and Elena weren’t a couple.
Ryder reached the end of his patience, and before she could open her mouth, he lifted her body, cradling her to his chest and carrying her.
“What are you doing?” she sputtered, flushing.
“Taking care of my stubborn soulmate,” he grumbled and put her down on the bed, quickly tucking her under the cover so she couldn’t escape. “You’re staying here tonight. There’s no way I would let you out of my sight.”
“But… but where will you sleep when I’m in your bed?”
“Silly, vampires don’t need to sleep,” he chuckled. “We can if we want to, but we don’t gain anything from it other than relaxation.”
“That’s convenient.”
“Yes, and it means you have no more excuses,” he continued. “Close your eyes and sleep.”
She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, not comfortable with sleeping in a house filled with vampires. It wasn’t exactly her idea of a restful night…
“Will you stay here? While I sleep?”
“If you want me to.”
“Please.”
He watched her thoughtfully, chewing on his bottom lip and playing with his piercing. “Is it because of the others?” he asked quietly, and she nodded.
“I see. Don’t worry about them. They won’t disturb us, and I don’t think they will be mad if I introduce you another time,” he explained before he watched her yawn, and his gaze darkened. “Enough talking, from now on you will rest.”
He turned the light off fast—with vampire speed. She blinked, and suddenly he was back at her side. Despite the darkness, she knew where he was because his blue eyes glowed a little. Unlike her, he wasn’t blind in the dark.
“Elena, what did I just say?” he reminded her.
“Sorry,” she huffed and closed her eyes, but her lips remained pouty.
“Feisty,” he chuckled. The mattress shifted when he sat down on it, leaning his back against the headboard as he gazed down at her. “Sleep well, buttercup.” He adjusted the cover, and when he retracted his hand, it grazed her black hair.
“Goodnight,” she murmured, rolling on her side so that she faced him and clutching the cover in her hands.
Ryder watched her as a welcome sense of peace filled him. They had made progress today—Elena letting him drink her blood was a huge leap forward, and now she even trusted him enough to sleep next to him. He listened to the even beats of her heart as she relaxed. Maybe he was able to help her overcome her fear. He had been doubtful at first since it was rooted deeply within her, but now he found new hope. His patience and gentleness paid off—she trusted him and their soulmate bond grew stronger steadily.
---
When she woke up the following morning, Elena already felt better. No nightmares had plagued her sleep, which was strange since they happened frequently and didn’t leave her alone for more than one night.
She wobbled on her legs, feeling nauseous, but she figured the problem would fix itself soon once she drank and ate sufficiently. She didn’t want to worry a certain someone who had been fussing over her all morning. At first, Ryder had been scared she would slip and fall in the shower. Then he had been worried she would catch a cold if she didn’t dry her hair, and now he wanted her to eat a ridiculously huge meal for breakfast so she would recover faster. Like she could eat that much… He clearly didn’t have any experience with beings who didn’t consume blood. Witches were similar to humans in certain aspects.
“Make sure you eat fruits too, okay?” he lectured her, resting his chin on his hand as he watched her empty another bowl. Elena was smothered by his attention. She wasn’t used to this—it was overwhelming, but not in a bad way. It was nice to have someone who cared.
“Ryder, I know you mean well, but this is too much for a regular person,” she cringed, already feeling so full she couldn’t possibly eat more.
“Really? But Thorny said he made every dish with your health in mind! So you should eat everything.”
They sat in Ryder’s room just like last night during dinner. Since he had brought the tray with food here, she thankfully hadn’t met the other vampires. She wasn’t sure what to make of Ryder’s clan yet—but Thorny seemed to be a talented cook, which was odd for a vampire.
“I… uh… appreciate Thorny’s efforts, but I’m full,” she said. “It tastes very good though.”
Elena had ignored the inevitable until now, but one glance at the clock on the wall made her tense. It was past noon, and she hadn’t been home for longer than a day. She hadn’t called Steph either, a fatal mistake. She should have told him she was staying with her friend Willow… Steph would be furious, and the longer she made him wait, the worse his rage would be.