Chapter 10: Ten

SOLANA

Slowly, almost in a daze, Alpha Roman moved over to me. His nostrils flared, and he squinted at me. Anna had told me his senses were muted. Could he...smell me?

"Why..." his voice was rough when he spoke. He reached out a trembling hand to cup my face. "...do you smell like that?"

I gulped, my heart pounding with excitement. He could smell me!

How?

Why?

I didn't do anything special. I didn't even put on perfume. Tara told me not to. She said my scent was the best smell she had ever perceived.

My husband's beautiful eyes met mine, his confusion obvious. He buried his face against my neck, his nose grazing my skin. I bit my lower lip, blood rushing to my cheeks. This position felt too intimate, so much that I didn't know how to behave.

"Do I smell good?" I asked breathlessly, reaching up to bring my hand to the back of his head. His rosy scent serenaded me, causing me to close my eyes as he burrowed into my neck, a soft sound escaping his lips.

"Yes, so good. Is this your natural scent?" He moaned and my toes curled. The sound of his thick moan was enough to send my heart hammering harder.

I loved his voice. So deep and elegant.

"Yes. You have a lovely smell too," I said. He pulled away enough to lock his eyes with me. He looked surprised.

"I do?"

I nodded, smiling.

"You smell like the roses."

He arched a brow, amusement flashing in his eyes. "I smell...like a flower?"

"My favorite," I told him, and his eyes practically sparkled. They were softer than I'd ever seen them. As if he were in a daze.

"Is dinner ready?" He finally asked.

Right. Dinner. I'd almost forgotten myself in his magnetic presence.

"Yes, dearest. Come with me," I said. Together, we left his study. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Only a few days ago, Elric had beaten me bloody. But here I was...actually living. Come to think of it, I wasn't feeling sick at all.

What did this mean? Was my terminal illness gone just like that?

"The dining room is this way." I looked up at the sound of my husband's voice. He was a few steps ahead, glancing at me over his shoulder with a blank look on his face.

I mumbled an apology, hurrying over to him. I'd been so lost in thought, I'd nearly lost my sense of direction.

"Tell me, Solana. What did I tell you about apologizing to me?" He asked, and my eyes widened.

"I—"

He looked away from me and exhaled sharply.

Then he halted, turning to look at me. His eyes were emotionless now. My breathing quickened at the sight of them.

"I'm aware you won't be my wife forever. But, right now, you are my Luna. You know who I am and what my reputation speaks of. For your sake, you cannot be weak. You must strengthen yourself. If you don't want to become a corpse so soon, that is."

I clenched my fists, my chest tight. He was right. I needed to become stronger.

He released a sigh. "I'm not saying you're bad, Solana. I'm just saying you need to get better."

My eyes widened. Was he...comforting me?

Warmth flooded my insides. "Yes, Alpha."

He grunted, and we kept moving, closely enough that his warmth shadowed me.

.……..

I stared at my husband, wide-eyed. Was I hearing things?

"Pardon me?" I spoke, and he blinked at me.

"Did you not hear me?" He asked, and I lowered my gaze, nervous.

We had gotten to the dining room, and I had served him his meal. But suddenly, he'd asked me to come sit on his lap and feed him.

Judging from the look on his face, he wasn't joking.

Swallowing hard, I moved over to his side. He held out a hand to me, and I bit my lower lip, staring at the man before me.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down on his lap, letting him hold my hand. He leaned in, burying his face against my neck.

I realized then that it was possible he was addicted to my scent. I couldn't help but grin.

"Are you going to eat or not?" I asked in a teasing voice.

He said nothing. Instead, he rested his chin on my shoulder, I could feel him watching me closely. I wondered how I looked from that angle.

"Taste it for me," he said, and I stiffened.

Was this about mistrust?

Did he really think I would poison him?

For some strange reason, it made me very sad. Still, I obliged. Bracing myself, I reached for the spoon to taste the chicken soup I'd made with chunks of chicken and vegetables. I'd always wanted to show off my cooking skills. But I needed to take things easy with him. The plan was to gradually ease him into other dishes.

A groan slipped from my lips when I tasted the broth. As expected, it had the perfect amount of spice.

"You're not exaggerating, are you?" My husband asked, and I turned to look at him.

"I'm not."

He stared at the plate, and suddenly, there was an expression of longing on his face.

Was his inability to taste that bad?

To cheer him up, I scooped from the plate and brought it to his lips. His gaze roamed over my face, searching. Then it dropped to the spoon.

Slowly, he parted his lips, accepting it. I observed his expression carefully, waiting for his face to light up. But it didn't.

"Nothing?" I asked.

He nodded.

"It's okay, we can always try again," I told him.

"Why are you doing this, Solana? You are not obligated to try so hard for my sake," he said.

"You are my husband. What wife wouldn't want to take care of her man?" I mumbled and froze.

Her man?

Why did I have to say that?

He's going to think I'm desperately trying to stake my claim over something that was bigger than me.

He stared at me for a moment. Then he laughed.

Laughed.

Wait, what?!

"So, this means I'm your man?" He asked, and my entire face went hot.

"I didn't mean it like that," I mumbled, wishing I could vanish into thin air.

"Really? So what did you mean, hmm?"

My pulse pounded in my ears as I drowned in my own embarrassment. But at the same time, I was excited. I got the great demon alpha to actually laugh.

I was definitely doing something right.

“Solana,” he suddenly uttered, the sound of his deep voice sending heat pooling in my belly. “Look at me.”

Slowly, I turned to meet his gaze, my heart threatening to jump out of my chest. He lowered his long lashes, his gaze drifting from my eyes to my lips. Then, back up again.

My body was heating up, my throat dry.

Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed me on the lips. He cupped my face, his lips claiming mine with a fervent intensity. I gasped against him, my eyes slipping closed as heat flooded my veins.

Was this what it felt like to be wanted?

His free hand roamed my body, as I moved to adjust myself, my hands resting on his broad chest.

His soft lips massaged mine, his teeth grazing my flesh as he teased me open, his tongue tangling with mine.

Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through my spine. I pulled away with a gasp, feeling Amira, my wolf, push forward.

My chest heaved, my vision blurring as I stumbled away from Alpha Roman.

It felt as though I was being ripped apart. I could vaguely hear my husband’s voice, but he sounded far away. A warm liquid oozed from my nose as I doubled over. I wiped it with the back of my hand. And that’s when I saw it. Blood.

Tears pricked my eyes. I knew it. It was too early to embrace happiness.