Chapter 166 Chapter 165
A comfortable silence settled between them as Rayena became engrossed in what she was doing while he sat quietly, thinking about everything and nothing. In her presence, he noticed that his other halves had gone silent, now lying content within him. The restlessness and agitation that had been gnawing at him since he woke from that nightmare had already disappeared, replaced by that lightness that only came when she was near.
A while later, he heard a yawn. He glanced at her and saw her eyelids drooping, her movements sluggish. It was clear she was fighting sleep. “You’re tired. You should get some rest,” he growled softly, and she wore a dazed expression.
He bit back a smile. “Go to sleep, Rayena. I’ll be here until then,” he added.
“Truly?” she asked, already putting the fabric away. He nodded, watching her with an intense gaze. She pulled the covers higher, her head resting on the pillow. He listened as a soft sigh escaped her lips, filtering through the air.
“Good night, Lylall,” she mumbled.
“Good night, Raye,” he growled back.
Moments later, soft snores filled the room. Xenon listened to them before rising to his feet and walking toward her. He stood a few meters away, watching as she slumbered.
Her hair was splayed out on the pillow, her hand tucked neatly by her side. An unknown impulse overtook him and he leaned in, taking her hand in his. Though smaller, it seemed to fit perfectly with his. She let out a shudder, but her eyes didn’t open. His gaze drifted to her chest, noting the steady rise and fall of her breathing.
He lowered his head, pressing his lips against the back of her hand, inadvertently taking in her scent. Both his beasts purred, need lashing through him so hard that a fang slipped out. He instantly pulled back, dropping her hand by her side. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.
Reining in his desire, he circled the bed, sitting on the empty space beside her. A moment passed, and he lay down next to her, his eyes on the ceiling. Like a magnet, she turned around to face him, eyes still closed, her scent filling his senses. Xenon could no longer keep the tiredness at bay. A yawn tore from his soul and he turned to face her as well, his eyes taking in her resplendent features before slipping closed. He wouldn’t be here when she woke in the morning, but right now, all he wanted to do was rest.
He breathed out, falling into the sweet embrace of sleep.
.
.
.
When Rayena woke up the next morning, Lylall was nowhere to be found. Her smile dropped, even though she understood why he wouldn’t be there when she woke. She’d hoped to see him upon waking. Stretching on the bed, she quietly climbed out, looking around to see if anything was amiss.
Nothing was, so she proceeded to go about her day when a knock came on her door, stopping her in her tracks. Glaring at the door, Rayena wondered who it was as she crossed the room to open it. She found a concerned-looking Soraya standing before her.
“Can I come in?” the latter asked, glancing about the hallway to see if anyone was following her. Puzzled, Rayena pushed the door wider, gesturing for her to enter.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?” she asked as she locked the door behind her. Soraya moved forward, speaking in whispers.
“I woke up this morning hearing gossip about you,” she announced, and Rayena stiffened, her brows furrowing in confusion.
“Gossip? What did you hear?”
“Shh… they might be listening in. Honestly, I overheard it, but it seemed to be talk about you having a man in your room last night. Is that true?”
Rayena gasped, her heart skipping several beats. She couldn’t believe it—had Lady Ysolde gone around telling others?
“Do you know who was spreading it?” Rayena asked, trying to confirm her suspicion.
“Well…” Soraya started, then leaned against the door to confirm that no one was behind it. “Lady Ysolde was among the women I found talking. I think I heard her say she could pick up a male’s scent in your room.”
Her chest tightened. The air in the room suddenly felt too hot, too heavy. Soraya words burrowed under her skin like thorns, dragging shame and anger with them. Face twisting into a scowl, her eyes blazed with fury as she clenched her hands into fists. That wench!
“Is it true? This could be horrible for you if it gets to the king,” Soraya muttered, her voice filled with worry as she gazed at her. At those words, Rayena grew troubled. She didn’t want to outright lie to her, but she also didn’t want to get into more trouble than she was already in. Scoffing, she ran a hand through her hair. “Well, there wasn’t a man in my room at the time she came to snoop around,” she gritted through clenched teeth.
Soraya gasped, eyes wide with horror. “So, you’re not denying it then?” she said in a hushed voice. Rayena looked down guiltily, wringing her fingers as she fought to suppress the rage within her.
“Rayena, that’s dangerous!” she scolded. “Who’s this guy anyway?”
Rayena didn’t respond, still furious. Soraya put two and two together, her eyes narrowing. “Lylall?”
At the mention of his name, a faint flush stained her cheeks. She bit the inside of her lip to stop a smile from growing.
“What did the two of you do, anyway?” she asked, leaning against the door.
“Nothing! We just talked, and he sat with me, watching me while I embroidered, before eventually leaving.” Yeah, no need to mention the fact she’d slept with him still in the room.
Soraya’s mouth fell open, fear reflecting in her eyes. Pulling away from the door, she shook Rayena’s shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone this, but Rayena, you have to be careful! Whoever this guy is, I’m sure he’s a shifter, and should he fixate on you, he’ll go to any lengths to have you.”
Rayena opened her mouth to argue that Lylall wasn’t like that, but no words slipped out. Clamping it shut, she kept her gaze on the ground. She realized with painful clarity that Soraya had a point. “He’s never been improper with me,” she revealed sullenly, her voice breaking.
“Oh, dear. You’re so naive. It’s only a matter of time before he thinks you’re his, and when that happens, there’s no going back. Trust me, you don’t want to put yourself in that kind of situation. It won’t spell good for you or anyone around.”
A sliver of fear slithered down Rayena’s spine as her brain conjured the implications of what Soraya was implying.
"That's not possible... " Rayena said, even as her voice had a her slight tremor to it.