Chapter 21 Twenty

Chapter 21 Twenty
Chapter Twenty

Soleil
"STOP!"
My shrieking scream came out firm. There was something that happened. And I felt it. Like a wave crashed on us, hard, and Quillon tensed. His canines sank a bit into my flesh, but he stopped.
Thank fuck he stopped.
Then I felt something again, like a wall, draping between us, but it's not really there.
Just a feel.
Just a weird feeling.
Quillon slowly moved back. First, his head retreated, his teeth leaving my skin, and bits of blood oozed out of the open wound.
Quillon noticed it, and a groan left his chest, his face displaying deep regret.
"What the fuck?" I snapped in a hushed voice, breathless from what happened.
He pulled himself off me at a safe distance, a good meter or two.
"I..." He started talking, a frown of confusion on his forehead. "I don't know what's gotten into me."
I gaped at him.
Quillon looked lost. Real lost.
I wanted to accuse him of knowing exactly what he did, but I couldn't. His expression clearly says he doesn't know what's up with him, too.
Like he just woke up from a deep slumber of a nightmare.
"You got a serious fucking problem." I sneered.
I looked down at my shoulder, groaning as the blood started to flow lightly. My hand shot up and covered the damaged flesh, pressing down on it to stop producing more blood.
"I...I'm sorry..."
My eye flew to his and his darkened expression caught me off guard.
He looked like he hated himself so much he'd jump off a cliff. Not like that'd kill him, I could suggest other effective methods if he does want to kill himself.
"You're bleeding..." He said again, his voice much lower this time.
"I could see it and feel it, but thanks for saying it out loud."
"Your wound..."
"Will heal on its own in a bit, so don't worry about it." I let go of my neck when I felt the bleeding stop and gave my whole attention to him. "What the hell was that, Quilon?"
His lips parted like he wanted to say something and I really thought he would. But then, he shut it tight and his jaw clenched.
"You really need some help with your," I don't even know what to call it. "Whatever that is. You need help. Find an enchantress or something."
He looked away, closing his eyes and shaking his head.
"This isn't something an enchantress could fix."
I frowned. "How would you know? Have you looked for an enchantress? Talked about this wolf control you're losing?"
He didn't answer.
"Quillon..." I called his name frustratingly. "You know I'm helping you, right? But this isn't a part of the deal. You almost bit me on my claim spot. That's something only my mate should do, you can't do that."
I groaned when I was reminded of what happened. What if he did bite my claim spot? There's no way we'd be mated if he did, but I never heard anyone do it, too. I don't know if there would be a side effect or anything.
"I know," He said gruffly and looked at me with an intensity I couldn't pinpoint. "It won't happen again."
The way he said those final words seemed like he really meant it, but also indicates that we should stop talking about it.
I took the hint and nodded slowly. I don't want to talk about it now. My head was all fuzzy and I don't trust what could come out of my mouth.

The day passed like a normal day. Or maybe I did. I noticed how distant Quillon has been since what happened this morning.
He often grunted when I walked too close, but he didn't move away like before.
He stayed still every time I'm near, but as if I sprayed some wolfsbane as perfume, he was too still; he'd turn into a statue.
It was as if he were only controlling himself and enduring. Enduring what, I don't know.
When the sun was setting, I couldn't stop myself from asking him about it.
"You're awfully stiff as a log. What's wrong?"
He side-eyed me, grunted, and shook his head as an answer. An answer that wasn't enough at all, so I asked more questions.
"Are you dead-bat? Drained?" I asked slowly and carefully.
Quillon gazed at me, his eyes glimmering by the firepit. What he did next surprised me.
He laughed.
He fucking laughed hard.
Why is he laughing? How could he laugh when I was dying to know if he was alright? I'm sincerely concerned!
My brows raised, blinking fast, as his laughter slowly died down.
"W-What? Why are you laughing?"
He hissed, grinning. "You're funny when you say things like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm battery-operated, woman. I'm not."
My cheeks flushed red. Heck, I do think he was a robot sometimes, given our dynamic.
"W-Well, I don't know how else to call it. I'm practically your charger and you're the one I'm charging--wait, don't change the subject. What's wrong with you? I know what happened this morning was a mess of every wrongs but right now you're different."
And I hate having shifting moods, especially his shifting moods.
Quillon stared at me for long seconds and I swear, I almost melted when his teeth started playing with his lower lip.
Oh my, I don't wanna moan but his lip action makes the sound pile up in my throat.
Good thing I held it down. Fuck.
"You're right, I was dead-bat or drained." He offered a small, gentle smile. "I'll need you to charge me tonight."
I know he's using my choice of wordings but how the hell could he make it sound so sexy?
Not to mention, he made it sound like a double-meaning innuendo.
I felt my face burn and I looked away before he could see me became a tomato.
His words were leaving me hot and bothered and I hate how he makes me hot and bothered when we're about to go to sleep next to each other.
"Ohhkay. Clean the table before you go to bed, alright? I'll head in first."
"And why am I the one doing the cleaning?" He asked but I'm already up on my feet, my back facing him.
"I did the cooking!" I yelled even when I'm not that far from him yet.
"And who, pray tell, did the hunting?"
Ugh! I hate it when he has a point! Nevertheless, I wanted to get away from him as soon as possible, so I continued walking towards his tent.
"Goodnight!"
I opened the tent flap and inhaled deeply.
The last time I came here, Quillon climbed the bed first. What I felt as he lay down there waiting for me, the way I walked slowly closer to his bed, it was heart-wrenching.
I don't want to repeat that. Nope. Not again.
It's better if I lie on his bed first. This way, I wouldn't be too nervous and my heart could calm down.
I walked to his bed and lay down, my back flat on his makeup mattress. I still don't know what it's made of, but it is soft.
My heart beat was normal, slow and at peace and I was proud of myself that I made the right decision.
But only for a while because when Quillon opened the tent flap and headed inside, the inside of my chest started a war.
He was in the middle of inhaling, I guessed from how his chest expanded, and caught his breath when he saw me.
My heart fluttered inside me, clearly in chaos and I started to doubt if my previous decision was good.
Now I feel like I was ready for him, like I prepared myself for him and waited on his bed.
I couldn't move.
His eyes met mine and I did not take mine off his.
Not when his gaze moved and travelled on my body.
Not when he looked pleased to see me on his bed.
Not when he let out a soft growl that made my stomach clench.
I couldn't take my eyes off him.
When his eyes met mine again, it almost electrocuted me, snapping me out of a pit.
I cleared my throat.
"I'll, uh, sleep on my side so..." I cleared my throat again and lay on my side, my back facing him, and I'm finally having an eye contact contest with the wall of his tent.
Now that I'm free from his gaze, I finally exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding. In this position, I realized that my senses were also heightened.
I could smell his woody, musky scent a lot more distinctly now.
I could sense his every move. From the way he walked closer, placed something like a metal object on his table, and the rustling of what seemed like fabric.
I sighed shakily to myself.
"If you hear snoring, it's me falling asleep from how slow you're moving." I teased, and it's one thing I do whenever I'm nervous. You know, trying to joke about the thing that makes you squimy or something and miraculously, for me, it always worked.
"So impatient." He replied, a hint of a smirk in his voice.
I felt it when he sat on the bed and I inhaled deeply, letting it go slowly so he wouldn't hear.
"Getting old here." I joked again and faked a snore, which earned a chuckle from him.
I smiled.
Yep, joking about unnerving circumstances works. Try it, everyone!
"I don't really mind if you sleep before me, princess."
"Don't call me princ--what the fuck?!"
I jolted fast, sitting up and turning around to look at Quillon and gaped at his naked chest. My eyes widened in both shock and amazement. "Why the fuck were you naked?"
I was wearing a racerback tank top and I have more exposed skin on my back than in front and fuck, that's not the point. The point was, I felt the warmth of his skin directly on my skin.
"I usually sleep like this." He frowned as if his nakedness didn't bother him.
It doesn't, I realized, but only for him!
"Well, I don't usually sleep with a man displaying his chiseled chest!" I burst. Wait, did I fucking compliment his chest? I did say that out loud?
My eyes shut tight and I prayed he didn't catch it.
"This is perfectly normal, Soleil. Just drop it." He drawled.
Well, it would be normal if it were a normal time, but now isn't a normal time! We're sleeping next to each other. Together. All fucking night to the crack of dawn!
"But--!"
"Cut me some slack. I didn't take my shirt off on our first night--"
"Don't call it a first night! Ew!" I don't know why I said ew and I don't know why I'm having a contradictory moment while thinking any sexual innuendos with him was not ewwy at all. Damn, mind!
Quillon rolled his eyes. "Don't make a big deal about this, Soleil. I still have my pants on."
I would very much like to make a big deal but he got a point. I guess.
Okay, he doesn't have a point but I don't want to show another outburst of my moment of weakness, so I flipped my hair and held my chin up.
"I'm not making a big deal out of it."
He smirked. "Atta girl." But we both know I'm making it a big deal.
Mostly inside my head now.
"Lie down on your side now, princess. Or if you want, you can use my chiseled chest as your pillow. I won't really mind."
My teeth ground together as our gazes clashed. He fucking caught the praise, this jerk!
"Don't call me princess." I sneered and lay down on my side, facing the tent wall again.
His arms wrapped around my waist after two beats, and I was welcomed by his warmth again.
Only this time, it felt different.
The kind of different that fucks with my head, making me feel drowsy.
Or aroused.
I don't really know which.