Chapter 138
Nora's POV
My hand slipped beneath Julian's shirt, fingertips tracing the ridges of muscle along his ribs, feeling the abnormal heat radiating from his skin like a furnace. His body was all hard planes and contained strength.
His kiss moved from my mouth to my jaw, then lower to the side of my neck. His breathing had gone rough and uneven against my skin. The arm around my back tightened, pulling me closer with a force that should have alarmed me but instead sent heat flooding through my veins.
Then I felt it—his other hand catching both my wrists in a single effortless grip, pinning them above my head against the sofa cushion.
I tested his hold instinctively. Didn't budge. Not even slightly.
My pulse spiked.
His weight pressed me deeper into the cushions. I felt his cock, unmistakably hard against my thigh, and suddenly the romantic haze shattered completely.
My body went rigid.
"Wait." The word came out strangled. "Julian, wait."
He froze immediately. The hand on my wrists released like I'd burned him, and he pushed himself up in one fluid motion, putting distance between us.
I sat up quickly, pulling my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. My heart hammered against my ribs.
"I'm sorry." My voice came out smaller than I intended. "I just—I'm not ready..."
Julian moved to the far end of the sofa, as far from me as possible. His chest rose and fell with controlled breaths, silver eyes tracking my face with concern that cut through the haze of his own obvious arousal.
"Don't apologize." His voice was rough but gentle. "You have nothing to apologize for."
The silence stretched between us, broken only by the soft pop of embers in the fireplace. I could feel his gaze on me, patient and understanding, but I couldn't meet it. Shame burned in my chest—not for stopping, but for starting something I couldn't finish. For leading him on when I wasn't ready to face the reality of being marked by an Alpha.
"Go to bed, Nora."
I looked up sharply. His expression held no anger, no frustration—just a weary sort of tenderness that made my throat tight.
"You're exhausted," he continued, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "And you're still recovering. We both need rest."
I slid off the sofa and ran toward the upstairs bedroom.
I shut the door behind me and immediately turned the lock. I pressed my back against the solid wood, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor with my knees pulled to my chest.
Jesus. What was I thinking?
I stared at my hands in the darkness, remembering the heat of his skin beneath my palms, the way his muscles had tensed under my touch. And then that moment—when I'd felt the full weight of his strength pinning me down and realized what I was doing.
It wasn't Julian I was afraid of.
"He wouldn't hurt me," I whispered to the empty room. "He would never—"
But my body and mind weren't ready yet.
I dropped my forehead to my knees.
Look what you've done. Don't ever do that again.
But even as I thought it, another traitorous part of my brain whispered: But God, he does have a great body.
I groaned and buried my face in my arms.
---
Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains onto the bed.
Something small and warm landed on my stomach.
I jerked awake with a gasp. Pepper sat on my abdomen. She headbutted my chin with a soft "mrrp" and began kneading my chest through the blanket.
"Hey, little troublemaker." I scooped her up, burying my face in her soft fur. "What time is it?"
She purred and batted at my nose with one velvet paw.
A knock sounded at the door—three sharp raps.
My heart jumped. I'd forgotten about the lock.
The door handle turned. Didn't open.
Shit.
I scrambled out of bed and twisted the deadbolt, yanking the door open.
Julian stood in the hallway, dressed in dark gray loungewear. His gaze dropped to the lock, then back to my face.
"You locked the door."
Not a question. A statement.
I clutched Pepper against my chest like a shield. "I... I didn't mean to."
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. He reached out, and I tensed—but he only pressed the back of his hand to my forehead, checking my temperature with clinical detachment.
"The fever's gone." He dropped his hand and stepped back. "Wash up. Breakfast is ready."
He turned and went downstairs without further expression.
---
When I arrived at the dining room, I found Lucas already seated at the table, demolishing a plate of scrambled eggs. He looked up as I entered, raised both eyebrows with a shit-eating grin.
"Morning, Nora." He leaned back in his chair, radiating amusement. "Sleep well in your boyfriend's house?"
I froze mid-step. "Lucas?! What are you doing here?"
"Checking on my sick sister, obviously." He speared a piece of bacon. "Can't believe you kept hiding this from the family."
"I didn't want you to worry—" I said apologetically.
"Already worried. Yesterday." He pointed his fork at me accusingly. "When I arrived, you were still asleep in bed."
Heat flooded my face. I looked at Julian.
"I meant to tell you yesterday," Julian said from behind me, carrying two mugs of coffee. "But I forgot."
Lucas snorted into his orange juice. "Yeah, looks like once my sister moved into her boyfriend's place, she forgot everyone else existed."
"Lucas!"
Julian set a coffee mug in front of me.
"I'm going to work today," I said quickly. "Going home tonight."
"No, you can't." Julian's tone brooked no argument. "You're staying home and resting."
I straightened in my chair. "I'm fine now!"
Lucas watched with a knowing smile playing at his lips. "There aren't many people in this world who can make my sister back down."