CHAPTER 63

CHAPTER 63
MARISSA'S POV


The breeze was blowing heavily, making me shiver. I tried to pull the blanket over myself, but it was stiff and wouldn’t budge. I hissed in frustration and was about to open my eyes when I heard Raul mumbling someone’s name in his sleep.





He was sweating profusely, his face contorted in distress. I sat up, my heart pounding, and stared at him, trying to catch the name he was repeating. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.




"Raul," I whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. "Raul, wake up."



He didn't respond, only tossed and turned more violently, his mumbling growing louder. I tried again, shaking him harder. "Raul, wake up!”



Finally, he jerked up, his eyes wide open, gasping for breath.




"Did you have a nightmare?" I asked, worry etched on my face.




He nodded, still breathing heavily. I poured water from the jug beside the bed into a glass and handed it to him. He thanked me and gulped it down, the cool liquid seeming to calm him slightly.



"Mind sharing?" I asked gently.




He hesitated, but then nodded. "I... I lost my father and brother in an attack years ago. The memory haunts me as a nightmare.”




"Is Augustus your brother's name?" I asked, the familiarity of the name still hung in my mind.



He nodded, his eyes filled with pain. "Yes. That's why my mother and I don't really have a good relationship. She once said I remind her too much of Augustus."



I could see the hurt in his eyes, the depth of the wound that the loss had left. I reached out and hugged him, pulling his head to rest on my chest and soothing his back. "I'm so sorry, Raul," I whispered. "You're not alone. I'm here for you.”



He held onto me tightly, his breathing gradually evening out. "Thank you, Marissa," he murmured against my chest. "It means a lot to me."



We stayed like that for a while, the silence of the night wrapping around us, offering a fragile sense of comfort. I hoped my presence could offer him some solace, even if only for a moment.



"Do you want to talk more about it?" I asked softly, still holding him.



He shook his head slightly. "Not tonight. Just... stay with me.”




"Of course," I whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."



Eventually, Raul's breathing slowed as he drifted back to sleep, his head still resting on my chest. I lay awake a while longer, my fingers gently stroking his hair.




The next day, we didn't wake up early. The sun was already up and shining, and its reflection hit my face, making my eyes open. I tapped Raul gently, but he just snuggled closer, refusing to wake up. I chuckled and nudged him again.



"Raul, it's late. The sun is fully up," I said, trying to stifle a laugh.



He groaned and finally opened his eyes, taking his time to wake up. "Good morning," he muttered, leaning in to kiss my lips. I looked away shyly.



"I haven't brushed!" I protested, pushing him off me.



He chuckled, winking at me. "And?"



I rolled my eyes and walked to the bathroom. As I reached the door, I remembered I wasn't in my room. I sighed and turned back to Raul, who was watching me with amusement.




"Do you have a spare brush?" I asked.



He stood up and strolled into the bathroom. Opening a cabinet, he brought out a new toothbrush and handed it to me with a smile. "Here you go."



"Thank you," I mumbled.



I thought he was going to leave, but instead, he took out his own brush. I smiled as we stood side by side, brushing our teeth, with Raul teasing me in between, trying to kiss me every chance he got.




"Raul, stop it!" I said, laughing as I swatted him away. He just grinned mischievously.



Once we were done brushing, I turned to him. "Go out now. I want to shower."



He leaned against the doorframe, a naughty glint in his eyes. "Why don't we shower together? We are married after all."



I could hear Chari giggling in excitement. She thinks she's going to get what she wants. I shook my head, trying to ignore her.



"Don't be silly, Raul. Go out while I'm asking nicely," I said, trying to keep a stern look on my face.




He raised his hands in defense, laughing. "Alright, alright. I'm going." He walked out, still chuckling.



I laughed too and closed the door behind me. Chari tried to speak to me again, but I severed our connection, not ready to hear her jokes.



I turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the warm water wash away the tiredness I felt. After my shower, I dried off and put on one of Raul's shirts again and it hung loosely on me.


When I walked out of the bathroom, Raul was sitting on the bed, scrolling through his phone.



"What are you looking at?" I asked, toweling my hair.



"Just checking the news and messages," He said, putting his phone aside. "Benjamin said he has more information for us about Liana.”


My heart skipped a beat. "Do you think she'll talk?"



"She will," Raul said firmly. "One way or another, we'll get the truth."



We headed downstairs to find Benjamin waiting for us. He looked up as we approached, a serious expression on his face.



"Good morning, Alpha. Luna," He greeted us, bowing slightly. "I spoke to Liana again. She's still refusing to talk, but I found something interesting.”


"What is it?" Raul asked, his tone sharp with curiosity.



Benjamin handed us a small, crumpled note. "I found this in her room. It seems like a coded message."



Raul took the note, his eyes scanning the writing. "Do you recognize this code?”



"No," Benjamin admitted. "But I have a feeling it's important."



I leaned in, looking at the note over Raul's shoulder. "We need to decipher this. It might be the key to understanding her connection with Damien,” I muttered and they both nodded in agreement.



"Benjamin, find an expert to crack this code as fast as possible," Raul commanded, handing back the crumpled note.



"Yes, Alpha," Benjamin responded, and with a swift nod, he left the room, leaving Raul and me alone to anticipate what the code might reveal.