Chapter 179

Chapter 179
Felix and Mercedes were sitting on the bed in silence, Felix still holding Mercedes. He didn't want to leave her and she understood. She had craved his touch and presence for so long that she didn't want him to let go either. They didn't say anything, both lost in their own minds. It's not been long since she woke up from her slumber and Felix didn't want to overwhelm her with questions. He wanted to give her some time. Mercedes realized that what she had been through might be a dream. The long days of being trapped in that place without even remembering who she was. She began to wonder how long she was out in the real world. How much time did she lose? Because of her, Felix had been dealing with a lot by himself, and she could see how deeply affected he was. He had dark circles under his eyes, his beard had grown out, and his hair needed a cut.

Just for tonight, she would immerse herself in the peaceful silence. Felix was right beside her, so she was content with that. After a while, Felix dozed off and his head fell on her shoulder. She sat up and removed his arm around her and gently adjusted his position to make him sleep on her chest. He snuggled into her, his breathing slowing down. Mercedes smiled softly, as she stroked his hair. She felt a sense of peace wash over her. The silence in the room was comfortable, filled with Felix's light snores.

Mercedes felt like she was dreaming. Everything was finally over and there was nothing that could ruin the moment. It was her turn to be with him and let him rest. He must have had a tough time handling his Alpha duties, taking care of Horace and her. She could just imagine how it all was for him. Speaking of Horace. Mercedes really wanted to see him. How could a mother go for so long without seeing her child? Her poor baby. She had been failing him since the time he was born and was forced to be apart from her. All that was over. She planned to make up for all the time lost and become a good mother to him. She was going to shower him with all the love she was filled with for him, and they would never be apart again.

There was a lot to talk about and get through before they could move on with their lives. The dreadful war with Drakoen was over, but because of it, a lot has transpired after that. Mercedes felt some changes within her. She could tell something was different about her. Not to mention her miraculous second chance at life when she was on the verge of death. She was glad that she didn't actually die. Whoever granted her that miracle, she had to thank them for it and express her gratitude. With a new lease on life, she was determined to live the life she wanted and make memories with her loved ones that would make her forget all the bad ones. She was going to make the most of this second chance.

While holding Felix, she could feel his warmth. He was sleeping peacefully and that is what she wanted. She took the time to savor the peace before everything got busy. Once everyone found out that she was awake, she would never have peace like the one she was experiencing. She was glad that Felix was the one who found her first, and they could spend time in each other's embrace. They needed some time just for themselves without any disturbance.

Later, Mercedes felt her eyes get heavy and she fell asleep as well. She was comforted by the presence of her mate and surrendered to the peaceful slumber.

When she woke up, it was already morning. The warm sunlight streaming through the window illuminated the room. Mercedes's eyes slowly opened, and she realized that her potion had changed. Her head was now laid on Felix's chest, and she could now hear his slot and study heart thumping through his chest.

Mercedes smiled softly, feeling secure and comfortable in his arms. She tilted her head slightly to look up at him. He was still asleep, his chest rose and fell with every breath he took. Looking at his face as the morning light passed over his face, highlighting features. Mercedes looked at him, taking in all his features gently, from the shape of his lips, his thick eyebrows, the sharp nose, and the lines that creased his forehead. Everything was just the way she remembered but a bit more rugged.

Mercedes reached out her hand to gently touch his cheek, looking at him with adoration and love. Her constant fear was that everything was just a dream, and she was still trapped somewhere. She just hoped if that was the case, she would just remain in the dream and never wake up.

She didn't want to bother him or end up waking from his sleep, so she was about to remove her hand from his face.

Felix's eyes shot open, and he touched her hand, stopping her from removing it from his cheek. Mercedes was startled, momentarily as she thought that Felix was asleep, but he wasn't.

“ I-I am sorry,” she stammered, her cheeks turning red because of embarrassment. He must have seen her looking at him sleeping like some weirdo.

“ Why would you apologize for that? I was already awake so you didn't wake me up. Even if you did, I wouldn't mind at all.”

The shade of red on Mercedes' cheeks darkened. Somehow, his morning voice sent chills down her spine and stirred up something in her. She couldn't control herself.

She tried to look away, but Felix caught her chin and made her look at him.

“ Why are your cheeks so red? Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?” Felix fired while looking at her with concern in his eyes. He was beginning to blame himself and his greed to keep Mercedes to himself when he found out she was awake. He even forgot to call Crystal to check on her. He was about to go into panic mode, but Mercedes shook her head, with a small smile on her face. Seeing her like that, his anxiety went down.

“ I'm fine. Please don't worry so much. Nothing has happened.”

“ Then why are your cheeks so red,” Felix said with a hint of amusement in his tone. He had caught on to the situation and decided to tease Mercedes a little.

“ It's nothing. I must be feeling hot. The sun is out so-”

“ Is it?” he asked, cutting her off. “ Is that why you are avoiding my eyes? Is it because of the heat or is it because of something else, love?”

Mercedes's heart skipped a beat. She could no longer hide her feelings. She felt like she was melting under his intense gaze as their eyes locked, her emotions raw and exposed. It has been a while since they were this close to each other. Mercedes found herself wanting to be closer to him more than she already was. She felt the heat rise within her chest down to the pit of her stomach. Her heart started beating in her chest, picking up its pace rapidly. With all the emotions she was feeling all at once, Mercedes felt like she would suddenly explode. The surrounding air changed and seemed to thicken with unspoken feelings.

The only things that could be heard through the silence was the sound of their breathing, both of their eyes searching for some sort of understanding that they were thinking the same thing.

The moment got ruined when Crystal walked inside the room and found the two in bed. Crystal had come to check on Mercedes as she usually does, but she never expected the scene in front of her. Seeing Mercedes awake and intimately in her mate's arms. She realized that she had walked into something, but she remained rooted in place, a lot of things going through her mind at once. She was happy that Mercedes was awake. But how, and when did it happen? She was shocked as well and couldn't figure out how to react.

“ Uh…I-I, actually I-I came to, no, never mind, I'll leave. Yes. I'll leave and come back later. I think Alison is awake. She will cry looking for me,” Crystal stuttered, barely making sense because of the pressure of her overthinking mind.

Crystal made a run for it. The tension in the room could be cut by a knife, and she almost suffocated. She stopped on her way down the stairs and looked back at Mercedes's room. Mercedes is awake. It started to properly register in her mind. For a second, she thought of going back to the room just to check if her mind was not playing tricks on her, but she refrained from doing that. Her heart was already beating wildly. For now, she couldn't handle any more surges of emotions. She would find out later if what she saw was true or not.