Chapter 61

"Are you okay?" his voice asked from beside me. I must have turned during my nap. I turned so that we were lying side by side.

"I had a bad dream," I answered.

"Do you want to tell me what the dream was about?"

I shook my head against the idea. "Can I get a hug instead?" I pleaded.

His arms went around my shoulders, drawing me near him. I felt him stroke my hair as he waited for me to speak. The stroking gradually evolved to his fingers gently threading through my hair. A smile formed on my face as I relaxed. This mate business must be legit.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked.

"Yes, you can let go now," I said as I tried to push him away, but he didn't budge. In a split second, he was towering over me. His fingers found my sides, and he started tickling me. I laughed so hard that my sides started aching, and I was practically fighting to breathe. If this continued, I would pee myself.

"Stooop," I tried speaking in between laughs. He stopped, but he didn't sit back. His eyes found mine and they locked. I felt the world around us disappear, leaving just the two of us. His brown eyes seemed to see beneath the surface, and I felt both uncomfortable and empowered. I was doing this to him. The soft smell of rain and forest filled the room. I wanted to bury my face in his neck and take in the scent coming from him.

He bent down and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

He seemed to be shocked at his actions, and judging from his expression, he was about to apologize. I didn't want him to apologize; I wanted to do the exact same thing. Using my elbows to balance myself, I lifted my upper half and pressed my lips to his before falling back. I innocently checked him out. His eyes had widened at the innocent kiss I had initiated.

"Don't apologize," I said softly, my heart pounding in my chest. "I wanted to kiss you too."

He blinked, clearly taken aback by my words. "You did?"

I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Yes. I...I like you, Rome."

His eyes softened, and he leaned down again, this time kissing me with more certainty. It was gentle and tender, making my heart race even more. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine.

"I like you too, little wolf," he whispered. "More than you know."

We stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other's presence.

"Zendaya, I wanted to—" The sound of my mother opening the door made us pull apart, though we didn't leave the bed. My face turned red with embarrassment, but Rome remained unfazed, looking as calm as ever.

"I'm so sorry, Alpha King. I was not aware you were here," Mrs. Cole apologized, but her tone had a teasing edge.

"Zendaya couldn't sleep, so I was here to help," Rome answered smoothly.

"Oh, I see," Mrs. Cole said, winking.

Can the earth open and swallow me alive? What was my mother thinking? And why was Rome encouraging her train of thought? These two will be the death of me.

"Well, don't mind me," she continued with a mischievous smile. "I just came to check on you, Zendaya. I'll leave you two alone." She gave us another wink before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her.

I buried my face in my hands. "Why does she have to be like that?" I mumbled.

Rome chuckled, the sound deep and soothing. "She cares about you. And for the record, I don't mind."

I peeked at him from between my fingers, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"A little," he admitted with a grin. "But I also meant what I said. I like you, Zendaya. And if being here helps you feel safe and comfortable, then I'm not going anywhere."

His sincerity made my heart flutter. I lowered my hands and looked at him, feeling a mix of gratitude and affection. "Thank you," I said softly.

He smiled and brushed a strand of hair from my face. "Anything for you, my little wolf."

"Tomorrow our plan will proceed," Rome said.

"We shouldn't put it off for too long, otherwise we will lose the culprit," I concurred.

"My thoughts exactly. Tomorrow we will start the interrogation. And I want you to be beside me. Will you be okay?" he asked, his concern evident in his eyes.

Where did I find such a considerate man? I couldn't help but marvel at his kindness and thoughtfulness. With a grateful smile, I nodded. "I'll be okay," I assured him. "Having you there with me gives me strength."

He returned my smile, his eyes softening. "Good. We'll face this together, Zendaya."

Mrs. Cole sent us dinner, a smart choice since I was not about to go downstairs and face everyone. We ate, well, he practically shoved food in my mouth since I didn't have much of an appetite. I only ate diligently with the promise of watching a movie afterward.

He retrieved his tablet from my bedside table, and I wondered how long it had been there. "I kept this in your room so that you can use it to watch Netflix. I know you love movies," he said, anticipating my question.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, feeling a bit miffed.

"I texted you. Don't you read your messages?"

"Must have not seen it," I muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"What do you want to watch?" he asked, his tone gentle and patient.

"Queen of Tears. I heard it's really good, but I don't want people to spoil it for me," I ranted while he listened with that understanding smile of his.

We started the show, and it was actually good. After watching a few episodes, we both felt more relaxed. Despite not doing much during the day, the lingering stress from my kidnapping made us uneasy. None of us had slept well since I came back. The unease of the past days was visible, but having Rome beside me offered some comfort.

As the episodes continued, I found myself drifting off, feeling the safety of his presence. Although I didn't know what had been happening in the pack since I came back, I knew that tomorrow would bring answers. Tomorrow, we would confront whatever shadows lingered and start making things right. With Rome's steady heartbeat and the gentle hum of the show in the background, I finally allowed myself to fall into a deep, much-needed sleep.