When the metal doors closed, Arabella let out a shaky breath, and I jerked slightly in surprise as she wrapped her small arms around my waist, burying her head against my chest. Despite my initial shock, my arms immediately wrapped around her, confused but loving the way she was letting me hold her, my fingers playing with the ends of her pink hair.
Once I got my emotions under control, I managed to get out a rough question. “Are you alright?”
I mean, clearly she fucking wasn’t, but I didn’t know how else to be comforting in a moment like this.
“Yeah.” She nodded and then sighed. “Actually, no. I’m not alright. I don’t usually lose my cool when they go on missions, but something feels off about tonight. I don’t like it.”
I settled on something that I hoped would provide a level of comfort. “They will come back.”
Unfortunately. No matter what.
After a small head nod, she continued to cling to me for a few more seconds before seeming to think of something. A small laugh broke from her lips as she pulled back, seeming to shake herself. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m crazy. I didn’t even ask if you’re okay with me touching you. After what happened with Cy earlier, I need to be better about that.”
I caught her chin. “I am very much okay with you touching me, precious.”
Her cheeks turned a bright pink, taking her from being the leader I could clearly see that she was, to something a bit softer and more innocent. I found both attractive, and I couldn’t lie, there was a part of me that got really fucking hard at how flustered she got. The pink blush only highlighted her unusual eyes and bright hair that I didn’t think was normal for humans. It was perfect for her, but it did add to the mystery that was Arabella.
“This is the floor you live on?” I asked curiously as the elevator opened and she turned, hiding her face a bit and leading me down a luxuriously designed hallway. The dim lighting and relaxed atmosphere was far different than that of the rest of the institute, and the entire space smelled like her, the Director, and… was that Razar? So he really did live on the same floor as her? Jealousy filled my chest at the idea of being able to sleep so close to her every night.
“My father and Razar each have a suite on this floor,” she explained, leading me towards a massive dark door. I inhaled her delicate scent, which saturated the space, as she opened it and led me into a two-story bedroom that was not only modern but filled with luxurious furniture in shades of purple, pink, and black that seemed to fit the unique woman perfectly. In one corner were large windows and an office setup, while the rest of the space seemed aligned with comfort.
My eyes darted up to the far corner of the ceiling, sensing the strong power signature and trail of red magic that was left by a night terror. A rumble broke from my throat before I could stop it.
“What?” She looked around, slipping off her tall, dangerous-looking heels and becoming that much shorter than me once again.
“A night terror has been in here,” I growled, looking up at the corner of her room. I didn’t understand the small smile that pressed onto her lips until she cleared her throat and explained.
“Razar sometimes sleeps in here.” Her delicate hand ran over the back of her neck, which may have been a nervous habit. Or embarrassment.
I frowned slightly. “He sleeps in here, but you are not with him? Romantically?”
I didn’t think that was common even in this day and age, to sleep in the same bedroom as someone you weren’t fucking. Then again, it was possible I had missed something.
A sad look flashed across her face, and I felt instant regret for putting it there. I could see longing on her expression, and her words were far more clinical and calm than I knew she actually felt.
“I don’t really know how to explain the dynamic going on. If I say no, that won’t make a lot of sense since he sleeps in here, and well, you saw Cy kiss me today. But technically, no, I am not involved with any of them romantically.”
Her body slumped at the end of her bed, and I found myself crouching down in front of her, examining her expression as she took off her glasses and ran her fingers over her face.
When she put her hands down, I asked a question I’d been curious about, hoping it wouldn’t make me pissed or send me into a violent streak. “Who put that scar on your face?” My thumb ran over the smudged heart on her cheek as her eyes filled with emotion, leaning into my hand.
“A creature terror. Feline, actually.” Her lips twisted. “I was trying to help them and they weren’t mature enough to control their shifting. I know, it looks far worse than the actual reasoning behind it.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her story, because it was somewhat adorable.
“I actually find it beautiful,” I admitted, surprised a bit by my own words. She flashed a smile, sliding her glasses back on.
“You can be really sweet,” she murmured, her hands cupping my face before she frowned again, something seeming to occur to her.
“What?” I asked, suddenly worried I had done something wrong.
“I feel bad. You wake up from however long you’ve been sleeping, go about your life like normal, get knocked out and bought somewhere with strangers, and somehow you are taking it all in stride? I didn’t even ask if there was family you left or if you could see yourself being happy here. Sometimes I wonder if we don’t just make shit worse, despite trying to help—”
“I didn’t have any family I was leaving. You don’t really keep long relationships, at least not ones like you are imagining, when you’re like me,” I admitted. Plus, I had been killing humans rather actively, so they had probably done the right thing. Not in my eyes, but if the institute was trying to preserve the reputation of nightmares and keep them safe from the ‘bad’ humans, then creatures like me that killed indiscriminately no doubt hurt their cause.
She nodded, seeming to understand the lack of connection I had to the outside world. “I only have my father and my team. I was abandoned on the front steps of the institute, and it honestly has been the best thing for me. I can’t imagine not knowing all of these amazing individuals. I have seen how humans live, and I truly want nothing to do with it.”
Nor would they want her.
I didn’t mean that in a bad way; I actually viewed it as a good thing. Despite being human, Arabella had an air about her that was anything but ‘normal.’ If she ever tried to live amongst humans, it would absolutely not be a successful endeavor.
“Humans have and always will be…” Vile. Horrible. Angry. “Difficult.”
Her laugh was a bit sad. “Is that what we are calling it? They suck. I don’t blame you for reacting poorly to me at first.”
“I actually thought you were a nightmare.”
Her eyes widened. “Me? Because of the hair?”
I chuckled. “No, precious, because of the confidence and lack of fear.”
She shrugged and then tilted her head with a thoughtful expression. “I suppose that is one thing that makes me different, my lack of fear.”
“Do you actually not feel any?” I was not only curious but fascinated by this woman. I had never even met a nightmare completely absent of fear, let alone a human. Everyone had something they were afraid of. I mean, hell, Arabella scared me, and I was a man enough to admit that. Everything she inspired was new and foreign to me.