Chapter 14

Arlo;

I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling unmoving. When had I fallen asleep? The sound of rain tapping against the window caused me to pull my stare away from above me to glance out the window. It was really hammering it down. A streak of lightning flashed across the lightening blue sky, swiftly followed by the almighty crash of thunder. I looked at the spot on the bed beside me and noticed that Amelia was gone, I glanced at my watch 7:30 am, maybe she had gone down to the kitchen again to help out?

But no matter what I told myself, something was wrong; I could feel it! I sat up and the room spun around me, causing me to feel sick from the motion. I shook my head and felt my racing heart. What was happening to me? I climbed from my bed and grabbed my clothes; Was I coming down with an illness? I picked up my phone from my bedside table and unlocked the screen, I decided to call her. I rung her twice but both times she didn't answer; maybe I should just text her in hopes that she would call me back and let me know that she was okay.

Arlo; Morning! Where are you? I woke up and you aren't here. Can you call me when you get this message please? xx

I tossed my phone on to my bed and wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead, why was I feeling so ill? Maybe the water would wash these feelings away. I turned on the faucet and watched for a moment as the hot water gushed from the shower head, swiftly followed by hypnotic swirls of steam. I shook my head, tugging my boxers off and wandered into the hot water.

By the time I had got out from the shower, the sickly dizziness had faded; but it was still there, lingering in the back of my subconscious. I hurried back into my bedroom and threw on some clean lounge pants, my still damp hair sticking out in all directions. My heart was pounding in my chest and my muscles were twitching. It was as if my body had gone into autopilot and I was waiting for something drastic to happen. There was a fire racing through my veins unlike anything I had ever felt; it wasn't unpleasant, if anything it felt a little soothing.

I closed my eyes and gulped down another deep breath, turning around on the spot and catching my reflection in the window; the sky outside was dark, causing the window to act as a mirror. My skin was a little paler than usual, and there were bags under my eyes. This didn't make sense. Alpha's never got sick… That was when it dawned on me. I wasn't sick at all. I was beginning to imprint on someone. But, who?

Amelia;

I didn't understand what had just happened. Who was that wolf? And how was he able to speak to me through my mind? I pushed my legs harder, forcing myself to run as fast as possible. Whatever was back that had obviously spooked that wolf, and I was pretty certain that it was chasing me now. I could hear the gentle pop of twigs snapping under their feet. And from the sound of it, they were running faster than any one I had ever met. A strong smell of rotting flesh washed over me, so intense that it nearly caused me to retch. Tears stung my eyes and I didn't know if it was from the sickly-sweet smell of death, or from my own fear. The rain hit my skin so fast that each droplet felt like ice, burning wherever it touched. I shook my head, trying to get the rattails that was my hair out of my face; it was already hard to see, I didn't need my own hair making it worse.

An extremely tall dark shadow flew past me, causing me to glance out the corner of my eye. Arlo was going to be so pissed that I snuck out alone especially to the woods! I closed my eyes and pushed myself on harder, my thighs and calves were burning like hell, but I knew that this pain was nothing compared to what would happen if that thing finally got me. I fought through the uncomfortable burn in my lungs as I felt a stitch forming in my side. Why was this happening to me? I was slowly beginning to doubt that I was even a werewolf. Animals loved me; I couldn't shift; I had been getting my period for years; I could disobey orders given to me directly from the alpha! Why was I such a freak?

In the distance I could see the warm glow of the mansion flickering as the dark sky started turning light. I hadn't even realised that I had wandered so far.

The rotting smell overtook my senses once more and I felt myself becoming lightheaded. Then a flash of white shot passed me, with speeds that were matching the creature that had been chasing me. Was this another one? Something slammed into my back, causing me to fly forwards and hit the ground with a splat in the mud; I skidded across the floor feeling the cold wetness soak through my clothes. Another flash of lightning struck through the sky and I noticed the shadow creature a few feet away from me. It's glowing eyes boring into me like lasers. I rolled over and scrambled forward, trying my hardest to get my footing in the mud but it was no use; I just kept slipping and sliding until I was sprawled out, staring up at the dark canopy of the trees, getting soaked from the downpour. The smell grew stronger as the growls came closer. This was it. I was about to die. At least that way everyone would be safe. They were all better off without me.

The dark shadowy monster towered over me, white eyes boring into me, when something leapt into the air behind it, kicking its legs out aggressively. The minute I laid eyes on her I knew that I was safe. My one true saviour; Pretty Girl. The shadowy creature leapt back to its feet at lightning speeds and charged back towards us. I hopped up onto Pretty Girls back and wrapped my arms around her neck, as she lunged forward and ran as fast as she could. The snarling monster close on our tail.

We burst through the main gates and heard the low growling fade away; they clearly never entered the pack grounds. Why was that? Pretty Girl stopped at the stables, giving me chance to climb from her back and I took off; back towards the mansion. I needed to speak to Arlo, and I needed to speak to him now. I closed my eyes once more, this time fighting the tears that I could feel building within myself; when I ran into something with a smack. I stumbled backwards slightly and came face to face with Lori.

'For Selene sake! Watch where you're going to stupid little bitch.' She snapped staring at me angrily.

'Don't go out there.' I whispered looking back at the Iron gates. 'T... there is something in those woods.'

'You are cra-'Her words cut off as she took in the horrified expression on my face. 'A-are you ok?' She stammered, sounding more genuine than I had ever heard before. I stared at her face for a few seconds in silence, when she suddenly realised that she was stood with Adela and Harper. She shook her head slightly and narrowed her eyes before continuing.

'I mean, by the look on your face you saw something terrifying. I guess this means that Arlo finally allowed you to look in a mirror.' She sneered, causing her two groupies to throw their heads back and laugh. The anger in my chest tightened and I clenched my teeth together. The streetlamp above us exploded, causing a shower of glass and sparks to rain down around us. The three bitches squealed and huddled together, giving me a clear path to make my escape.

I jumped around the three drama queens, the sound of glass crunching beneath my feet as I continued running. Nothing else was going to stop me between here and Arlo's bedroom, I didn't care who or what it was that would try to stop me, but I didn't care. I needed to see him; Now!

I entered the mansion and ran up the spiral stairs, dodging everyone that I passed until eventually I was bursting into his room causing him to flinch. He spun around on the spot and turned his worried expression to me.

'L-Lia, what's wrong?' He stammered, crossing the room in two large steps and pulling me into his arms. His deep woody scent filled my senses and relaxed me a little. I was too shaken up to be able to speak. And what the hell was I going to tell him? I didn't even know what that thing was that was chasing me. 'Baby, you're trembling. What happened? Why are you covered in mud?' He whispered, walking backwards. He pulled my t-shirt from my head, dropping it to the ground with a splat, swiftly followed by my black skinny jeans that were now brown from the mud. I stood there in my underwear, still trembling; I wasn't sure if it was from the cold, wetness or my own fear. But just being under Arlo's touch seemed to thaw out the ice that was coursing through me.

He continued leading me backwards, guiding us to the bed before sitting down and pulling me onto his lap and draping one of his thick blankets around us. I turned my stare up to meet his golden eyes and finally stopped fighting the tears, allowing them to roll down my cheeks freely.

'I-It was horrible.' I whispered, dropping my face down and staring at my hands that were rested in my lap.

'What was? What has upset you so much?'

'T-There was something… in the woods. It was chasing me.'

'What do you mean in the woods? Why were you out there? Who was you with?' He asked, his voice taking on that of annoyance. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Arlo slid me from his lap and leapt up from the bed. I watched as he paced up and down for a moment with both hands held tightly to his head; allowing all this muscles to dance a flex under the action.

'You went alone… didn't you?' He asked. He stared into my eyes and I felt as though he was looking directly into my soul. I opened my mouth, everything in my telling me to lie to him, to tell him that I was with others; but I couldn't lie to him. Fresh tears pooled in my eyes and I shook my head.

'I-I just…'

'Lia! How could you be s fucking irresponsible. You know that there is a killer out there in the forest, just lurking somewhere, waiting for the next victim to stumble upon it. How could you be so reckless? And why the hell didn't you answer my phone calls? I could have come and got you if you had!' He roared. I had never heard him sound so angry. He continued pacing back and forth, refusing to look at me. He turned his angry stare towards me once more and stormed over to me. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly; I understood that I had scared him. That's why he was so mad at me; but it didn't make me feel any better. He placed two fingers under my chin and raised my face towards his.

'I'm sorry. Are you ok?' He asked, his eyes taking on a sadness that nearly broke me. I sighed softly and forced a half smile. He leant forward and lightly placed his lips on mine. A fire rushed through me, seemingly chasing away all my fears with its cleansing touch. I shuddered with pleasure and pushed into the kiss harder. This is exactly the kind of distraction that I needed. Arlo pulled back as he drew in a deep shuddering breath, and I felt him hardening underneath me.

'What? What is it?' I asked, feeling my cheeks burn red. Arlo chuckled and ran his thumb across my bottom lip.

'We can't. We have already missed breakfast and I have a pack meeting in five minutes. And I know for a fact that if we start now, we won't stop.' He answered, grinning at me with a new fire in his eyes. I leant forward once more and pulled his face back down to meet mine. Our lips crashed together, and I put everything into our kiss. All the hurt, all the pain, all the fear. Arlo chuckled and pulled back once more. 'Seriously Lia. I can't.' He laughed. I bit my lip before pulling him back down into our kiss, not caring about anything other than this moment.

I put my hands behind my back and undid my bra whilst I racked my teeth along Arlo's bottom lip, causing his whole body to tremble with desire. I threw the bra down on to the floor and watched as he licked his bottom lip. He flipped me over, so that I was lying on the bed facing him as he pressed himself back down on top of me. My breath caught in my throat as absolute pleasure and desire took over. Arlo kissed down my jaw line, down my neck, only hesitating to look me in the eyes. He kissed along my collar bone, and down between my breasts, while grabbing a handful at the same time.

He continued kissing lower until he got to my underwear. He pulled back and stared into my eyes mischievously for a moment. He pushed my legs open and kissed from my knee all the way to my inner thigh. I felt his fingers gently run down the inside of my leg causing my heart to pound in my ears. Seriously, if he teased me anymore than this, then I think I would explode.

He ran his hand over the elastic of my underwear before running the tips of his fingers down, pushing the material to the side and slipping his fingers inside me. The moment he did a wave of pleasure so intense washed over me, taking my breath away. He slowly circled his fingers, causing me to arch my back and thrust my hips in time with his movements. My breath became ragged and hard, and I gripped the blanket, trying my hardest to hold off the orgasmic wave of pleasure that was threatening to blow.

Far too soon he pulled his fingers out. I gasped loudly and turned my needing stare to him, silently pleading for him to not stop with my eyes. Arlo cocked an eyebrow and kissed up my knee once more, this time not stopping at my inner thigh. I felt the warmth of his tongue brushing over my centre before slipping his finger inside me. That was when I lost all control. I arched my back once more, causing him to go deeper with every thrust. My breath was coming in short waves and I was about to give in to my orgasmic rush… then his watched beeped.

Arlo stood from the bed and glanced down at himself. A huge hard lump showing through his tight-fitting formal trousers. I bit my lip and tried to hide the smile that I could feel forming but it was no use. This man drove me wild. He reached into his trousers and readjusted himself; tucking his hardness into the waistband of his boxers. He turned his hot stare to me and narrowed his eyes with a huge smile on his face.

'You think you're funny?' he asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. I bit my lip a little harder, but it was no use. The giggle escaped my lips seemingly driving him wild. I saw his member throb with every laugh, and it caused me to want him even more. I didn't even know that that was possible!

'No, I don't think I am funny. I think I am hilarious.' I replied, laughing once more. Arlo slowly walked back over to the bed and leant forward, kissing me softly.

'You best still be here like that when I get back. We have some unfinished business to attend to!' He growled, his eyes flaring with desire. He turned and slowly walked towards the door, looking back once and winking before exiting the room. I sighed in frustration and flopped back on the bed. What was this man doing to me?

Arlo;

I entered my office and all eyes turned to me. It was obvious that they had been here a while waiting, but I was the alpha. The meeting started when I said so. I crossed the room and dropped into the chair behind my desk; everyone's eyes following me as I moved.

'Arlo, what are you going to do about all this?' Jake asked, dipping his head at the memory of our fallen members. I cleared my throat and looked over to my father, who was holding my stare and looking at me expectantly.

'Clearly, there is something going on around here. I don't understand why all these Non-Elites and an Elder have been leaving the safety of our grounds. Our only saving grace is that whoever this is, is not coming in, beyond the gates. All the killings have taken place out there.' I said, gesturing towards the large woods that surrounded our village.

'Non-Elites? Don't you mean the Mutts?' Charlie snapped, narrowing his eyes at me. He was seriously starting to piss me off. I sighed once more and chose to ignore his comment before continuing.

'I believe that we must continue to patrol the perimeter of our village. Have people scout around the gates, ensuring that no one leaves without my say so. I don't know how many more losses this community can take.' I closed my eyes as the vision of Amelia sprawled out on my bed filled my mind. A red-hot wave of desire pulsed through me and I felt myself harden once more. This was not the time, or place for this to happen!

'Why is it only the Mutts and now an Elder that are being taken?' Matt asked, speaking for the first time since I had entered to room. I shook my head and stared down at my hands.

'I have no idea. But I think that that is why it should be us Elites only that do the patrol runs. We are clearly safer than the others. I believe that it should be us that take charge.'

'So, what is it that you want us to do?' Eddie asked, turning to me with wide eyes. I sighed and shook my head. I knew that I needed to focus, but all I could think about was being inside her again. I cleared my throat and shook my head.

'I am saying that we need to be more vigilant! I think that we should set up twenty-four-hour patrols. We need to ensure the safety of our pack. As the leaders, that is our job!' I said, making sure that I looked at my Beta and Delta in the eye. Charlie rolled his eyes and glared at me.

'What? Are you saying that now we have to work? Just like the common Mutts?' Charlie growled, anger taking over him. 'How about why don't you speak to your "girlfriend" and her other boyfriend and just ask them to leave everyone alone?' Charlie sneered. My eyes flared and I gulped down a deep breath. I knew that he was trying to get a rise out of me, and I couldn't let that happen. But I also knew that there was nothing that I could say here that would get me out of this predicament. Luckily, Matt was to the rescue once again. He slammed his hand down onto the desk; so hard that everything upon it rattled violently.

'What the fuck is your problem with her? What was it that your sister did to make you hate her so much?'

'Don't call her that!' Charlie growled through clenched teeth. 'And like I said before, just because you are shagging her on the side, doesn't mean that you get to talk to me that way!' He continued.

'You know what. I am so sick of your medieval views of the world; your view of people that are different from you. Your view on your sister. You are just such a c-'

'Who do you think you are speaking to? I think you forget your place!' Charlie roared, leaping to his feet and squaring up to Matt. I rose from my chair with such force that it flew back into the wall with a loud crash. The others in the room rushed towards us, holding us back. Everyone knew that I could have taken him. There was a reason that I am master of fighting. He was nothing compared to me.

'Really? This is pathetic! Our pack is in danger; real danger. What do you think is going to happen if we lose anymore members? When other packs find out that our numbers a dwindling. Currently we are the largest pack in England. But at this rate, we will be easily outnumbered by others. How are we supposed to keep everyone safe, if the leaders of this place are at each-other's throats constantly.' I roared, glaring at everyone in front of me. The room fell into silence as all eyes were back on me. 'This meeting is over! Everyone out of my sight.' I said, turning away from everyone and placing both hands on my desk for support.

'Arlo I-' Jake began, taking a step closer towards me.

'I said OUT!' I screamed, spinning around to face him allow my full power of alpha washed over him. Jake stiffened as though a heavy electric current was passing through him, the veins in his neck bulging. He pulled away from me and fled the room. As much as I hated using my power as alpha against them, sometimes they just needed to be reminded who was in charge. I waited until the last person left the room before I finally looked up again. I needed to get back to my room. I needed her; now!

Matt;

I threw open Arlo's office door and stormed forward, heading to the training area. I needed to release some of this tension; and fighting was the only way that I knew how. I hurried out into the cold nights air and rushed forward, pulling my t-shirt over my head and threw it to the ground before heading over to the life-sized mannequin and getting into my fighting stance. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath through my nose before opening my eyes and allowing my anger to come out. With every pinch, I felt my hits getting harder, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it; but it wasn't enough. I could imagine that this is Charlie all I wanted, but until I got to beat the shit out of the real one, this would have to do. I rolled my head on my shoulders, feeling the bones crack in protest. I needed to run!

I grabbed for my hoody and threw it on, not mothering to find my t-shirt and jogged over to the main gates.

An awful smell filled the air, so strong that I almost gagged. It was a mix of sickly sweet, rotting flesh, and earthy mould. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand, hoping that it was enough to shield me from some of the stench. It wasn't. Suddenly, another scent hit me. One that was too familiar for my liking. I peered around in the darkness, using my werewolf vision to see if there was anything I could pick up.

'What the…' I muttered to myself, glancing down at the pool of blood under my feet and followed the scent until I found its source. Something wasn't right about this blood. It smelt different than the others. It had a chemical smell to it. There, hanging from the tree was Gabriel. This changed everything! Now whoever the killer was, was taking down Elites as well. I glanced around and noticed the struggle that had clearly taken place. This wasn't just as simple as someone being killed. There was a fight. I crouched down to the ground and felt the dirt. The blood was splattered in all directions. This just confirmed that it wasn't a clean kill. That sickly-sweet smell washed over me once more, this time stronger than before. I rushed to my feet and felt my head spin from the motion; the smell too strong for my heightened senses.

I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could, back towards the mansion. Arlo needed to know about this.

Arlo;

I tugged at the top button of my shirt, feeling as though the air was getting too thick in here. There was so much going on with the pack right now, but all I could think of was Amelia. At the very mention of her name I felt myself throb with desire. Through the entire meeting, all I could think of was pounding her hard. Another wave of desire ripped through me. I pushed on harder, needing to be near her; in her, now. I reached the top of the stairs and spotted a barely dressed figure sneaking from my room. Using all my skill of sneaking, I slowly crept up behind her.

'Where do you think you're going?' I asked, raising an eyebrow as a growl of need slipped through my lips. Amelia spun on the spot, looking down the long hall behind me; her cheeks flushing that cute shade of pink she got when she was nervous.

'A-Arlo! You made me jump!' she squeaked, with a slight giggle.

'Your alpha has asked you a question miss hunt.' I whispered, taking another step closer to her so that we were only inches apart. I let my eye run up and down the length of her body, taking in every curve; and felt myself throb even harder. I needed her. And I needed her now. I slammed her into the wall; a little harder than intended, and she gasped. I went to apologise when she grabbed my face and pulled it down to meet her mouth. Our lips crashed together as she moved her hands up into my hair and tugged. A burn shot from my scalp down my spine, causing me to press myself harder against her. I felt her teeth scrape along my bottom lip once again and I shuddered. I couldn't take this any longer. I grabbed her hips and spun her around to face the wall. I yanked on my flies, freeing myself from the confines of my trousers and pulled her panties to the side. Amelia started to close her legs, glancing over her shoulder down the corridor once more, but I pressed my knee in between hers and pushed her legs open once more. She leant forward a little raising her backside in the air slightly and I shoved myself inside her. Her gasp of pleasure was all the encouragement that I needed. I thrust myself into her again, grabbing her hips and pulling her back onto me. Within no time, she had matched my rhythm and was groaning in pleasure. I pounded harder, causing her to groan a little louder. I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on. After everything that had happened, I needed that release!

I felt the familiar tightening sensation in my groin as the pressure built up rapidly. I felt Amelia tighten also, as she too was reaching completion. She thrust back into me harder and I couldn't hold it anymore. I thrust into her releasing everything I had, my throbbing hardness pulsing inside her. Amelia bit her lip, trying her hardest to contain her orgasmic groan but it was no use, she couldn't stop it. I felt her entire body tremble as she was overtaken by the ecstasy of the moment; her knees going weak. I pulled out of her and spun her around to face me, leaning forward and kissing her with ragged breathing.

'How about we take this inside?' Amelia whispered, running her hands through my hair once more. I flashed her a cheeky grin and pulled her up into my arms, getting her to wrap her legs around my waist, carrying her into my bedroom. I threw her on the bed and ripped my shirt over my head before kicking my jeans and boxers to the floor. Amelia ran her eyes up and down the length of my naked body and grinned. The thought of her liking what she saw caused me to harden once more.

'Round two?' I asked with another grin. Amelia's eyes flashed and she bit her lip once more.

'Bring it on, big boy.' She purred, flopping back onto the bed before pinging her underwear across the room. I felt my smile widen and strolled over to the bed, dropping down on top of her. I had never been the type of person to be this sex mad. But she was just driving me crazy. I slipped myself back inside her causing her to whimper with pleasure.

'Are you sure you're ready for this?' I asked, staring down into her eyes. 'I don't want to hurt you.'

'Don't you dare hold back!' She growled, dragging my face down to meet hers and biting my bottom lip. I slammed into her, this time not bothering to be gentle. With every trust I felt her become wetter, her warmness consuming all of me. How was I going to tell her that this was nearly over? That I was imprinting on someone that wasn't her?

We collapsed on my bed in a heap; our hearts were pounding, and we were both trying to catch our breath. I couldn't get enough of her but yet how could that be possible when she wasn't mine? How could I feel such a deep connection with a woman that wasn't my soul mate, the thought of it all made my stomach twist and my heart sank again. I needed to speak to her; was she imprinting too? Was I worrying for nothing? I opened my mouth, but before I could even say a word to her; my phone rang. I picked it up and Matt's name came flashing on the screen, I swiped up and put the phone on to my ear still trying to catch my breath.

'Hello? Fuck! Who? When? Okay I will be right there.' I hung the phone up and looked straight over to Amelia, she could already tell by the look on my face what had happened. But this time it was an Elite that had been killed; the one that was on patrol; the one that I had put on patrol.

Amelia;

I laid on the bed in shock, Arlo had already got himself dressed and ran from the room; his face drained of colour. The pack member that they found dead this morning was an Elite! How could this be? So far, the attacker had only been going after the Non-Elites, but now it looked as if their MO had changed! Ironically, the pack member that they had found today was the one in charge of surveillance. He was the one patrolling the outer perimeter of the grounds last night. This changed everything.

I thought back to when I ran to see the brown wolf; was the Elite dead before I left? There wasn't anyone around when I passed the Iron gates, guilt rushed over me. I should have known something was wrong; slipping away from the grounds was too easy. Why the hell didn't I think? As usual I was too wrapped up in my own problems to notice anything else. I sat up from the bed still naked and looked across to the window; Who could do something like this? Who could possibly be evil enough to kill innocent members of the pack? The very thought of it broke my heart! All those innocent lives that were wasted, and for what?

The only logical thought that I could make sense of, was that it was a Deviant! I don't see why a member of another pack would do this to us. This would be an act of war against the packs and no one would be stupid enough to do that. The packs in England worked hard to keep up their strong alliances. They agreed that it was better to work with one another than against them! A Deviant wouldn't be thinking of the alliances between packs. I thought back to the brown wolf once more. Other than him, I hadn't seen any other outsiders; but I knew that he wasn't the killer. I don't know how I knew; I just did.

If it came to it, I would tell Arlo the truth about where I was last night. As much as I didn't want him to know, the thought of my new friend taking the blame for this was worse. There was no way that I was going to just stand back and let this happen! There was no way that I was going to allow him to be accused of anything!

I knew that I should have got up and faced the pack, but I just couldn't do it. I threw the covers over my head and pretended that the rest of the world had just disappeared. I should have been there when the others were told about the Elite being found, but I could already hear the accusations that were going to be thrown at me! I didn't have an alibi for where I was, and Lori and her bitch pack had seen me running from the woods; they would be the first to tell everyone about what it was that they had seen and would then go on to make sure that everyone believed that I was the murderer. And then there was Arlo, it was him that I ran to when I was frightened; he knew where I had been, and I was so scared that he would also be convinced that it was me behind this all. The thought of that made me feel physically sick.

A million thoughts were swirling through my mind and it was making me dizzy. I was beginning to regret ever leaving that stupid cottage! Things would have been so much simpler had I stayed there. I closed my eyes and tried to quiet the screaming fears that were bouncing around in my mind, but it was virtually impossible. It didn't matter what I tried to think of, it all led back to the same thing. Everyone believing that I was guilty!

By the time that Arlo had come back up to the room from his meeting, I had fallen asleep once more. It was the only way that I could get all the fears to quiet. I opened my eyes and watched as Arlo came in carrying a tray loaded with food. I dropped my stare to the tray and my stomach churned; I didn't think that I could have eaten a thing! I felt sick with anxiety and my head was pounding. I could feel the familiar sting of tears and threw the duvet over my head once more; I didn't want Arlo to see me cry, again!

'Lia… what is it? What's wrong?' He asked, placing the tray on the bedside table and sitting on the bed beside me. I pinned the covers down around me tighter refusing to let him break in. After the day that he had had, he did not need to see me crying now. I felt him tug at the covers a little harder and felt as they slipped away, all my strength had gone, and I was no longer able to resist. He wiped my tears away with his thumb and stared down at me with a sad smile. 'What is it baby?' He whispered.

'I am just sad for you.' I whispered, trying my hardest to get the tears under control. Arlo crawled into the bed and pulled me into his arms, tucking my head under his chin and holding me tightly.

'Don't be sad for me baby.' He whispered, kissing the top of my head and resting his chin there. I closed my eyes and listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart and felt the soothing motion of his breathing. His earthy scent enveloped my sense. I focused on nothing but him. I could feel all my worries and fears were melting away. And before I knew it, I was asleep.