Page 9 of Spark (Damselverse #2)

Chapter nine

Zara

T here’s thunder right beside my ear when I next wake.

It vibrates through my bones, settling deep in my core. Yet unlike the thunder that comes from the sky, this one is soft and gentle… almost like a lullaby.

It placates me, and that’s not the best part. This thunder is accompanied by a warm, solid chest.

When I stir, the thunder gets louder. But instead of freezing in fear, I sigh in contentment, brushing my cheek against the solid wall of muscle like a cat marking its territory.

And I purr just like a cat, too, as a large hand rubs up and down my spine, working out my knots. I could die like this.

Best of all, the scent... The solid wall of muscle comes with the thick scent of coffee and chocolate, like mocha. Sweet, yet masculine.

“It’s all right, love. It’s all over. You’re safe. It was just a nightmare,” a deep voice rumbles beneath the chest.

My eyes snap open. Who the hell just spoke?

Slowly, I lift my head, meeting the hooded gray eyes of an Alpha. I spy the hooked nose, the square, stubbled jawline, and the tousled shoulder-length black hair.

And then I scream.

“For fuck’s sake!” the Alpha protests, but I scramble to get away, getting my legs all twisted up in a myriad of blankets.

Now I end up on my ass as I land on the floor on the side of the bed, staring in horror at the Alpha who has made my life hell for years.

He… he found me…

And now he smells of sweet mocha. Odd.

Still, there’s no denying it's him as he climbs out of bed, staring down at me with heated eyes as they burn silver. “For Christ’s sake, love. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Love?

That’s new. The Wolf only ever called me Omega. Or bitch.

I’m frozen in terror as the Wolf looks at me like I’m a ticking time bomb. But instead of punishing and tossing me into my cage, he grabs a shirt, slipping it on angrily over his head. Then he throws on a leather jacket, moving toward the door.

“You need help, you know that?”

Help?

I’m still coming to, reaching up to pat my sweaty forehead with a shaking hand.

Of course. I remember now. Nolan and Dacre turned up at the shelter and convinced me to come home with them.

I had agreed to try out being their Omega, yet little did I know, they were in cohorts with the Wolf…

They had tricked me.

However, I can’t help but notice how the Wolf is acting a little differently. While still an asshole, he doesn’t ooze evil out of every orifice.

And his accent has changed, too. It's… British…

Now he regards me, merely exasperated, as he pulls out a cigarette, lighting it up as he leans against the doorjamb.

He's not the Wolf. That much I've gathered. But he shares his face. I’m not so sure how it’s possible, but I suppose everyone has a doppelganger somewhere.

The Wolf’s doppleganger just comes with a British accent.

The Alpha smirks the more he studies me, and I finally find my voice. “What?”

“The storm’s over now, love. You can relax.”

And with that, he sweeps out the room. I glare at the spot where he vanished. “Don’t call me love!”

I’m no one’s love. At least not his.

He must be Xavier. The artist . Nolan and Dacre warned me about him.

Apparently, he was the one who set up my new nest. It was covered in his mocha after all, and for a moment… I thought I was sleeping on a fluffy cloud.

Getting up off the floor, I fix my nest, getting the pillows back to the way they were arranged before. He staked the pillows so perfectly before I wrecked them.

I’ve never had such a comfortable nest. The Wolf deprived me of many comforts, and that included blankets and pillows.

Just as I’m smoothing out a wrinkle on the topmost sheet, a knock sounds at the door. I turn to find Nolan with his white smile.

“Hey, pussycat.”

Pussycat?

He notices the look of confusion on my face, then clears his voice. “Sorry. I just thought it suited you after you saved three little kittens the other night. Also, I’m here to tell you that dinner is ready.”

Dinner? Had I slept all day?

It's no surprise, considering it was one of the best goddamn sleeps I’d had in years with Xavier’s chest acting as a pillow.

Honestly, I don’t think I will be able to sleep properly without his warm, purring chest, even if he is an asshole.

Nolan's violet eyes regard me next, and I stare down at the mattress, embarrassed. I’m still wearing the sweater and the leggings that were donated to me at the shelter. I must look a mess.

“How are you, Ruby? You feeling okay?”

It takes me a while, and now I pull at a thread that sticks out of the sleeve of my sweater. If I’m not careful, the whole thing will unravel, leaving me exposed.

“I’m… fine.”

That’s a lie. I’m terrified of storms, which is why I'd been trapped in the nightmare.

Once again, I was six, experiencing my very first real storm. The kind that shakes the earth and makes the whole house rattle.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. I was just concerned, considering you’ve been in here with Xavier all day. How was he? He didn’t frighten you again, did he?”

Not intentionally. In the end, he can’t help looking like the worst Alpha I have ever met.

Xavier is an ass, but he isn’t evil. I have a pretty good read on most people, and that Alpha has some sweetness buried beneath all that leather and chiseled muscle.

Still, I wish he would refrain from calling me love.

I’d take pussycat over love.

“I’m fine, Nolan. Xavier was… well, kind … up until a point.”

He doesn’t need me to elaborate. Nolan just nods his head, crossing his arms as he gives a sigh. “That’s Xavier.”

“Also, about earlier… he just… startled me. That’s all. He…”

I don’t finish that sentence. The less I talk about the Wolf, the better for all of us.

“Well, let’s go downstairs and get you something to eat. You must be hungry.”

Just the mention of food has my stomach rumbling. I don’t even care what it is; I will eat every last bite.

Now I follow the Alpha eagerly.

Finally, my first meal as a part of the pack.

Let's hope it all goes well.