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“I really would like to have one normal week go by,” Blaire muttered.

Aiden grinned and shook his head. “Now that you’re in our world, normal is relative.”

Blaire sighed and rolled her eyes.

“But she also said she wants to meet with us in the morning to discuss things.”

Lukas said, “I appreciate you coming, even though she’s alright, because I couldn’t be sure if they’d come back and if there wouldn’t be more of them now that they’re aware she isn’t alone tonight like she was before.”

“There’s no reason to thank me. I’ll always be there for you, and for Blaire.”

Lukas nodded and Aiden got up, heading to the door.

“I’ll call the others and let them know what happened. We can all meet with the professor tomorrow.” He locked the door from the inside before exiting the dorm room.

Lukas glanced over at Blaire, his eyes falling to her lips. She bit down on her lower lip again and he sighed.

“You’re going to need rest to recover your strength.”

“Will you stay with me?” she whispered, looking uncertain about her request.

Lukas stood and stretched. “Of course, I’m not leaving the room for anything. I don’t plan to go back to sleep, so I can watch over you. You’ll be safe tonight.”

He moved toward his bed, but stopped when she tugged on his shirt, preventing him from crossing the room. He moved his eyes up from her hand to her face and found her blushing.

Blaire looked down, whispering, “I mean, I want you to stay in the bed with me.” She jerked her gaze up to meet his, adding, “Just in case… well, in case they come back. And then you could actually sleep?” She nodded to herself as if confirming something.

Lukas raised an eyebrow. That was as good an excuse as any.

He turned and got into her bed, climbing over her body, and settling in with his back toward the wall before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. Blaire buried her face into his bare chest, snuggling up to him. He was in heaven. He reached down and pulled the covers over them both before reaching out and turning off the lamp, settling in and holding her close.

“You’re safe now. They won’t come back tonight,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

They lay in silence and darkness until her breathing changed as she slipped into sleep. He put his nose into her hair and breathed in the scent of her shampoo, swallowing the lump in his throat before whispering, “I love you… I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He couldn’t imagine existing without her anymore.

He sighed.

He only hoped one day she’d love him as well.

34

FEARS

Blaire woke to the sound of rain pattering against the window, feeling unusually warm. Her arm still hurt from what happened two weeks ago, but last night added a dull ache at the crook of her elbow. She never did like having her blood drawn.

She shifted and felt a warm body against her back, and it all came back to her. Lukas was in her bed with his arms wrapped around her from behind. Blaire squirmed to change her position, but she froze when Lukas released a groan in response to her movements.

This was bad. While she had been ready for him weeks ago, she had been running on pure desire. Lukas had her so aroused at the time, she would have done just about anything in that moment. Except give him her blood. She felt more clear-headed this morning, and she wasn’t sure she was ready, not with everything that had gone down recently. Her desire for him wasn’t gone, but her head was a mess.

Blaire tried getting up from the bed, but Lukas tightened his hold. He moved his hand to her hip, and slowly rolled his hips against her backside once, before relaxing his hold. She bit down on her lower lip, and after giving it a moment to make sure he wasn’t going to move again, she slowly turned over, so she faced him and wasn’t pressed up against his obvious erection.

Breathing in his spicy apple scent, Blaire snuggled her upper body close to his, burying her face into his chest, closing her eyes, and listening to his heartbeat.

Lukas shifted, and his hand moved. She opened her eyes in time to see him reach down and slip his hand into his sweatpants. On her quick inhale, he froze, his hand still down his pants, gripping himself. The visual of him touching himself stirred something inside her. Maybe she wasn’t as messed up in the head as she originally thought.

Lukas looked up, realizing she was awake. “It’s not what it looks like. I wasn’t doing anything. Just adjusting morning wood.”