Chapter 84: He Should’ve Known
[Not enough! We need more! MORE! Let’s mark her! Mark her! Mark her!]
Elias shut his eyes, still trying to steady his breathing when Draven began protesting inside his head.
Well, he couldn’t really blame his wolf for being cranky. This had mostly been about Elias and Lynsandra. The poor wolf had been left waiting for its turn with Enlly, which, unfortunately, never happened.
Shutting out the frustrated voice in his head, Elias rolled onto his side.
Lynsandra had fallen asleep almost instantly in his arms. Her head rested on his arm, her hands folded together, her sleeping face far more peaceful than he had ever seen it.
"Looking at her like this... she seems like she couldn’t hurt a fly," he chuckled softly, turning fully to face her.
He draped his arm over her waist and adjusted the blanket over her shoulder.
His fingertips drifted absently along her cheek before he let out a heavy sigh. His gaze fell to her shoulder blades and neck, catching sight of the marks he had left on her skin.
"You didn’t regret it, did you?" he whispered, pulling her closer.
He buried his face in her hair, holding her small frame securely against him.
She’s so small, he thought, studying her form and how vulnerable she felt in his arms.
I can’t fall asleep.
With how exhausted he was after everything, Elias should have been snoring by now. Yet sleep refused to claim him. Or maybe... maybe he simply didn’t want to sleep. Maybe if he stayed awake, morning wouldn’t come.
"I’m losing my mind," he muttered quietly, tightening his hold before loosening it again so he wouldn’t make her uncomfortable. "I can’t let her go back in there and watch others make their move on her."
There were seven members of the harem, but he wasn’t worried about all of them.
For example, he wasn’t worried about Evander. That guy would rather lock himself in the prayer room than strategize how to win her attention. Gareth wasn’t much of a concern either; even if Lynsandra gave him attention, Gareth seemed more afraid of the other members than eager to compete.
But the rest?
Elias was uneasy. Not because he thought Lynsandra would sleep with all of them, but because she would have to give them chances. Unless she chose to marry him outright. But even that came with complications.
Why?
Because Elias knew Lynsandra wouldn’t declare anyone her husband so soon, not unless she was willing to give up the power she held or something more important came up.
And after tonight... he doubted he could keep practicing restraint. Sooner or later, he would lose control. He would disappoint her.
"Goddammit."
He grimaced, chest swelling with conflicting emotions.
Slowly, he pulled back and gazed down at her. The longer he stared, the more the frustration that had been gnawing at him began to subside.
"Never mind," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "I’ll worry about that later."
All I want right now is... to wake up with you in my arms.
His body gradually relaxed as he continued watching her. Eventually, his eyes closed, and still holding her securely, he finally fell asleep.
But before he fully succumbed to the darkness, he whispered, "Don’t go."
*****
Hours later...
Sunlight hit his face, making his brows twitch. Instinctively, Elias pulled the blanket over his head. But as he shifted, his hand stretched across the other side of the bed where Lynsandra had slept.
"Shit."
He yanked the blanket down and turned toward the empty space beside him. Seeing it vacant, he closed his eyes and exhaled.
"She... left."
He should’ve known.
Resting his arm over his eyes, he clicked his tongue, trying to suppress the frustration and disappointment rising in his chest. He had known she would be gone by morning. The only way he would wake up beside her was if he woke first.
Instead, he had slept like a baby.
Slowly, he lowered his arm and stared at the ceiling. His body felt heavy, and so did his heart. The silence in the room pressed against him until he closed his eyes again for a moment.
"What do I do now?" he murmured, thinking about the night before. When he opened his eyes, another deep exhale escaped him. "What do we do now?"
Last night, she was his.
But today?
Would something change between them? Or would she pretend nothing had happened?
"I don’t want to see that," he muttered. "To see her act like it didn’t happen — or worse... hear her say she regretted it."
Or that it was just the heat of the moment.
That would hurt. That would crush him.
For a moment, Elias considered avoiding the harem entirely, afraid of what he might face. But he shook his head and sat up.
"Nah." He scratched the back of his head and leaned forward. "Even if she says those things, I didn’t come here thinking it would be easy."
He repeated that to himself. Getting hurt wasn’t what scared him.
What he feared most was not trying at all — giving up when he knew she was worth every drop of sweat, every tear, every ache.
At the bathroom sink, he splashed water on his face and stared at his reflection. Determination flickered in his eyes. The disappointment was still there, but he refused to dwell on it.
"God, I’m hungry," he grumbled as he stepped out of the bathroom.
His stomach growled as he moved toward the bedroom door, only to pause after a single step.
He sniffed, and quickly, a burnt scent wafted through his nostrils.
His brows furrowed, then his eyes widened.
"No way," he whispered, already heading toward the kitchen. "There’s no way she..."
The moment he stepped inside, his breath stopped.
There she was.
Lynsandra stood in front of the stove with her back to him. She looked troubled, arms crossed, one finger resting against her chin as if deep in thought. She wore a loose white shirt — his shirt — and her hair was barely tied up.
The pan in front of her was already producing thick smoke, but she stared at it as if sheer willpower could undo the damage.
None of that mattered to him.
Without hesitation, he crossed the distance and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Lynsandra jolted out of her thoughts as his warmth enveloped her. Before she could speak, she heard him murmur against her shoulder.
"Good morning." His voice softened as he buried his face there. "What did I do to deserve waking up this happy?"
