Moon Daemon

Chapter Six - Emotions

We spent the remainder of the morning there, reading books about Goddesses and daemons, until the sun was fully shining through the windows of the great library, making me yawn.

"Let's get you to bed," Marrok smiles.

"What about you?" I ask, shyly.

"I have training in about an hour," he confesses, running his hand through his dark hair.

"You aren't going to sleep?" I ask, worried he only stayed up for me.

"I'll take a nap after training," he tells me. "Don't worry about me."

"Where are you going to nap?" I ask, looking at the floor.

I hear a small chuckle and look up at his mischevious eyes. "I will go to my office, so you can sleep in peace."

My heart skips a beat, but I am unsure if it's because I'm thankful he's giving me my space, or slightly sad because he's not going to be with me.

"You don't have to sleep in your office," I whisper, without really thinking.

"Oh?" he asks, a smile forming on his face.

"Just sleeping," I warn him.

"I will shower before I come to bed then," he tells me. "Just to sleep."

I smile back, allowing him to take my hand and walk me from the library. The halls are full of life, and I see the true living organism that is a werewolf pack working throughout the castle. I catch a glimpse of a clock nearby, it saying 6:58.

Some of the wolves stop and smile as we walk by, offering smiles and quiet 'Alpha's. I look up at Marrok's stern expression while addressing the wolves around him, soft smiles but a tight jaw.

"Are you always so serious?" I ask, smiling back at an older lady who beams as we walk by.

"No," he laughs. "Maybe I'm a little tired."

I let out an 'oof' as something small runs into my leg, grabbing hold of it tightly. I look down to find the most adorable little boy, with bright blonde hair and dark eyes, grasping my pants desperately.

"Dakota," Marrok warns.

"Hi," I smile.

"Are you the Luna?" the little boy asks.

"Umm, well," I stutter, looking at Marrok for help.

"Dakota," Marrok says again, breaking the young boys attention. I feel as he drops from my leg and his head lowers shamefully.

"Sorry, Alpha," he says.

I bend down so that I am eye level with him, placing one hand under his chin and lifting his chin lightly so he looks at me. "You know that I am not a wolf," I smile at him. "You can smell the difference."

"I know," Dakota says, sadly.

"I have more to learn about wolves before I take on such an important role," I explain. "So, right now no, I am not your Luna."

"But you will be?" he asks, excitedly.

I laugh softly. "Would you like that?" I ask.

"Yes!" he exclaims, before motioning me closer to him. I lean down and hear his little voice whisper, "the moon goddess told me that our Luna was going to be the most powerful ever."

My eyes widen at his words, but a smile stays on my lips. "Did she now?"

"I'm not supposed to tell others," he whispers, his eyes darting to Marroks glaring expression.

"It'll be our little secret," I promise. "Go on now, we will talk soon."

His little arms reach up and hug my neck quickly before turning and bolting in the other direction.

"He was cute," I smile.

"Dakota is one of our youngest," Marrok tells me. "He's still learning about the monarchy and respect of elders."

"That's okay," I grin. "That made me happy."

"I'm glad," he says, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs. We finally get to the room and the hallway alone is draining me of what little I have left because of how bright it is.

"You okay?" Marrok asks me.

"I'm just tired," I offer a soft smile.

"Does the light hurt?"

"Not physically," I explain. "It kinda feels like I'm underwater. I feel like I should be breathing, but can't. It just drains me."

He opens his bedroom door and I am instantly greeted with immense darkness, aside from a couple candles lit in the corners. I feel my body start to absorb the power behind the door, breathing in the shadows and allowing them to rejuvenate my soul.

I lower my hood and let my long black hair drop around me.

"Right, so," Marrok says, walking over to his dresser and removing his white shirt, tossing it into the bin next to it. "I'll be gone for a couple hours, get some sleep."

"Are you coming back?" I ask.

"I will," he smiles. "I'll try not to wake you up."

"I'll try not to attack you," I joke.

"That would be appreciated," he laughs, walking up to me, still shirtless. "Thank you for protecting my wolves today."

"I should be thanking them," I tell him. "That protected me not even knowing me."

"They can feel how important you are to this pack," he says softly, his breath hitting my forehead.

I breathe in the scent of him, feeling my body react to his proximity.

"I should shower," I whisper.

A low growl escapes from his throat and I look up into his beautiful blue eyes. "Sorry," he smiles.

"Thorin?"

"No," he runs his hands through his hair. "That was inexcusably me."

A soft chuckle escapes my lips before I turn from him and start walking towards the bed. "I'll be here when you get done," I tell him.

"That's going to make this training so much harder," he groans before approaching me and lightly kissing my forehead. "Get some sleep."

I walk into the bathroom and close the door before he can say anything else, hoping he would change and leave and I could get some time to calm my body down from the unexplainable high that his closeness brings to me.

The warm water instantly calms my soul and body as it washes the remnents of today from me. I scrub my hair extra long, taking my time to make sure it's nice and clean before rinsing it. I know washing your hair every day is bad for it, but for someone who's gone weeks on dry shampoo, it seems like the only option.

After my shower, I dry off and wrap myself in a long cozy robe, brushing my hair out and making sure to put lotion of my face before I crawl into bed. I look at myself in the mirror, my long, wet hair, hanging down to my waist, wet enough for me to braid it to the side so it can dry like that today, and my blue eyes, shadowed by dark circles.

I groan at my reflextion before retreating to the darkness of Marrok's room. As I lay down in bed, I hear a small chime from next to me, and see the phone that Marrok bought me light up on the nightstand. I open it, looking at the myriad of apps before finding one that has a small red '1' on it and clicking it.

I smile at Marrok's text. "Sleep well, Esmeray. I will be back shortly."

'Have fun at training.' I text back, with a ;) that instantly turns to a small yellow winky face in the message.

"Cool," I mumble to myself, looking around the keyboard until I find a whole bunch of faces.

I lay in the darkness until I feel sleep approaching me, so I put the phone down and shut my eyes.

I don't know how long it is I am sleeping before I awake to the sound of the door opening. I open an eye and ready myself, in case it isn't Marrok who comes throught the door, but I am instantly met with the scent of wet grass and find ease.

"How was training?" I mumble.

"s**t," he says. "You are a light sleeper."

"It comes with the territory of being alone for so long," I yawn.

"It was good. I already showered, and I'm really tired," he tells me, approaching the other side of the bed.

"Just sleep," I remind him.

"I know," he grins. "I'm too tired for much else."

My body tenses as I feel him crawl under the blanket with me. His intoxicating scent is overwhelming my system, so I roll over and look at him next to me.

"Marrok," I whisper, an uncontrollable urge to talk to him takes over my tired body.

"Yes?"

"This mate thing has me confused," I confess.

"Why?" he asks, I can hear the panic in his voice.

"I don't understand it," I whisper. "It makes me feel, uh, things, when you're near me."

I hear a soft chuckle from him as he rolls over and faces me too. "That's the bond."

"It scares me," I say.

"Why?"

I let out a sigh, knowing that this conversation was going to happen eventually, so I might as well let it out now. "I've never been with anyone."

"You're a virgin?" he asks.

"I've never even kissed someoe before," I mumble.

"Oh, wow," he gasps.

"Is that bad?"

"Are you serious?" he asks. "That is the greatest thing you could have said to me."

"Why?" I laugh.

"I don't have to tell you that wolves are extremely jealous beings," he explains. "Knowing that you are as pure as it comes, makes me, and Thorin might I add, extremely happy."

"Oh," I whisper.

"Esmeray," he says, his proximity shifting so that he is closer to me. "I want you to know that I will never make you do anything you are not ready for, but, I have also wondered all my life what it was like to kiss someone I'm mated to."

"Now?" I gasp.

"Only if you want to," he chuckles.

"What if I'm really bad at it?"

"Somehow I dont think that's going to be possible," he whispers, his voice hitting my nose in one breath, and his hand reaching up and tucking my hair behind my ear.

I don't know how in all my nerves and fears at that moment I manage to breathe out, "okay." My mind is in complete shambles at the thought of him next to me, his face so close to mine, and his lips centimeters from me. I have never thought about being with someone, or what I would do if I actually was.

"Tell me to stop," he says, his mouth coming closer to mine. "I will stop."

His mouth hesitates before mine, his lips barely touching mine, before I push my face towards his and meet his lips with mine. The electricity that shoots through my entire body catches me off guard through out kiss, making me want to stop, but for some reason I can't.

His lips are so gentle, moving slowly against mine to show me what to do. The hairs on my neck stand up to the feeling and I feel myself fall into him, wanting more. His mouth opens sligthtly and I follow his lead, allowing his tongue to slightly caress my bottom lip, causing me to gasp.

"Too much?" he smiles into my mouth.

"No," I breathe, allowing my mouth to reconnect with his. The kiss deepens, me following his lead, and letting my mouth work with his. In a moment of bravery, I flick my tongue out to caress his lip, but instead I'm met with his tongue, which intrudes my mouth in the best way I could imagine and begins a dance.

I don't know why my body reacted the way it did when his tongue entered my mouth, but before I knew it, I let out a soft moan.

I feel his body react to me, and he stiffens and pulls away from our kiss. "f**k, I'm so sorry," he whispers.

"Did I do something wrong?" I worry.

"Not at all," he says, his eyes pulled tightly shut. "That's the problem."

"Oh," I whisper.

"In case you were wondering," he whispers. "You are not a bad kisser, in fact, you are the best kisser I've ever experienced."

My stomach flips at his words for more reason than one. "How many have you had?" I ask, before my mind could tell my mouth no.

I hear his subtle grunt and worry that I upset him.

"I will not lie to you," he groans. "I have had a few. Nova is not the only she-wolf I've slept with."

"Oh," I whisper, turning my body so I am laying upright.

"Please don't be mad," he begs, his arm reaching over and landing on my stomach. "I was so desperate for a mate, and when I didn't find one, I was stupid."

"I'm not mad at you for what you did before knowing me," I laugh. "That's ridiculous."

"Esmeray," he says. "You are the only soul in this world that has my love and attention. Forever."

My heart pounds at his words. I look over at his guilty face, knowing that he is absoljutely feeling the guilt and resentmemt at having to tell me about his past. How could I be mad at him for having a past, just because I don't?

"I believe you," I tell him, looking over at him and smiling. "I don't know much about mate bonds, or wolves, but I do know that what I am feeling right now is different."

"I am yours," he breathes, before his mouth meeting mine again. "I will always be yours."

"I know," I whisper into his mouth, finishing our kiss before allowing my arms to wrap around him and my head lean against his chest in the darkness of his blacked out room, and us finally falling asleep in each others arms.