Cranberry Entanglement
1350 Words
Kaira
~
I was in a thick deep forest.
This forest wasn’t like that of Ashmount or even the Blue River Pack. These were light and airy, despite the massive trees that surrounded me.
And I picked up a delicious scent, something I had never smelt before. The scent of cranberry cupcakes, and my stomach rumbled. A sign I was hungry.
I started moving about trying to locate the source of the scent. It has been years since I ate something related to cranberry flavor, and now I really wanted to have some of it.
I walked slowly, at first, but then I broke in a run as the scent became more potent dragging me further ahead, to enjoy the smooth sweet delicacy.
Suddenly, a tree appeared out of nowhere, and I slammed myself into it, just like I was pushed on purpose, only this time it was different.
“Aww…,” I cried softly, and my eyes fluttered open.
There was no forest and tree. Damn, it was dream. A potentially weird tasty one.
If only it would’ve lasted me only a few seconds more, so that I could get a piece of such delicacy a bite or two that called for me. Maybe if I close my eye, I can resume that dream and find the source of that mouth watering scent.
But something wasn’t right. I was awake, and definitely hugging something hard and big.
I blinked and my drowsy state turned into panic immediately.
I was in an unknown room and the thing I was hugging wasn’t a dream, but Eryx.
Eryx? One of the scary triplets, Alpha Kings?
What the heck!?
Why are my legs entangled with his? And why is his biceps my pillow?
I carefully removed my hands from Eryx’s body and tried to move away from him, only to realize I was stuck.
Ah! His arms were around me and I couldn’t budge!
I felt like crying! No screaming. This was the second time this man was pinning me against him.
When he offered me a better life, I didn’t think this was what he referred to… the hugging.
How did I find myself in this kind of situation?
The last thing I remembered was dozing off at the back of his car. So how come I ended up in this room, with him pinning me against himself?
Okay, this was embarrassing, how do I even face him after this?
My eyes wandered off to his chest area and I noticed the rise and fall of his chest, my body relaxed a bit; He’s probably sleeping.
I looked up at the man beside me and my breath hitched at the sight of Eryx’s gorgeous features.
His unruly messy hair fell over his forehead. Long eyelashes, full lips, strong jaw… everything about him was handsome.
‘It should be illegal to look this attractive,’ I thought. ‘No wonder Emma had made a claim on him and threatened me.’
No. No. No…. Stop thinking of him like that Kaira, he’s off limits. King or not, he’s still an Alpha.
I shook those thoughts away and chided myself. I could not think of the king as attractive. Actually, I could not think of any man at all.
I was painfully aware of my dirty past. If I allowed myself to see King Eryx as anything more than my benefactor—as someone who took pity on me—I would only be deceiving myself, and end up hurting again.
I glanced around the hotel room properly for the first time. Which was nice and clean. Then the confusion hit me again—why I was sharing a bed with Alpha King Eryx in the first place.
What about his siblings?
This couldn’t be Red Moon Pack, I had concluded. Did we make a stop along the way?
Or maybe this was the part where I found out Eryx had tricked me and was about to sell me off, or better still, this was Victor’s twisted plan to end me silently.
I didn’t dare wake Eryx and neither could I get out of his hold without big movements either. I was completely stuck.
Oh God how do I get out in such a situation?
With my head probed on Eryx’s arm, but this time I kept my hands to myself. Just thinking that my arm was draped over his firm abs made me blush profusely.
I took a deep breath, but for some unknown reason, I felt relaxed.
I closed my eyes in the hope of falling asleep and everything turning out to be a dream.
Letting out a long exhale, in the next moment, Eryx shifted sideways, entrapping me completely in his arms and holding me so close that my face was stuck to his chest.
His breath seeped into my scalp, making my hairs stand on the ends.
I slowly lifted my head, and froze when I spotted golden eyes which observed me intently.
Fuck! Was I imagining this, or was he doing it in his sleep, but this… just what is this?
I wanted to move away or to say something, anything, but my tongue refused to cooperate, and I felt heat seeping into my cheeks.
“Did you have a good sleep?,” he asked.
“How do you feel? Are you in any pain?”
“It’s fine…,” I responded in a small voice and forcibly inhaled, to get some oxygen in my system and snap out of my daze.
Right! I was Kaira, stripped of my title… I had escaped Ashmount grasp, and I had no idea where I was heading, but I knew at that moment I was in bed with the scary Eryx (aka the ‘Silent Death’) and I felt the urgency to increase the distance between us.
No matter how handsome he was, or how good he smelled, this wasn’t proper.
“Hey uhm… Do you…?”
“I have a name,” he cut me off sternly.
I realized that I called him ‘hey’ and this was not right of me.
“I apologize. Alpha King Eryx…”
“Eryx,” he interrupted me again. It didn’t sound right when I used his title to call him “Just Eryx.”
“Eryx…,” I said awkwardly, and he smiled victoriously.
“Can you let me go, please?”
Eryx's smile fell when he heard my question.
“Why are you making it sound like I’m holding you against your will?” he asked, with a slightly pitiful expression.
I was confused. I didn’t give him permission. Or did I? But this could only happen if I did it in my sleep. Ah! Did I throw myself at him?
And a chuckle left Eryx’s lips.
I glanced at him, slightly confused.
“What’s funny?” I asked, eyes narrowing.
“Your frantic expressions.”
“Besides, you fell off the bed. I’m only holding you so that you don’t get another bruise on top of the existing ones.”
“Oh…,” a sound escaped my lips. “Well, thank you. I’m awake now, so… can you let me go?”
Eryx c****d an eyebrow at me and blatantly ignored my question. “Do you want to freshen up? While you shower, I can order some food.”
“Will you let me go if I agree?” I asked, feeling helpless.
“Not necessary,” Eryx responded with a straight face.
I swallowed hard. “If you don’t let me go, how can I shower?”
“We can shower together.”
My eyes widened in horror. How could he say something like it’s a totally normal thing?
Eryx cleared his throat, before speaking again.
“What I mean to say, if your injuries are bothering you, I can help you wash up.”
“No need,” I squeaked, and hurriedly scrambled off the bed clumsily the moment Eryx released me from his hold.
I dashed into the bedroom, closed the door and locked it with a loud ‘click.’
- Writer
