Chapter Three – Sleeping With The Enemy!

Hera’s POV 

He shifted back to his human form and hauled me up. “Shift!” he barked impatiently. I looked away from his naked body. Was this becoming a ritual? It was difficult to not feel his warmth or inhale his pine scent when he didn’t release me or give me breathing space. Maybe he was afraid I would attempt another escape!

“No.” I looked around for my clothes but remembered where I had left them. In the bedroom when I shifted before jumping out. No way would I give him the pleasure of seeing me naked again! 

“Do as I say if you wish to live, Hermione!” The way he gripped my neck, the veins in his forearms popped up, making a shudder go down my spine. Judging from the raw power he exuded, it would be ridiculously easy for him to take a life away. Not just any life. My life! 

I looked up at him helplessly! His gaze burned into me, telling me I made a mistake by disobeying him. He was brutal. He meant every word he uttered. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to torture me in a dozen ways before killing me. 

“Get me my clothes then.” He grunted in displeasure, releasing me to step backward. 

“There’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” I rolled my eyes at the naked creature. From the way he was perpetually aroused, I wouldn’t want him to lose his restraints and have me. 

My eyes dropped to his hard-on, and I shook my head. “No. I won’t shift!” 

He gave me a frustrated look. “Fuck you, Hermione! You don’t affect me. I’ve seen better! So, do as I say” He gripped me again to give me a vigorous shake. As if that would make me shift! I grunted at his contradictory speech. If I didn’t affect him, why was he so turned on?

“You leave me with no choice.” He picked me up on his shoulder and marched up to the narrow flight of steps. In the blink of an eye, I was dumped back into the room from where I had escaped. He strode towards the window and locked it this time, slipping the keys into his pocket. 

“Shift. Eat before I tie you up again.” 

I picked up my clothes and went into the washroom. When I returned, he was still there but thankfully with his clothes on. The annoyed look on his face made me want to celebrate. It might be an insignificant victory, but at least I didn’t give in. I didn’t give him the pleasure of seeing me naked, vulnerable, and at his mercy! 

“You don’t need to tie me up. I won’t escape!” I was desperate to get him off my back and out of my room. His aura was so frightening within the small confines of the room that I could hardly breathe in his presence! 

He rubbed his chin as if considering my words. “Eat!” he barked, glancing around the room to check for other escape routes. 

I was too tired and hungry to escape. Picking up the bowl of cold soup, I sat down to devour it. I heaved a sigh of relief when he walked out of the room. Although the soup had turned cold, it was clearly the most delicious one I had ever tasted in my life. I wondered if Felixe had made it!

I looked around the sparsely furnished room. Was this his home? How long would he keep me here? I didn’t like it one bit, having spent my life in our luxurious mansion in Aromania. I could adjust to smaller living spaces, but not a dark tree house in the middle of a remote jungle! That too with an enemy who wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with me! By now, I knew he wouldn’t kill me! Something was stopping him! Did he feel the mate bond between us like I did? 

Maybe he did! I still didn’t believe he was my mate. Maybe he didn’t too! 

I was still hungry after having the soup, but the door was locked and Felixe had disappeared somewhere. Was there another bedroom where he retired to sleep? I could hardly hear him outside the door. With nothing to do, I lay down to rest my tired body. 

The door flew open, and I sat up, startled. Now what did I do? 

He stood at the door, staring at me with a dark look in his eyes. I covered myself with the duvet and watched him cautiously, ready to run if he attacked me. His body relaxed at seeing me ready for bed! Maybe he had thought I was attempting another escape. Without a word, he entered my room, and I cowered in my corner. Would he attack me now? Would he force himself on me? 

“What are you doing here? I was sleeping!” I muttered in disgust. He glared at me as he eased onto my bed. 

“I’m sleeping with you.” He closed his eyes like it was the most normal thing to do. I sat dazed, almost at the edge of the tiny bed. With him occupying more than half of it, how could I possibly sleep? 

“Why? I swear I won’t escape.” He still lay with his eyes closed, unaffected by the upheavals going on inside me. This was the worst predicament of my life. I could fight battles and kill enemies, but I couldn’t deal with a smoldering hot enemy on my bed who was supposedly my mate! 

Despite his tall claims, I had seen how aroused he was! What if he lost control and mounted me in the middle of the night? What if he wanted to claim me? No, this was a bad idea! 

“I won’t sleep with you, Felixe. Go back to your bed!” He opened his eyes and pinned his hawk-like gaze on me. The way his eyes dropped to my lips, I knew what was going on in his head. 

“This is my bed!” His voice was husky, filled with raw desire. It made a shudder go down my spine as I pulled the duvet up to my chin. 

“Then I’m sleeping on the floor!” Before I could move a muscle, he rolled over to my side. In the blink of an eye, he pulled me down to the bed and pinned me under him. 

“Ow! What the fuck!” I gasped, feeling my breath knocked out of my body! Why couldn’t he let me sleep in peace? What did he want to do with me? How long would I have to go through his mood swings? 

“You will sleep here with me. I can’t keep checking up on you all night. Don’t argue and make me lose my patience with you!” I was drowned in the swirling depths of his glowing red eyes. I knew he was barely restraining himself and it would be safe for me to just give in. 

“Get off me! I’m tired. Why don’t you kill me and end this torture?” He gazed at me for a while as if battling with himself. His nostrils flared as he inhaled my scent, causing a low rumble in his chest. 

“I haven’t even started torturing you. Believe me, I won’t make it so easy for you.” His low threat caused a tremor to go down my spine, not from fear, but from arousal. I couldn’t imagine what those tortures would be. The way the lighting in his dark eyes seemed to dance, like a golden and black fire burning in his irises, I could sense the desire coursing through him. He seemed to be fighting with his inner wolf! 

“When will you release me? Please let me go.” His shoulders visibly tensed, but he didn’t answer me. In an instant, his face had a distant, shuttered look as he eased off me and rolled over to his side. 

“Maybe never!” 

He turned his back to me while I gaped at him in disbelief. What did that mean? Had he captured me for life? Would I never be free? How could I spend my life in his tree house? It didn’t feel like home at all! I felt like crying out in frustration, but with the devil sleeping next to me, that wasn’t even possible. Would he sleep with me every night? 

There was nothing I could do to change his mind. I lay down at last to sleep. It was almost morning and soon I would need the energy to face him again. Maybe I could plan my escape if I figured out my whereabouts! 

From the way he lay beside me, I knew Felixe was wide awake. Until now, he just threatened me but did not inflict any harm on me. Something was stopping him from torturing me like he had intended. Could I hope? I wondered what revenge he was planning for me if he didn’t want to kill me. Would it be sexual abuse? I should shudder at the thought of it, but strangely, I didn’t. A strange excitement coursed through my body just at the thought of it. 

I couldn’t help but wonder if he really was my mate! Maybe that was why he would never let me go! I cringed at my impossible romantic illusions. 

Felixe Andreadis was far from the romantic mate I always dreamed of!