Word Count: 1581

~Millicent

I wake slowly, comfortably.

Jerking awake, I look over at the figure sitting next to me. Sinful's head is dipped back away from me, clearly dead asleep. We sleep out of novelty, to pass time, so I'm wondering how I managed to let myself fall asleep with Sinful right beside me. This moment of vulnerability is something I should feel bad about, but I don't. I feel comfortable.

Sinful stirs, so I force myself into sitting position. He rubs his eyes, making me smile softly, before he blinks a few times, looking up at me. There a moment of surprise, looking like how I imagined I did when I woke. But immediately it morphs into one of warmth, making my heart flutter.

He doesn't say anything, grabbing my waist, pulling me atop him.

I gasp, as he presses me against his chest. I'm confused for a moment about what he is doing, until I realise he's hugging me. Is this a cuddle? It feels oddly domestic for us.

I don't speak though. I let him hold me, knowing that this may be the last time I see him in a while. And I won't lie, it feels good having his arms wrapped around me like this, the warmth from his skin seeping through mine, his sweet scent of jasmine wrapping around me. Maybe this is wrong, but I don't care. I could lie here forever.

He plays with my hair softly. I'm not sure how long we lie there, silent, enjoying the presence of each other. It's a privilege we haven't had access to in all these years. Those times, I masked my fear of him with resentment. Now, I hardly remember those thoughts.

Something makes me glance up. Maybe it's the pressure of his fingers against my waist, that calls me to look straight into those captivating lavender eyes.

And it draws me straight to his lips.

I don't regret anything. The moment I feel the softness of his lips, and taste him, I know nothing about this is wrong. We are mates, and we are meant to be wrapped around each other like this.

Leaning up against his chest, I dig my fingers into his shirt, deepening the kiss. I've kissed before. It was years ago, when I was foolish, wanting to lash out against my situation, so I would seduce guards into my room and make out with them. It was never more than that, as I would never be tempted to ruin what I was saving...even if at the time, it wasn't ready to admit what for.

Sinful holds my waist, pressing me against him. I balance one hand on his hip while the other caresses his cheek, feeling the softness of his skin. I can feel my dress hiking up my legs, but Sinful makes no move discover more, keeping his hands firmly in a safe place.

Either he has no interest in going further, or he is a pure gentleman.

This is what I want. And I want more. I pull myself on top of him to the point where I'm straddling his lips. His hands still don't stray, no matter how hard I accelerate the kiss. It's getting heated, until the sound of the door bursting open behind us immediately pulls me away from him, like he's a plague that if I get caught being near, I will get in serious trouble.

Turning around, I see Lucy stumble through the door, her hands cupped under her mouth, filled with blood. The sight near makes me throw up, but I compose myself at the sight of blood trailing from her eyes. It makes both me and Sinful jump out of bed in response.

"Oh my...Lucy!" I yelp.

Sinful rounds me, immediately grabbing her arm before she can collapse onto the floor. He lowers her down slowly, letting her legs fall beneath her while I sit beside her.

"Who did this to you?" I question, pulling her dark strands away from her face. She looks at me, a pained expression in her eyes, that isn't from the blood she still blinks at. Looking down at her clothes, I can see what's coming from her mouth, and seeps from her pores has gathered there. This isn't normal.

"I don't know, it just happened out of nowhere," she tells me, wiping the corner of her mouth. It only smears it across her cheek making my heart skip an uncomfortable beat. There really is only one explanation for this, but I push that out of my head.

I glance at Sinful, hoping he can see the desperation in my eyes. "We need to get her medical help."

"No, this is the work of magic," Sinful tells me assuredly. "If she was going to die she would have already. Get her into bed and I'll wet a towel."

Sinful disappears into my bathroom.

"This was himwasn't it?" I say, wrapping my arm around Lucy's waist, pulling her standing. Her skin is ice cold, as shivers accordingly. We both struggle to get her to sit on the edge of the bed. "He knows what's going on."

Lucy looks up at me, her bottom lip quivering, and not because she's cold. "He doesn't. He's punishing me for going into the prisons."

"It's not worth the risk," Sinful says, as he walks back into the room. Lucy glowers at him, but stops her expression short as he kneels down in front of her. He gently starts running the towel across her arms, wiping up the blood before he lets her take it and wipe her face down with it. She's looking better, colour starting to return to her skin.

"You're here for love too. This is worth it," Lucy retorts, sounding the most aggressive I've heard her in a while. She really scares about this girl, which makes me secretly smile within my mind. Lucy deserves happiness. I just have to make sure I can give it to her.

I take the towel from Lucy, nodding at Sinful. "We really need to get out of this place."

Taking the towel outside, I dump it by the door, silently reminding myself I burn that. No one can see the blood, unless someone has seen it already.

Before I walk back in through the door, I stop short, leaning against the doorframe. Lucy looks down at Sinful, and not in fear. There was a time where Sinful wanted Lucy, for her abilities. Since then, she has avoided using them, and if they have since plagued her, she has kept it to herself. Sinful gifted her to me in the first place...now, he is looking at Lucy like he actually might care about her.

I don't move, as I watch him quietly. Finally, he gets up, approaching the door where I stand.

"I should be going," he tells me.

"Thank you, for this. I panicked," I tell him, motioning to Lucy behind him. I should have known this would be the fault of the Moon's. It was magic, which she didn't need immediate attention for. I know this, so I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. But seeing her like this...it broke my heart, making me panic.

"You love her. Of course, you did," Sinful says softly, caressing my cheek with the back of his finger. I relish in the feeling, even if it's only fleeting. I'm glad that Sinful can see how much she means to me, since I never seem to tell her enough.

"It was nice to see you, oddly enough," I say, biting the edge of my lip. "What's your plans for the mortal ground?"

Sinful looks thoughtful for a moment.

His life down there is still a mystery to me. The simplicity he provided me when I visited was just a veil to hide what really goes on behind that façade. I'm worried, that when I get out of this place, I will no longer think of him as I do now, as I see him in such a good light. Once his life is revealed to me, all of that will changed. I'll be getting to know a sin again.

"I have a few loose ends to tie up before you get out of here. I wouldn't worry about it," he tells me, leaning in to kiss my forehead.

I narrow my eyes on him. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

He smiles at me, softly, but I can see the apprehension in his eyes. Whatever he is planning, I don't want to know about it, as he walks away. With a sigh, I turn back to look at Lucy, knowing right now, I have bigger things to deal with.

***

~Sinful

I don't even bother knocking. I know she's home alone.

I walk in, seeing her sitting in her living room, back to me. At the sound of my footsteps, she turns and looks over her shoulder. The sight of me makes her flinch, which isn't a surprise. She's bee anticipating this day.

"Hello Alaya darling," I say softly. "I think we need to talk."

💜••💜

If you're liking the story, head over to Radish, where this book is ten chapters ahead (:

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If you guys love Alpha Kaden, it's now on Galetea (an app you can download for free on any App Store). It's been recreated with different writers, so if that interests you, check it out!

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~Midika 💜🐼