Taming A Predator

Chapter 12

Doe's POV:

Xander had gained a little habit since we started sleeping wrapped up in each other, that habit being exactly what I was waking up to.

It started with us laying facing each other on our sides, arms hanging around the other in some way.

From there, the second he began to slip back into consciousness, both of his arms would straighten, and his back would arc against me in a long stretch.

His claws made a short appearance during it every time and sometimes followed by a quiet strain in his throat from the feeling of a nice early morning stretch.

I'd learned to expect what came very promptly after.

His arms would wrap around my mid-back within a heartbeat in a very tight embrace while his legs took their turn for a stretch.

Which, on occasion, worked wonders in cracking my back.

Then he'd relax, releasing it all with a sigh that I could feel blow against the top of my head, fixing the blankets to make sure I was properly covered before settling back in.

Honestly, at this point, I'd more often than not fall back asleep for a little bit, but this time I mimicked his actions instead.

I caught myself nuzzling into his shirt -- and partially the skin of his chest due to the very loose-fitting tank top he wore -- While I stretched out my arms and back, not at all trying to fight my morning grogginess, and just instead let it do what it wanted.

The smooth-beating rhythm of his heart fell off-beat, mixed with a hitch in the rise of his chest

Maybe I woke him up a bit more than he woke me up.

Hopefully not to an un-fixable amount. It did still feel a little early.

I pulled the arm back that I originally had slacked over his back and used it to apply some pressure to his shoulder.

He understood my wordless request rather quickly, slowly maneuvering himself onto his back.

His hand never left the bottom of mine as I situated a good portion of the front of my torso onto his.

A tiny noise escaped my throat as I settled into him, curling my fingers around his shoulder to pull myself until my head was tucked under his jaw.

His breathing stopped for a few seconds that time.

Enough of them to make me peer an eye open in concern, and instead get distracted by those little dark red marks around his collar bone.

The sunlight peeking through the balcony doors was just enough for me to make them out.

All of the remaining ones from a few nights prior that he had yet to heal.

A warmth began to simmer in my chest.

There was just... an interesting thrill to it, knowing that I'd put them there.

My hand dragged down from his shoulder, using my middle finger to trace a soft line from one mark to the next.

I wonder if he felt similarly when he left the same things on me.

His purr started up again the second the question passed my mind as if answering it in his own weird way.

A small, sleep-ridden smile tugged at my cheeks anyway at the timing, lying my hand flat as I relaxed into the soft rumble.

His larger hand enveloped it, giving a little squeeze.

That small action over everything else was the one to cause a tug in my chest.

Weird.

A let out a small sigh, now being more awake than I would have liked, but became satisfied with the thought of just laying here until we decided to get up almost immediately.