The Eve of Darkness

Chapter 25 - Camden

A/N: Hello! We are back with another chapter for the story. I apologize that I couldn't get this chapter out sooner. I hit a massive writer's block and my master's thesis is coming down to the wire. Nevertheless! Do not fear. I am back on track and will have two-four chapter for you during November. 

Enjoy! 

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Camden awoke to the soothing sound of a steady heartbeat. As he was pulled into a state of consciousness in a slow, gentle process, the first thing he registered was the rise and fall of his mate's chest, upon which he had been resting his head. Next, he felt the bracket of her thighs around his waist and the placement of arms around his shoulders. They cradled him in their hold, keeping him close and warming his soul. The duvet had been strewn somewhere else, as Camden and Aria's entwined bodies provided plenty of heat in this early morning of October. His hearing, once it moved past the constant beat of Aria's heart, tuned in to the sound of heavy rain pelting against the window beside their bed. It clicked and clattered a gentle tap-tap-tap against the windowpane in an unending rhythm. He took a deep breath to appreciate both the intermingled scents of himself and his mate as well as the smell of rain and wet forest.

A hand carding through his hair in languid, smooth strokes pulled Camden from his thoughts as Aria's breathing picked up from its deep, slumbering rate.

"Mm..." Aria hummed, her voice coming out just scratchy enough that the alpha could hear it where he still laid on her chest. "Good morning." The thump-thump-thump of her heart, the washing wave of air that coursed through every breath in her lungs, the slide of sheets underneath the rough skin on the bottom of her feet: he could pinpoint every single action, movement, piece, and atom of his mate. He could identify the sound of her hair sliding against the pillowcase as her head turned. He could feel the tense and release of the muscles in her thighs. He could feel the bliss and content of a peaceful morning pressing against his own heart through their shared bond.

He couldn't have helped the smile that stretched over his lips if he'd wanted to as he thought about the new connection he'd been allowed to form with Aria. "Good morning." He placed a kiss on Aria's sternum and then rested his chin on her chest so he could face up towards her. "How are you feeling?"

The hand in his hair continued its ministrations, and Camden absently thought that he could probably fall asleep again if she kept it up. Each stroke that parted his hair and scraped against his scalp threatened to lull him back into a deep, restful sleep. Aria huffed a laugh, her fingers regretfully leaving his hair to offer an affectionate pinch at the top of his ear before they returned to their original place on his head.

"I feel like I just duked it out with a cyclops and for some reason feel happy about it," she joked, the happy lilt never leaving her voice. Camden couldn't help the swell of pride in his chest. He did that. He made his mate happy. He serviced her, adorned her, satisfied her, and made love to her in a way that brought her joy. Any anxieties he might have had about being inadequate when it came to intimacy with his mate melted away like wax on a candle. He probably shouldn't have made it so obvious that he was elated at Aria's words. His lips shaped into a downturned smile, as if he was trying to fight the grin that threatened to spread across his face. His fingers twitched where they were gripping onto her, and his shoulder raised in pride. Aria scoffed and squeezed her thighs around his waist in a teasing way. "Yea, yea, don't let your ego get too big there."

The laugh that he'd been holding back escaped. He could fight the giggle, the joy, the absolute unending adoration that he felt in that moment. He turned his face down, resting his forehead on Aria's chest as he allowed himself to inhale her familiar scent and listen to her strong heartbeat. "What can I say, I aim to please you, so, it's nice to hear that I did alright."

The fingers in his hair brushed against his skull in a delicious manner as Aria answered. "Oh, it was more than alright."

Camden smiled and placed a light kiss against his mate's soft skin, the feeling of her rising and falling chest stirring something deep in his gut. "That's good. Are you hungry?"

Aria hummed and responded, the tone in her voice teasing and playful. Her thighs tightened around his waist, almost caging him as he fell deeper into her embrace. "I can think of something I'm hungry for."

Camden rolled his eyes and smiled. His mate was such a dork. She carried herself in such suave ways, but, in moments like this, where she played with words, made dirty innuendos, held him close as if she never planned to let him go, Camden couldn't help but be reminded of just how lovely she truly was. He chuckled as he pushed himself up and crawled to hover over his fierce partner. "Well, we better not let you starve."

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The kitchen tile was cold, but Camden's heart was warm as the smell of bacon, eggs, and his lover's shampoo filled his senses. Aria hummed a simple tune. It was off key, and Camden had absolutely no idea what song it could be, but the sound, paired with the feeling of his partner's contentment transferring openly through their fresh bond, was enough for his head to feel fuzzy in its elation. He stood behind Aria, his arms wrapped around her firm waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. Every now and then, he would place a kiss on the spot where he'd given her the mating bite.

"How do you like your eggs?" Aria asked.

Camden hummed in thought. "I don't really have a preference."

Aria scoffed. "No preference? Lies, everyone has a preference. For example, I like all versions of eggs, but scrambled is my favorite."

Camden pursed his lips to try and hide his amusement at the incredulous tone in her voice. "Well, I don't really care how it looks, and eggs are just eggs. I'll just eat scrambled like you."

She sputtered at that, and the laugh pushed its way through his lips. "Eggs are just eggs—next thing I know you are going to say that pancakes and waffles are the same."

Camden tilted his head back and forth with a grin. Technically, pancakes and waffles had nearly the same ingredients, save for maybe vanilla and vegetable oil. And the shape—he supposed that that was different too. "Well..."

She protested immediately. Aria lightly smacked his shoulder and immediately rubbed the spot she'd hit right after. Rather than deem his "ridiculous" (her words not his) beliefs with an actual response, she began muttering to herself about "American wolves and their stupid opinions." He could feel her hair as it moved with every shake of her head. It brushed against his nose and cheek, causing an itch to form at the very bottom of his septum.

As Camden was about to offer a lighthearted quip about another ridiculous thought he carried as a way to rile her mate up further, he smelled the scent of fear right before hearing the stomping of boots into the kitchen. Judging by the sound of the rhythm of their heart and their smell, it was Jude.

"CAMDEN, COVER YOUR EARS!"

All his intentions of asking what in Helios' name Jude was talking about and why he was panicking were brought to a screeching halt. A loud boom burst its way through the air, causing all of Camden's hearing begin ringing and his vision to go white at the pain. He clutched his hands to his head and fell to his knees, gritting his teeth as he tried to re-center himself and his bearings. The strong urge to vomit fought against his ribcage, and he barely fought it back by taking slow, deep breaths. It was through those deep breaths that Camden finally smelt it: fresh blood, silver, and gunpowder.

They were under attack. 

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A/N: Vote and Comment or I'll cry 

Thanks!

-Kai