The Panther Uncaged ✔

Chapter 9

A warm, comforting caress on my back eased me back into awareness. I rolled over onto my side and stretched. When I inhaled, warm cedar filled my head making it dizzy.

"Soralyn."

At the sound of my name, my eyes opened and gazed up at Xavier. He looked rather tired but his grey eyes were so filled with concern that I couldn't help but to smile in reassurance.

"Oh, you're back. I took a nap."

"Giovanni said you were exhausted and could hardly get up the stairs."

I squirmed a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Well I really needed a nap. What time is it?"

"One. I let you sleep for a while until I figured you were hungry."

I honestly wasn't but I didn't let on about it.

"Lay down and take a nap. You're tired."

Xavier leaned over me, his dark hair falling into his eyes.

"My beta told me what happened earlier. Why did you not let them call me? I would've come as soon as possible."

"You were doing something important this morning. All I needed was a nap."

A weary sigh showed his frustration with me. Still rather sleepy, I reached up and put my hands on his shoulders.

"You need a nap too. Lay down."

Xavier shook his head and stood up. Feeling disappointed, I started to sit up when he picked me up easily.

"X-Xavier! What are you doing?!"

My mate left the door and headed straight to his room.

"I thought you wanted to take a nap."

"Yes but-,"

"I like to sleep in my bed."

His reasoning made me shake my head but I figured it wasn't worth an argument. If Xavier wanted to strain his back, it was his back to strain. Once Xavier laid me down on his bed, he stripped himself of his shirt and pants before pulling on a thin pair of cotton bottoms. Perhaps lions didn't notice the cold because whereas the frigid temperatures were nipping at my exposed skin eagerly, Xavier didn't appear bothered at all. Thankfully once I was under the layer of blankets, I warmed up quickly. The body heat of my mate soon helped with that as well.

"The exorcist will be here soon so don't worry about that spirit. Your energy will be back in no time."

I nodded, my head against his chest, his steady breathing soothing and as captivating to me as laser pointers are to cats. Sometime while I was listening, he fell asleep. My exhaustion lay on me heavily but I couldn't force my eyes closed. Instead I let them roam around the room to eventually focus on the painting of Xavier with his father and brother. From what I'd been told, the former Alpha was never a good man but my vision said otherwise. Perhaps something happened to change him and not for the better. Did Xavier know the reason?

I neither slept or stayed awake. For the two and a half hours that Xavier slept, I stayed in a trance like state staring at the painting. Every detail was touched by my gaze and no color escaped my notice. What did slip by me was Xavier's awakening. It was only once he shifted underneath me that I tore my gaze away and looked up. His lids were still heavy but he looked a little refreshed. At least he wasn't quite as pale as before.

"How was your nap?"

"Well. How was yours?"

"Fine."