The Secrets Between Us | ✓

|47|

The worst place to be is inside your own head. Overthinking can help you analyze a situation and make the right decision, but there is no way out once you are trapped in the infinite loop of thoughts.

After Casey vanished into thin air, Anaya managed to put on a silk shirt with blue jeans and head out with Icarus. She didn't want to worry him, so she tried to pull herself together. It wasn't working. His gaze was fixed on her and thrice he'd asked her if she was feeling fine. She knew lying to him was futile because he could read her like a book, but she didn't have a choice. She hadn't told him about Casey, and she wanted to keep it that way until she gathered enough evidence against her. With the ability to appear and disappear at will, manipulate minds, and create illusions, the woman screamed of danger. These weren't the traits of a werewolf but believing she was a fox shifter raised a slew of questions that left her mind reeling. Casey knew her mother, which implied they were related. But she couldn't imagine herself shifting into a fox. It just didn't feel right.

"You aren't eating." Icarus looked at the untouched plate of spaghetti, then at her face. "Anaya?"

"Huh?" She blinked. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

"Do you want to order something else?"

She shook her head. "This is good." Just to show she wasn't a disaster in her head, she took a mouthful.

"Let me know if something bothers you, okay?"

She hesitated. "Can you tell me more about shifters?"

"There are dragons, tigers, panthers---"

"Fox?"

"No," he mulled. "Fox shifters aren't real. Is something the matter?"

"Uh...I read a story yesterday about a fox who could turn into a beautiful woman." She forced a smile on her face. Icarus wouldn't lie to her, but the fox looked too real to be baseless. "It was cool and exciting."

"Were you hoping to meet one?"

"If vampires can exist, why not?" She shrugged.

Icarus chuckled. "Point noted."

Silence descended between them once again as they resumed eating. Anaya focused on finishing her spaghetti while her thoughts returned to the white gemstone in the center of the fox's forehead. It had looked familiar to her, but she was reluctant to admit it to Casey, let alone herself. Her reality was already distorted, so she didn't need any more hits to it.

They left after Icarus paid the bill. The guards followed them like shadows and only dispersed to patrol the borders once they were inside the house.

"Come with me," he said when she was about to turn in the direction of her room.

Confused, she walked with him to his room. Her eyes widened seeing the transformation. She felt like she'd stepped into a new room that belonged to them, not him. The walls were freshly painted in beige, creating a calm and inviting atmosphere. Blue curtains were draped over the large windows, swaying gently in the breeze. The mahogany four-poster bed was the centerpiece, its tall posts reaching towards the ceiling, and two tables on either side held brass lamps, casting a soft glow over the room. Frames of varying sizes adorned the wall across the bed, each picture displaying a beautiful memory. Her eyes welled up with tears as she was overcome by joy and nostalgia.

"Is it okay?" His voice trembled, and she was taken aback by the uncertainty in his eyes.

She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's perfect, Icarus."

A relieved smile spread on his lips. He gestured to the walk-in closet. "I had all your belongings moved here. I am turning the other room into an office for you."

"You thought of everything." She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, feeling her heart soar with warmth. "Thank you."

"That's all I get?" He frowned, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

She peppered kisses all over his face in response.

"More," he whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, surrendering to the moment that was pure magic. Their lips met in a passionate embrace, igniting a spark between them that turned into a blazing inferno. He tightened his hold around her waist and moved forward, guiding her to the bed. She landed on the mattress with a soft thud and tugged on his hair as he deepened the kiss. When they pulled away, she was gasping for breath, but Icarus couldn't get enough of her. He was driven into a frenzy by her scent, a tantalizing blend of bergamot and vanilla, fuelling his desire. He trailed kisses on her neck while his fingers worked with practiced ease to unbutton her shirt. He pushed it down her shoulders to reveal her mark, a symbol of their connection that would never be broken. She shivered when he caressed it with a tenderness that was only him. It brought back the memories of the night they spent in the cottage, consumed in each other, and her eyes flew open in panic. "We didn't use protection," she blurted out, her voice sounding far away.

"It's not required."

"Why?" She saw the desire in his eyes fizzle and instantly wished she'd waited to broach the conversation.

He settled on the bed and tucked her against his chest. "You can get pregnant only when you are in heat."

"Will I be in heat again?" It didn't make sense. She thought heat occurred if the mating process was incomplete.

"As we have mated, it will happen only two or three times a year and not every full moon." Sensing her discomfort, he reassured her. "It won't be like the heat you've experienced before."

"I don't understand how this works," she admitted. "If humans who mate with werewolves don't go into heat, then how do they get pregnant?"

"It is like any other human pregnancy for them. They will have to use protection as they can get pregnant anytime, but it's different in your case."

"Did the healers figure out why?"

"They believe that because I'm the Alpha king, we feel a stronger pull towards each other."

Anaya's cheeks flushed as she acknowledged the truth in his words. From the very beginning, she'd felt drawn to him, as if an invisible thread tied them together. He was all she wanted, all she needed.

But could the reason be so simple? What if she was a fox shifter after all? Icarus had examined her to verify whether or not she was a witch, not for other creatures. Her mind raced with possibilities, but she quickly pushed them aside. She couldn't let doubts cloud her head. It will only bring them danger if Casey realized her plan was succeeding. She'd know if she wasn't a human, wouldn't she? And hadn't Icarus told her there was no supernatural blood in her system?

"Not again." He smoothed the worry lines from her forehead, lightly tracing the contours of her face. She smiled and closed her eyes, the tension slowly melting away. Watching her unwind under his touch, he let his hand wander, combing through her hair, the silken strands slipping through his fingers like water.

Before she knew it, she was asleep, her breathing slow and steady, finally getting the rest she desperately needed.