TWO ROTATIONS LATER…
I watched the guys bicker as I leaned against the wall in the hallway. I hid my presence, wanting to feel more awake before I approached everyone. It had been two rotations since we rescued the Princess and I felt like I'd had the least amount of free time with her.
Aside from my morning sessions doing her hair and our healing lessons, I never got to enjoy quality time with Makoto and it was starting to trouble me. I didn't want to be selfish and I had to admit my sleeping pattern was one of the main reasons why I'd been missing out on breakfast and skipping dinners. I guess I wasn't making enough effort to be by her side more, but admitting that to myself was difficult.
Last night, after the one versus one test, we'd met Mako's split personality— Midnight. Only Elias seemed to be aware of her existence. Makoto mentioned to him that she hadn’t told anyone else but had been planning to tell the rest of us when she was comfortable with sharing.
It took the rest of us by surprise, but I knew for some strange reason that Midnight didn't like me. The thought of Midnight's dislike of me or possibly even my entire race, was what made me stay up all night worrying, only falling asleep when Azriel took over and forced me.
Since my childhood, being hated by shifters was one of my biggest fears. I thought as time passed and I grew older, that would fade, just like some of the other childlike fears and anxieties anyone would experience during their younger cycles. But that fear and my hate for water remained.
Later that night I woke up to Ryder, Marcus, and Elias talking through our knight bond, trying to calm Makoto down after she had a nightmare. From her past experience in the facility, I assumed right away she must have thought Midnight's awakening had caused some negative side effects.
Marcus had to use one of his gifts to calm her down, along with Ryder's presence before she relaxed and fell back asleep.
By the time I got out of bed and found my way to Marcus' room, Mako was cuddled between Elias and Marcus and Ryder was relaxed in the chair; all of them were fast asleep. Seeing them all so comfortable was another harsh reminder of my loneliness and feelings of being left out.
I'd woken up this morning due to the amazing scent of breakfast being made, making my stomach growl in anticipation. I wouldn't have guessed it was Makoto cooking and the sight of her in an apron that hid whatever she wore beneath made my cock hard and my breath hitch.
I could see everyone’s disbelief that Mako learned how to cook just to make us something to eat after last night. I doubt any of them were expecting a reward for their actions. It was just another one of our duties as her knights. But the fact she went to such effort to show her appreciation made my heart warm with admiration.
Ryder complimented Mako on her actions first and was rewarded with a kiss. After that was Marcus, followed by Elias who clearly had the longest kiss; Mako's soft moans made me lick my lips in desire. I wanted to kiss her too.
She pulled back and my eyes widened when she bowed before them. When she got back up, she met confused expressions.
“Thank you all for loving me. You’ve shown me levels of compassion I’d never dreamed of getting the privilege to receive. Thank you for not judging Midnight…or treating us differently. I know I’m still struggling and have a lot to learn, but I’m ready to fight for what I want. I may not know what exactly Midnight wants, but I have a feeling deep within me that she’s happy just to be accepted. So, I wanted to show my appreciation to all of you in some way,” she said softly.
“Mew, mewwww!” Nightmare jumped onto the island, wagging her tails furiously.
I smirked, knowing she wanted to be included in the thanking.
“Even you, Nightmare. Thank you for being the best cuddle buddy ever,” Mako praised and Nightmare jumped up and down with joy.
“Thank you, Princess,” the guys spoke in unison, and I whispered with them, watching as they rose from their deep bows.
Marcus turned to face Elias with an annoyed expression on his face. “You kissed her for a lot longer than ten seconds!” Marcus accused.
“You kissed her in the training room the last time I heard; you didn’t see me complaining,” Elias retorted, rolling his eyes as he headed toward his yellow stool.
“Oi! How did you hear about that? Don’t give me that excuse. Ryder’s been having make-out sessions with her at school!” Marcus argued back, pointing at Ryder.
Ryder poured himself a glass of coffee and had creamer in his hand. He looked over his shoulder at the others. “I get special privileges. Leaders always get extra benefits,” he stated matter-of-factly, returning to making his coffee.
“Smart ass,” Marcus huffed.
Mako was quiet, watching their bickering and she turned slightly so her back was to me. I made my entrance, feeling more awake after the little display, reaching her in a few strides.
"I truly miss Daniel. I wish he was here," she mumbled.
I had to take a second to question if I heard those words right. From the way they were spoken I could tell they were unintentional, probably an inner thought that accidentally became outer monologue, a habit of Mako's that hadn't diminished.
I pressed my body against her and wrapped my arms around her. I took a moment to appreciate her vanilla scent before whispering, “I missed you too.”
My lips pressed gently to her cheek and when I began to pull away, she turned to face me. She lifted her hand, sliding her fingers through my blond locks and pulling me forward; her soft lips met mine.
While my mind struggled to process what was happening, my body responded, dominating her mouth with my own. My hand ran through her hair, pulling it slightly to break the kiss.
She gasped in response, giving me the perfect moment to place my lips on the side of her throat. I'd left her breathless and her quiet gasps were making it hard for me to pull away.
“Morning, Princess,” I whispered against her skin, releasing her hair to meet her stunned gaze and flushed cheeks. Words couldn't express the amount of happiness and amusement I felt from that surprise move.
“A little nagging birdie, who wouldn’t shut the fuck up, told me you made us breakfast,” I announced, glancing at Elias who sipped on his tea while playing with Nighty.
The others all had stunned expressions on their face, which brought me satisfaction.
“I don’t know what you're referring to,” Elias mumbled.
I was thankful for his encouraging words, having pushed me to try and join them for breakfast and dinner when I could, for the sake of Makoto.
“Let’s eat. We have a big night ahead,” Mako announced.
We all agreed, helping set the table and joking around while Nighty jumped around the kitchen.
Seeing Mako's smiling expression with all of us present made my heart swell and left me eager for the future ahead.
"I don't see why a nap is necessary."
I chuckled, shaking my head before turning to look at Mako who sat on my bed, arms crossed with a cute pout on her face.
"Even a two-hour nap would do some good before tonight's exam. You had a rough night and you were asleep at the kitchen island ten minutes ago," I pointed out, folding the remaining pile of clothing to store in my drawers.
Mako blushed and pointed to me. "That— was… I was daydreaming! Yes. Daydreaming," she declared.
I laughed, knowing it was one-hundred percent a lie. "You can't lie to me, Mako, remember? Plus, Ryder and Marcus called for you ten times and you didn't budge. You only woke up because I was going to pick you up from the stool," I explained. The way she was positioned made it impossible to pick her up, so Marcus had to slide her stool back, the jerking movement waking her up.
Her face grew red and she crossed her arms, looking away. "I still don't need a nap," she mumbled, followed by a yawn.
I sighed, putting the last articles of folded laundry into my drawer. I pulled off my white t-shirt, setting it aside and noticed Mako's eyes slowly checking me out. She bit her lip and I grinned, walking toward her.
"A tiny nap with me," I offered.
She looked up and met my gaze. “Okay.”
She shuffled back to the other half of the bed, making room for me. We both laid down and I encouraged her to snuggle against me. She smiled at my open arms, shuffling till she was pressed against my side and her head rested on my bare chest.
We relaxed, both staring at the ceiling. "Are you nervous about your first practical exam?" I asked.
"No. You can't die in this exam so it must be easy," she replied easily.
I looked over to watch her while she continued to stare, making me wonder if she was remembering something from the facility. "What are you thinking?" I whispered as my fingers played with her hair.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "Is it weird for all of this to feel unreal? Like a dream or a fairytale? All my life I dreamed of being free and now that I am, it just feels too perfect. It can't be as simple as this…right? I'm scared to get my hopes up, only for them to be shut down and crushed. I…I'm scared all of you will disappear when I open my eyes and I'll be back in that dungeon, preparing for the experiments to come," she revealed and I heard the fear lacing her words.
"Makoto," I whispered.
She kept her eyes closed and I shifted our position, allowing her to lay against the sheets while I hovered over her.
"Open your eyes, Princess," I begged, brushing her cheek with my thumb.
She slowly complied, staring up at me. I lowered my head to press my lips firmly to hers. Our eyes never left each other as we kissed, starting off slow. When I deepened the kiss, her eyes slowly closed and she moaned into my mouth.
Her hand reached up and slid through my hair and I couldn’t contain the quiet moan that left me. I was tempted to press my groin against her, to make her aware of what her heated kisses did to me, but I didn't want to scare her off.
I knew she hadn't been super intimate with any of us and also I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, especially Ryder's. I released her lips and sucked at her neck before pulling back to stare at those blue orbs, wild with lust, and her swollen pink lips. We were both trying to catch our breath and I was curious if her heart was pounding as fast as mine.
"This is real, Makoto. Not a dream or fairytale. You're with us now, and not returning to the facility ever again," I confirmed.
She slowly nodded and leaned up to kiss me. It wasn't as long as the first, but my body was left in a frenzy when she broke the kiss and tugged at my bottom lip with her teeth.
It took everything in me not to push forward, fearing this time I wouldn't be able to stop.
She smiled and relaxed. "Okay and maybe a nap would be nice now," she whispered before another yawn escaped her.
I nodded and relaxed back onto my side, pulling her into a warm embrace.
Two minutes passed and she was deep asleep, not even stirring when I repositioned us so she rested against my chest when I sat up. A part of me wanted to sleep, but the desire to watch her was stronger. I wanted to cherish this moment with just her in my arms, like the rest of the world didn't matter.
Tonight would be our exam and then we'd finally be able to bring her home to Heila. After that, I would no longer hesitate.
Or that's what I prayed for.