Chapter 10
Kaeleen's POV
I knocked on Alex and Rebecca's door, impatient. I needed that blanket, and I needed it now. After a few seconds, Alex opened the door, looking surprised to see me.
"Kaeleen? What's up?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.
I stepped inside, glancing around the room. Rebecca was sitting on the bed, propped up against the pillows, a book in her lap.
"What do you need?" Rebecca asked, looking at me curiously. "You're never one to get cold easily."
Rebecca's eyes widened as she took in my appearance. I was dripping wet, my hair plastered to my forehead. "Did you take a walk in the rain to calm your hot-headedness?" she teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
"I need a blanket," I said, ignoring her jab. "Do you have one?"
I turned to Alex, knowing he was the more practical one. "I know you pack a lot of stuff, even the things Rebecca doesn't need."
Alex chuckled. "I like to be prepared," he said, opening a large duffel bag in the corner of the room. He rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a thick, folded blanket.
"What do you need it for?" Rebecca asked me.
"He's dripping wet, cupcake, I'm sure he needs it for himself." Alex said to her.
"Have you met my brother?" Rebecca asked him with a raised eyebrow.
I sighed. "It's not for me." I said to them,
Alex paused and turned to me while Rebecca watched me with a smirk.
"Do tell, is it the beautiful woman I saw you speaking to earlier?" She asked.
"What woman?" Alex asked me.
"You have a big mouth." I said to Rebecca before turning to Alex. "It's nothing."
"Sure doesn't feel like nothing to me." Ryker muttered in my head.
"Shut up." I replied to him. "Can I just get the blanket?" I asked Alex.
"Here you go," Alex said, handing the blanket to me. "But don't think this is over."
I took the blanket from him. "I'll explain everything tomorrow."
I turned to leave when a question popped in my head. "Is there a heater in your room?" I asked them.
"No,"
"Mine too. There's nothing in that room. It's like a prison cell. No television either," I grumbled, thinking of Astrid shivering in the cold, with nothing to distract her.
Rebecca laughed, a light, tinkling sound. "You should have done your research about the Moon Shade Pack before coming," she said, "It's not exactly known for its luxury accommodations or being modernised."
She gestured to a sleek laptop sitting on the bedside table. "Alex and I are having a nice time because I was thoughtful enough to bring my own entertainment."
I rolled my eyes and gave her the middle finger. "Thanks for nothing," I said, turning to leave.
"Nothing? But I just helped you out with a blanket " Alex said to me.
"Thanks for that and nothing else." I told him as I hurried back to my room, the blanket tucked under my arm.
I opened the door to find Astrid pacing back and forth, her brow furrowed with worry.
She stopped when she saw me, her eyes filled with relief. "Where were you?" she asked, her voice anxious.
"I went to get a blanket," I said, holding it up. "You were shivering and I had nothing to help with. My sister and her mate are in a room not far from here so I went to them."
I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, careful not to startle her. She flinched at first, her body tensing.
"It's okay," I said, my voice gentle. "I'm not going to hurt you."
She relaxed slightly, her shoulders slumping. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"You're welcome," I said, stepping back. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be right back."
I went into the small bathroom and turned on the water, letting it run hot until the steam filled the room. I stripped off my wet clothes and stepped under the spray, letting the heat wash over me. It felt good to be clean and warm, but my thoughts were still focused on Astrid.
I finished my shower quickly and quickly changed into the clothes I had brought with me into the bathroom. Astrid wasn't comfortable around me and it would spook her to see a half naked man walking around even one as handsome as me.
"Thank you," she said, once I walked out of the bathroom.
"No need," I said, shaking my head. "I would have done it either way. You don't have to thank me for helping you."
"But you didn't have to," she insisted, her eyes meeting mine. "You could have left me there."
"I know," I said, stepping closer. "But I didn't want to. I couldn't."
She looked away, her cheeks flushing. I wanted to say more but decided against it.
I offered her the bed. "You should sleep," I said. "I'll make myself comfortable on the chair."
I gestured to the small, wooden chair in the corner of the room. It was the kind of chair you might sit on to read a newspaper or have a quick snack – definitely not suitable for sleeping.
Astrid looked at the chair, then back at me, her expression incredulous. "You can't sleep on that," she said, her voice rising in protest. "You'll be miserable throughout the night."
"I'll be fine," I said, shrugging. "I can sleep anywhere."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I won't let you. You should sleep on the bed. This is your room. I can take the chair instead."
"Yeah…not going to happen." I said with a shake of my head.
"Then let's share the bed." She suggested.
"No. I can sleep on the floor instead. You need to be comfortable." I told her.
"And I will be. You can just sleep on one side and I'll sleep on the other." She said to me.
I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but I also didn't want to sleep in the same bed as her. It would be too tempting, too dangerous.
But I couldn't argue with her logic. The chair was definitely not an option.
"Okay," I said, finally relenting. "I'll sleep on the bed."
We both climbed into the bed, careful to maintain a respectful distance. I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling, my mind racing. Astrid was right beside me, her body warm and soft. It was torture.
I closed my eyes, trying to relax, but it was no use. I was too aware of her presence, too aware of the attraction that was simmering between us.
I glanced over at her. She was lying on her back, her eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling just like me.
We lay there in silence for what felt like hours, neither of us able to sleep. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to say something.
"Why the fuck is there no television in this room?" I asked, breaking the silence.