I sat in the library curled up on a couch, my eyes drooping as I fought to stay awake. I had gotten far too little sleep last night. Adrian had run into my room and jumped right onto me, poking and prodding at my face until I got up. The little cherub had dragged me out of my room because it was his parents day off and they were asleep but he had wanted somebody to play with.

The boy was the most adorable thing I had ever seen, but spending a whole day with him was exhausting. His level of energy was much too high for me to keep up with, but his smile made it all worth it.

My eyes started to close completely and this time I succumbed to the darkness, too tired to fight back.

I had just begun to snuggle into the couch when I felt strong arms wrap around me, lifting me up, so that the person held me close to their chest. I struggled to open my eyes, baffled as to who would try to lift me.

Alaricus stared down at me, the adoration clear in his eyes as he pulled me closer, leaning his head down towards me so that he was even closer.

"Go to sleep my love I've got you." He said softly, and even though a part of me knew this man was dangerous, there was something in his eyes that told me he wouldn't hurt me, he couldn't.

My hand went up to clutch to his collar instinctively. I was far too exhausted to ask him to set me down. I leaned my head back onto his strong warm chest, allowing my eyes to droop again.

And it was just moments after when I heard a soft whisper in the dark

"Meum miraculum." The warm words had me snuggling closer to this man in my incoherent state.

-------------------------------------------------------

It was hours later that I woke, my hands spreading over the softest of silk sheets as I stretched. I opened my eyes struggling to see through the darkness in the room.

I was sleeping on a large bed, covered in black silk sheets, walls painted a silver grey. The room was huge, almost as large as a whole floor of my house.

"You're awake." Came a voice through the darkness, unmistakably belonging to Alaricus Knight. He stepped into the beam of light that shone through the windows. I was surprised to see him, I hadn't even noticed he was in the room. It scared me the way in which he blended into the shadows, as if apart with the darkness.

"I've been meaning to speak with you all day." He spoke.

"About what?" I asked. He walked towards me with a smile on his face, settling down onto the bed near my hip and I sat up drawing my feet up close to my body, shifting away from him discreetly.

Ignoring my question he simply stared deeply into my eyes. His face give away nothing, a perfectly calm mask but there was worry in his eyes. Perhaps what he was going to tell me would upset me. My stomach churned at the prospect of his bringing up marking. We hadn't discussed it yet, but marking their mate was very important to wolves. They would bite their mate, usually on the throat, to ensure it would be visible to all others that this person was claimed. The bite although pleasurable to wolves since it was in their nature to wish to belong to the other mate so wholly, for humans was immensely painful.

Alaricus gently trailed the back of his hand over the side of my face, caressing it, seeming to revel in the feel of my skin against his. I struggled to keep from cringing away, he wouldn't like that very much and I really did not wish to provoke him.

"I don't know how to tell you this, I wish it were easier, you'd only just begun to warm up to me." He said thoughtfully almost as if to himself.

"Amara, I need you to keep an open mind about what I am about to tell you now, I don't mean to rush you, but this isn't something I can help." He said, and making me grow even more anxious what could it be that made Alaricus Knight helpless, the most powerful man to ever exist. The urge to mark his mate was probably becoming unbearable, especially due to all the others that lived in the castle, his possessive instincts made him wish to show them all I belonged only to him.

"The full moon is nearing, us werewolves as children of the moon are very connected to it. We have a primal side, a wild side and although normally we can handle it, near the full moon it becomes much more difficult to suppress our primal urges. The night of the full moon it becomes absolutely impossible, and for that reason, my love I'm going to have to ask you of something." He said and I stared at him my eyebrows furrowed in confusion, how would his increased blood-lust have anything to do with me.

"What could I do?" I ask, and he turns towards me, his eyes tight, hesitant.

"Our wolves, which are our more primal side, are very much closer to the surface and have much more control over us than they do normally. It comes to he point where they completely overtake our bodies, and we are unable to control them, they are free to do as they please without the human intervening. Wolves exist solely for the purpose of protecting their mate, and loving their mate, they can't stand being apart from them, they crave to always be with their mate. Wolves are wild creatures, they don't understand human morals, my wolf wouldn't understand that you aren't ready to be with us, that you don't feel for us what we do for you. I know it's too much to ask love, but I'm only doing this so my wolf doesn't mark you by force." He says, and I look at him with wide eyes. My fears weren't fruitless, he had been talking about marking.

"The point I have been attempting to come to is, I need you to stay by my side during the full moon, including the night, you would have to sleep here in my room, in my arms. This would satisfy me and my wolf, having you close in his arms, would reassure him you were safe and with him." He says and I stare at him silently trying to comprehend all that he had said and come to a decision.

"You can't hold him back?" I ask quietly, after a moment of apprehensive silence.

"No love I'm sorry, I won't be able to, and if he gets out he will mark you. He won't understand what no means, not coming from you, it's incomprehensible to him that a mate would reject his affections. Although he would never try to harm you or force you, he would be much more affectionate than you can possibly handle unless he's been subdued by your touch. By having you in our arms, he would be calm, and upon being let out he wouldn't try to ensure your closeness, to ensure you would stay with him forever. If you've been close all day then that primal instinct would be subdued, he'd be reassured that you were with us." He said his eyes soft, apologetic.

I had to be mature, all I had to do was sleep in his bed, with his supernaturally powerful arms wrapped around me, with the wolf out to play wanting to ensure I would be his forever, what could ever go wrong?

"I know I'm asking for a lot, but it's only because I'm afraid my wolf will force you into something you aren't comfortable with." He said and I nodded, I could handle one night.

"I-I'll do it." I say softly, and he smiles at me, cupping my face in his large hand, he whispered to me softly

"Thank you."

"I promise love, I won't let any harm come to you, please don't be afraid." He said gently resting his forehand against mine.

"Is it okay if I go back to my room now?" I asked quietly and he nodded making his nose rub against mine, and he held me there for a moment before moving back, his eyes were filled with soft heart-warming affection as he looked at me. He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, before letting me go completely.

I stumbled back from the bed, scrambling to get out, his proximity and gentleness made me uncomfortable. It made me question whether he really was the monster I accused him to be, and these thought were something I couldn't afford not if I was to reside directly in the cage of the lion.