It seems so silly to still be dwelling on a dream but it felt so real. Something about it unsettled her and she can’t help but wonder if it is some kind of omen. Amara knows she should let it go but some nagging little voice is screaming for her to pay attention. It isn’t the first time that something weird or inexplicable has happened to her and she has had other vivid dreams but none like this one.

She must have been completely lost in her thoughts because, at some point, she had made a wrong turn or two and ended up in a random place in the large home. Amara turns to try to retrace her steps but curiosity gets the best of her. Everyone is downstairs. What's the harm with looking around? With her mind made up, Amara goes further down the hall where two massive oak doors lead to an unknown room. Making sure there is no one around, she gently inches the door open and peeks inside.

Seeing it empty, Amara quickly steps in closing the door behind her. Now that she is inside, the low lighting reveals rows upon rows of books that stretch from floor to ceiling with a grand piano at the center of the room. To the side is a small lounge area with big comfortable looking chairs as well as a love seat and sofa perfect for spending a lazy day reading.

The only light source is a cast iron chandelier and a few matching ornate lamps here and there. The she-wolf runs her fingers over the books and withdraws one randomly. Turning it over she sees the title and giggles to herself. How ironic. Striding to one of the plush chairs, Amara makes herself comfortable and begins reading, feeling a sense of calm come over her. She must have lost track of time because thirty pages in she hears footsteps coming in the distance. Bolting upright, she shuts the book.

As the door opens, Amara panics for whatever dumb reason and throws herself down onto the floor, the book still in hand. The thought that she was perhaps not allowed in here had made her act. Really, she could have just said that she had wandered in and apologized but now it is too late and she must commit to this path, no matter how stupid it is. Hopefully, she can be spared some embarrassment if she manages to sneak away.

The chair shields her but also keeps her from seeing who it is. Although, honestly, it isn’t necessary. The power in the air automatically alerts her to the fact that it is undoubtedly the Alpha. It would be just her luck to completely humiliate herself in front of the man. His footsteps continue gliding across the floor towards Amara.

Okay, okay. This is fine. No need to panic. It's not like I sneaked in here without permission after claiming I was not feeling well.

Shit. Why do these things always happen to her?

As he nears her to the right, she keeps crawling to the left using the sofas to stay hidden. If she is lucky, she will be able to slip out the door. In theory, it should have worked. Except she bumped into the side table, knocking over the lamp that sat on top of it. The footsteps halt and then he turns and takes long strides to her frozen form.

Amara’s brain goes into hyperdrive trying to come up with a way out of this, but she draws a complete blank and gives up. With a heavy sigh, the brunette musters up the courage to look up. She gives a sheepish smile and a nervous chuckle once amber eyes meet vibrant green. Getting into a kneeling position, she fixes the curl dangling over her eye and attempts to talk her way through this.

"Fancy meeting you here Alpha. It's funny huh? I was just here...which isn't my room, but I was looking for some aspirin and then here I was...in a library...with no aspirin" she finishes lamely and purses her lips, nodding for no reason except looking like an idiot. Is getting up and running out still an option?

Amara is surprised to see an amused expression cross Maddox’s face with something a little heated in their depths as he squats down and picks up the book that had carelessly slipped from her hands. He looks it over and smirks when he registers what it is.

"Don't tell me you believe in werewolves, that's just silly" His voice is playful and light, the tone rich and deep making her smile involuntarily. Out of relief, of course. It has nothing to do with his closeness and the way his voice travels through her and makes Amara want to jump him. Not at all.

"What can I say, I keep an open mind. You never know" she retorts, trying to not sound as breathless as she feels.

He holds the book out to her and she grasps it and stands, brushing nonexistent dust off of her jeans. Amara shrugs, knowing it is absurd for a real wolf shifter to be reading a fictional story about them. Alpha Maddox just shakes his head and walks ahead, opening the door.

"If you leave on your own, would you know how to get to your room?" he asks, taking a step closer to her. She looks up but quickly averts her eyes down to keep from getting lost in his smoldering gaze. The smokey spicy scent that is purely Maddox already scrambling her brain as she breathes deeply.

Biting her lip, Amara waves her hand as if to say of course but he clearly doesn't buy it. "Come on, I'll take you" he tilts his head to motion her out. She slips past him out the open door and resolutely ignores the devilish tilt to his lips or how she can feel his eyes watching her. Her arm brushes against his chest and it feels like her skin is tingling even with the fabric separating them.

“Did you actually need aspirin?” he asks teasingly while leading them down a hallway and Amara gives him a side glare in a poor attempt to cover up her mortification. She refuses to verbally answer, hoping he will look away. Instead, he meets her gaze head-on with laughing eyes. The absurdity of their stare off while still walking starts to get to her and she bites the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling.

With a huff, she is the first to break and avert her eyes. Less than a second later, she steals a peak only to find Maddox still watching her and that does it. The she-wolf covers her face with her hands right as the first choked out laugh escapes. Once she starts she can’t stop. Tears gather in the corner of her eyes as she tries to catch her breath between giggles. This day really has been too much.

When she finally gathers herself, Amara wipes her eyes and gives Maddox an abashed grin. The man is watching her with some unfathomable emotion in his eyes and a soft fond smile. For just a moment, something passes between them and she registers for the first time that his hand is resting on her lower back and he is close enough that she could tilt her head forward and rest it on his pecs.

The Alpha’s touch is barely there, more a guiding gesture than anything else. That is when she notices that they have stopped in front of her family’s suite which means he must have led her there while she was having her little giggle fit.

Before she can say anything, his hand drops away and he steps back. The wicked smirk full of mirth is back in place and Amara can’t help but want to understand the entrancing man better. She mentally shakes herself. Maddox is an Alpha and a grown man. Does she have some little crush on him? Possibly. The man is gorgeous and alluring with an edge of danger, it would be impossible not to be a little smitten. But a crush means nothing and she would rather not continue to make an ass out of herself. With that new conviction in mind, she politely thanks him and opens the door.

Just before she can shut it behind her, his voice cuts through the silent hallway “Next time your head hurts little she-wolf, maybe check a bathroom cabinet?” he taunts amusedly and Amara childishly closes the door right in his face. The barrier between them is not enough to drown out his deep velvety laughter and she hopes it is a sound she will get to hear over and over again. Hopefully next time it won’t be at her expense.