novelraw Chapter 170: Stay
Chapter 170: Stay
Aurora’s POV
Raymond pulled out of me with a heavy, wet sound that echoed in the quiet room. We both lay there, gasping for air, the heat of our bodies clashing with the cool night air. I was lying on my stomach, my face buried in the pillow, while Raymond lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. I could feel the warmth of his seed leaking out of me, filling my core, and for a second, a sharp bolt of panic hit my chest.
I had let him come inside me again. This was becoming dangerous. This was the second time in a week. I’d have to find a way to get morning-after pills before the day was out. This was a risk I couldn’t afford to take—not with a man I was supposed to be hunting.
I heard the rustle of clothes as he began to dress. He moved with a quiet efficiency, the sound of leather and denim filling the silence. Once he was done, he returned to the bedside and reached out, gently peeling the silk blindfold from my eyes.
I blinked, my vision clearing as the dim light of the room returned. I looked up at him, seeing him fully dressed, standing tall before me. Even through his pants, I could see he was still partially hard, the evidence of what we’d just done written all over his body.
We held each other’s gaze for a long, tender moment. No one spoke. The air was thick with something I couldn’t name—something that felt far too much like affection.
"I have to go," he finally rasped, his voice still thick from the moans he’d let out moments ago.
I didn’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the crushing weight of the silence that would follow, or the thought of Oliver. Before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out.
"Please stay."
He frowned, the leather of his mask wrinkling. "No. I shouldn’t."
I pushed myself up, ignoring the way my body felt worn out and sore. I was still naked, but I didn’t care. I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my chest against the cool leather of his jacket.
"Please," I whispered, my heart thumping against his. "Spend the night with me. Just this once."
"Aurora, no," he said, but his hands came up to rest on my waist, his grip betraying his words.
"Please," I pleaded. I didn’t know why I was doing it. I was supposed to want him dead, but right now, I just wanted him here. I wanted the comfort of his weight next to me so I wouldn’t have to think about the Alpha King and his new woman.
I saw him hesitate. He looked away, his jaw tight, before he let out a long, weary sigh. "Okay. Fine."
"Thank you," I breathed, a strange sense of relief washing over me. "I’ll go take a shower."
I retreated to the bathroom, the hot water washing away the sweat and the scent of him, though it couldn’t wash away the feeling of his hands. I dressed in a thin nightgown and walked back into the bedroom. He was already in the bed, lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head.
Our eyes locked as I climbed in. I looked away quickly, my stomach doing a strange flip. Before I could settle on my side of the bed, he reached out, his large hand hooking around my waist and pulling me flush against him. He tucked my head into the crook of his shoulder, my face resting on his broad, solid chest.
Strange as it was, his arms felt familiar. They felt like a shield. I found myself relaxing into him, the rhythm of his breathing lulling me into a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in weeks.
We lay there in a comforting silence until Raymond broke it.
"Tell me about yourself, Aurora," he said, his voice a low vibration beneath my ear.
I frowned, my fingers tracing the edge of his jacket. "There is nothing to tell."
"Come on," he nudged. "There has to be. I want to know you."
A bitter thought flashed through my mind. You want to know me? You destroyed my life. You’re the reason I’m an orphan. But the words stayed locked behind my teeth. I couldn’t blow my cover.
"I don’t like talking about my life," I said coldly. "Please respect that."
He was silent for a beat, then he nodded. "Goodnight, Aurora."
I stayed in his arms, the heat of his body acting like a drug. I didn’t bother asking him about himself; I knew a man like him lived on secrets. I stayed there, listening to the steady thrum of his heart, until sleep finally claimed me.
When I woke up, the room was bathed in the pale, blue light of the early morning. I moved my head and realized I was still tucked against Raymond’s chest. He looked like he was sleeping, his eyes closed, his breathing deep and even.
I stared at his masked face. Who are you? I wondered. I reached out, my hand hovering inches from the edge of the leather. I wanted to see the man who could be so brutal and yet so gentle. I wanted to see the face of the monster.
"If I were you," he said, his voice startlingly clear, "I wouldn’t think of doing that."
I jumped, my hand snapping back. He opened his eyes, looking directly at me.
"You weren’t sleeping?" I asked, my heart racing.
He scoffed, a dark sound in the quiet room. "My line of work taught me never to sleep fully. Not when there’s a threat in the room."
I frowned, my temper rising. "Of course. You’re an assassin. I forgot."
He didn’t respond to the jab. Instead, he sat up, stretching his back.
"All the people you kill," I started, the question burning in my throat. "Don’t you feel guilty? At some point, doesn’t it weigh on you?"
He didn’t hesitate. He looked at me, his eyes cold and certain. "All the people I kill deserve it. I kill them to make the world a better place. I’m removing the rot, Aurora."
I glared at him, a surge of pure hate rising in my chest. Deserved it? My parents were the kindest, most peaceful people I had ever known. They weren’t "rot." They were everything good in the world, and he had snuffed them out. In that moment, the softness of the night before vanished. I told myself, right then, that I would kill him. I would be the one to remove the rot.
"Won’t you go to work?" he asked, changing the subject.
I shook my head, staring at the sheets. "I’m resigning. I’m done working for the Alpha King. I’ll go back to working at the club."
Raymond’s brow furrowed. He clearly didn’t like the idea. "Why?"
"The Alpha King and I are done," I spat, the words tasting bitter on my lips. "He’s getting married. I can’t stand to be in that packhouse, watching him build a life with her."
"So you still love him," Raymond said. It wasn’t a question.
"I never stopped loving him," I whispered.
He wanted to say something, his mouth opening, but then he suddenly went stiff. His eyes glazed over for a split second, and I knew that look. He was a werewolf; he was receiving a mindlink. I watched as a dark, boiling anger spread across his face, his jaw tightening so hard I thought it might snap.
"Aurora, I have to go," he said, jumping out of bed with a sudden, violent energy.
"What happened?" I asked, startled by the change in his aura.
"Nothing," he snapped, grabbing his bike keys. "I just got a call to... assassinate someone. Bye."
Before I could say another word, he was gone, leaving me wondering who that unfortunate person was.