Two Sinfully Handsome Devils - Chapter 10

When my eyes next fluttered open, my mind was as empty as the vastness of a black hole. I lay there on that hard bed I didn’t know I had, staring into a void. It was only a few moments later that my mind cleared, and the blurry sight of an off-white fabric wall came into view.

I blinked, confused and a little lost. Where am I? And why was my head hurting so much?

I searched my brain for a moment, and then everything came back to me. Ahh, that was right. I’d had a weird dream last night, hadn’t I? About being chased in the woods by two demon-like men and their army of soldiers. One even had the nerve to steal a kiss from me, while the other stared at me like I was his next meal. And yes, there were two mighty winged lions.

I sighed, relieved somewhat it was merely a dream. Or should I refer to it as a nightmare? Although, I must admit the scenes were cool, despite that everything had felt so real. I wondered if I should tell Dad about it. He might find it fascinating and perhaps even want to incorporate the scenes into one of his future books.

I shifted slightly, intending to turn over, but I realized I couldn’t. I felt like I was being squeezed into a corner. I noted there was something behind me, thick and hot against me, blocking and preventing me from moving even an inch.

I groaned and struggled. That was when an ironlike arm wrapped itself around my middle and tightened around me, along with a hard, warm body behind me.

My heart raced, and I swallowed. What the hell?

“Stop making so much noise,” a voice of deep timbre said softly into my ear.

What is going on? Why is there a man in my bed?

My heart raced, and a cold sweat settled on my skin. I turned my head slightly, dreading what I was going to see.

The moment I turned, a masked face along with steel-gray eyes, aquiline nose, and firm lips greeted me. I nearly screamed my head off but managed to hold myself in check and utter with a shaky voice, “Caleb? How? You were in my dream, so how…? Oh God! And why are you in my bed?”

“Dream? Your bed?” the man asked, perplexed.

I nodded. God, was I still dreaming? If so, this had to be the weirdest dream I had ever had, because the man beside me felt so real.

Caleb leaned in close so that his masked face was only inches from mine and the warmth of his breath was fanning my skin.

He said, “I’m sorry to say, but this is my bed, boy, and you’re noisy so early in the morning.” He caught my chin in his hand and rubbed his thumb on my lips as if he found the flesh fascinating. “If you must know, Alfie, I’m fucking tired and am now in desperate need of some…rejuvenation.”

This is his bed? Then how did I get in here in the first place? Then it dawned on me. Oh God! It hadn’t been a dream. Everything that had happened last night had been real.

Something else caught my attention. Alfie! Caleb was referring to me as Alfie instead of just a boy or brat.

“You’re a little lost, aren’t you?”

I asked, “Where am I?”

“As I said, in my bed and in my tent,” he answered coolly as he easily moved my body around so that I faced him.

Heat flushed hot on my cheeks as I stayed stiff in his arms. I shifted my gaze to his lips because I didn’t have the guts to look into his eyes and asked, “Why am I in your bed?”

“Do you prefer the soldiers’ quarters?” he asked. “The hard ground? Or Felix’s bed?”

I shook my head. No, I’d prefer not to be in Felix’s bed if I could choose, because the man would undoubtedly be teasing me again in his unusual way, which I didn’t want. It’d be like me sleeping with a hungry wolf. As for the soldiers’ quarters? Definitely not! The ground? I wouldn’t mind…

And for Caleb himself?

Suddenly, I remembered something important from what I had faintly heard last night during my dreamlike state while the trio had their conversation. Caleb had said he wasn’t into boys, more so me since I was unusual and impetuous. Indeed, to them I was a boy, and logic told me Caleb was not interested in me in that way, which meant I was safe in his presence. This could have explained why I was in his bed, I supposed, because he was concerned for my safety.

So dark Caleb was an intimidating, hard man with a soft heart, then?

Thinking I had figured out Caleb’s character, I decided to make full use of it.

I gently touched my palm against his chest and said softly, “Can I get up now? I have the worst headache ever, and I need something to make it go away.” I even gazed up at him through my lashes and smiled prettily to ensure I looked as docile as I possibly could so I wouldn’t seem so unusual and impetuous to him.

I felt him stiffen for a moment, and then he abruptly let me go. As much as I expected that, I just didn’t anticipate he’d be so rough as to pull away and get off the bed like he was on fire.

I sat up, watching him in confusion.

Standing there with his back to me, he looked at me over his shoulder, and I could tell, even with that mask on his face, that he was frowning darkly at me.

Did I do something wrong? Here I had thought I was on the right track to gaining an ally in this new world I happened to stumble upon.

I asked, “Caleb?” I paused and thought I had better start addressing him correctly if I wanted him on my side.

I cleared my throat and said softly and gently, “My lord? I was just wondering about my circumstances.”

I watched Caleb rake his fingers through his hair as if he were deeply frustrated. Was I bothering him?

But, of course, me getting home was more important than his damned morning frustration. Hence, I continued sweetly and softly. “I would like to return home as soon as possible, please.”

“Returning home is not possible,” Caleb said darkly, his back still to me.

“Oh.” I made the sound, feeling disheartened.

Caleb said, “Not until we’ve sorted out the raiding problem and made sure the border is safe again.”

So the border of this land wasn’t safe, then? And there was raiding? But, of course, I had vaguely heard about that last night when they were talking. Was this also the reason I was being chased? Because they had thought I was a member of the bandits who had been stirring up trouble? Had that been why they had interrogated me last night? To clarify if I was one of them or not?

“I see,” I said in understanding. “Then I’ll help. I mean, I honestly don’t know how, but I’ll help as long as—”

“A small thing like you helping us, little elf?”

My heart skipped, and my stomach flipped the moment I heard that deep, resonant voice. My gaze shifted, and I saw Felix making his grand entrance into the tent.