Cayden's tense body relaxed on top of her, and Selena's own climax was fading. She felt the reeling pleasure drag her down, softly landing in his arms. The world of thoughts began to re-form gradually. She lay with her arms still around him, softly caressing the exhausted muscle beneath them. She revelled in the sensation of having him at her fingertips and being able to touch him tenderly and lovingly. She jumped out of bed and changed into her nightgown. Cayden was sleeping soundly.
She didn't notice she was having trouble breathing for a few minutes. Although it felt good, the giant of a man who was on top of her was slowly crushing her. She exerted all of her strength against him, finally lifting him up. She was finally set free when his sleeping form responded by rolling over.
Selena was lying bare, panting in the chilly night. Goosebumps appear on her skin as the sweat from their sexual activity evaporated.
She turned to face Cayden, who was also in a similar state.
He most likely needs to calm down. Selena pondered.
The sheets entangled around his arms and legs exposed him. She yanked, pulling the material from around his legs and flinging it into the air, sending it billowing out like a sail so that it could fall silently back down to the bed, covering his body but not hiding his form. She adjusted his head to make him look like he was more at ease. As she said her goodnight kiss to him, she leant in closer to him and gently ran her lips over his. They were now pregnant! The weight of her realisation smacked her in the face like a tonne of bricks. In what way does it matter? She reasoned that the one and only man she desired was interested in her.
She gave a small smile as she considered the man she desired. She'd come full circle from her justified aversion to him, to her now joyful desire for him. But what did that leave them with? She fell asleep after stretching out on the large chaise that sat near the fire. Dr Colin discovered her sitting on a chair next to Alpha's bed, her body slumped onto his mattress, her arms tucked beneath her chin. The doctor approached the charming scene and stroked her shoulder, waking her up.
"Selena, wake up."
She sat up with a jolt, her chest heaving from fright.
"Oh, doctor, you scared me," she chuckled, clasping her hand to her chest. She could feel the thudding of her heart.
"Sorry. I couldn't help checking on you?"
She looked at Cayden's sleeping form. He looked healthy. His wounds had sealed, just leaving faint scars.
"Why is he still sleeping?" She asked as she looked at the subject of their discussion. Despite his battle, or perhaps because of it, he was resting peacefully, the look of terror gone from his now placid face. Selena restrained the urge to reach out and stroke his cheek.
"The poison had reached his heart. His body is still healing. Though he is out of danger now. You must go back to your room and rest. I am grateful that, despite everything, you healed him."
Selena nodded, her eyes lingering on the man's peaceful expression. She knew he had been through a lot, and she was grateful that he had survived.
"Is it stupid? To feel this way about a man who has mistreated me?" She asked, before looking at Dr Colin with an incredulous smile on her lips and tears in her eyes.
"You care for him?" Dr Colin asked, not overly surprised after witnessing her care of Cayden in the past hour.
She smiled genuinely at that. "Truth be told, I think I love him. But how?" She looked down, trying to reconcile the emotions deep within her.
"I do not know what the Alpha has done to you, nor do I want to comment on that. But I can say that he is a good man because I've known him since he was a boy. He is an honourable man who fights for what he believes to be the right and the just cause. Although he can be arrogant, he can show humility when he does something wrong. If you are having trouble deciding how you feel about him, listen to your instincts and have faith that he is a good person."
Selena nodded. There was nothing she could do about her feelings. But she knew that trusting her instincts was important. It was also helpful to remember that everyone had flaws. Everyone makes mistakes, and it's how they handle those mistakes that truly define their character.
"You must now leave and rest," the doctor said, smiling. He returned his gaze to her as he approached the door. "I'm relieved to see you're not broken, but well."
Selena was touched by his sentiment. Dr Colin was old and wise. She reasoned that such a man would not be loyal to a poor leader, nor was he likely to be duped into believing his Alpha was good when he was a villain.
"OK, but I need to talk to Cayden as soon as he wakes up. That is why I wanted to stay." She insisted.
"I will let you know as soon as he wakes up. I still need to run some tests on him. Don't worry, he will be perfectly safe in my watch."
With his assurance, Selena left the Infirmary. She was going to tell him everything once he woke up. And was stable. Cayden was in a terrible place, a terrible place. That much was clear. She knew so many things, things Cayden did not know, things that would destroy him both mentally and physically if they came to pass. Despite all her inner turmoil, she had liked the man that had saved her from her previous life.
However, she felt a sense of dread as soon as she turned into the open doorway that led to her bedroom. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the figure of Oscar, who was seated on the other side of the door. He had just lit a cigarette, so there was a cloud of smoke all around him, but he could still make out every detail. Oscar.
Cayden needed to be warned, and she had to break the news to him. But by the time Selena had opened her mouth to speak, it was already too late for her to scream or shout. Because of the smoke screen, she could not see the stun gun that was in his hand. Oscar pulled the trigger, and the leads shot out, penetrating her flesh. The unfiltered, incredibly powerful electricity flowed unimpeded. It had the immediate effect of paralysing her.
She could only stand for a fleeting instant before the agony became too much for her to bear. She fell to the ground, the only sounds in the room being the unceasing buzzing of the gun and the natural and instinctual cries that came from her body. It was an intolerable and agonising level of pain. She could feel weakness and soreness in every muscle in her body. Her muscles ached. She collapsed onto the carpeted floor, her chest heaving heavily as she struggled for air. As Oscar stood up from his chair and laughed merrily, Selena could not respond because her body was far too weak.
"Now you will come with me, sweetheart."