I put my hands through the sleeves one by one and wrap myself. Surprisingly, Thalen was not a deviant, unlike the valiant, smug attitude he often wore. Instead, he held himself back after the endless teasing, even though I was bare and naked in front of him. Only a thin cloth separates us.
While he turned aside to let me put on my clothes, he saw that the bright green bottle of shampoo was on the floor. He looked at it with curiosity. The lid was open, so he squeezed it unintentionally and sniffed it. A fragrant smell of apple wafted into his nose.
It was too much in one go for his strong sense of smell. The scent overpowered him, making him sneeze. His calm composure broke down in an instant as he rubbed his nose, unsure what this weird congestion was.
I turned around and watched him pick his nose and rub it with the shampoo bottle in his hand. I put the pieces together and realised what had just happened.
For the first time since I arrived in the world, I let out a genuine laugh that came straight from my stomach.
I clutched my stomach as I kept repeating the scrunched up face Thalen had as he held onto the shappo, itching his nose. It was a sight that I would never forget.
An annoyed look sat on his face as he turned towards me, but seeing me laugh with my whole body, Thalen decided not to do so.
My eyes met Thalen's, and I paused, trying to hold back the laughter behind my lips. But despite my attempt, as I met eyes with Thalen, my laugh erupted again, startling him.
He watched me with curious admiration, as if I were a gust of fresh wind in his dull life. He did not know how, in this situation, I could be so full of life, carefree, especially after the day I had.
"So, you're gonna tell me how you managed to procure such weird items out of nowhere? I have been keeping my mouth shut for a while, but I am curious." Seeing that I was falling on my right leg due to the wound on the left, Thalen came and picked me up.
"Oh!" Without a warning, I was back in his arms again. "Well, if you can make fire out of nowhere, why can't I also create these items out of nowhere? As long as it helps save lives, is there a problem?" I tilt my head, acting all innocent. I wasn't sure how to explain it in the first place.
"Who am I to question the women who saved the lives of multiple beasts today?" Thalen grinned.
Swifly Thalen carried me off to a room that was well decorated. The room was dark, and in the middle was a giant bed. A click of Thalen's fingers and the lantern on the bedside table was lit. It was just enough to see the silhouette of the floor and furniture. Everything else felt like a mystery. Being alone in a dark, mildly lit room with Thalen made me feel nervous.
"Is this my room?" I asked, my voice cracking.
"No, this is my room, since you are my mate, you stay in my room." He then placed me on the foot of the bed and held my leg, inspecting the wound to see if it was still properly bandaged, making sure it was not loose.
The touch of his warm hands sliding along my skin, parting the clothes away to get a vision of my thigh, caught me off guard. I tried to pull away with a jolt, but he held onto it tightly, with just enough strength not to hurt me.
My leg was at his mercy. It was as if it were now his. Lifting it up and placing it on his shoulder as he knelt in front of me, I felt hot. I consciously held my clothes in place to not expose myself further as he carefully touched my bandaged area. I was thankful that it was dark, hoping I couldn't see my face clearly.
His face was so close to my skin that I could feel his breath on me. Every time he breathed out, a wave of shivers spread through my body. Every strand of hair on my body stood up. A refreshing chill.
He then set his eyes on mine, the golden eyes shining even in the darkness.
"This is the first time I have touched a female who has such supple skin. So soft, not a single evidence of battle or work. Smooth like a newborn baby and so pale every single change of colour can be seen." I could feel his smirk as he tilted his head, looking at me.
It was then that I realised the darkness could not protect me, and he was looking at my awe-struck face, all red and hot, not holding back.
"L-let go of me!" I looked away in embarrassment, "I do work. I am not a privileged princess, or anything, okay. I worked my own keep back where I came from. I worked my ass off, alright!" I was now feeling aggravated by the way he described me as if I were living an easy life.
Thalen could see what I was thinking and then grabbed my feet, running his one finger down the sole, dragging his long nail across the top of my skin ever so lightly.
"I apologise, I did not mean it that way," he then brought the sole up to his lips and kissed it. The touch of his lips, lightly touching my sole, made me curl my toes in shock, pulling away. He finally let go of his grip, making me fall back onto the bed.
"If it were not for your calloused feet and hands, I would have believed so, but I know you worked hard. Don't think for a second I demean the hard work you have done. I am just fascinated by the different nature of work you do." Thalen got up from his knee, satisfied that the wound was securely protected.
My heart felt as if it were about to burst from the interaction, "Don't- don't do that again... It's dirty." I blush thinking about his lips touching my skin again.
In that moment of thought, I did not hear him take off his clothes. "I would not find you dirty even if you were oaked to your neck in blood. You bear the mark of my bond after all."
Thalen climbed onto the bed and pulled me close to him under the sheets, getting ready to sleep. That was when I felt my hand touch something rough and rugged. I traced it with my fingers for a quick second before I realised that he was now naked.
I pushed against his body with my hand, "Hey! Are you ot wearing any clothes? I am not sleeping next to you like that!"
Thalen let out a soft chuckle, watching my flustered face, "How else do you expect me to sleep. It's quite uncomfortable with clothes, you know?"
"No way. That's not how I typically approach things. Things like this are intimate, and I don't even know who you are. You can't just use your face and body to seduce me and expect things to go your way all the time." I huff and puff, shuffling as far as possible as I could on the large bed.
Thalen was instantly behind me, no matter how much I tried, "So you like my face and body?"
"Nope! No, I don't go away!" I shook my head vigorously, trying to deny the words that came out of my mouth. All this bickering was draining my energy from an already tired body, as a yawn escaped me.
"You will have to sleep eventually, you know? Just sleep in my arms. It's warm." He leaned in and whispered in a low, vibrating voice into my ear.
I froze, with the combination of his bare body pressed against mine, his muscular arms under my head and his alluring voice, I felt every single cell of my body scream that I was in danger. Danger of being eaten by this lustful beast.
"I-I-I am sleeping on the floor then!" I was about to roll off the bed with the fur blanket covering us, but he grabbed me before I even touched the floor.
"Alright, I give up." He then morphed into his Lion form, "Is this better? You seemed to prefer it even when you were passed out."
I felt the mix of his rough fur and the softer side on his underbelly against me. I was a bit scared of the fight, but compared to the latter, it felt safer. Already saved by his Lion form, my body had learned to trust it.
I ran my hands over it, shaking on its underbelly, and a rush of endorphins ran through me.
Animals usually hate me, so I never owned one, nor did I ever get to pet the cat from my past life without it trying to kill me. It would have never let me touch its belly. This is amazing... Do cats also feel this way?
I then thought os something I had always wanted to do. "Can... can I touch your beans?"
Suddenly, the tension of an alluring man was gone, and I was like a kid who got their first pet.
"What are beans? It's said that herbivores eat food?" Thalen's voice was confused, hearing this.
"No, it's these." I grab onto his paw; I could feel the claws retracted, tucked into their sheaths. Both my hands were required to hold onto one of his paws. I then slowly pushed against his pawpads. It felt soft and cushiony in my hands.
Thalen watched me, finding my existence unbelievable. It was the first time he had seen someone so brave enough to touch a Lion's paw, especially his.
He rested his head, watching me nuzzle up to his soft fur and slowly drift away. Using his tail, he wrapped it around my leg and promptly fell asleep, too.