Mated to the Alpha Knight novel Chapter 3

I woke up in my own bed, Emrys' grey sweatshirt held in my hands like a security blanket, and the covers that warmed my body felt hot as I sat up. My bedroom was not big but not small either, walls of lilac, decor and carpet of white and my only light source was a small lamp that sat on my bedside table.

When did I fall asleep?

Downstairs I heard the front door open and shut, my mother calling out for my brother and I.

Sighing, I fell back into my bed; a pounding headache danced in my head as I groaned and rubbed my hands over my face, a feeling of loneliness and anger flickered in my veins. Deciding it would be better to not waste my Tuesday night away in bed, I hopped in the shower quickly and afterwards changed into a fresh pair of leggings, slipping Emrys' sweatshirt over my sports bra; bruises where Jackson held me were an ugly yellowish green, the hickeys -thankfully- were only a light pink but to be on the safe side, I covered them with concealer.

"Hey Cece," My father greeted me as I reached the bottom of the stairs the same time he opened the front door, his blue eyes wide with happiness and his greying brown hair combed back.

"Hey dad," My father hugged me quickly before hanging up his coat and walking into the kitchen to greet my mother. They smiled at the sight of each other and I only wondered if that one day I would do the same to my mate.

My phone dinged.

'Ce, where were you today?' A text from my best friend Ostana.

'Sick' I replied, biting my lip as guilt weighed over my shoulders. She sent back a quick 'feel better' and asked if we could still hang out on Sunday -the day after my sweet sixteen- which I smiled and replied 'totally!'

"Where's Emrys?" My father's voice cut through my thoughts as he started helping my mother set the table. Worry rushed through me, my body breaking out in cold sweat as pieces of my sobbing story to Emrys from earlier this afternoon. "It's almost dinner,"

"I'll go get him," Words tumbled out of my mouth so fast that my mother and father raised both their eyebrows at me, my mom getting a suspicious look, and my dad just looking utterly confused.

Did he go after Jackson? Backing out of the kitchen, racing up the stairs, and not even bothering to knock, I opened the door to Emrys' bedroom; a blush rose to my cheeks as he turned around surprised.

His black towel hung dangerously low on his hips as water dripped down his black locks, landing on his chiseled and golden chest then slowly racing down. Rain and cedar frazzled my thoughts as I took all of him in- wait, no... This is my brother! Why am I thinking like this?

Emrys cleared his throat, a ghost of smirk came and went so fast that I may have imagined it; my eyes whipped up to meet him. He raised an eyebrow in questioning as my cheeks turned the color of a firetruck. "I, um," All thoughts drifted away from my mind as Emrys crossed his arms, when did he get so muscular?

"You what?"

"Um," Closing my eyes and shaking my head of all thoughts consisting of Alabama bullshit, I took a deep breath and rushed out my words. "Mom and dad said dinner is ready and I wanted to see if you killed Jackson, which apparently you didn't, and I was just worried, and I-"

Emrys placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from babbling on. Opening my steel blue eyes, I met his stormy eyes with a shudder. He smiled. "You're wearing my sweatshirt,"

"Yeah," I trailed off, eyes focusing on his messy pile of books. Emrys' room was much different than my own, full of blacks and dark greys, messy with books, papers, and a few clothes, and he even had his own attached bathroom. "It was warm,"