Cameron

Alara had a habit of falling asleep in the car. It must be the soft thrum of the engine lulling her to a better sleep than any bed ever could.

She snuggled into the seat using her arms as a makeshift pillow and my leather jacket as a blanket. She curled into it pulling it over her bare shoulders. On the way to the car she had told me how Dane wanted her to wear the strapless red dress she was in. But Alara being Alara had defied the instruction by wearing her leggings beneath it. It still meant her shoulders were exposed so she used my jacket for warmth.

It was hard to keep my eyes on the road, as I felt the constant need to make sure she was ok. That she wouldn't have another nightmare. It felt irrational that anything could happen to her when I was right there when she was within arms reach when it would just take one movement for my hand to be in hers.

She was ok and I needed to convince myself of that.

This time when we arrived home, I didn't have the heart to wake her. She seemed some peaceful, her perfect lips drawn into a dreamy smile. I unbuckled my seat belt and reached over to the other side of the car. As quietly as I could I pulled her door open, trying my best to block the cool air from hitting her with my body.

I reached over her and undid her seatbelt, the soft rush of the seatbelt band flicking back to his position near the door almost waking her, but thankfully she didn't.

Ever so carefully, I wrapped one arm underneath her curved legs and the other around her back. She was incredibly light, a slip of a girl so very small in my arms. I held her close, as I carried her towards the warmth of the house.

Still holding her firmly against me, I reached into my pockets and fished out my keys, it was a little dark making it hard to find the keyhole but I managed it. And soon we were both over the threshold back home.

She murmured against me pressing her face closer to my chest as she sighed heavily, eyelids fluttering just slightly before she slipped back into a slumber.

Ever so carefully I carried her up the stairs and into our room. I laid her down on the bed and tucked her in, she looked comfortable and at rest so I left her alone to catch up on some much needed sleep. I glanced back one final time before gently closing the door.

I was far too worked up to be able to sleep myself, so I set myself on a task that I had almost forgotten to do.

Sitting in my office, I pulled out my phone and dialled Theodore Mortello, he answered immediately.

"Have you found her yet, Grayson," his voice was harsh and full of an undercurrent of concern.

"Yes, I found her, she's sleeping at the moment but she's fine." I responded dragging a hand through my hair and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Who had her?" his done was dangerously temperamental.

"Dane Laurier."

"That bastard," Theo muttered, "I'm going to kill him."

"I don't think that would be the best idea," I begrudgingly responded.

"What? He needs to pay for what he did," Theo gritted out.

"You would be declaring war on all the Bloodhounds by doing so,"

"He declared war by kidnapping my sister,"

"Your gang is in no shape to survive a war," I tried to reason with him.

"But yours is, this was an attack on you as much as it was on us," his voice was terse and carried a certain sense of entanglement.

"A war is not going to solve anything,"

"Since when did you become a diplomat," the phrase was an insult in disguise.

"Unnecessary death is not something I stand for, but that's not the reason," I paused for a moment carefully thinking over I should reveal my real motivations, "Alara won't like it. It will be hard on her if there is a gang war and it would hurt her conscience if anyone dies because of a war waged for her,"

There was silence on the other end before a rough intake of breath, "Your right,"

This was probably the first and only time Theodore Mortello would ever utter those words to me. So I savoured the moment.

I couldn't help but add, "I always am."

I heard a grunt of curse followed by, "You keep her safe, I know in some twisted way you care enough about her. I'll be round in the morning."

And then the line went dead.

I leaned back in my chair doing my usual habit of staring up at the ceiling, today had been a long day and I was exhausted but my mind was far too preoccupied to even consider sleep.

But I longed for it, its warm embrace but slumber would never come for me.

It was then I heard a creaking at the door and there stood Alara, she had changed from the ripped dress into something far more comfortable.

"Is that my hoodie," I questioned raising a brow and trying to ignore what stirred inside me seeing her in my clothes.

"Maybe," she gave that cute look of mischief before walking over to me, out of no where she wrapped her arms around me and sat next to me on what little space was left on the chair.

"You could always sit on my lap," I murmured into her hair to which she laughed.

"You would just love that wouldn't you Cam," My breath stilled at the use of my nickname. It was the first time she had used it. And there was something severely intimate about it coming from her lips.

She tilted her head back gazing into my eyes whilst still having her arms locked around my neck, "It's ok if I call you Cam right?"

I gulped and nodded, just hearing it did something to my heart that I wasn't sure I could handle, "Of course it is darling,"

She rested her head on my shoulder, "I couldn't sleep anymore so I thought I'd come and annoy you,"

She began to absentmindedly playing with a lock of my brown hair, twirling it between her fingers. The action was extremely distracting.

"Well you've succeeded," I said giving her a pointed look.

"Your hair's really soft you know," she randomly added.

The sudden revelation made me chuckle aloud.

"You have to tell me your hair care routine," she insisted a playful look in those deep brown eyes swirled with flecks of gold.

"That's my most well kept secret." She pouted which caused a deep rumbling laugh to escape from me.

"Come on there shouldn't be secrets between us," looking at me slyly she added, "I am your fiancé after all."

"Don't remind me," I pretended to be annoyed to which she hit my shoulder.

"Hey, I'm not that bad."

"Never said you were darling,"

She let go of the lock of hair and crossed her arms over her chest but she leaned back into mine.

"You know what they say, Happy wife, Happy life,"

"I've heard, don't worry," I leaned down to whisper lightly in her ear, "I'll keep you very happy,"

Her breath hitched and I could feel her heart thundering against her chest.

She turned to me, "You always have an answer to everything don't you Cameron Grayson."

"As I said before," I winked at her, "I'm a man of many talents.

"And I'm a woman of many more," she quipped.

"I don't doubt it, sweetheart."

Her lids became a little hooded, "Tired?" I asked.

"Very much so," she gazed off into the distance, for the first time in a while being unable to meet my gaze. I frowned a little at the small action wondering what could have warranted such a change in behaviour.

"Um..."

"Go ahead what's on your mind, Alara,"

"I- I don't want to sleep on my own, " her gaze shifted to mine, ever so tentative as she softly spoke, "Could you come with me, just so I'm not alone."

So that's what she wanted to ask me, I smirked, "Still need the great wall of pillows."

She pursed her lips slightly, "Depends...do you want the great wall of pillows."

I scrunched up my nose to make her laugh, "I hate the great wall of pillows."

"Then maybe, maybe we can knock it down," realising what she had said she quickly rushed out, "We can knock it down to just one pillow."

She really did save herself there.

"Whatever you want darling," I said as I grabbed her arm and we both went to bed.

Finally slumber, overtook me and with a soft smile on my face I fell asleep.