Chapter 5

Hailey's eyes flashed open, all sleep vanishing from her conscious in a heartbeat. She knew at once she was being watched and was glad her head was snug beneath a blanket so whoever it was sneaking into her room didn't see her sudden awareness. She kept her breathing even and slow, lucky. If any one who knew her had seen her just then, they'd know she was faking. She was not a deep and even type of sleeper, she was a rolling, kicking, restless sleeper even if she felt like a baby on a cloud.

Her eyes strained to see through the knit of her blanket and she stifled a gasp when she saw a glint of a large blade, she was panicking inside and braced herself for an attack against her unknown attacker. But she knew she was in no position to do anything but cover her head and curl up in a ball. She grimaced under the bed as those images flashed through her mind in rapid pace as this whole situation came crashing down on her. She had to so something, and something fast.

She made a mewing sound and rolling over into a more flexible position, making the person freeze in place and she let out a low snore just to help. They stayed still for a moment before moving again and Hailey mentally cursed readying herself for serious pain when a loud scratching and growl came from the connecting door and the mystery person cursed softly himself, identifying himself as a male with a deep voice. When the noise continued, Hailey could have screamed her praise at Nata through the door. The person quickly and silently moved out of the room as Nata's noise kept coming louder.

When the door was shut behind him and she heard his footsteps echoing away. She threw the covers aside and pulled the door open and dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Nata's lean body tightly, in gratitude. Nata rubbed her fur all over Hailey's face and neck seemingly to assure herself of Hailey's well being.

"Thank you." Hailey whispered softly, slowly rising to her feet. About to turn away to return to her own room, not wanting to awaken Cullen, Nata butted her head against Hailey's thigh in aggravation. Hailey turned, confused, and looked down to Nata's big green eyes that tried to tell her something she couldn't understand.

"I'm going back to bed." She whispered, trying to placate the big cat.

Nata growled low in her throat and nipped Hailey's shorts that Cullen had given her, and began to pull, making Hailey to stumble along. She tried to protest in whispers as Nata led her further into Cullen's bedroom where she could see him sleeping peacefully.

When Hailey tried pulling back, Nata scraped her sharp teeth against her thigh threateningly, and she went quietly all the while protesting still, until they got to his bed and she knew if she made the slightest sound he would hear. Then Nata let go of her shorts and gave her a hard shove with her body making Hailey topple over in surprise onto Cullen's legs with a loud cry. Before she could right herself, large hands grabbed at her throat and she choked as she stared into Cullen hard eyes, seeing his anger as she grappled at his unmoving hands.

She could see when he finally recognized her, he swore loudly and let go of her and pulled her up to her knees straddling him. "Hailey? I'm sorry ... I'm so..." He seemed to be confused and angered, but this time she could tell it was at himself. "Please forgive me, I didn't realize it was you."

"Do you always attack in your sleep?" She asked quietly rubbing at her throat.

"You woke me up, I assumed it was someone..." He cut himself off.

"Yeah I know the feeling." She muttered under her breath and scrambled back off of him.

Cullen stared at her and pushed his hair out of his face. "What are you doing here? In my bed?" At that he smiled and looked a little smug.

"Not what you think." She said quickly, and stared down at Nata whom was staring up at them. When Cullen glanced at Nata too, she purred softly and moved silkily to the comfortable rug before the small fire.

"What does Nata have to do with you being here?"

"She practically tossed me onto it, she's very pushy." Hailey said quietly, and almost smile when Nata meowed like a housecat.

"Why?" He pushed himself up into a sitting position, not even caring that she had awoken him, or that he was probably exhausted.

She stared at the floor nervously. "You'll probably think I'm crazy or lying..."

"No I won't." He assured her. "What happened?"

"There was..." She glanced up at him. "There was a man in my room..."

She stopped abruptly feeling the air around them tense up, dramatically. She didn't know how or why, but she could feel the anger and jealousy well up in him. She stared intently at him, as the emotions overwhelmed her as surely as if they had been hers.

"Why? Who..." He looked hurt, very hurt, and it make her feel ashamed.

"I don't know. He came when I was sleeping, but I felt ... like someone was watching me and he had a knife, and if Nata hadn't started to make noises at the door I don't know what could have happened. He thought I was sleeping but I was pretending, I was going to try to defend myself, but..." She was cut off by his hands grabbed her arms, gently but firmly. Not the choking hold he had her in a few minutes ago.

"How do you know it was a man?" He asked urgently.

"When Nata scratched and growled at the door, he cursed. It was definitely not a woman's voice, it was deep and scratchy." She shivered with fear at the too recent memory.

"What else? What else can you tell me?"

"My head was under the blanket but I could see through the holes ... I couldn't see his face though, only his ... knife. It was large, I saw it was because the moonlight glinted off of it. It looked like a big kitchen knife. I can't tell you anything else, I'm sorry."

His hands slid up her arms and to her shoulders gently. "Its okay ... everything's going to be fine, I didn't think something like this would happen. If I had, I would have insisted you stayed with me..."

"What's happening?"

"I'm the heir to the duchy, if you were to be ... hurt, I would be a shell of a man."

She frowned at him. "You weren't before I came here?"

"But I was always searching, always aware you were out there. All men here are like this before they find their mates, if any of us were to lose our mates we would be ... incomplete for the rest of our days, without hope, without love or happiness we can only share with our other half. I am nothing without you."

Ignoring his last statement, she sighed. "So someone is out there that will keep trying to kill me?"

"I'll protect you." He growled. "No one will harm you while I am around."

"You were in the next room when it happened, Cullen." She reminded him.

"You won't be leaving my side, until the idiot behind this stunt is dealt with."

"Cullen..."

He stopped her protest with a light kiss upon her lips that shut her up quite efficiently, and he ached to bring her mouth to his and make her hunger as he did, make her burn and desire him fiercely. Then she would understand they were meant for each other. That no one could feel so much with one person and be meant for another. She was perfect, and he wanted her so badly he thought he would die from it.

And she sat so oblivious in those short shorts and small top that barely covered any of the skin he wanted to kiss and caress, to hold and to ravish. She had no clue of the effect she had on him, but she would soon find out. Whenever she began to accept him, he would show her there was no one who could make her happier than he.

"Cullen, I think maybe you should take me back home, me being here is obviously endangering the both of us."

As those words escaped her lips, one part of his mind panicked, and his hands tightened possessively on her and another part of him jumped at the chance. If he took her away, she wouldn't be so afraid and unsure of herself with his family and people watching her every move. If he took her back to Earth, she would be around familiar things and they could grow to understand each other without the pressure. No one knew where he had found her specifically, and he hadn't told anybody, because it had seemed inconsequential.

"Okay. I'll take you back to Earth." He murmured softly, and he could tell that she was surprised he didn't put up a fight. "I want you to go and pack up the clothes I had given you into a bag that will be at the bottom of the armoire. If you have to retrieve something from the other room take Nata." He nodded at her shocked look. "Go."

She glanced at the door biting her lip anxiously. "You're not coming?"

"I'm not exactly dressed under here, I'm not modest, but I thought I might make you uncomfortable. I'd be happy to come if you don't mind?"