For a couple minutes, neither of them said a word, but they didn't have to. Their fingers twisted around each other's as they held hands. This was no awkward silence; it was a moment of reverence for the beauty they had shared.
When her breathing had returned to normal, she turned to face him.
"That was one hell of a first kiss, Professor."
When he turned to her, he looked like a debauched god of sin. "I aim to please." He paused. "Professor?"
"It's the clipboard." Smiling, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Eva laughed as she batted his wandering hands away. After their nap, her mate had been appalled to discover that they had slept for over seven hours. It was now nearly time for dinner, and he had yet to check in with his men.
But, despite it all, he couldn't keep his hands to himself. "I thought you said we needed to head to the mess hall to check in with your warriors?" she demanded as she pulled on her tank top.
"I do." He nipped her shoulder then moved across the room to pull on his immaculate looking clothes. To go to dinner, he simply swapped out his short uniform jacket for a longer, dressier version.
Eva looked down at her boots, jeans, and button down shirt. "I'll look ridiculous if every one else is dressed up."
He shook his head at her concern. "Not to worry. Meryn wore a zombie Care Bear shirt last night. Compared to that, I think you look perfect."
"You just like my jeans."
"Gods above yes!"
Once dressed, he picked up his ever-present clipboard, and they walked hand and hand downstairs and back out to the main road that divided the Unit Level in half. Unlike before, the mess hall was now lit up, and men's laughter could be heard from outside.
"Sounds like everyone made it back okay."
"Let us head inside so I can introduce you." They walked up, and he held the door open for her. She stepped inside and nearly laughed out loud. It looked like the men had taken the large room adjacent to the dining hall and turned it into their huge man cave. Arcade machines lined one wall; there were a couple Ping-Pong tables, dartboards, and five large screen televisions set up with different game consoles. She could easily see men carrying their food from the dining hall and plopping down in any of the worn leather sofas or gaming chairs.
"At attention!" Adriel barked.
All noise stopped as they realized their unit leader was in the room. Chaos ensued as games were paused and the men tripped over themselves to stand before them.
Adriel winced at their display. She laughed.
"Men, I would like you to meet my mate, Eva Mae Miller. She was one of the refugees you rescued today, and for that, you have my eternal gratitude." Adriel bowed, and from the shocked expressions of the men, they had no idea what to do.
"I can't tell you how happy I am that we saved your mate. A thousand blessings on your mating," Micah said, walking up to kiss Eva on both cheeks.
Adriel stood and scowled at the witch. Micah leaned in and whispered. "See, he does like me."
"You're going to get your fool ass killed one of these days, Micah," Declan warned, pulling him away from her.
Declan took her hand and kissed it. "Welcome to Noctem Falls. If you need help, let any of us know." He jerked his head backward, indicating to the men behind him.
"At ease. I just wanted you all to know how grateful I was," Adriel said, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I'd be grateful too, if I had a mate like her," one of the men teased.
"We are about to head down to Level One; can I get a quick update from the unit leaders?" Adriel asked.
Two men stepped forward. "Evening..." They nodded to Eva. "My name is Dimitri Romanov, and this is Godard Kipling; we lead the Theta and Kappa Units." Dimitri turned to Adriel and continued. "Godard and I met with the townspeople. Thanks to Eva and their betas, no one was taken. Everyone who needed medical attention received it and are recuperating in the Grand Hall."
Dimitri was dark haired and dark eyed. Godard was his opposite with sandy blond hair and blue eyes. One was like the night sky, the other like a sunny afternoon.
The three other leaders pushed through the gawking men. "My name is Beau Westerly," he pointed to the man on his right. "This is Viktor BelleRose, and this is Warrick DuBois. Both Viktor and Warrick were raised here in Noctem Falls, so if you have any questions, they can help." Beau clapped both men on the back, causing them to wince. "Sir, before returning to our level, we took turns patrolling the other levels to keep an eye on the vampires affected by the blood. Everyone has calmed down and, for now, are keeping to themselves."
Beau lived up to his name, reminding Eva of the wholesome 'boy next door' stereotype. Unlike the other vampires she had met, his light brown hair was cut short and he was clean- shaven. He had light blue eyes and a friendly smile.
Viktor had her staring. She knew she was being rude, and she knew her mate was standing right beside her, but she couldn't help it; he was beautiful. His hair was the closest thing to silver she had ever seen in hair. It wasn't quite gray, more like a gray and white mix. She half expected it to shine metallic in the light. But what was more unique than his hair were his eyes. They were a true deep purple. He smiled warmly and she blushed. "It runs in the family. Anyone born in the BelleRose clan has silver hair and amethyst colored eyes."
"You're very beautiful. I've never seen that combination before," Eva said. Beside her, Adriel cleared his throat. She placed her hand over his at her waist. "Of course, I prefer dark haired men with unhealthy obsessions with clipboards." She winked at Viktor who cracked up.