When Evie opened her eyes, she could see the faint light already piercing through the thick curtains that were drawn across the large bay windows that were on the left side of the room. Realizing that she had overslept again, she was about to get up when she realized that there was something heavy resting on her stomach. She quickly looked down to check what could that weight that was somewhat keeping her pinned down was, and her eyes widened at the sight.

To her surprise, her husband was sleeping right next to her. Slowly, as she was trying not to disturb him, Evie turned and faced him. His face was the type that would be eternally handsome, his lashes fanned out below his eyes so thick and dark, but there were still those seemingly permanent lines creasing between his brows. As if even in his sleep, he could not quite fully relax. Her heart squeezed in compassion as she wondered what heavy burdens or perhaps certain recurrent nightmares that had put those worry lines across his kingly brow.

Evie wanted to smooth it over or kiss him between his brows for those lines to disappear. But she was afraid he would wake up at the slightest movement from her. She wanted to watch him like this for a while longer. He would also be able to get a longer time to sleep while she admires him in his slumber. Looking at him, a beautiful soft smile emerged on her full pink lips..

But his eyelids started to flutter, and he opened his eyes after a few minutes of Evie staring motionlessly at him. His devil-blue eyes gleamed in the dimly lit room as he caught her full gaze trained on him and not moving.

None of them moved and they just stared at each other for what seemed like a long while. "Good morning," Evie finally said as a serene smile curved across her lush lips as she broke the silence between them.

Gavrael however, did not return her smile with one of his own. His penetrating gaze searched her eyes before sweeping across her face to take in her expression, wanting to gauge what she was truly feeling. Was she disappointed in seeing his eyes still having that intense bright blue hue despite her hard work from last night? Of course, she must be he thought to himself as an ache suddenly pulsed within him.

He shut his eyes close and drew in a deep breath to take in her pleasant scent. He thought to himself that this would probably the last time he would be with her like this. He had already mobilized his army. Everything was all ready and prepared. All that was left now was the specific signal he was waiting for, and he deduced that it would appear earliest tonight, or latest by the morrow.

Gavrael moved to rise but Evie suddenly leaned forward to wrap her arms around his middle, causing him to look down at her with a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes before it disappeared, that Evie did not catch it at all.

"I think you should sleep more, Gav. You just came to bed and fell asleep not long ago, right?" her voice was sweet as she expressed her concern for him. "The vampires are all sleeping and resting right now so you must rest too, Gav."

She rose and climbed off the bed when Gavrael suddenly make a grab for her wrist.

"And where are you going?" his voice was hard, his blue eyes blazing quite intensely again.

"I'm just going to pull on that curtain so that is fully closed. That small sliver of light is going to be bothering you while you sleep." she replied, completely unfazed.

"And after that?" his grip on her wrist tightened further as though he was afraid that she would run away without his knowledge.

Her eyes blinked, wondering what was it that had him worried. But after a moment of looking into his blue, blue eyes, she understood. Then she suddenly chuckled as she approached him and without warning, she circled her arms around his neck and pulled his head towards her and hugged him close. His face was now buried on her abdomen as she bent and rested her head on the crown of his dark one.

"I'm not going to go anywhere, okay?" she reassured him with a calm voice, lovingly ruffling his thick and dark hair as though he was a little child being petulant about his beloved mother leaving him. She could not help but chuckle inwardly at his cute display of latching onto her. "I'm going to stay right here with you until you wake up. How about that?"

He stiffened at her words and when she pulled away and looked into his eyes, she saw both gladness and disbelief. It was as if he was beyond happy with what he heard but at the same time he could not quite believe it either.

Without a word, she quickly walked over to the windows under his ever-watchful eyes and pulled the heavy curtains closed until not a single sliver of light could come through. Once she was done, she turned around and walked back to where he was, then quickly climbed onto the bed again and snuggled up comfortably next to him. She made sure that she was plastered close to him as to afford him the most assurance that she could possibly give. She grabbed his heavy arm and wrapped it around her waist.

When she lifted her smiling face and looked up at him, he was looking at her with a curious aura around him that it was almost palpable, and she could almost literally hear the unspoken words 'what is she trying to do?' flashing in his probing blue eyes.

"This way, you'd definitely feel it if I tried to leave, right?" She said while grinning cheerfully, as she reached out her hands to caress his handsome face. "Now sleep and rest well, Gav. I can't in good conscience, let you go to war without even taking some good quality rest at all."