Hey readers,
Here’s the nest chapter so read and enjoy. Thanks for all those of you who vote and comment since I love the support. You guys are amazing.
Lots of Love
XXX
Chapter 21
Adrian’s Pov
After we had both finished eating we had made ourselves comfy in my room, both of us snuggled up together on my bed and I couldn’t help but find that I had never been happier. Just having her in my arms, so close to me was enough for my wolf to settle down completely which effectively let me relax. I loved it.
Currently Holly seemed to be in her own little world as she stared at the television on the opposite wall facing my bed, her small body leaning against me as my paperwork was spread out on the sheets. Unfortunately, however much I wanted to I couldn’t afford to let my alpha duties drop, but I found having my mate here helped prevent me from becoming stressed like I usually did when I sorted out this sort of thing. Yet another perk to add to the list.
With a smile constantly on my face I flickered through the number of papers as my eyes scanned them over before I made slight changes when needed, my mate giggling at the comedy I had put on as I did so. She seemed entranced by it, her eyes never leaving the screen as she crossed her legs in front of her as she stared at the screen animatedly.
“Good I take it?” I asked her with a cheesy grin, having to give her shoulder a slight bump with my own to gain her attention.
“Hum?” was the reply I got, the fact she seemed so comfortable around me making me grin.
“I asked if it was good” I repeated for her benefit, not being able to help the chuckle as it fell from my lips as I shot her a wink when she looked at me. The result was a bright blush appearing on her cheeks, it only making her look even more adorable as I found myself shifting slightly to get closer to her before I realised what I was doing.
“Yea, it’s alright” was her mumbled reply, chewing on her bottom lip as she had me yet again entranced. If I didn’t know that it was obvious that my mate wasn’t doing it on purpose I would have called her a tease, but I knew my mate was far too innocent in that aspect to be one.
“How would you feel about meeting my pack?” I asked her after a few minutes, wincing when I took note of her form tensing as she tried to look anywhere but at me. I knew it was a lot to ask of her, but my pack would never even think of hurting her or making her feel uncomfortable in any way; they knew that if they did then there would be extremely harsh consequences.
When I didn’t get a reply I dropped the pile of documents that had previously been in my hand as I turned my sole attention on her, taking note that while her eyes were staring at the screen in front of her it was clear that the comedy had been forgotten about. To be honest she looked as if she was in deep thought.
“Holly?” I said softly, regretting my decision to bring it up but not taking it back just yet. If it really did start to upset her then I would stop pushing, but I had my fingers crossed that she would be alright with it as long as I never removed myself from her side.
“I’m sorry” was all she said, her tone soft as she didn’t look at me.
It was then I took note that her form was shaking, my wolf whimpering in displeasure as I took note of her holding her hands tightly together in her lap as she tried to calm down her shaking. I frowned, quickly but cautiously wrapping my arms around her as I did so. Feeling that she wasn’t going to pull or flinch away from me I tugged her into my lap, loving the contact but hating the fact I had clearly asked too much from her.
“I’m sorry sweetheart, if you don’t want to its fine. I Just thought that…they would never harm you Holly, I wouldn’t allow it” I soothed her, feeling her blunt nails dig into my skin lightly as she wrapped her arms around my waist. I couldn’t help but feel like a jerk.
After she had calmed down my mate pulled back, wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands as I took note that she had been crying. I couldn’t help but feel my heart clench at the thought, the pain in my chest only increasing since I knew that I was the reason why.
“It’s fine, it’s just…I don’t have very good experiences with packs” she mumbled, taking a deep breath as she relaxed in my arms. I knew this was a chance to try and get some details out of where my mate had come from; it wasn’t that I didn’t trust her but I needed to know if anyone was in fact after her. The thought made me snarl, but I managed to keep it to a low growl as I continued to stoke her back and thigh in a soothing gesture.
“Do you want to talk about it, sweetheart?” I asked her, hope in my tone that I couldn’t seem to get rid of. It was hardly my fault though, my wolf was practically rattling in my inner cage to try and get some answers out of her.
At my question she tilted her head up too look at me with those amazing eyes of hers, a strange look on her soft features before she seemed to think about it. The simple thought that she was even considering it made me tug her closer against me, stroking her bare skin as the sparks between us brought pleasure and soothing comfort that I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere but with her. I would have it no other way.
“It’s not pretty” I heard her breathe softly. I quickly shot her as reassuring smile, though her eyes seemed to take a dull quality that didn’t seem to suit her at all.
“I’ll listen” I encouraged, pressing my lips to her forehead as she leaned into the gesture making my smile increase as it tugged at the corner of my lips.
“Urm…I don’t know where to start” she admitted sheepishly, her warm breath falling on my bare chest causing me to shiver as my arms instinctively tightened around her possessively.
“I hear the beginnings always a good place” I smiled down at her, my paperwork long forgotten as I tried to lighten the mood. It worked, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips before she took and deep breath and began. It was fair to say that what she admitted next was the last thing I expected, and it put me in a full blown rage.
“Urm…ever since I was a child I was treated differently than other children. It started off with me being banned from going outside to play, next I had any toys I may have had taken away before I found that I was completely ignored as a child by everybody I cared for.
I was about 7 I think when my mother first hit me, I had tried to hug her but she had smacked me away and catch my face. I never knew whether she actually meant to hit me so harshly or not, but it seemed to be the catalyst which seemed to set everything of.
My father was next; he grew tired of my crying and punished me whenever I made a sign that I was weak. That’s how it started anyway, but punishments soon turned to whenever I annoyed them before they simply beat me for the fun of it. I remember one time when my brother, whose took the alpha position when my father stepped down, decided to class me as the runt of the pack. I was 14 when he first discovered how even though I was the daughter of an alpha his order affected me as well; it got worse from then on.
The worse was when he woke me up in the middle of the night, dragged me outside only for me to be surrounded with his close friends and the pack mates his age. He, urm…ordered me to stop breathing and my lungs collapsed and I was in a coma for four weeks while I healed. He couldn’t get me to listen enough to reverse it, but the worse thing is though that none of them cared that I had nearly died that night” she hiccupped as silent tears dripped down her cheeks, my wolf snarling in pure anger at how my mate had been treated. It made sense, how timid she was, how untrusting when she had come from a pack like that.
I tried to swallow back my rage but it wasn’t working, my hands clenching into fists as I tried to control myself with my mate around. I had never felt so angry, so disgusted with our race then I did right at that minute. And I wanted revenge, oh god did I want to destroy them all for making my mate suffer like they had. And they would suffer; they would die for their actions towards her.
“Adrian”
Her soft and slightly scared voice broke me out of my rage filled thoughts, my head snapping in her direction as I felt my wolf whimper when she flinched away from me.
I couldn’t help but tighten my grip on her, not wanting her to run from me since I knew that my eyes were most likely my wolves as I fought against the urge to demand her to tell me what pack she was speaking of. I knew though, I knew she wouldn’t tell me and it sickened me that she was protecting them.
“Who are they, Holly?” I asked her, my tone rough and tense as she stiffened in my arms much to my displeasure. I didn’t want her to fear me.
With a soft shake of her head my thoughts were confirmed, she wouldn’t tell me and I hated it. But I knew I needed to calm the hell down, I could feel her shaking and I hated it. I knew I could look pretty threatening but she should never have to be scared of me, she was my mate, my life and I would always protect her.
“I’m sorry for scaring you sweetheart, I just-“ I started but she cut me off, her tone sounding so empty and defeated that it broke my heart.
“Never thought I was so messed up?” she replied, her voice tiny as she clenched shut her eyes as tears dripped down her cheeks in a way that made her look so broken that it only fuelled my need to protect her from the world.
Grabbing her chin gently I turned her to look at me, my tone soft as I spoke so sincerely that I knew she would have no choice but to believe my words as I spoke honestly to the girl I was falling so quickly for.
“You are not broken sweetheart, I have you now and I am not letting you go” I smiled before bending down, wishing so much that I could press my lips against hers. Not knowing how she would react I settled for her cheek, feeling her flesh heat up under my touch as she blushed brightly and looked shyly away from me making me grin broadly.
“I’ll meet your pack” she finally caved after a few minutes, the whoop that left my lips leaving me flushing in embarrassment as she giggled childishly making it worth it. I knew that it would be hard on her, but I also knew that it would be worth it since my pack would do everything in their power to make her feel as welcome as possible. I knew that once they caught sight of their soon to be female alpha that their wolves would instantly become attached to her. The more protected she was the better, she was my mate and I would not risk losing her!
With that in mind I brought her into a deep hug, my arms wrapping around her small form as I mentally thought about the best time to introduce her to everybody. Today sounded like a good plan, it was only the beginning of the afternoon so we had a while until they came back from school so I would have to try and make her as relaxed as I possibly could. I didn’t want her regretting her decision to put her trust into me like she was clearly doing.
“You won’t regret it” I mumbled into her hair, feeling her squirm as she tried to get comfortable. I grinned, lessening my grip long enough for her to take up residence between my legs with her back against my chest.
“I hope not” I heard her whisper to herself, my lips brushing her cheek again lightly causing her flush to deepen in its red.
As I hugged her loosely against me I couldn’t help but take note of the fact that she was wearing my clothes still, not that I minded but I made a mental note to take her out to get her some things which she could call her own. All she had on her when I found her was some rags, what purpose they were for I didn’t know but I had thrown them away. My mate deserved better than some useless scraps of fabric which I was scared to even think of as being the type of clothes she had been wearing. She deserved so much better.
“I want to take you shopping, get you some things” I muttered to her, seeing her frown as she looked at me strangely before blushing when she caught me staring at her deep red cheeks with interest. I couldn’t help but purr, loving how sweet and beautiful she looked to me. Because she was, she was so beautiful.
“I don’t need-“ she started but I cut her off, wanting her to understand that I was here to look after and care for her whether she like it or not. That would never change as long as I had anything to do with it that was for sure.
“Now hush, you are my mate Holly and I want what’s best for you” I whispered against her ear, resisting the urge to take her ear lobe into my mouth to try and draw a moan from her lips. I didn’t press my luck though, both me and my wolf knowing that she was far from ready for anything like that just yet. Hopefully in the near future she would be, but definitely not right now.
At my comment she seemed to go quiet, her bright amber eyes looking off into nothing as she seemed to be deep in thought before shaking herself out of it. Leaning back against me more I looked down when I felt a gentle but addicting sensation on the back of my hand, taking note that she seemed to be aimlessly running her fingertips over it as it remained wrapped loosely around her waist where as far as I was concerned it belonged.
“Thank you” she breathed softly, turning around in my arms as she hesitantly straddled my waist much to my delight. I made sure she didn’t sit directly on my lap though, if the bulge in my jeans become aware to her I worried that it would cause her to shun away and that was the last thing I wanted.
“For what?” I asked her curiously, reaching my hand up to brush away one of her curls that had gotten loose as I tucked it behind her ear, my eyes remaining locked with hers.
“For being like this, for being nice, understanding” she explained before leaning forward and pressing her lips gently but quickly against mine leaving me stunned. I quickly snapped out of it though, looking at her nervous and blushing face as my hand reached up to touch my tingling lips.
“You’re more than welcome, sweetheart” I beamed, my smile so wide that she couldn’t seem to help the giggle which escaped her much to my pleasure. I couldn’t help but grin, the realisation that my mate had kissed me however brief made my wolf purr and howl in absolute delight. Suddenly I felt whole, happy beyond belief that it was clear that my mate had accepted me. I had never been happier.