Chapter 38
Adrian’s POV
With a soft huff I turned over the pages on my desk, the endless amount of documents surrounding me as they related to the troubled pack I was considering helping out.
Generally, if I was being completely honest with myself, I wouldn’t have bothered. It wasn’t my fault the Alpha couldn’t control his own pack, that his father hadn’t done a good enough job of guiding him so he could become what had basically been predicted and designed since his birth.
Not to mention his father was still alive apparently, so why wasn’t he helping out? It was as if he wanted his own flesh and blood to fail.
It had crossed my mind that his father was purposely wanting his son to collapse under the pressure and responsibility, but I was soon corrected when in the files it was clear the father had turned over the position voluntarily and his son hadn’t taken it from him by force. So, that pretty much cleared that thought up.
Shaking my head I leaned my elbows on the wooden desk, my hands cupping my face before I ran my fingers through my hair in a frustrated manner. I still didn’t have a clue what was going on. I mean should I take it or not? Help them out or leave them? It wasn’t an easy choice by far, not when I would have to up route some of my pack, as well as my mate which was my biggest concern, to lend a hand. I would get an alliance out of it, but then again it would be an alliance I could do without.
To be honest, I was completely and utterly lost.
With that on my mind I shoved everything to the side, not in the mood to deal with it anymore. My decision could wait another day or two, I wasn’t in any rush.
Glancing upwards I couldn’t help but smile when I caught sight of my mate still fast asleep under the sheets of my covers. I didn’t blame her, it was still early in the morning and I hadn’t wanted to wake her.
Making a mental note to speak to Lisa, wanting to find out if she had found anything wrong with my angel, I rested my feet on my desk as I leaned back in my leather chair as I went over my mental plan for the day.
I knew I needed to speak with the pups today, both Sophie and Liam having been banned from shifting for the past several days since we had last spoken. Ever since their mother had complained that my punishment for them had been too harsh and I had, to put it in blunt terms, put an end to that train of thought, I hadn’t seen any of them.
It was time to go over the rules. Make them submit.
Pulling my feet off my desk I rose to my full height. Stretching, I winced when my back clicked before I strode over to my bed so I could sit on the edge of it. I hated to rouse my mate, but I wasn’t going to up and leave her without telling her where I was going first.
I would also admit, I was kind of hoping she would want to come with me.
Knowing how whipped that sounded and not caring in the slightest I gently shook her awake, smiling when I heard her soft grunt before she rolled over and snugged back under my covers. I fought back a snort of amusement.
“Holly.”
Saying her name softly didn’t seem to have much effect on her either. Knowing that I had to be careful, and while most blokes would probably play some sort of prank to wake up their girl I knew I couldn’t and wouldn’t. She had told me about how her old pack had used to wake her up, and when I had heard that they used to throw freezing water over her I had wanted to do nothing more than to rip into each and every one of them. People like that didn’t deserve to walk on the same ground as her, let alone treat her, or anyone, in such a manner.
They made me sick, and they had better hope on their lives that I never come across them. If I did, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions and my wolf agreed fully.
“Holly,” I sang but still got no response.
I decided to tickle her, my fingers working her sides making her fidget before she was lightly slapping my away all without opening her eyes.
“Holly, wake up” I grinned. She reminded me of a cat who didn’t want to be roused, stretching out her body while making light protests.
“Go away” she mumbled causing my grin to only widen.
“I just need to ask you something, then you can go back to sleep if you want” I promised her, internally hoping that she would want to stay by my side. Call me clingy or selfish and I would fully agree with you. But, I wanted my mate!
This seemed to satisfy her, her body pausing mid-stretch before she rolled over onto her back and opened her bright amber eyes to look at me through a sleepy gaze.
“What?”
“I have to go see the brats in an hour or two, you can sleep some more or come?” I offered, my legs stretched out in front of me as I stared down at her still half dazed form.
I watched her frown. “You really shouldn’t call them that” she scolded almost playfully. I shrugged.
“I give them respect when they give it to me. It goes both ways you know” I winked, seeing her roll her eyes which pleased me a hell of a lot. To know that she was getting more and more comfortable in her new and permanent home was just….it was amazing. It made being her mate all the more special to me.
“Just mind you don’t say that in front of their mum” she continued to frown as she pulled herself upright.
“I already have,” I admitted.
“When?”
“When she came around accusing me of hurting them,” I scoffed. “They wouldn’t know hurt if it bit them in the arse.”
“When did she come around?” Holly asked confused.
“You were still sleeping,” I thought back. “It was a short visit, nothing too lengthy.”
“Oh.”
“So what do you want to do? It’s up to you” I told her, pulling myself upright before moving to my wardrobe to pull a shirt over my head. I smirked when I saw her frown at my action from the corner of my eye, a flush on her features as her gaze seemed to rake over my shiftless form before the fabric covered my skin from her greedy little eyes.
I loved it when she done that!
She seemed to think it over for a few minutes before holding out her hands, hinting at me to pull her up. I grinned.
“I’ll come if that’s alright?” she asked nervously, my nodding instant.
“Oh thank god” I murmured, pulling her against me as I nuzzled my face in her neck. I didn’t know what I would have done if she had wanted to stay. Mope most probably. Be in an even grumpier mood, most definitely.
“I don’t like being away from you,” I heard her mutter, almost to herself. “You make me feel safe.”
I didn’t think she realised just how much it pulled at my heart strings when she spoke in sentences like that one. How was it possible that she put so much love, so much adoration and hope, into her tone?
“I love you” I told her, realising that I hadn’t actually said it enough. I frowned at the thought; she needed to hear it daily as far as I was concerned.
It was quite for a few moments I felt my breath catch in my throat. I was just about to tell her that she didn’t have to say it back, that it wasn’t necessary since I loved her all the same, when she cut me off before I could.
“I…I love you too” she murmured in that soft tone of hers.
I felt my whole face light up at her words, my arms tightening around her much smaller form as I pulled her close.
“I love you” I repeated in a grin.
Hearing her giggle I bent down to press my lips against her own, lowering her so her back was against the sheets of my bed as I hovered over her.
Making sure that I didn’t put too much weight on her delicate little body I rested my elbows either side of her head, my lips moving against hers in a rhythmic manner. Even so I couldn’t help but grin; even if I tried to I couldn’t wipe it from my lips.
“Make love to me” I heard her murmur against my lips as her arms wrapped around my neck, her fingers playing with the hair on the nape of my neck.
With that request I knew everything in my life was perfect. She was perfect. I had certainly been blessed by the mating spirits that was for sure.
(I know it’s short but it seemed like a good ending point. To make up to you the next chapter will be up next week, or sooner depending on how quickly I can get it finished)