Chapter 38: Entwined Fates

~So warm~.

Olivia nuzzled her face into the warmth radiating onto her cheeks. ~So warm~.

She squirmed closer, realizing for the first time that her movements were restricted. As if she was confined. She tried to pull her limbs away but they wouldn’t cooperate.

Sunlight attacked her eyes the moment she opened them, forcing her to shut them again. She raised her hand, feeling the contours of... ~muscles~? Olivia ignored the sting of the sun as her eyes snapped open.

A chest.

A nice, muscular, ~familiar~ chest. She didn’t even need to look up to confirm that she was right; his scent was enough. “Alex.”

She couldn’t recall anything about the previous night. There was no need to panic.

Maya had warned her this might happen. On the bright side, she couldn’t smell blood or anything like that. If she’d done something regrettable, there would be blood on her hands or in her mouth, right? This was a good sign.

The surroundings felt familiar; they were still on pack territory.

The only thing she couldn’t figure out was why she was naked, entwined with Alexander.

Emphasis on ~naked~.

“Are you okay?”

His deep voice vibrated through her body, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation behind. She should be more alarmed than she was. There was a comfort in his touch, a familiarity that hadn’t been there the night before. Where had it come from?

His scent enveloped her, and it wasn’t just because she was lying against him. It was something else.

She cleared her throat. “Hmm, yeah.”

“Nothing hurts?”

“Should something hurt?”

He laughed. “No, just checking. It was your wolf’s first time being free. I wanted to make sure she didn’t overdo it.”

Before she could ask a question, she felt something heavy on her body. ~A blanket~. He was covering them. ~Oh~.

She turned her head to the left, taking in their surroundings. There were many, ~many~ other naked bodies around them. Oh God.

To avoid seeing anyone naked that she didn’t want to see naked, she buried her face in Alexander’s chest.

Right.

She was naked.

He was naked.

“So—uh, can I—uh, ask…”

“You know we’re naked when we turn back.”

“No, no, I know…uh… I—I—it was more uh…how we ended up so…close?”

His laughter echoed as he bent down, his nose lost in her hair. “Your wolf is friendlier than you are.”

Each word he spoke warmed her cheek with his breath. “You don’t recall anything?”

She could only shake her head, words failing her. A warmth began to radiate from her heart, spreading to her cheeks, as she found herself ~hoping~ she could remember.

Perhaps it would clarify this sensation, the one that was causing her stomach to flutter. The closeness made her body temperature rise, and she tilted her head, their noses brushing. “So—my wolf…understands?”

“Yep.”

So, everyone was aware, everyone could sense it—~except for her~.

Her shoulders sagged, and she averted her gaze, a painful throb pulsating in her heart.

She’d never felt it before, but now it felt like something was absent. There was a void within her.

Was this part of the mate bond she couldn’t yet perceive, or was it related to the residual feelings of…affection? Desire? That her wolf had left behind?

She was scared to discover the truth.

“Let’s get you clothed.”

As he pulled away, a wave of panic washed over her, and before she could process what she was doing, she clung to his shoulders, halting his movements.

Her strength was insufficient to do much, but her touch was enough to make him pay attention.

For the first time since she woke up, they were truly seeing each other.

There was a longing in his eyes, and she dug her fingers a little deeper into his skin.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t piece together the events of the night. It didn’t shock her. She never remembered anything with Will.

She’d black out, shackled, and she’d awaken in the same state—though with a few more bruises and a bit of blood.

Will could also recall what transpired when he was a wolf. Was this something she was supposed to learn?

Was there something wrong with her?

“Olivia, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to kiss you.”

His lips grazed hers, causing her chest to heave, and she fought the urge to spread her legs.

Her nipples hardened as they brushed against his chest, and she shut her mouth.

“And if I kiss you now, I might not be able to stop.”

His large hand slid up her bare leg, his fingers lightly tracing beneath her knee.

When he gripped her thighs, his fingertips digging into her skin, she gasped. His arousal sent a tingling sensation to her toes, causing them to curl.

“I don’t like to share,” he stated before planting a quick kiss on her lips and pulling away.

Her body warmed up, the chilly air enveloping her, almost compelling her to seek his warmth.

He pulled the blanket higher on her body, covering more of her while he stood there, unabashed. “I need to check the perimeter. Maya will escort you back inside.”

He bent over, giving her a view of his firm, round bare backside, before tossing something at her head.

She caught it, lowered it, and realized it was a T-shirt. ~His~ T-shirt.

“Maya?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. Kept my distance. I’m glad you two want to be all over each other, but I don’t want to watch you two going at it like rabbits.”

She approached them, closing the gap enough for Olivia to see her.

“I’m glad you two are sorting things out. It’ll be less awkward when you can’t keep your hands off each other in a week or two.”

“~Maya~, take her inside.”

“Fine, bury your head in the sand like an ostrich. It’s your choice.”

Olivia seized the opportunity to put on the T-shirt, which allowed her to sit up.

“Wrap it around your waist and follow me,” Maya instructed Olivia as she started to walk away.

~Hold on~. She was going to leave without her.

Olivia wrapped the blanket around her waist. She was about to follow him when she found herself unable to leave Alexander’s side. It’d been nagging her since she woke up. The growing need inside of her.

Had they been all over each other all night? He would know.

“Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Did I…obey?”

He smirked. “It was a refreshing change.”

She scoffed but couldn’t hide her smile. “So, nothing bad happened?”

“Didn’t I assure you?”

She nodded. “You did. I should’ve trusted you.”

“Maybe you will from now on.”

“Did I… Did I wander off alone?”

“You were stuck to me like glue.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement and his posture radiated confidence, making it clear he wasn’t lying. ~Fantastic~, she thought, ~not awkward at all~. It did, however, explain her reluctance to leave his side.

The only reason she wasn’t wringing her hands was because she was clutching the blanket around her, trying not to reveal more of herself to the pack. Why was she still here?

He’d told her he needed to leave… Maya was getting further away with each passing moment.

“Well, um, ~thanks~. It was—good? I don’t…” She chuckled. “I don’t remember, but I usually feel awful the next morning, and today I don’t. So, thank you.”

No aching wrists, no bloody injuries…no fatigue. She was even less sweaty than when she was chained up. Probably because she hadn’t spent the entire night struggling to escape.

Despite spending the night in her animal form, she’d never felt more human.

She’d said her ~thanks~. She should leave now.

But instead, she was scuffing her feet in the dirt, reluctant to move.

“Here.”

She watched as he picked up a pair of black boxers from the ground and tossed them to her.

She caught them with one hand, giving him a puzzled look. He didn’t respond. Instead, he picked up his pants and pulled them on over his bare skin. She couldn’t imagine the cold zipper was comfortable.

“Put ‘em on.”

It didn’t make sense, but she complied. She sat down and slipped them on under the blanket. Once they were secure, she let the blanket drop and stood back up.

His clothes were so big on her that she looked like a child playing dress-up.

Alexander extended his hand to her, his eyes drawing her in. “Come.”

She curled her toes and tucked her arms at her sides. Had he noticed her hesitation? Her reluctance to leave his side? “Oh—I don’t want to intrude. I’ll just go inside with Maya and—”

“Livy, do you want to come with me?”

“I—”

“It’s a simple question. Yes or no.” His voice was firm, but not irritated. He wasn’t doing this for himself, he was doing it for her.

She’d promised to change.

She’d vowed to stop hiding, to confront her feelings. ~Time to walk the talk, Olivia~. “If it’s alright—yes.”

He wiggled his fingers and she knew there was no backing out now.

She placed her hand in his and he laced their fingers together. Her heart fluttered as she followed him, walking beside him.

A warm feeling spread through her chest, her heart pounding and her blood pulsing.

He looked serene. His gaze was focused as he surveyed their surroundings, but she couldn’t concentrate on anything else.

She wasn’t sure what her wolf had done or not done during the night, but…

A new desire was stirring within her.

A longing for intimacy. She tightened her grip on his hand and, for a moment, she thought she saw him smile.

One word echoed in her mind: ~Ours~.