Chapter 19 YOU'RE MY WOMAN
AVRIELLE'S POV
The sunlight cut through the heavy velvet curtains and stabbed at my eyelids until I couldn't ignore the world any longer.
I groaned, my body feeling heavy and strangely liquid, as if my bones had turned to honey overnight. I stretched, a slow, languid movement that made every muscle in my torso twinge with a dull, persistent ache.
I rolled over, my hand instinctively reaching for the other side of the mattress, searching for the heat of his skin, but I was met with the coldness of the sheets.
My eyes snapped open immediately.
The room was quiet, the scent of the extinguished candles and our combined musk still hanging thick in the air.
A fierce, sudden heat rushed to my cheeks as flashes of the night before played behind my eyes—the way Xavier had looked at me, the predatory hunger in his eyes, and the way I had begged for him.
I sat up, the duvet sliding down to my waist. My hand moved to my neck, fingers brushing over the tender, raised skin where his fangs had marked me.
Mate.
The word carried a weight I wasn't sure I was ready for. I closed my eyes, reaching deep within myself, searching for that spark, that growl, that something that should have finally woken up. I was finally mated, even though it was too late, I was hoping it'd work.
I waited for my wolf to answer the call of the bond.
Nothing.
Just the same hollow silence that had haunted me for twenty-five years.
I let out a sharp sigh of frustration, my shoulders slumping. Even with an Alpha, I was still just a broken omega.
Suddenly the door creaked open. I looked up to see Xavier stepping into the room, he was already dressed in a crisp black shirt, his hair damp and pushed back.
The sight of him made my heart do a frantic little dance against my ribs. He stopped right in front of me, his eyes trailing down my body. I followed his gaze and it hit me, I was half naked. Panicked by my own nakedness, I ducked under the duvet, pulling it up to my chin.
"Good morning, Alpha," I whispered, the title feeling both more and less formal than it had yesterday.
Xavier didn't say a word. He walked across the room, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made the air feel thin. He sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight. Without warning, his hand disappeared under the duvet, his fingers trailing a slow, deliberate path up my thigh until he reached the junction of my legs.
I stiffened, my breath hitching as I grabbed his wrist. "Xavier..."
He let out a low, dark chuckle, his thumb grazing my skin. "Don't look so terrified, Avrielle, I’m not going to take you again, at least not right now. We have a schedule to keep." He pulled his hand back, but his eyes remained on mine.
"How are you feeling? Do you ache? Are you too tired to travel?"
I nodded quickly, my face buried halfway in the blanket to hide the blush that felt like it was going to set the sheets on fire.
"I'm fine. I... I'm okay." How did he care so much after sex? It felt so odd.
He flashed me a smile, reaching out as his hand lingered on my cheek for a moment.
"Go take your bath, we need to leave within the hour. The other Alphas will be expecting a formal goodbye, and I want us out of here before the gossip becomes too loud to ignore."
I gave a short nod, attempting to do just that when realization suddenly dawned on me.
I looked around the room, my forest green dress was a crumpled, torn heap on the floor near the wall, and I didn't see a single other stitch of clothing. I’d literally forgotten how wild we were yesternight and the thought of it brought heat to my cheek.
I stayed firmly tucked under the duvet.
"I... I don't have anything to wear," I muttered.
Slowly, he stood up, a predatory smirk spreading across his face. "Are you staying in bed because you want me to bathe you, Avrielle?"
I felt my cheek heat up, even more as the blush intensified, spreading down my neck.
"No! I just…"
Before I could wrap my head around an excuse, he leaned in his voice dropping into that low, gravelly register that made my toes curl.
"Your scent is messing with my head Avrielle. It’s so fucking intoxicatingly sweet and If you don't get behind that bathroom door in the next ten seconds, I might forget my own rules and end up taking you right here." My heart fluttered, racing wildly.
I didn't need to be told twice. I scrambled out of bed, clutching the massive duvet around me like a cocoon as I stood up.
Xavier watched me, his arms crossed over his chest. "What exactly do you need the duvet for?"
"You destroyed my dress yesterday!" I snapped, though there was no real heat in it. "I need something to cover myself."
He gave a curt nod, though his eyes were dancing with mischief. "There isn't a need to cover up in front of me, Avrielle. I've seen every inch of you and felt it too. You are my woman."
I swallowed hard, my legs feeling like jelly. Without thinking, I bolted for the bathroom, the duvet trailing behind me like a royal cape, and slammed the door shut. I leaned against the wood, my heart fluttering like a trapped bird.
Why was I blushing so much? I was a grown woman, yet he made me feel like a girl experiencing her first crush. I was filled with a strange, dizzying happiness that I didn't know how to contain.
I tossed the duvet into a corner and stepped into the shower, splashing cold water on my face first to try and calm my racing pulse.
I bathed quickly, the water stinging the mark on my neck just enough to remind me it wasn't a dream.
I stepped back into the bedroom, wrapped in a fresh towel, when my gaze landed on something, making g me freeze in place.
On the bed laid out a new outfit—a purple sexy short dress. Xavier must have brought it in, but wasn't that kinda too fast?.
Suddenly a knock sounded at the door, tearing my thoughts away.
"Mistress? The Alpha sent me to help you get ready." It was a woman's voice, polite and soft.