Chapter 234: The Alpha’s Tenderness
Chapter 234: The Alpha’s Tenderness
(Connor’s POV)
I carefully placed Olivia in the bathtub, watching as the hot water embraced her delicate skin. Her fair
complexion seemed to glow in the warm light, and I couldn’t resist reaching for the Moonlight Cotton
Towel.
The soft fabric glided across her shoulders as I gently wiped away the evidence of our passionate reunion.
My wolf purred deep in my chest, completely content at being able to care for our mate in such an
intimate way.
The hot water brought color back to her cheeks, transforming her from the exhausted woman I’d carried
here into something radiant. Her amber eyes fluttered closed as she relaxed into my touch.
“Better?” I asked softly, my voice rough with emotion.
She nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. “Much better.”
I continued my gentle ministrations, my wolf demanding this connection with its mate. Every stroke of the
towel was an act of devotion, a silent promise that I would always care for her.
But as I watched her flushed cheeks and the way her lips parted slightly in contentment, something primal
stirred within me. My wolf wasn’t satisfied with just caring for her – it wanted more.
I leaned down and kissed her face, unable to resist the pull. Her skin was warm and soft beneath my lips, tasting faintly of the jasmine–scented bath oil.
“Connor,” she whispered, but there was no protest in her voice.
I kissed her lips repeatedly, each touch sending electricity through our mate bond. My wolf growled with
satisfaction, but it still wasn’t enough for either man or beast.
The need to claim her, to mark her as mine, burned through my veins. But I forced myself to pull back,
knowing she needed rest more than she needed my desires.
After the bath, I carried Olivia to the Master Bedroom, her body warm and pliant in my arms. She felt so
right there, like she belonged nowhere else but in my embrace.
I set her gently on the bed and reached for the hair dryer, determined to take care of every detail. As I
worked the warm air through her honey–brown locks, she leaned into my touch.
“Can you stay the night?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
My heart clenched at the vulnerability in her tone. “Of course.”
“Promise you’ll only hold me?” she pressed, though her eyes held doubt.
I chuckled softly, changing the sheets with meticulous care. “I promise to only hold you.”
Chapter 234 The Alpha’s Tenderness
She gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me for a second. “You said that before, and look what
happened.”
“That was different,” I protested, though we both knew she was right. Our mate bond made it nearly impossible to resist each other.
As I dried her hair, her expression grew distant. The contentment from moments before faded, replaced by
something that looked like pain.
“You lied to me before,” she said quietly. “About your feelings. About Layla Lawrence.”
The accusation hit me like a physical blow. I set down the hair dryer and knelt beside the bed, taking her
hands in mine.
“Olivia, I never lied about my feelings for you.”
“But you used Layla for a fake relationship,” she continued, her amber eyes bright with unshed tears. “You
made me think you’d moved on.”
Guilt crashed over me in waves. “That was a well–intentioned lie,” I said, my voice thick with regret. “I was
trying to protect you from pack politics and media scrutiny.”
“By breaking my heart?”
The pain in her voice nearly destroyed me. “I’m sorry. I thought if you believed I’d moved on, you’d be safer.
I never wanted to hurt you.”
She studied my face for a long moment, searching for the truth. Finally, she nodded, though I could see
the hurt still lingered.
After finishing with her hair, I stood and stretched. “I should cook something for us.”
“You don’t need to,” she said, following me toward the Manor Kitchen. “Dorothy probably left something.”
But when we entered the kitchen, we both stopped short. The Pack Feast Warming Unit displayed “keep
warm” in glowing letters, and steam rose from the Steaming Rack for Pack Meals.
A complete Four–Course Pack Feast sat waiting for us, perfectly prepared and maintained at the ideal
temperature.
“Dorothy must have made this while we were…” Olivia’s cheeks turned crimson as realization dawned.
I couldn’t help but grin at her embarrassment. “She has enhanced werewolf hearing, doesn’t she?”
Olivia buried her face in her hands. “Oh god, she heard everything.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her, pulling her into my arms. “Dorothy is practically pack family. She understands mate
bonds.”
“I was so loud,” she moaned, her mortification complete.
I kissed the top of her head, my wolf rumbling with amusement and satisfaction. “You were perfect.”
* Chapter 234 The Alpha’s Tendemess
Olivia suddenly pulled away and grabbed her phone. “I need to call Emma.”
I watched as she dialed, her face still flushed with embarrassment.
“Emma? Did you eat dinner?” she asked when her assistant answered.
Even from across the room, I could hear Emma’s strange tone through the phone. “Yes, I ate. Are you…
okay? You sound different.”
Olivia’s blush deepened. “I’m fine. Just checking on you,”
“Okay,” Emma said slowly. “Well, goodnight then.”
After hanging up, Olivia looked even more mortified. “She knows too.”
I laughed, unable to contain my amusement. “The whole pack probably knows by now.”
We moved to the Formal Dining Hall, where I served the meal Dorothy had so thoughtfully prepared. The food was excellent, but I was more focused on watching Olivia eat.
“Please let me stay tonight,” I said as we finished dinner. “I promise to behave like a proper Alpha.”
She looked at me skeptically. “After I made you hide from Natalie earlier, I suppose I owe you that much.”
Relief flooded through me. “Thank you.”
“But you have to keep your promise,” she warned.
I nodded solemnly, though my wolf was already planning ways to get closer to our mate.
True to my word, I only held Olivia as we settled into the Master Bedroom for the night. She curled against my chest, her breathing gradually evening out as sleep claimed her.
But my wolf wasn’t satisfied with just holding her. During the night, I found myself touching her face with gentle reverence, tracing the curve of her nose and the softness of her lips.
She stirred slightly but didn’t wake, too exhausted from our reunion to fully surface from sleep. I continued my gentle exploration, memorizing every detail of her features in the moonlight.
Olivia slept soundly in my protective embrace, more peacefully than she had since our separation. There were no dreams, no midnight wakings – just deep, restorative sleep.
I watched over her through the night, my wolf content to guard our mate while she rested.
When morning came, she slept straight through until she woke naturally. I watched the hour hand on the wall clock point to ten before her amber eyes finally fluttered open.
It was a weekend, so she didn’t need to go to Moonstone Legal Partners. She stretched languidly, then froze when she realized I was watching her.
“How long have you been staring at me?” she asked, though there was no real annoyance in her voice.
“Not long enough,” I replied, pulling her back into my arms.
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Chapter 234 The Alpha’s Tendemars
We dozed contentedly for a while longer, neither of us wanting to break the peaceful spell of morning.
When Olivia finally tried to get up, she pushed at my chest. “Come on, we need to get up.”
I tightened my arms around her, reluctant to leave our mate’s nest. “Five more minutes.”
She laughed and tried to stand, but her legs were sore from our previous night’s activities. She stumbled, nearly falling before I caught her.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her predicament, my wolf practically preening with satisfied Alpha smugness. “This is your fault,” she accused, though her wolf purred at my obvious satisfaction with our mating.
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