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“Not at all,” I assure her, hoping that a hot shower will return some of her wild spirit. “I’ll ask for some food to be brought up.”
Alyssa gives me a barely perceptible nod before disappearing into the bathroom. It doesn’t take long before the sound of water reaches my ears, and I let out a quiet sigh.
Give her time, my wolf tells me. She’s been through one hell of an ordeal.
We both have been, I reply. I only hope that it won’t break her.
Even if it does, we’ll be there to put the pieces back together, my wolf says with contagious confidence. None of us will ever walk alone again.
I take the phone off the nightstand that’s connected directly to the servants’ quarters. It doesn’t have the chance to ring even twice before someone picks up.
“Your Highness,” the female voice answers. “What can we do for you?”
“I’d like to get some food brought up to my room,” I reply. “Bring a bit of everything.”
“Right away, Your Highness,” she confirms, then waits for me to hang up first.
I go to my walk-in closet to grab a fresh set of clothes for Alyssa to wear. Something primal awakens in me at the thought of her wearing my clothes and leaving her scent on them. I swallow hard, working hard to push it all down. Now’s not the time nor the place to be thinking about that.
The shower stops, the small change reaching my ears just in time to hear the glass door of the stall open. I return to the room and set the pajamas on the bed.
“I’ve left out some clothes for you,” I tell her when she exits the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her naked body. “Would you mind keeping an eye on the door for food while I take a shower?”
“Sure, thanks,” Alyssa says and steps aside to let me pass.
I want nothing more but to pull her into me, to feel her body pressed against mine, and to match her heartbeat with my own. I’d love to do that, but I don’t. Instead, I try to do my best to show her the respect she deserves and give her space.
My wolf lets out a low whimper, making it clear that he’s also suffering. I’ve never felt this way, and I’ve never yearned for anyone the way I’m craving her. It must have something to do with the bond. It’s the only plausible explanation that I can think of right now.
I’m more than happy to discard the strange clothes that the witches put me in. Thanks to my wolf’s impressive healing skills, there’s not even a scratch on my smooth skin. Any imperfection that I have can easily be washed away in the shower as a speck of dirt.
I put the water in the hottest setting, not caring that it burns me. Maneuvering the healing abilities keeps my wolf distracted and quiet. I lean my forehead against the shower stall, letting the heat purify me and clear all the signs of me being touched by that damned witch.
I spend extra attention washing my hands, rubbing them raw. The image of them being covered with Alyssa’s blood keeps appearing in front of my eyes, which only makes me rub harder and stronger.
Only when the water’s temperature starts falling, do I realize that I’ve been in the shower for a lot longer than I intended. The time flew from me, and now my stomach is making grumbling sounds as it asks to be filled.
Getting out of the shower, I grab a new towel out of the cabinet under the sink and wrap it around my waist. I don’t bother drying my hair or wiping my torso, letting the air take care of the remaining drops of water.
Looking around the bathroom, I realize with a frown that I haven’t brought any clothes with me. I was too busy making sure that Alyssa had something to wear that I completely forgot about me. Having no other choice, I exit the bathroom with a wet towel wrapped around my waist.
Alyssa’s back is turned to me as she sits on the sofa, picking at the food that’s been brought in. My wolf senses take in the little details of the delicious smell like the warmth of the toasted bread or the fried egg, which causes my stomach to grumble even louder.
Even though I know she’s aware of my presence, I don’t want to startle her by walking up to the table with only a towel on. I make a quick stop in the walk-in closet, grabbing for myself a similar set of pajamas to what I gave to Alyssa.
The light cotton pants softly press against my skin, hanging onto my waist, low enough to leave my V-line exposed. While I gave long sleeves to Alyssa, I opted for a simple white T-shirt that sticks to my body in a way that further highlights my abs. I’m not a stranger to giving myself compliments, but my time in the military camp really did wonders for my muscle definitions.
When I’ve covered the parts that would be deemed indecent, I join Alyssa on the sofa. She glances my way and offers me a small smile. I give her one back, relieved that she seems to be doing a bit better.
“It’s really good,” she says, breaking the silence. I don’t even care that she’s talking about the food as long as she keeps speaking to me.
“Please tell me if there’s anything specific that you might like,” I tell her, wanting to give her the world, while at the same time struggling to take it slow for fear of scaring her away.
“I’m okay, thanks,” she replies, and though it’s short, it’s not curt.
The silence that follows is companionable and void of any tension. Right now, we’re just two hungry wolves, enjoying a nice meal together.
I take a bit of everything, forcing myself to slow down and actually taste the food at least a little bit. I had no idea that an encounter with the coven would leave me ravenous. It might’ve had something to do with overextending my own abilities or maybe having my brain prodded for information. Either way, I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been.
