AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wasn't going to pretend like this was some normal health problem. This was deliberate, and it was grinding my gears knowing I'd somehow slipped in protecting him from this trauma.
I couldn't be too harsh on myself, especially when Roberto wasn't my prime responsibility. At the end of the day, he was an Alpha and should have been able to take care of himself without someone by his side.
Besides, my role is to protect Willow. Roberto was a mere bonus.
His Beta would be here soon, and Malachite was far scarier than Roberto. I was rather positive that Willow wouldn't remember him because everyone barely saw the Beta. If you saw him, it meant you were fucked, and that was never a good problem to deal with.
"That nurse is a pain in the ass," Willow muttered with a sigh.
"I agree with you," I responded. "She looks new."
My eyes returned to my pink beauty, her frustration as obvious as her exhaustion.
"Are you okay?" I reached out to gently rub her back. Her body grew less tense by the gesture. It took her a bit to answer my question.
"I'm not sure," she confessed. "I'm really tired. I'll make sure I rest when we get back. I just didn't want to delay seeing things for myself."
My hand remained on her back while I continued to admire her from a side glance. She'd surely assume I was assessing her reaction to all of this, but I was admiring how this dress hugged her curves, her breasts perfectly cupped in what I could assume was a lace bra.
She had no jewelry visible -the necklace she wore that was given to her from Onyx was clearly hidden because I could easily track Willow if I needed to -but regardless of such, her outfit was well-put-together and projected power in a "rich" sense.
I was trying not to get distracted by her breasts, something I normally dealt with. I wasn't sure why I'd been feeling various flickers of unnecessary emotions when it came to Willow, but it could be due to almost losing her.
I hated the mere idea of what happened. It shouldn't have happened. My role was to guard Willow, but I should have been easy enough to approach if she needed to discuss anything on her mind.
She should have been able to rely on me when it felt like the world was caving in on her.
It was my fault for not seeing the signs, for assuming that she was alright because she projected that resilience of power in every step she took and every move she made. I’d known Willow long enough to confirm how much she despised relying on others. It was a defense mechanism from years of trauma, years of being tortured, abused, neglected, and the list could go on and on.
No matter how many times I inquired whether she was alright, I was sure she would answer the same.
I'm fine, Viktor. You worry too much.
My mind recalled the elevator ride on the day of the sudden deal meeting - the smothering touch of Willow's lips pressing against mine to get us out of confronting those Russian agents.
That kiss threw me so off orbit, my wolf almost fucked up my damn career. If I hadn't reeled him in, the whole guarding job would have been thrown out the window.
Instead, we'd have been devouring Willow's lips before fucking her senseless against the mirrored walls.
I normally never interfered with what my wolf wanted. His animalistic needs being met would give me the level of concentration I needed to do my job. But his response to Willow's sudden intimacy would fuck shit up so hard, I wouldn't be able to fix it.
I wasn't ready to walk on that path yet, to admit that this little girl I watched go through the hardships no child, teenager, or young adult should endure was now a woman that made my heart beat fast and my cock harden at the mere thought of her being in my grasp.
Even now, she looked so fucking gorgeous, and her tamed fury only made her more attractive. If only things were different. I'd already have had her against the wall, her short dress lifted enough for me to slip my hand between her thighs and taunt her until she begged to be fucked.
Focus.
"It could be because you're Willow and it's late afternoon," I suggested. "Your magic isn't used to you not expelling the magic you use to maintain William."
"Good point," she replied. "I'll try to get back into routine. Which reminds me: why did you stress we need three months off?"
"When an Alpha falls ill, it's allowed to be kept a secret for three months. If you announce Roberto's having health issues, every enemy he's made is going to come out of the woodwork to kill him or take you out," I revealed. "You may be the new owner of his assets in the business world, but in the world of wolves, Roberto has made far more enemies and their packs are antsy to get the opportunity to take the De Lucas down."
"Hmph." She fixed her glasses to sit higher on her face, but I could still catch a glimpse of them from the side. "They think because he's not present they can waltz in and destroy everything he worked for?”
"It's a smart move," I admitted. "Taking advantage of when an Alpha is down."
"Smart, indeed," she replied. "I shouldn't even care."
