Aurora’s Pov
We stayed like that for a while, me lying on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was oddly soothing, and I almost fell asleep.
But then I stirred, lifting my head to look at him. His eyes met mine, soft and full of something I couldn’t quite name. Before I could say anything, he leaned in and kissed my forehead gently.
Then, without warning, he scooped me up in his arms, carrying me as if I weighed nothing.
“What are you doing, Ryan?” I asked softly, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck to steady myself.
“I’m carrying you to the bedroom,” he replied, his voice calm and confident.
“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.
“So you can sleep,” he said, then smirked. “Or… do you want us to do something else? I’m down for it.”
My cheeks burned at his words, and I quickly looked away.
“Stop it,” I muttered, covering my face with one hand.
He chuckled quietly, the sound deep and warm, before he carried me into the bedroom. He placed me gently on the bed as if I were something fragile.
I watched as he turned toward the door. Was he leaving?
“Where are you going?” I asked before I could stop myself.
He turned back to me, his expression unreadable. “Home.”
My heart sank, but I didn’t know how to ask him to stay.
“Do you want me to stay?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.
“Do you want to stay?” I countered, avoiding his gaze.
“Of course, Aurora. I want to stay,” he said, his voice softer now.
“Then why are you leaving?”
“Because I know you’re still scared,” he said simply.
I hesitated, playing with my fingers as I looked down. “I’m still scared,” I admitted. “But… I was bare in front of you. I mean… um, yeah, I’m still scared. But stay.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, and I worried I’d said too much. But then he walked back over and climbed onto the bed, lying down beside me.
I turned to face him, and he mirrored me. We were so close I could feel the warmth of his breath.
“Why is your heart beating so fast?” he asked suddenly, his tone curious. “Are you nervous?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Can I hold you?” he asked, his voice gentler now. “If you’re not comfortable, I don’t mind.”
I hesitated, then nodded. “I’d love that. Hold me.”
Without another word, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. His warmth surrounded me, and for the first time in a long while, I felt safe.
“How will you get to work tomorrow?” I asked suddenly, breaking the quiet.
“Who’s the boss?” he replied, a small smile playing on his lips.
“You,” I answered, laughing softly.
“Exactly,” he said smugly.
“But you should come,” I said, still giggling at his response.
“Don’t worry. Jamie will bring my outfit in the morning, and we’ll go together.”
His voice was soothing, and I felt my body growing heavier with exhaustion.
“Go to sleep, little one,” he said softly.
“Okay,” I murmured, already drifting off. “Goodnight, Ryan.”
“Goodnight, little one,” he whispered.
And with that, sleep claimed me.
******
Waking up the next morning, I looked around the room, but Ryan was nowhere to be seen. My heart sank for a moment. Did he leave already?
I rubbed my eyes and stood up, my hair a complete mess. A delicious smell wafted through the air, and my stomach growled. I followed the scent, half-asleep, stumbling toward the kitchen.
What I saw when I got there made me freeze. Ryan was standing with his back to me, shirtless, wearing dark blue sweatpants that clung to him in all the right ways. He looked effortlessly hot, like he just walked out of some fantasy.
Where did he even get sweatpants? Must’ve been Jaime.
I tried to walk slowly, hoping to surprise him. But before I could get close, he spoke without turning.
“Trying to scare me?”
I jumped, startled. “How did you know I was here?”
“You were loud with your steps,” he said, finally turning around, “and your scent is all over the place.”
Oh. Right. Werewolf senses.
He walked over to me and gently held my waist, pulling me closer. My heart skipped a beat.
“So that’s a werewolf thing, huh?” I teased with a small giggle.
He didn’t bother answering. Instead, he leaned down and kissed me. My cheeks burned, and I pulled back after just a second.
“My breath stinks, Ryan!” I covered my mouth in embarrassment.
“I don’t mind,” he said smoothly.
“Well, I do,” I said, lightly tapping his shoulder.
His expression changed, and he looked at me like I had just offended him. My eyes widened in panic.
“I’m so sorry!” I blurted. “I didn’t mean to….”
Before I could finish, he burst out laughing.
“Already scared?” he teased. “I was just joking.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but my eyes darted to the stove behind him.
“The pancakes!” I screamed.
Ryan turned quickly and switched off the heat.
“They’re fine,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “I made pancakes.”
“So, you’re a good cook now?” I asked, crossing my arms and raising a brow.
“I don’t know,” he replied, turning back to me with a slight smirk. “I’ve only made food for you.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I just stared at him, speechless.
“Go sit at the dining table,” he said, gesturing with his head. “I’ll bring the food.”
“An Alpha is serving me food now?” I teased, trying to hide my flustered expression.
“Anything for my little one. Now go,” he said firmly.
“Fine,” I muttered. “But I’m brushing my teeth first.”
I rushed back to the room, quickly brushing my teeth, fixing my hair, and making myself look somewhat presentable. When I returned, the dining table was already set with pancakes, milk, and a variety of juices.
Ryan was seated, his arms crossed, watching me as I walked toward him.
“Come here,” he said.
I stopped in front of him, and he tapped his lap, motioning for me to sit. My eyes widened, and I quickly shook my head.
“Don’t be shy,” he said, grabbing my wrist gently and pulling me onto his lap.
I couldn’t help but notice how gentle he was.
“Who’s going to finish all this food?” I asked, glancing at the table.
“You are,” he said matter-of-factly. “Now stop talking and let me feed you.”
Before I could protest, he cut a piece of pancake and held it out for me to eat. I hesitated but leaned in and took a bite.
He watched me the whole time, his gaze intense but somehow comforting.
When he didn’t eat, I decided to be bold and fed him back. He didn’t say a word, just accepted the food with a small smile.
We kept feeding each other, laughing quietly, until I realized we were running late.
“Oh no!” I jumped up, quickly gathering the dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. Ryan disappeared into the other room to get ready.
By the time I was dressed and ready, Ryan was already waiting for me. He looked… perfect. His suit fit him like it was tailored just for him (which it probably was). His hair was neatly combed, and the confidence he exuded was impossible to ignore.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice soft.
“You look… handsome,” I replied, my cheeks heating up.
He took my hand gently, and we walked to the car together.
Jaime was waiting for us, but the second he saw us holding hands, he froze.
“What?” Ryan asked, his voice cold.
“Nothing, Alpha. I’m sorry,” Jaime stammered, quickly opening the car door for us.
I mouthed a quick thank you to Jaime as I slid into the car. Ryan followed, his gaze still fixed on Jaime with mild irritation.
The drive was quiet at first, but I couldn’t help breaking the silence.
“What should I say when Sophie and the others ask why we came to the office together?”
“You know what to say,” he replied without looking at me.
I knew exactly what he wanted me to say, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for that yet. I decided to stay quiet, resting my head on his shoulder as his hand lightly squeezed mine.
When we arrived at the office, Ryan let go of my hand, giving me space. I appreciated it, though part of me wished he’d held on.
As we walked in, every single pair of eyes turned to us. The stares were intense, especially from the women.
I greeted my colleagues and slipped into my office, trying to ignore the weight of their gazes.
After starting on my tasks for the day, I stepped out to hand some documents to Sophie and Adam. Sophie gave me a knowing smile, like she was waiting for me to spill some secret.
“How are you, Sophie?” I asked, trying to keep things casual as I handed her the papers.
“I’m good,” she said with a grin. “And you?”
“I’m fine sophie,” I said as I smiled to her, pretending not to notice her curiosity.
After handing Adam his documents, he hesitated for a moment before speaking.
He told me that he wanted to tell me something by his desk, so I followed him.
They didn’t have private offices just like I did.
“Aurora, I don’t know how this will sound,” he began, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What is it?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“There’s a party this weekend, and I’m supposed to bring a plus one. I was wondering if you’d come with me?” he asked nervously.
“Oh, so it’s like a date?” I teased.
“We can call it that,” he said, shrugging. “But please don’t say no.”
Before I could respond, a deep, familiar voice cut in from behind me.
“She won’t say yes.”
I turned to see Ryan standing there, his expression unreadable.
“She won’t be going anywhere with you,” he added coldly, his voice sending a shiver down my spine.
Adam looked confused. “Sir, I don’t understand…”
Ryan didn’t let him finish. He grabbed my waist, turned me to face him, and kissed me right there in front of Adam.
No. Not just Adam. In front of Everyone. Everyone!