Chapter 27
When Arthur finally shifted back, he didn’t say much. He just pulled on some clothes from a hidden closet. I had expected a tirade so the silence was unsettling. I wanted to leave the office, but I was also scared that if I moved, it would set Arthur off.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only ten minutes, Arthur sighed. I watched him warily as he sat down, elbows on his desk, chin resting on his interlaced hands. He regarded me with a look that I couldn’t quite decipher.
“I am not a man that apologizes very often, but I do know when to admit that I was wrong. I do apologize for not believing you. I can’t say that I do believe you now, but I should have recognized that your worries are still important and that I should do everything that I can to lay them to rest,” Arthur began and my lips parted. An apology was the last thing that I expected.
“As much as I hate to admit it,” he continued, pausing as if the next part was going to be difficult for him to say. “Mr. Cunningham was correct. However, if he touches you like that again, I will end him. You are mine, Almara.”
I just blinked at him. I didn’t know what to say to that. I had known that Noah had feelings for me, but I didn’t think he would confess that to Arthur as well. I definitely didn’t think he would put on quite a show, either.
“I also wanted to apologize for Caleb. He’s much more possessive than I am and he couldn’t stop himself when he saw that bastard’s lips on yours,” Arthur added, a slight pink coloring his cheeks. Was he blushing?
“Caleb?”
“My wolf. I haven’t lost control like that since I was a cub. I wasn’t prepared for it. It won’t happen again,” he promised and the pink on his cheeks darkened. He was definitely blushing.
“I think I should apologize too. I know I shouldn’t speak about pack business to outsiders. Noah was very insistent. I didn’t tell him much though. I had no idea he would react that way,” I told him and his eyes narrowed. I tensed, not sure what I did wrong.
“So you’re on a first name basis, are you?” Arthur’s voice deepened and I had the sense that I was on very dangerous ground. The green twisting over his head only confirmed it.
“I…” my voice trailed off as he rose from his desk, taking menacing steps toward me. I took a step back before I could stop myself.
Arthur’s lips turned up into a cruel smile. He cupped my face, running a thumb over my bottom lip. “I’m going to erase his touch from your body.”
His mouth came crashing onto mine and I gripped his arms to keep myself balanced. He bit down on my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. I pulled back, putting a hand to my mouth.
Arthur just smiled at me, no hint of apology in his eyes. A drop of my blood was on his lips and I watched in equal parts horror and fascination as his tongue darted out to lick it away.
“Delicious,” he growled and turned away, going back to his desk.
That was so hot, Lily commented and I couldn’t even argue with her.
“I’m going to assign a bodyguard to you. Honestly, I probably should have the moment you became my fiance. I do have many enemies that would love nothing more than to hurt me. Now you won’t have to worry about anyone coming after you,” Arthur said and I fought back a sigh of relief.
I had never pictured myself having a bodyguard, but I also never pictured myself being the fiance of an alpha. I suppose it came with the territory. And with Dana causing havoc in my own home, I would welcome the extra protection.
“Thank you,” I said, genuinely grateful. Arthur winked at me before picking up his cell phone to give out orders. Despite everything that had just happened, my heart felt lighter.
The bodyguard turned out to be another female wolf named Kaylee. She had an extremely athletic build and a no-nonsense attitude. She was someone who took her job very seriously. I had tried to make conversation with her, but she had informed me that she was here to guard me, not chit chat. I had given up after that.
Still, she made me feel so much more secure. For the rest of the day on Sunday, she had been a constant presence and Dana had never once done anything like she had the previous day. It seemed like having a bodyguard was working.
When I showed up at Noah’s, his eyebrows had risen at the sight of Kaylee, but there was an approving glint in his eyes. Neither of us mentioned the kiss, which I was grateful for since I honestly didn’t know how I felt about it.
We quickly got to work, but I noticed that he was brushing up against me every chance that he got. They were all innocent touches and one’s that could have been accidental,but I didn’t think that they were.
Each brush of his hand or tickle of breath at my ear sent my pulse skyrocketing. I glanced nervously at Kaylee, but she showed no sign that she had noticed. But I wouldn’t put it past her to report everything she had seen back to Arthur. I knew that she could definitely hear my erratic heartbeat.
“You’ve gotten so good, Almara. I’m so proud of you,” Noah said, bringing my attention back to him. He was beaming at me and his handsome face made my breath catch in my throat. There was no doubt that this man was dangerous.
“Th-thank you,” I stuttered, blushing. I pushed back a strand of hair nervously. I kind of felt like a schoolgirl in front of her crush all over again. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t control my body’s reaction to him.
It’s okay to love them both, Lily said and I blanched. Wolves were supposed to mate for life. I wasn’t supposed to have feelings for two men at once.
You’re not just a wolf, Amara. You’re part human, too. And human feelings are way more complicated. Don’t beat yourself up too much about it, she added, brushing her head against me in a comforting gesture.
I took a deep breath. She could say that all she wanted, but that’s not who I was. I didn’t want to be disloyal to Arthur. I would just have to push these confusing feelings to the side and ignore them. But Noah wasn’t making it easy.
“Did you know that your thoughts are clear to see on your face? I can practically see the argument you’re having with yourself. Don’t worry. I’m not going to push you or make you do anything that you don’t want to do. But like I said last week, I don’t mind waiting,” Noah told me with a cheeky grin. He trailed his fingers in a feather-light touch down the side of my face. I bit my lip to keep from making a sound and it drew his eyes down.
“But I can’t deny that I want another taste,” he murmured, but didn’t make a move, just like he promised he wouldn’t. A warm wave of affection spread through my chest.
Kaylee cleared her throat and Noah pulled away, flashing her a wicked smile. “Be a good little spy and tell your alpha that I’m not backing down.”
My eyes widened. Arthur wasn’t going to be very happy. Despite his threats, I didn’t think he could outright murder Noah for what happened here today, but I wouldn’t put it past him to bring Noah a lot of pain.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not afraid of him,” Noah said, once again reading my face and accurately guessing my thoughts. Maybe he wasn’t afraid, but he probably should have been.
