Hey readers,

Well your comments told me that you preferred the longer chapters so I will try and continue them for your enjoyment, plus I think I can get more into the plot and setting so it works for everyone. Anyway, thanks to all the comments and votes since it makes writing it worth it a million times over.

Lots of love

XXX

Chapter 24

Adrian’s Pov

It was a few days later when Holly seemed to get less timid and more confident in her actions, she wasn’t completely comfortable by any means but she was steadily getting their and for that reason I was as proud as hell of her.

Currently I was lying in bed with my mates’ head on my chest, my fingers lazily running through her curls as we had the TV on low in the background. It was the weekend so the pack was still half sleep other than the few that were patrolling. Normally when I wasn’t doing paperwork I tended to go with them to try and relax, but Holly was my main priority and I would always chose her first over everything else.

“What do you want to do today, sweetheart?” I asked her causally as she drew invisible patterns on my chest with her finger tips, her legs entwined with mine as we were practically pressed firmly against each other. I loved it, I craved her touch and it made my wolf purr in delight at having her so relaxed around us.  

“Can we go for a walk?” she asked curiously as she rested her chin on my chest, her bright eyes finding mine and I couldn’t help but caress her soft skin when I took in how she didn’t seem to look as if she was starved anymore. She had gotten some colour back into her skin and while she still needed some more meat on her bones she wasn’t as fragile as she was before and for that I was more than a little thankful.

“If you like” I smiled, watching as she rose up to press her lips against mine which was luckily becoming more and more frequently as the days passed on. I loved that she felt comfortable enough around me to show me her affection; I was more than happy to return it after all.

The soft kiss soon turned more heated though much to my surprise and enjoyment, her own tongue eagerly running along the seam of my lips making me instantly open up to let my tongue caress hers in a dance older than time.

Hearing her moan softly I couldn’t help but move my hands up to cup her cheeks, pulling her closer against me as I moved her to straddle my waist. I held my breath when I felt her freeze for a brief second before relaxing back into the kiss, her fingers running through my hair before she gently tugged at it drawing a lustful groan from my lips.

We hadn’t gone anywhere past kissing and I wasn’t going to push her, but as I felt her hands hesitantly run along my chest and lower abs I couldn’t help but take the opportunity to let my fingers lightly graze her waist and sides.

“Adrian” she whimpered out causing my wolf to howl in pleasure, my hands softly moving to her lower back as I brushed them along the exposed skin there. I felt a shudder run through her, a smirk appearing on my lips as we broke apart from the kiss to breathe. My lips moved to her neck, not wanting the contact to end as I let my fingers run up and down her spine as she moaned softly. Fuck…she wasn’t making this easy.

“Mm” she moaned quietly, so softly that I barely heard it. I did though and it went instantly to my groin, my hips bucking up before I could help myself as I couldn’t help but freeze as I silently wondered if I had gone too far. Shit.

I held my breath for exactly five seconds before I felt her fingers resume their movements on my chest, a gentle blush on her features as I was then hit with something that made my whole body shiver in pleasure. It was the most edible and addicting thing I had ever had the pleasure of smelling, but as soon as I determined it as my mates’ arousal I couldn’t help the purely lustful growl that rose from my throat as my arms tightened around her waist significantly.  I couldn’t help it, the fact that this was the first time I had smelt her liquid lust for me making me have to fight for control of my wolf when all that was running through his head was to claim her right there and then as quickly as possible.

It was due to the fact that if we were in the wild and were true wolves then my mate would still be considered to be up for grabs due to the fact I haven’t technically marked her as mine, yet. The only reason I could hold myself back right now was not only did I know my mate wasn’t ready for that but the fact that none of my pack mates were foolish or suicidal enough to dare make a move on my mate. If they did they would be painfully and severely punished, if I was feeling lenient that was since I could decide to do a hell of a lot worse.

Letting my arms tighten around her I was careful to monitor her emotions as I stared at her hungrily, not wanting to overstep what she was comfortable with and risk losing the contact and affection that she had allowed me. I knew that she had already come a long way since joining the pack; I didn’t want to lose that thanks to a stupid move on my part.

“Holly?” I growled out. I meant for it to sound soft but with the amount of lust I was feeling for my tiny little mate and the fact I could still detect the faint hints of her arousal it was clear my wolf had other things on his mind.

“Urm…” my mate replied clearly embarrassed.

“Why are you embarrassed, sweetheart?” I asked her with a frown, letting my grip loosen slightly as I cupped her burning cheek with my hand.

“No reason” she mumbled, clearly not wanting to let me in on her sudden mood change. I didn’t push her, rather propping myself up on my elbow as I brought my lips softly against hers again, wanting the contact and pleasure she brought me. Call me selfish and I would agree wholeheartedly with you in that exact moment as I claimed her lips with mine.

Thankfully it seemed to be the right thing to do, her response eager and I couldn’t help but grin against her lips as my other hand wound itself into her hair as my fingers playing with her long curls. Never had a felt so whole, so at peace with everything and I loved it.

Feeling her start to respond more heatedly again, both of us back in the previous lustful mood I gently rolled us over so I was on top of her, her body flushed with mine. I made sure that my weight didn’t crush her, not wanting to bring her any pain while looking into her bright amber eyes to make sure she didn’t feel cornered with me on top of her. She didn’t.

“You’re so beautiful” I found myself breathing as I trailed my fingers over her cheek, her already deeply flushed face becoming a more vibrant shade of red making me smile at how easy it was to get a reaction out of her.

“I’m not” I heard her mutter under her breath making me frown.

“Look at me. Holly, look at me” I told her, grabbing her chin slightly to make her look at me. I didn’t like what I saw when looking at her, her eyes misting over as the previous mood was shattered as she looked so vulnerable under me it actually broke my heart.

“Sweetheart, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. I am so glad that you’re my mate, that you’ve been destined to me to love and protect” I said so honestly and sincerely that I mentally pleaded that she would believe me. After having a life of her being told she was useless and worthless I knew it would be hard for her to accept, but I spoke the complete and utter truth and always would.

I watched as her eyes seemed to go even glossier before her tears dripped down the cheeks, it would have been painful for me to watch if it wasn’t for the smile on her lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder. I instantly had her wrapped in my arms, pulling us into a sitting position as she wrapped her legs around my waist and pressed her face against my bare chest.

We didn’t say anything for the next few minutes, simply enjoying each other’s company until the sound of everyone getting up for the day could be heard causing Holly to stir. It wasn’t until then that I realised she must have fallen asleep again, her hands forming into fists as she wiped the sleep from her eyes in the most adorable manner.

“How about we go for that walk?” I asked her, seeing her eyes lighten up as she nodded eagerly before practically running to grab some clothes and heading into the bathroom. I couldn’t help but laugh at her eagerness, though I could hardly talk since I was already up and getting ready by the time the door had shut with a click.

Holly only seemed to take about ten minutes before appearing out the door, a red wool dress on and a pair of thick tights. I didn’t like her wearing clothes with such little protection from the cold wind but practically everything else fell off her skinny frame so it was the best I could do to wrap her up warm while making sure she was still comfortable. She didn’t seem to mind, a bright smile on her face making my heart skip a beat.

“Here” I smiled as I passed her a pea green coat that I brought her, knowing it would help to keep her warm even though I wouldn’t be letting her out of my sights. It would also make her easier to see, just in case.

“Thank you” she smiled as she slipped it on. Stepping forward I helped her do it up, just wanting the excuse to touch her as I ran my hands over her now slight curves making my wolf purr.

“Come on” I told her as I tugged her downstairs and into the living room where a few of the pack sat watching some humorous show on the screen. Turning to face her I cupped her cheeks slightly before speaking, “I’ll be back in a few minutes ok sweetheart, I just need to get something” I told her.

Getting a nod in return I pressed my lips against hers briefly before quickly heading out the room and into the kitchen where Paul sat with Lily. Good, just who I needed to see.

“Morning-“ he started to greet but I cut him off, already wanting to get back to Holly as quickly as possible.

“I need you to get me the packs updated finances, the previous numbers don’t add up” I told him, keeping an ear out so I could keep an eye on Holly who was in the other room. It seemed Jake was filling her in on his meeting with Annie, his tone full of excitement and gratefulness when he told her about how well her cakes had worked as an icebreaker and that he has a date with her next week.

“Are you sure, I gave them to you straight from the mail?” Paul asked with a frown, my own adding to the mix as I continued to stare at him.

“I’m taking Holly out, have them here when I get back” I stated, gaining a nod in return before I turned on my heel and headed into the living room to find my mate.

Walking into the living room I instantly caught sight of my mate as she sat by herself on the sofa, her hands delicately in her lap as she listened to Jake with amusement and interest. While I didn’t want to interrupt them when she looked so at peace I knew that if she wanted to go for a walk then now would be the best time, the snow was light which was a change considering we were in the winter season and it was normally a lot heavier.

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” I asked her with a smile, seeing her eagerly nod as she quickly walked towards me only to find herself with a hat on her head. It was Lily’s but she wouldn’t mind, hell she had practically thrust it in my direction when I made a move to leave the kitchen and I was thankful that she had thought of it.

“Yep” she replied with a bright smile, my arms wrapping themselves around her waist as we headed outside.

The snow was a lot thicker than I first thought it would be, our boots practically sinking into it as Holly held my hand tightly as not to slip over. Why she wanted to go for a walk when it was so cold was beyond me, but I wasn’t about to refuse a request of hers when it meant being in her company when she had a smile on her face.

“When’s your birthday?” I asked suddenly as we walked towards the woods, it would be safe since I had wolves patrolling like usual so I didn’t need to worry so much about anything jumping out on us.

“Huh?” she replied confused, but then again my question was slightly random but it was only just then that while I knew some of her past I didn’t know the basic things about her, such as her birthday.

“I want to know when your birthday is” I smirked down at her, watching as her eyes seemed to be trained onto the floor as she struggled to walk in the snow. I was tempted just to scoop her up into my arms and carry her, but I knew that she would enjoy it more if she stretched her legs so I let her be.

“I don’t know, I was never told so…“ she trailed off with a shrug, my brows pulling together into a frown as my grip on her tightened when she lost her footing in the snow. I couldn’t help the urge I felt to sweep her into my arms and take her back inside, but her toothy grin soon had me relaxing enough to let her enjoy herself.

“Are you serious?” I couldn’t help but ask her, feeling sickened that she didn’t even know when she was born.

“They didn’t think I was worthy of having a birthday so I never got one” she stated with a shrug, not seemingly caring that she had been treated in such a way. How dare they think that my mate wasn’t worthy!

“Doesn’t that bother you?” I asked her with a frown, wrapping an arm around her waist to lift her up slightly when we went through a particularly thick piece of snow.

“Not really, I mean I can’t miss what I’ve never had” was her reply causing me to growl softly, my arms wrapping around her tightly as I leaned my chin on her hat clad head.

“You know you’re worth it though right?” I asked her, wanting her to know how special she was to me. Luckily she nodded with a smile in return, her face flushed with the cold and I soon found myself pulling off my scarf to wrap it around her neck to give her some more warmth since it wasn’t like I needed it myself.

“Thank you, I didn’t realise how cold it was” she smiled as I tucked the end of the scarf in her coat before doing it back up, giving her a wink before looking at her with concern.

“You want to go back inside?” I asked, not being able to help myself as I did so.

“Can we go a little further first?” she asked hopefully causing me to nod. Like I could say no to her when she seemed to be getting so much joy out of it.

For another hour we walked around the woods hand in hand, her form pressed closely against mine to absorb some of my body heat as I asked her question after question much to my amusement. I couldn’t help it, I wanted to know everything about her. In turn she asked me some as well, hugging me when I told her about my parents and kissing away the hurt that had risen inside of me while I was telling her my story. She was amazing.

Heading back I told her that everyone should have a birthday, a day to celebrate and that she wasn’t any different. In the end we decided that her special day should be the day that I found her; she happily agreed. 

“So, did you sleep well sweetheart?” I asked her, wanting to keep the conversation flowing as we made our way back towards the pack house when I took note that we had been out for hours. I knew that the later we were out the heavier the snow got and I didn’t want Holly to be caught in the dreadful weather. She may have been getting some more meat on her bones but I wasn’t going to push her body to the limit when I knew it wouldn’t be able to cope with the strain of it.

“Yep, I like your bed” she smiled as she continued to take in her surroundings with bright eyes. I couldn’t help but tease her after her confession; I was still a bloke after all.

“I’m hurt, you like my bed more than me?” I teased causing her to flush, her eyes getting a slightly glazed over look making me grin at the fact that she was most likely remembering this morning. I couldn’t help but feel my own arousal stirring as my own thoughts were drawn to the exact same thing; her lips were so soft….

Hearing my mate giggle snapped me out of my lustful thoughts, my brows pulling together into a frown when I took note that her hand was no longer in mine as she seemed to have trailed away from me slightly much to my displeasure.

“What’s so funny?” I asked with a smile, swallowing my dislike for her wandering off as my tone took on a teasing quality to it as I hurriedly walked over towards her.

“Just this guy I like” she smiled causing me to grin widely as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

“Really now, and should I be tracking down this guy to tell him to scare him away from my girl?” I teased causing her to giggle. I found I loved the sound; it was more than a little adorable to me.

“I don’t think you would get very far, he is very protective” she smiled and I found I loved this playful side of her.

“Really now? So I have some competition do I?” I grinned, knowing that if there ever was another male who was after her I would have him in pain before he knew what had hit him. My wolf would accept nothing else, and to be honest neither would I.

“No, I like you best” she beamed as she pressed her back more firmly against me. I couldn’t help but purr, the pack house in view in front of us making me sweep her into my arms causing her to squeal and wrap her arms around my neck to keep herself balanced. I would never let her fall though, I wouldn’t risk hurting her.

“Good to know” I winked as I jogged us towards the house, planning to get a hot chocolate in her and some good steaming food before she would start shaking. She seemed fine but I wasn’t taking any chances.

Kicking the door open, not wanting to let her go I reluctantly placed her on her feet as she made a move to undo the boots she was wearing. It didn’t take us long to strip off our winter clothes as the house remained nice and toasty for her benefit. None of the pack minded the extra heat; I mean one look at Holly shaking was all it took for them to make sure it was on constantly when she was home.

“That you, Adrian?” I heard Paul shout from the living room, my eyes rolling as I helped Holly out of her scarf and coat while answering him at the same time.

“Of course” was my reply as I hung up her things, feeling her hand move towards mine making me smile as I entwined our fingers together and tugged her along.

Walking into the living room I was instantly drawn to the comfortable love seat in the corner as I pulled Holly along with me. Taking a seat I let her choice if she wanted to sit on my lap or the sofa and unfortunately it was the latter, but my mood quickly changed when she curled up against me and I sipped my arm around her. I sighed, now this was the life I had always craved for.

“Nice walk?” Laura asked without taking her eyes off whatever she seemed to be struggling to be doing with a shirt of hers, Laura being a confident but quiet member of our pack.

“Yep” Holly answered with a bright smile, clearly oblivious over the fact that her mood was incredibly contagious as everyone seemed to be smiling in her direction or just in general.

“That’s good, bloody hell-“ Laura swore before the brief scent of blood hit us, her mate instantly appearing in the living room with a panicked look on his face  before sighing in relief when he saw she was fine.

“Don’t scare me like that” he scolded as he walked towards her, seeing her smile brightly at him as his body relaxed. Before I met Holly I thought it was an overreaction when the males acted like they did when it came to their mates, but now I knew better. Hell, if I was being honest with myself I knew I was a hell of a lot more protective over Holly than most males were over their mates and I wondered if it was due to me being an alpha or the fact that it was about her upbringing. Either way I knew that it was never going to change, and for some reason I couldn’t bring it in myself to care either way.

“Sorry, I just can’t get the hang of this” she gritted out frustrated, both me and Holly seemingly leaning forward to try and cure our curiosity only to see that she was trying to sew up a top of hers. It would have been an understatement to say that she wasn’t having any luck in doing just that.

“Would you like me to have a go?” my generous mate asked nervously, Laura looking up with a hopeful expression on her face before nodding eagerly.

“If you wouldn’t mind, do you know how to sew?” she asked as she held out her shirt and the sewing box, my body tensing slightly at the thought of her getting even the slightest pinprick on her skin but I passed them along to her without complaint.

“Yep” was my mates only reply as she seemed to look over the tear in the shirt before getting to work, her body still curled against me making me purr in delight as I kept her eye on her before asking Paul whether he had got the finance sheets I had asked him for a few hours back.

“Yea I went to the main office as soon as you left, if there’s something off about these then it isn’t just a paper error” he stated as he got up to get them for me, my nod telling him that I knew it wasn’t his fault if something was wrong again.

It was roughly a half hour later that Holly had finally finished, it had taken longer than expected but by looking at it I couldn’t even see where she had fixed it she was that good. It was clear that it was yet another talent of hers and I had a feeling that if she had wanted to she could have had it finished a hell of a lot quicker but she had wanted to do a good job.

“Here” she smiled as she handed it back to Laura who had a megawatt smile on her face as her eyes assessed my mates work, her mate smiling at Holly thankfully as Laura seemed to restrain herself from giving her a hug. I didn’t know if Holly was quite there yet, I mean she was still tense when I wasn’t around with the pack so hugs from them were pushing it I thought.

“Thanks so much” Laura gushed before showing everyone around her, Holly blushing brightly before burying her head in my chest making me chuckle. I couldn’t help but press my lips against the crown of her head as I thought about how much my life had changed since I had met her. I found I couldn’t help but be more than a little excited about the future.

Tell me what you thought guys!!