Chapter 172: Episode 172.
Finally, Alaric looked away briefly before answering quietly. "I couldn’t control myself around you anymore." He inhaled deeply. "I was jealous you mated first with Nate. I still am."
The room went still.
Aire blinked faintly.
Alaric laughed once under his breath, but no amusement touched it. "There." He nodded slightly. "There’s your answer."
Aire stared at him silently.
Alaric dragged a hand through his dark hair slowly. "You wanted honesty."
He looked back toward her fully now. "I adore you too selfishly to share you with another man... and too selflessly to force you to stay only mine."
The words settled heavily into the room.
Xander looked away briefly toward the fire while Nate’s jaw tightened instinctively. For once, he agreed with Alaric, because he also wanted to chop their heads off.
Aire’s heartbeat stumbled softly. She blinked at the intensity of his words, and the honesty in them.
Alaric continued anyway. "So I stayed away."
Aire frowned faintly. "That makes no sense."
"It made perfect sense to me."
"You punished me for your feelings?"
Alaric froze. Then immediately, he clarified. "No." His answer came rougher this time.
Aire’s eyes held his steadily.
"You think avoiding you was easy?" he asked quietly. He looked exhausted suddenly. "Every room you entered changed when you walked inside it."
Aire’s breath slowed faintly.
"And the more the bond grew..." he swallowed once, "...the worse it became."
Nate understood that feeling far too well. Xander did too.
Aire stared at Alaric quietly now.
For the first time since this conversation started, some of the anger inside her softened slightly.
"You still hurt me."
Alaric closed his eyes briefly. "I’m sorry."
Nate slowly reached for Aire’s hand then. The moment his fingers brushed her skin, his wolf surged forward instantly and without respecting Nate’s wish to remain human, gray fur exploded across his body before anyone could react.
Aire startled softly.
One second Nate stood beside the bed.
The next, a massive gray wolf stood there instead.
Xander cursed under his breath immediately. "Nate."
The wolf ignored him completely.
His glowing golden eyes remained fixed entirely on Aire before he slowly climbed onto the bed carefully.
The mattress dipped beneath his weight.
Aire blinked in shock as the enormous gray wolf settled directly near her feet. He felt so warm, heavy, and protective.
The wolf lowered his head onto the blankets while staring at her quietly.
Aire’s lips parted faintly. "Oh." She said, accompanied with a soft laugh.
Xander exhaled once beneath his breath.
Then suddenly, black fur replaced him too.
Aire barely had time to process Nate before Xander’s massive black wolf appeared beside the bed next.
His was larger, and darker. His fur nearly swallowed the candlelight itself.
The black wolf climbed onto the bed beside her carefully before laying down against her side protectively.
The bed suddenly felt occupied entirely by wolves.
Aire stared between both of them in complete disbelief. She laughed. Her laugh came out soft, breathless, and beautiful.
The sound changed the entire room instantly.
Both wolves visibly relaxed at hearing it.
Even Alaric’s expression softened completely.
Aire looked down slowly toward the black fur pressed beside her arm.
Carefully, and almost nervously, she reached out to the wolf. Her fingers sank slowly into Xander’s thick fur.
The black wolf immediately made a low deep sound beneath his chest.
Aire froze instantly, then her eyes widened. She turned to Alaric with wide eyes. "Did he just—"
The wolf purred again.
Aire turned back to him, and stared at him in pure shock before laughing softly again.
"That’s impossible."
The black wolf looked deeply pleased with himself hearing her laugh.
Aire slowly ran her fingers through his fur again.
Gods.
She had never touched a wolf before. Her voice softened, as she unexpectedly admitted. "This is my first time touching a wolf."
Both wolves immediately lifted their heads.
The sentence affected them more than she realized.
Aire’s fingers continued moving slowly through Xander’s dark fur.
"So soft," she whispered quietly.
The black wolf practically melted beside her.
Nate’s gray wolf suddenly sat upright immediately.
Aire blinked toward him.
The gray wolf stared at her intensely, then nudged her hand once with his nose, demanding.
Aire laughed softly beneath her breath again.
"You’re jealous."
The gray wolf nudged her harder.
Xander’s wolf looked offended as Aire carefully shifted slightly upright despite her exhaustion before reaching both hands toward Nate’s massive face.
The gray wolf immediately went still.
Aire gently cupped his face between her palms. His warm fur brushed her skin softly. The soft vulnerable look in his eyes nearly destroyed her.
She smiled wide without realizing it.
Her fingers slowly brushed through the fur near his jaw carefully.
Nate’s wolf leaned into her touch instantly, needily. His wolf had visibly waited his entire life for this exact moment.
Aire laughed softly again. "You’re beautiful."
The gray wolf’s ears twitched immediately.
Xander’s wolf looked deeply offended again.
Aire noticed instantly.
"Oh no," she whispered dramatically toward the black wolf beside her. "Now he’s upset."
The black wolf shoved his giant head directly into her side.
Aire burst into another laugh.
And just like that, almost all of her healed quietly inside the room. She did not heal permanently, but it was enough.
Enough for breathing to feel easier again, enough for fear to loosen briefly, and enough for Aire to finally feel accepted for the first time in years.
Alaric watched her quietly for a long moment afterward.
Then finally, he climbed carefully onto the bed too.
The wolves shifted slightly to make space automatically.
Aire looked toward him as he settled beside her slowly.
His arms opened quietly.
Aire stared at him for one second before finally moving. She leaned slowly against his chest.
And the moment she did, Alaric’s entire body softened completely. He kissed the top of her head deeply.
Aire rested her head against him quietly.
Alaric wrapped both arms around her carefully afterward.
The wolves settled closer immediately around them.
Thunder rolled softly outside again. However, inside the chamber, and for the first time in a very long time, Aire finally felt safe and accepted by her mates.
