Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She grabbed his wrist to stop him. “Close your eyes first.”
“Why?”
“So you can’t see me while I’m wearing them.”
“Why on earth would I not want to see you with your glasses, Olivia?”
“They aren’t attractive,” she whispered.
His breath hitched. “Olivia, what happened to my Little rebel? The woman I met last year who snuck out of her house to catch a glimpse of me? Why do you think I would care about your glasses?”
She rolled her pretty green eyes. “I’m not stupid, Damon. Kids have laughed at me my entire life. I know they’re ugly.”
He stiffened and finished sliding them onto her face. “Kids are mean and cruel. They were jealous because they knew you had the mark of an Alpha mate. No one in my family or any other Alpha family will ever make fun of you for who you are and what you cannot control.”
She trembled as she lifted her hands to his cheeks and leaned in closer, moving her head all around less than an inch from his face. A slow smile spread. “You’re gorgeous.”
“As are you, Little rebel.” He set his palms on her waist. “This dress is stunning.” It was a white dress covered with delicate gold lace. The cut was completely modest, reaching all the way to the floor, high on her neck, and to her wrists. She would never wear anything that covered this much of her skin in his home, but it was very pretty.
Damon grasped her biceps and rose, helping her stand with him. He wasn’t certain how her balance might be. He’d done as much research as possible to understand both her particular degenerative eye disease and how to make his home as easy as possible for her to navigate, but until he could speak to her personally, he’d known he wouldn’t be able to fully understand.
She slid her glasses off and put them back in her pocket. She was trembling as she licked her lips. “I promise I will learn my way around your home quickly and be useful to you. My mother has taught me how to do many things without my sight. I can even cook and clean. I just need to learn where everything is and—”
He cut her off again with a finger to her lips. “Take a breath, Little rebel. I’m certain you can do anything you put your mind to, but you won’t need any of those particular skills in our home, Baby girl. I will do the cooking and cleaning.”
She gasped, her mostly blank eyes widening.
“Olivia, this has nothing to do with your vision or abilities. The mates of Alpha Protectors do not cook and clean. None of them do. You will be pampered and worshiped by me day and night. You will not serve me.”
“But…” She was at a loss for words.
He wasn’t surprised. He knew that the citizens of the Drydus pack who lived in the valley had no knowledge of how the Alpha Protectors and their mates lived in the surrounding mountains. It had always been this way.
The Alpha Protectors were all born with a mark on their left inner wrist. Eventually a mate was born in the valley with a matching mark, fating them to join their intended on their twentieth birthday.
The citizens of the valley lived in male-dominated households, but the level of that domination and the expectations came nowhere close to resembling the customs of the Alpha Protectors.
Olivia would learn. It would be a shock to her system at first—as it was with all new mates—but she would find her place and settle into a new way of life. Damon would ensure that she was the happiest Little girl in the world. It was his life’s mission.
“We should go, Little rebel. The sooner we get to our home, the sooner you will be able to settle in and lose some of the anxiety I feel wafting off you.”
“Okay,” she whispered as she pulled her shoulders back and offered him a pasted smile.
He cupped her face and slowly lowered his lips toward her. “May I kiss you, Olivia?”
She swallowed. “Of course.” Her pulse shot sky high.
Damon hoped if he set his lips on hers, she might feel the bond more strongly and relax her rigid frame a bit. After stroking her bottom lip with his thumbs, he closed the distance and kissed her pretty mouth.
Heaven had nothing on Olivia’s lips. He knew because he tumbled into heaven as he took this first liberty with her. When she leaned into him, grabbing his waist, he licked along the seam of her lips.
She parted for him, giving him access to her sweetness, and he didn’t hesitate to stroke his tongue along hers, unable to control the low moan that escaped his mouth.
He wanted more, but he couldn’t let this go further while standing in the ceremonial room in the government building. He wouldn’t risk touching her with his mark, let alone aligning their marks. Doing so would create a sizzling heat between them he’d only heard about.