Chapter 33 - Heat ...

UNFORTUNATELY, Lena found only what she feared. Every single book referred to the wolf dying if rejected by their mate. How could that be? Was their goddess really that cruel that she would force them to love someone she picked for them or die? Was that truly their only choice?

Lena was more angry than anything else. How could someone who was meant to love her people force them to love someone or die?! When lunch rolled around, Lena wished that she could stay, but she had to return to her room while Rebecca had lunch with the pack. Rebecca had been gone for a couple of minutes when she returned looking awfully confused. Thankfully, Lena didn’t have to wait long to find out what was confusing the little girl.

“Drunk?” Lena frowned for a second and then burst out laughing. She had never heard of a drunk wolf. Their metabolisms burned the alcohol so fast that they couldn’t get drunk. How on earth did Alaric drink so much that he was drunk?! The two sat eating in silence with their own thoughts before returning to the library. At least, because of this, they were able to return to the library quicker than they would have. On the way back, Rebecca animatedly explained what Alaric did and how he did it and Lena couldn’t help but laugh.

She was still shocked that a werewolf could actually get drunk when they heard something outside the door of the library. When Rebecca opened the door, she gasped as Alaric fell face first into the library.

“I wasn’t listening.” His words slurred so badly that they could almost not hear what he said, but it was clear he had been eavesdropping. Or at least trying to. Lena rushed over and helped him to sit down on one of the couches. Max appeared in the doorway looking awfully pale and profusely apologized to the two who were looking amused and the snoring Alaric.

Lena suggested that Max leave him there since Alaric was already leaning to one side and snoring blissfully. Max wasn’t entirely happy leaving Alaric with Lena and Rebecca and promised to send a guard to wait outside the door … Just in case they needed help at some point. The rest of the afternoon went off without a hitch as Alaric slept off his drinking and Rebecca kept practicing her spell.

Lena, on the other hand, was growing more impatient by the hour. Every single book she read about the mate bond basically told her that Alaric would die if she rejected him. She thought for a moment that she had. She told him no, didn’t she?

“Rebecca, is it necessary to use the exact wording to reject a mate?” Lena frowned, but when her eyes met Rebecca’s her heart sank. Dammit! She shouldn’t have asked Rebecca! “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to figure this out.” Lena sighed and sat down. “I told Alaric not to go through that whole thing about accepting me and I said the word no. Now I’m wondering if that would have counted as a rejection.” Lena frowned. She really wanted to know and as soon as Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief, she knew.

“That didn’t count.” Rebecca smiled almost as if she had won the damn jackpot. “You have to say the right wording.” Lena could see that the little girl was not going to give her that wording and if she really wanted to reject Alaric, she would have to find it herself.

It was becoming late and they would soon have to leave the library in any case. Max appeared on cue and told the girls he would wake up Alaric after the two girls had left. Lena knew why. Max didn’t want his alpha to face what he had done the moment he woke up. It was really ridiculous in her opinion. The man fucked up. He should face the music, but she and Rebecca walked back to her room and Rebecca left to have dinner with the pack.

Lena decided she needed a shower. The days were slowly turning colder as winter crept closer and even though the library was fairly warm, her room was getting cold. She didn’t have any winter clothes and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask. After a warm shower, she ran to her bed and quickly climbed under the covers. She was shivering and trying to warm her bed with her breath when she heard her door open. Blinking for a second before slowly lowering her covers.

“Alaric?!” She was surprised to find him standing there looking around her room.

“Are you cold?” He frowned and she noted the colour returning to his face a little, almost as if he was angry.

“Just a little. Winter is coming and …” Before she could say anything, he whipped around and left her room, leaving her door wide open and letting in more cold. Lena pulled the blanket back over her head and softly swore at the idiot for not closing the damn door. She was hoping the guards would close the door but she was still silently swearing when a scuffle drew her attention and she whipped the covers off, instantly regretting it.

Her room had gone from cold to freezing in the short time since she left the bathroom, and she also suddenly had people in her room! Alaric was busy ordering a couple of men around as they installed what looked like some kind of portable fireplace. She noticed the small droplet of sweat on the side of Alaric’s face and felt the incredible urge to wipe it away, which made her realize she had to put some distance between them!

Jumping right back into bed, she could hear her own teeth chattering and rolled her eyes. This was truly ridiculous. If she wasn’t so damn proud she could have just asked if anyone had a jersey for her to use and she would have been fine. She didn’t need whatever the hell it was they were doing. The moment she heard the saw start up, she was out of bed and on her way to Rebecca’s room before anyone could say or do anything.

“Your brother is breaking down my room.” Lena rubbed the sides of her arms for some heat as she stormed into Rebecca’s room and instantly jumped under the covers with the little girl. Rebecca laughed and Lena realized that Rebecca’s body was incredibly warm. She was reminded yet again that the little girl was a wolf! That was why none of them felt the cold like she did.

Their body temperatures ran a lot warmer than the average person, which made her wonder again how the hell Alaric got so damn drunk. His body would have burnt the alcohol faster than he could have taken it in. Lena apologized to Rebecca, realizing the little one was probably fast asleep when she stormed into the room, but Rebecca pulled out a book from underneath her covers which made them giggle. She asked Lena if she would mind reading to her and they made themselves comfortable as Lena read out loud.

When she noticed Rebecca sleeping she wondered if she should continue, but if she stopped it would be too silent in the room. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and kept reading. She wasn’t sleepy and when Alaric looked around the door, she wasn’t ready to leave. The bed was so warm and toasty with the little one on it. Lena had no idea how long she had been there, but she was actually enjoying having Rebecca sleeping beside her.

Rebecca felt as if she was Lena’s little sister she always wanted but never had, but since Alaric had come to get her, she had no other choice but to leave. There was no way he would let her stay. She sighed as she climbed out and her body instantly turned ice cold. Alaric surprised her when she walked out of the door and he dropped a pair of slippers on the floor in front of her and as she was putting them on, he slipped a very fluffy gown around her shoulders.

“It was my mother’s. She always seemed to be cold.” He frowned for a moment before indicating that they could go back to Lena’s room. When she walked in, she had to fight the urge to gape open-mouthed! They had installed a small fireplace in her room! It was done so neatly that you would have thought it had always been there! When she left, she was expecting her room to be filled with smoke and soot, but her room was clear and it actually smelled nice to have a fire there. Her room was also warm. Not too hot, just a comfortable heat.

“I will make sure that the omega keeps the fire stoked for you. I forgot for a moment that you don’t have our blood running through your veins.” Alaric looked a little lost for a moment. “I’m sorry about everything.” He scratched the back of his head before leaving. Lena knew that he wanted to talk to her about everything, but she wasn’t ready. After everything she read … She just wasn’t ready.