Understudy [ABO] [MxF] [18+]

T W E N T Y - T W O ~ 1 8 +

Ally woke up well after the sun had come up the next morning, and felt more at ease than she had in weeks. She hadn't realised just how much her body had been craving Elias until last night, and even in the clarity of a new day, she didn't regret what they had done. If anything, she was relieved. She hadn't been sure how they were going to move past the unsteady start to their marriage, but this seemed to solve things neatly.

She stretched out as she opened her eyes and looked over to find Elias wasn't in the room. He doesn't seem to sleep in ever, she thought casually as she sat up and looked down. When had she put on a shirt? It was clearly Elias' shirt from the day before and hung loosely on her, almost like a dress really, and she felt nice and clean. She smiled a little when she recalled how she had crashed right after they finished up, and Elias must have cleaned her up before he went to sleep.

With a stifled yaw, Ally slipped out of bed and shuffled down towards the kitchen, following her nose to the scent of bacon and eggs. Sure enough, Elias was standing over a fry pan in the kitchen, just finishing cooking them breakfast, so she slipped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He stiffened under her touch.

"Good morning," she said, wary at his reaction. "Breakfast ready?"

"Just about. You can go sit, I'll bring it out in a minute."

Ally let her arms fall back to her side and stood there for a moment, perplexed at his reaction. She took a few steps away then turned back, and stood at his side. She stared at him, at the way he refused to look at her, the way he looked at anything but her. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach at what this might be.

"What is it?" She said sharply.

Elias flinched, but still didn't look her way, "What do you mean?"

"Elias."

He sat silently for a moment, clearly at war with himself, before finally -- finally -- looking at her as he set aside the pan. His eyes were full of emotions. "Allegra... I... I shouldn't have done that, last night. I took advantage of you again, even though I promised I wouldn't, and I don't know what to do now. I couldn't sleep at all last night."

She noticed now the deep purple lines under his eyes and felt a pang of sadness, knowing somehow she had caused it, even if unintentionally. "Elias, you don't need to---"

"Don't try and let this go," his voice was firm. "I promised, Ally. Not just you, I promised my mother, and I promised myself. That I would take this slowly, let you forgive me in your own time and win you over. This feels so wrong. I took advantage of you and---"

"Oh my god, Elias!" Ally groaned and shoved him, not quite gently, so he had to fully turn and face her directly. "Stop saying that! Stop making it seem like I am some wild beast with no sense of self.  I told you last night that I wanted to fuck you, and I meant it."

She almost laughed when he blushed. "But your hormones---"

"Trust me," she growled and took a step towards him, "you'd fucking know if I didn't want to do it. If you recall, I spent twenty-two years of my life as an Alpha, so I know a thing or two about protecting myself. Sure, I might be a little more... easily tempted around you, but that doesn't mean I can't stop myself at all."

His eyes showed his doubts more than his words ever could. "It still doesn't sit right with me."

Despite herself, Ally could feel tears pricking at her eyes. He isn't rejecting you again, she told herself, trying to calm herself, he is just confused. She took another step towards him, relieved that he didn't step away, and reached up to gently cup his cheek. The pressure on her chest eased a little when he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Unlike normal, the contact with his skin isn't burn -- it had a soothing warmth to it. A kind of warmth that made her want to curl up in it and never leave again.