Guarding Omega

23

He couldn't believe he did it. As much as he was pressing himself to hold it back, his instinct prevailed fomented by his wolf. The mating call resonates, breaking the silence. With eyes pinned on Ivory, he sees her form freeze in place. Did I scare her?

With slow steps he walks out of the shadows of the forest, marching cautiously closer to the spring. Like following his rhythm, Ivory turns around to see who is. Her eyes instantly meet his as they're magnets, pulling each other. Her lips parted taking a shaky breath in. Oh, how he missed those eyes. Two warm chocolate orbs that were keeping him company in his dreams. He couldn't believe she was standing in front of him, without taking her eyes from his, even though he touched her while holding her hand when she entered the house.

His wolf was ready to shoot another round of the mating call but Wayne succeeded to keep him in order. Finally, Ivory blinked once and her eyes left his face. He followed them as she was now looking at his broad shoulders and muscled arms. He enjoyed that she did that. He wanted it. His wolf was howling proud that his true mate was looking astonished at the sight of his toned muscles. The mate approves.

Wayne eagerly watches as her eyes move down to his abdomen until she looks further down and...

"Oh, goddess!" Ivory yelps instantly turning back and hiding her face in her palms. "Can you cover yourself please?"

"I have nothing to hide from you." His baritone voice echoes.

"Please Alpha, I cannot talk to you like this." Ivory pleads still covering her eyes.

"Very well," Wayne lows with a slight amusement in his tone. Walking closer, he enters the spring until the water reaches his waist. The water ripples as he moves closer until he stops in front of her. Reaching out his arms, he gently grazes the outside of her fingers with his fingertips, before his hands slowly grab hers, removing them from her face.

His chest tightens at the sight of those dark chocolate eyes looking at him in awe and those full lips that part slightly, allowing her to breathe. He brings her hands together at the level of his chest, wrapping them with his own. "Are you cold?" he tilts his head, spotting a slight tremble of her body. Ivory makes a sharp nod, averting her gaze from him. What an innocent liar you are, my love.

Gradually pulling her hands along with him, Wayne guides her to the edge of the spring, where a cape is left on the ground. He helps her get out of the water, and sit on the edge while he takes the cape and wraps it around her shoulders, making sure she's properly covered. It was hard not to miss her round hips as she got out of the water – the drenched fabric pasted on her body – or her ample breasts with hard nipples clearly visible through the thin tunic. The view caused something hot stir inside him and he felt his cock hardening as thoughts overflooded his head. He mentally thanked the water that was covering his length otherwise it might be a disaster.

Staying in the water to cover his lower part – as Ivory requested – he takes again her hands in his. "I'll always be Wayne for you," he looks intently into her eyes. Her lips parted and then closed again without saying a word.

Wayne watches in slight amusement as she parts them again, making another try. "It's nice to finally see you." Ivory gives him a soft smile, making the heart in his chest gallop. Wayne responds nothing but keeps looking at her. "Is it something wrong?" she whispers looking troubled.

Wayne straightens, brought back from his thoughts. "Forgive me for my strange behaviour... It's just hard to believe it." He finally states.

Ivory's brows fly up in surprise. "May I know what is it?" she hesitates.

Wayne lets a sigh while his fingers are brushing gently on her skin. He bites his lower lip, finding the proper way to say it. "I thought you were dead."

Ivory's jaw drops and her eyes grow wide. Looking at him with her mouth open, she stays still and silent for a few seconds, before she blinks and her lips close again. "Me? Dead? Why?"

###

Ivory was in utter shock. Why Wayne would believe her dead? They haven't communicated for six months – and doing so would be absurd. Goddess knows how many times her thoughts were spinning around him. When she wasn't occupied with helping in the sanctuary – and later on when the last priestess saw her as her heir – her thoughts and dreams were occupied mostly by her saviour.

Her soul was craving to see him again, to thank him for his heroic action. Without him, she will probably be dead. But what could she say to the elders controlling the sanctuary? An Omega requesting to have a small chat with an Alpha? No way they would permit such a thing!

Wayne's soft cough breaks the delirium of Ivory's thoughts and she turns her attention to his eyes that were glowing softly in the night with a shade of warm gold. "Shortly after you left for the sanctuary, my father summoned me and instructed that I should continue my visits to the packs at the east. I spent a long time there, becoming familiar with the leaders who one day will be my allies."

Something appears to stop him and Wayne drops his eyes to their tangled hands. "Many times I wanted to skip a visit and go see you up north, but I couldn't escape my duties and the tough programme. But I was determined to do so, even to run through the night and just take a look at you from afar...make sure you're safe."

Ivory takes a sharp breath in, sure that she must be hallucinating – from the herbs they burnt before the night prayers begin – because Wayne sounds like he's... caring. That was all she needed for her heart to pump so hard in her chest that she thought it would explode. Her cheeks were burning hot and she lowered slightly her head, so he cannot notice. But he did because she saw Wayne's lips tug upwards in a faint smirk.

"Everything was planned, I would travel up north during the night and I would be back before dawn. And then..." Wayne pauses, gently squeezing her hand. Looking up at him Ivory sees his face darken. "They informed us of a great fire up north and they weren't sure in which pack's territory was. I remember leaving everything behind and running, pushing myself to reach there as fast as I could. When I saw the smoke from the distance and then the wild flames covering the sanctuary I felt like a stab to the heart. All these people that were trapped in there... I had to do something. I found another two Alphas helping put out the fires and I joined them. People were screaming for help and luckily we managed to get the most out of there. But some were not so lucky."

Wayne leaves a breath out while his face reflects the pain in his words. "I was looking around, to find you, but no one knew. I was going crazy and I insisted on staying there and helping with the identification of the bodies but Alpha Ceasar reassured me that the situation was under control and they would keep up from there. So, I left. I was feeling terrible about myself, I promised to keep you safe and I failed. I had given a false promise. A few days later, my father told me that you're dead."