Lightning & Thunder

Chapter Seventeen

Both probably heard.

She could feel a presence shift before two large arms engulfed her, capturing her into a big hug.

A surprise squeak came out of her, but Raiden only hugged her tighter. After a second, she returned his hug, awkwardly folding her arms around his large torso.

"I'm sorry you went through that." He whispered near her ear. She had to grip onto everything within her to not tear up. Her body was fighting against her so bad, wanting to give in, wanting to be protected.

"Stop fighting." He whispered again. They were the words that broke her. She had to snug her head into his chest to hide the fact that she gave in.

She started tearing up in his arms. They stood like that for a moment, just swaying back and forth, Raiden just holding her tightly against him, not saying a word. He let her ride her emotions out.

When Olivia eventually lifted her head, she realized that Malfus had already left the room. But then her gaze was captured by something else.

Raiden's warm brown eyes.

All of the skin prickled on Olivia's shoulders. A zing raced down to her hips, and then to her toes. Raiden's eyes looked so deep.

It was as if he was looking into her soul. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't.

She suddenly felt like tearing up again.

"Thank you for telling me." Raiden told her. She could feel his chest vibrate against her own.

Olivia started to nod, but then she changed her mind and forced herself to talk.

"Wha-uh-sorry," she sputtered out. She took another quick breath before she continued. "What now? What's going to happen with me?"

Raiden let go of her, instead gently guiding her to sit next to him on one of the side chairs in the office.

"That half depends on you. As it stands, Alpha Bessell knows you are within my care. He has made demands for me to release you-" Her eyes widened. Raiden started speaking faster, rubbing circles on her hand. "--before you can freak out, no, we will not release you to him. Not unless you want to."

Immediately, Olivia started shaking her head no.

"Then the best I can do for you is legally hold you under my pack's care. Which would mean you would have to reside here-permanently."

A knot lodged in the back of Olivia's throat. "Why permanently?"

"You are legally married to him, yes?" Raiden asked.

Olivia nodded.

"Werewolf marriages are different from humans. The laws are more old-fashioned. The only way for you to get an official, recognized divorce, would be for you to marry another man."

Her eyes were wide. That was news to her. Nobody ever mentioned that before.

Then again, she was also never allowed to talk to anybody, either.

"Then..."

"-you would have to marry me." He finished for her. They both let that sink in for a moment.

"But I don't know you."

"But you could with time."

She let it mull in her brain for a second. Man-hopping was the very last thing she wanted but Raiden was willing to help her.

And he had been the first person to be nice to her in a long time. Him and his pack.

And there was still the discussion of him believing they were mates. Something she still didn't believe.

She definitely didn't want to be trapped again. Or pressured to have children.

But he's the only one willing to help her.

Olivia blew out a big breath. "Fine. But under two conditions: one, no children. Two, the moment you hurt me-I'm gone."

His answer was immediate. "Deal. Can I just ask one thing?"

"Yeah?"

"Share a room with me."

___

Author's Note:

okay damn, I'm kinda pissing myself off with all these short chapters and cliffhangers.

I swear they get longer.