ADELINE
I shouldn't be here. I should leave, it's the only thing I'm good at.
This feels like a dream.
The water still trails over my entire body, but it's all still so numb. The sound of someone calling my name is muffled, like nothing but distant background noise. They say it again and that's when I feel the faint feeling of fingertips on my arm, shaking me lightly.
I blink, once, twice, and then a third time. It does nothing to wake me up.
I turn my head to see Braxton's face, which looks concerned. When he says my name again, it's no longer a muted beckon, but perfectly clear as it rings through my ears and pulls me fully back to reality.
This isn't a dream.
"I'm sorry." My voice is barely above a whisper as I usher the words out, the same ones that I couldn't muster out to him before.
He doesn't say anything back. Instead, his eyes roam over my face, seemingly searching for something. When he appears to find it, he lets out a sigh before standing to turn the water off. When he bends back down next to me, his fingers find the hem of my shirt, trying to tug it up over my head. I swallow before shaking my head.
"I can do it." I croak out.
I then stand and Braxton takes a step back, giving me space to step out of the shower. His hair is now dry but his eyes still hold the same tired, heavy look as they did before. My eyes trail down over his bare chest and then to the sweatpants that cover his lower half before settling on the plush white rug that I stand on.
I don't overthink as I pull the wet shirt over my head, the fabric clinging to my skin until I'm finally free from it. My shorts follow and they land with a soft thud onto the floor next to my feet. I can feel Braxton's eyes on me as he hands me a towel and I quickly wrap it around myself, not bothering to try and dry my hair.
"Come to bed." His tone is soft and my eyes flicker back up to meet his.
"I'm sorry." I say it again.
"You said that already." His tone is soft, but neutral.
"I know, but I am." I swallow my pride before I continue. I needed to rid the guilt that's been consuming me. "I hurt you with what I said the other night at dinner and now I was overreacting, assuming the worst."
His facial expression gives nothing away. Moments of silence blanket over us and it makes me want to bite my tongue, feeling like my apology is doing nothing but going right through him.
Another sigh passes his lips before he finally speaks. "Let's just go to bed, we're both tired."
I swallow thickly. I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly, but his response definitely wasn't it. Maybe I thought he would have accepted the apology, or possibly even given me one in return for disappearing for two days without telling me where he was. But his simple command is all I get.
I want to argue.
His silence and simple responses are unsettling, nothing like his usual self, which is always determined to dominate the situation. But the exhaustion that seeps through me and settles deeply throughout my body makes me reconsider my desire to fight with him right now.
YOU ARE READING
The Alpha's Witch
Werewolf"I want to claim you right here, so you know you're mine." His nose lightly traced a line down to the base of my neck. He placed a soft kiss on my skin there, showing me exactly where he meant. My breath hitched in my throat. My fingers were still...
