Her Broken Alpha Prince (Book 18 of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 30

Knox couldn't have been any more thankful for Clara. The woman had come through for him in so many ways.
He'd just been hoping to maybe steal a shirt off of her clothesline, and possibly a pair of shoes, if he could find some laying around. He hadn't expected a meal, a shower, and a shave. He hadn't expected to actually feel like himself for the first time in four years.

He most definitely hadn't expected her to let him shower. He'd figured once he'd left her property, he'd go get a hotel room and finally get a good long hot shower. Then he'd concern himself with shoes and some clothes. The fact that she'd been willing to give him a few things had made him grateful as it was, and he'd noticed the pile of wood that needed chopped, and realized she probably lived alone. He couldn't see her wielding an ax, and chopping all of that wood. It would be a lot of work for her. He'd decided to help. 

He wasn't even sure why he'd bothered to chop her wood. The smart thing would have been to keep moving, though he had been curious as to why she's wanted him to stick around. He could have just taken off. It wasn't like he was her prisoner.

But it had felt good, stretching and working out his muscles. It was mindless work, and he'd shut his brain off, something he'd gotten good at doing over the last four years. He really wanted to find the nearest town and take a long hot shower and get a good nights sleep in a bed instead of on the hard ground. He hadn't slept in a bed in four years.

He'd made quick work of her wood, finishing it up, and realizing that chopping wood barefoot wasn't really that great of an idea. He'd spent several moments upstairs picking out a few splinters with a pair of tweezers he'd found.

Knox wondered who the bedroom Clara had left him in had belonged to. The only scent inside of it was hers, and it wasn't very strong. But the bathroom had everything he needed to make himself feel human again and he'd taken full advantage, grateful that she'd allowed him to use it, even though part of him wanted to lecture her on allowing him inside of her house. He might be completely harmless, but the next person who wandered onto her land might not be.

Harmless? Him? He snorted in amusement. If only she knew what he really was, she'd probably shoot him.

He'd showered first, washing his hair and beard multiple times, then got out and shaved the beard completely off, then cut his hair. He found the clippers in a cabinet and a small mirror and cut his hair fairly short. The trim wasn't perfect but it was way better than what it had been and he'd be cooler.

Then he'd gotten back in the shower one more time, scrubbing himself well and enjoying the warm water. After that, he'd taken the time to clean her shower. It was disgusting inside. His own mother would shoot him if he left her shower that gross, and after Clara's kindness to him, he just couldn't do that to her. Besides, the woman was going to feed him, and the scents coming from her kitchen were incredibly enticing. He hadn't had a home cooked meal since...well he didn't want to think about that.

Clara had provided him with a T-shirt and sweatpants, which he appreciated. The clothes were in much better shape than his own. The sweats fit him; the shirt was tight. If it had been before, it probably wouldn't have fit him at all. His muscles weren't what they'd been. They were a bit sore from chopping all that wood earlier, but he knew that wouldn't last long.

Knox wasn't even sure what he was going to do now. He didn't want to go home yet, and beyond that thought, he didn't have any idea of what he would do. He would have preferred to stay out as a wolf for a while longer, but Romeo had refused him, and would not allow him to shift unless it was absolutely necessary. His wolf was definitely stubborn. More so than he was.

Knox had seen the way Clara had looked at him when he'd came back downstairs after his shower. He'd seen that look before, the appreciation for the way he'd cleaned up. It was the first time he gave any thought to sex, though he quickly shoved that out of his mind, instead following her into the kitchen and sitting down at her table. 

He could not take advantage of her that way, even though he knew he probably could if he really wanted to. He'd felt her eyes on him so many times since he'd been there, looking him over. But he wasn't sure his body would even respond to a woman right now.

The food had been so good that he couldn't help but have seconds and thirds. It was the first cooked meal he'd had in four years. Or at least he thought it had been four years. He knew at least four winters had gone by. He'd been living off of raw meat, and while he could eat that in his wolf form, it was less than appetizing when he was human. He could handle his steak rare, but his wolf preferred it raw. He'd learned to completely tune out while Romeo was eating. His wolf had no qualms about much of anything.

The meal had been quiet. Knox had been alone for four years now, and had no idea what was going on in the world. He'd forgotten how to make conversation, especially with a beautiful woman that he didn't know. He was sure he could have found something to talk about but he hadn't really wanted to. She hadn't seemed to mind the silence either, though he'd noticed that she'd spent most of the meal watching him. But he'd truly appreciated what Clara had done for him. 

But now, she stood there staring at him, her offer out there. She didn't mean sex, did she? Was that where his addled brain was going with this? And was he completely wrong? He honestly wasn't sure anymore. He'd been better at reading women before ... Before his life had been completely fucked up. Before he'd become a recluse who didn't know anything anymore, including how to figure out what this woman was insinuating.

He realized he was going to have to be blunt with her. "Clara, I've been alone for a very long time. What are you asking me?"

She blinked at his question and he realized he'd read her wrong. Shit. He needed to leave. Head up the road and get a hotel room and sleep for a few days. He didn't want her to think he planned to take advantage of her, or that he was trying to goad her into it.

But to his surprise, she crossed the room and stood just a foot away. She then proceeded to drop the one thing on him he'd told himself she wasn't asking. "Sex."

Now it was his turn to blink. Seriously? But then, why was he surprised? He'd seen the desire in her eyes, though he'd ignored it, not letting himself believe that any woman would desire him. She sure hadn't.

Clara was pretty though. And he hadn't had sex since ... he didn't even want to think about it. No, he could think about it. It had been close to five years since he'd had sex. Five long years.

But it was tempting. She was tempting. She was pretty, very pretty. But he also wasn't sure how well he'd perform. "I'm afraid I'd disappoint you." Why was he being so overly blunt with her?

She lifted a brow. "Are you a virgin?"

Not the question he'd expected, but at this point, he might as well be. "No. But it's been a very long time, and ..." he sighed. "It's complicated." He was absolutely not explaining that one to her. No way. He wasn't even sure how someone would go about explaining something like that to a human.

"I'm not asking for a commitment from you. Just an exchange of pleasure," she said, staring up at him, her expression hopeful, and making him want to give her what she wanted.

But this could turn into a complete disaster. He wasn't even sure if his dick would get hard for her. It hadn't so far. But why did he feel like if he walked away, he'd be letting her down? She'd given him so much. He supposed the least he could do was give her an orgasm or two. If he remembered how. It had to be like riding a bike, right? He sighed.