Connection Through Blindness

Chapter 26

The Alpha King and I were through the territory when it hit me; I actually considered this my new home. That realization made me come to a complete stop.

The Alpha King looked back at me with a questioning look. "What's wrong?"

"For the first time since I've arrived I see the house" - nodding my head in the direction of the mansion - "as my home."

Those rare smiles he rarely showed was right there on his handsome face, making me feel like jelly on the inside. He nods ahead of us, and I smile and went back to his side.

I sigh as we continue our walk to the house. "What now?" I ask while swinging my arms.

There went that smile again. "You're so impatient and needy," he teased, bumping shoulders.

I walked ahead of him, but he had no trouble catching up with me 'cause of those damn long legs.

I groan. "Not fair."

Shakes his head and tries to reach for my hand but I pull away. He raised an eyebrow at me.

I shrug, saying, "I'm not needy. I don't need anyone - or a man, for that matter - to watch out for me."

He pulled me to a stop and, slowly, backed me up to a tree, placing a hand on my waist and the other to rest on my cheek. It felt like it took forever for him to lean down and kiss me, not too hard yet not too soft, just right.

The temptation was too much, I just had to lick my lips when I pulled away, sighing.

"You're wrong," he said softly. "You do need me in your life, because I need you."

I swallow, my heart speeding up like a rocket. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, a blush settling on my cheeks.

He caressed my cheek. "You're the most beautiful woman to ever live, and you're mine," he breathed.

A second later I could feel another blush warming my face. Geez, this guy can really bring out the nervousness that I haven't felt since I was a child. The kind of nervousness a girl can feel around the first man she's ever fell in love with.

"You know, you don't have to say things like that to me," I tell him truthfully, smiling up at the setting sun.

"What do you mean?" He wanted to know.

Chewing on my bottom lip, I shrug. "Just because we're dating you don't have to compliment me. We didn't make us official quite yet."

He had the fakest smile I'd ever seen on his face as he faced me, scoffing. "Of course we are not together, wouldn't think of it - "

I walked ahead of him, cutting off his sentence. "I'm pretty tired," I interrupted him, telling half the truth.

Without looking back I rushed off while feeling a weird pang go through my heart. I take a leaping jump over the trees to get to the house faster all at the same keeping it together. On my way to the room I ran right into Beta Ryan, which was not supposed to happen.

The biggest grin Ryan has ever showed was pointed directly at me. He gently took my hands in his, green eyes shining with emotion. "My mate changed her mind," he said softly, quietly, as if he were afraid saying it too loud would make it become untrue.

I smiled my warmest smile at him, feeling true happiness for the future with his mate. "That's amazing!" I laugh excitedly and hug him tightly. "I'm so happy for you."

There must have been something in my voice to have given away what was laying underneath, because he gave me a look that said he knew I was hiding something.