An Alpha's Duty

Chapter 22

Ryan felt nervous standing outside the main house waiting for Lenah to join him. He looked at his watch for the hundredth time that evening and ran his hand through his hair roughly as he realised it was almost time for her to meet him.

Hearing soft, quick footsteps on the other side of the door he stood up straight and watched as Lenah slipped out of the main door. She was a few minutes early but Ryan didn't care as he looked at his mate.

She wore a long blue shirt that came down to the middle of her thighs with a small woven belt that highlighted her waist. She'd paired it with simple brown sandals and had her hair loose around her shoulders.

She was the most beautiful woman Ryan had ever seen as she stood there looking uncertainly towards him. He'd told her nothing about where they were going, only to dress comfortably.

In truth she was just as nervous as him. She took his outstretched hand and watched him gently tuck her arm under his ready to guide her where he wanted them to go. Her whole arm tingled where he touched her and she felt heat flood to her face as she looked at him.

As they started blending into the tree line Ryan pulled her behind a large tree. Before she could question him, his lips softly touched hers. The kiss was different to any of the others they'd shared. It was slow and sweet and had her toes curling in anticipation. It was a kiss that promised so much and she found herself clinging to that possibility.

Ryan lifted his lips away from hers and kissed her forehead, pulling her into his arms and burying his head in her hair.

"I've missed you." Lenah would have scoffed at his words if she hasn't seen the look of longing in his eyes. She understood how he felt though.

It had only been a few days since they were last alone and yet now that she was in his arms it felt like an eternity. In those days she had realised how much she missed being with him. She craved his company, looking forward to those few precious moments where she could just watch him.

She saw the worry and strain enter his eyes when he thought no one was watching him but every time he looked at her there was nothing but kindness. His smile was infectious and his deep male laugh made her heart skip a beat.

It amazed her that with everything that was happening, everything his pack was going through he was able to laugh, that his pack was still able to hope.

All day she'd thought about meeting him, unable to stop her heart from fluttering every time she thought of him. No other man had ever been able to capture her attention like this before and she found she didn't want any other man.

The more she thought about her feelings the more she couldn't deny what was happening between her and Ryan. She knew it was cowardice to keep running from her feelings but the idea of being Ryan's mate terrified her.

What if she couldn't be the mate he needed? What if she disappointed him?

She would do anything not to disappoint him and yet she knew it was inevitable. One day she would do something that would show him exactly what she was and he would walk away from her. And she could never blame him for that.

He would always deserve someone better than her, he deserved someone that was good, someone who could be his light. Not a creature that was only meant for the dark. It was selfish of her to keep this going, agreeing to go places with him but truthfully she wasn't strong enough to walk away from him.

In her life there were very few things that made her truly happy, that could make her forget for even a few moments what she was but Ryan was one of those things. When she was with him she just felt like a woman falling in love, not a monster that so many feared. It's why she couldn't push him away.