The Alpha's Blessing [On Hold]

6

KAI

"Are you okay?" I asked her as I the car began pulling away from the house. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose red as well, and I could tell that she had been crying. She nodded, but I could see that she was just moments away from breaking down again.

She looked to the front of the car and immediately plastered a smile on her face, "Asher, Lyla, how are you?"

"Good, thanks," Lyla chirped back, and I could see Asher smirking from the driver's seat.

"You're still wearing your tux," Aurelia noted, causing me to look down at my dress pants, white dress shirt, and black jacket. I had taken that damned tie off the moment I'd gotten into the car after the ball last night.

I nodded, "It seemed counterintuitive to go all the way back home just to pick you back up today, so we stayed in a hotel not far from here."

She nodded in acceptance as she turned to look out her window, the pack she grew up in flying by as we made our exit. I could see her eyes fog over just as we reached the border, but as soon as we crossed over, they returned to normal, though I could see a stray tear fall from her eye. I wanted to reach out to her, to hold her or her hand at least, and tell her that it would be okay, that the sadness would go away, but I didn't. 

I didn't because I couldn't show that weakness to my Beta, to the Beta Female, and allow them to think that after just one night of knowing her, I'd gone soft. So I let her stare out the window as the land rolled by, Asher speeding to get back to White Stone territory. I felt that we'd already been gone too long, and I knew that he felt the same about it, as the speedometer never dipped below 60. 

Glancing at Aurelia, I thought of the words I had heard her father yell at her as she made her way out to the car. He had yelled at her, saying that if she walked out the door, that she'd essentially no longer be his daughter in his eyes. 

"We're almost there," I announced as we neared our territory. 

She turned to me and smiled, "Okay." 

I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but her smile melted me. It were as if she was the sun, and I was a glacier, and as she neared me, the warmth that she radiated sent me crumbling down into a pool of nothingness at her feet. She looked like a goddess, her golden hair curled loosely as it flowed down her back, her golden brown eyes shining in the sun's light. Aurelia was breathtakingly beautiful, and I didn't know how I had gotten so lucky to have her as a mate. It's funny, how just last night I was cursing the moon goddess for not granting me a mate, and now I have one of the kindest, most beautiful mates there can be. 

I don't deserve her. 

Just from the moments I've shared with her so far, I can tell she has a heart of gold, and is a kindred spirit to the Moon Goddess herself, I swear. Her presence alone comforted me, and I knew it was her and her alone that kept me from ripping her father's head off last night at his blatant disrespect and distaste towards me. She is so good, and I know that being with me would only taint her soul, yet I am selfish, and I want to keep her all to myself. 

Asher and Lyla were quiet the whole drive, though they never pulled their hands apart the entire drive. Music from the radio filled the silence as we drove, while I delved into my own thoughts, and left Aurelia to absorb everything that had happened in the last day. She had left her family, friends, and pack behind overnight to live with me, her mate, the big, bad Alpha that so many people are afraid of, and for good reason, too. 

"Is this it?" Aurelia asked as we pulled up in front of my house. It wasn't a grand house as most other alpha houses were, as I felt the money and space could go to the pack house. 

It was a two-story victorian style home right beside the training field so that I could overlook it at all times of the day, with my office on the first floor so that I could spend less time traveling across the territory to get work done. 

I nodded, "Yes."

She smiled lightly, stepping out of the car and looking up to the home, a half smile on her face as she tilted her head, looking up at the house made of dark wood and stone. With a little nod to herself, she turned to me, "I can work with this." 

"I'm sorry?" I question, and notice Asher stiffen slightly at the tone of my voice. Lyla also threw a worried glance to Aurelia and I wanted to growl at them for their actions. As if I would ever hurt the only good thing in my life? 

Without answering, she took her bag and began walking into the house. Shaking my head and letting out a deep breath, I followed her into my house, where she was already standing in the kitchen, looking through the cabinets. 

"Don't get me wrong, Kai, your house is beautiful," She says as she pulls a mug from the cabinet with a triumphant smile as she finally located what she was looking for. I watch as she begins brewing coffee in the coffee machine on the counter. "It's just a bit dark is all, and so with a little cleaning and gardening, it'll look much better." 

She hummed lightly as she got to work on the coffee, my lips parting a little as I watched in awe. She moved purposefully and gracefully, and I watched as almost every move she made was as elegant as she was when we danced last night. Asher came up beside me, a smirk on his face, and he mind-linked me, Close your mouth, man. You'll catch flies.

Shut up, I growled back and with an amused chuckle, he left the room. 

Pouring two cups of coffee, she place a mug on the breakfast bar in front of me and sat across from where I stood, sipping from her own mug, "So, tell me about yourself. I've heard all the rumors, but I don't like to believe everything that I hear." 

I thought of all the bad stories that have been told about me, the terrible things that I've done throughout my life and to other people. I looked into her eyes and saw them sparkle, genuinely interested in me and learning about who I am and what I've done. There was no fear, no look of disgust as she assumed I was what the stories made me out to be, and I could see acceptance in her eyes, an expression I saw for the first time in a very long time. 

Taking a sip of the coffee, I nodded, "What do you want to know?"