Page 80 of Alpha Ruined
A cramp hits her stomach, and she winces, biting her lip. She hisses through her teeth and doubles over, and Cole is at her side in an instant.
“Shit, baby, come here,” he says, guiding her to the bed. “Lie down.”
She burrows under the covers and places a hand to her stomach.
“It hurts,” she hisses. “I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have to see me like this?—”
“If you apologize for being in pain again, I will gag you.”
Her eyes widen at the intensity in his eyes. “Never,everapologize for how you feel,” he says lowly. “I want to know,always. I meant it when I said you never have to hide.”
She blinks from the whiplash of his mood swings. Gone is the gentle, tender man from moments ago; sitting on the bed with her is a fierce protector.
“Okay,” she says softly. “Well, right now, my body is on fire. My Heat is coming soon.”
The corner of his lip quirks. “I know.”
“Of course you do. It’s obvious to anyone.” She winces at the pain, curling into a ball on her side. “Could I ask you for something?” she says quietly.
“Ask, and it’s yours.”
And that’s the thing about Cole.
She believes him. She knows, deep in her heart, that he would give her anything she wanted, even if it wasn’t reasonable.
“Can you stay tonight? And can you just hold me?”
He doesn’t reply, but his scent deepens, giving her his answer. He settles in behind her, pulling her close to him as his chest rumbles. He pulls the blankets over them until she’s bundled in the fabric and surrounded by his warmth.
His purr soothes her, the pain in her womb subsiding as she snuggles up against him.
“I never knew it could feel like this,” she admits, fatigue settling over her as she yawns. “It’s like I can finally rest. Like I’m finally somewhere safe.”
He hums appreciatively. “That’s what happens when you find your mate,” he murmurs. “It will always be like this for us.”
She swallows nervously at the wordmate.
“You still don’t believe it,” he says softly. “You still don’t believe me.”
He doesn’t sound angry, but she remains silent, unable to see his expression with her back to his chest.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” he whispers, pressing a kiss just below her ear. “Only one of us needs to know for it to be true. You’ll learn in time.”
Her phone buzzes from the edge of the desk, and she’s grateful that Cole unpacked her things for her while she was in the shower. Reaching out, careful to not leave his embrace, she grabs her phone and reads the text from her mother.
She lets out a gasp. “Holy shit,” she whispers, as she reads the attached news article. She untangles herself from Cole and sits up, her heart racing.
“Baby. What is it?”
“More murders. Two more, an hour from here.”
Cole raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
He seems far too calm for this, and she looks at him in disbelief. “There’s a serial killer on the loose, according to the police. They don’t think it’s Erik Hart. They think it’s someone else.”
Still, Cole remains unphased, even as panic surges through her. “You shouldn’t be alone, then, like I said.”
She looks at him, her eyes wide. “I…I can’t ask you to stay with me.”