Quickly realizing that she’s in pain when her face contorts, I snap out of this vile, angered state I’m in, pushing aside my furious jealousy as I rush forward and place my hands on her shoulders.
“What’s happening, Aurora? Is it the baby? Are you alright?”
Aurora turns her face slowly, mumbling a string of curses under her breath, her eyes jetted pools of outrage. Without warning, she slams a tiny fist into my ribcage, sending me reeling back with confusion furrowing my brows.
Before I can question her motive for the misplaced act of violence, she yelps in pain again, this time rebuking my attempt to help her with one hand in my face.
“Of course I’m fine!” she yells out. “Just leave me alone!”
“No!” I snap back, my protectiveness over Aurora outweighing any other emotion. Overcome with empathy, I ignore her dismissive waves as she protests against my arms closing around her. Lifting her off her feet and cradling her to my chest, our eyes meet for a short second, and realization stops me halfway to the bedroom door.
It’s no wonder I’d been behaving so manic and erratic. Even Aurora must feel it, because her lips part on a faint gasp, her eyes softening and turning lighter.
“You’re in heat…” I whisper, my voice turning softer along with every bone in my body, except for one muscle that suddenly grows with awareness and the blood that rushes to my core.
Aurora averts her gaze, a blush crawling on her cheeks as she purses her lips.
That’s why I was fuming about catching her with Brooks. My jealousy was only justified by the rut that’s been sparked by the she-wolf’s heat. It’s a frenzy of aggression that only comes about twice a year, but the last time it happened, I was able to control it because Aurora and I weren’t mated yet.
Now that she’s my mate, my wolf has become so attuned to her that it awakens its need to release in a way that I’ve never experienced before. It’s so intense that it has me acting on impulses despite Aurora’s inhibitions.
“Put me down, Elias,” she whispers bluntly.
“I’m not doing that,” I disapprove with a snort as I continue heading to the bedroom. “You’re in pain, and you need to lie down.”
“I have legs to carry me there.”
“Which you don’t need to use as long as I’m here,” I huff as I enter the bedroom, carrying her to the bed where I lay her down gently. My heart is racing right now, my inner wolf wanting desperately to ease its mate's discomfort. As much as she tries fighting it, it's evident to see that she’s in grave pain, wincing and flinching as she adjusts herself on the bed.
Straightening up, I stare remorsefully at Aurora, not being able to fathom what she’s going through since a she-wolf’s heat is unlike a male werewolf’s rutting cycle. Where a male feels the aggression and displays belligerent behavior because his testosterone levels are high, a female’s pain threshold is triggered, and she suffers almost as much as she does during birth.
My heart swells empathetically for Aurora, and I have to do something. But not without her consent. She’ll hate me for acting on my impulsive behavior, which hasn’t gotten me far with her.
“I know how to help you, Aurora.”
“I don’t need your help,” she snaps bitterly, turning her face away and prompting me to sigh as I take a careful seat beside her.
“I’m the only one who can take your pain away. You’ve felt it before,” I insist. “Please, let me do this for you.”
I see her hesitation as she parts her lips and then quickly presses them shut. She turns her face slowly, a wary look in her eyes as she seems mildly curious.
“For me?”
I nod slowly and cautiously, as I shift closer to her on the bed. “Only for you. I don’t want anything from this. It’s only to alleviate your pain.”
Aurora gulps before nodding her head slowly with consent, allowing me to move in and close the distance between us. As much as I want to taste her, my lips tingling with the need for both our lips to collide in a kiss, I hold myself back only to show her that this is strictly to help her through her heat.
Chapter 18 - Aurora
My heart slows as Elias moves in, and my lips part in anticipation of the kiss. I close my eyes, bracing for the impact that will obviously make me swoon instead of being angry with the Alpha.
My ears buzz with a slow beat like a clock's ticking when I hear him move, feeling the bed dip where he sits and feeling the heat he emanates enveloping the air surrounding me. My rigid frame from trying to get control of the pain I’m in eases up, and I feel my body softening even though he hasn’t touched me yet.
“Aurora…” Elias whispers, his hot breath fanning my ear and compelling me to open my eyes to find his face a mere inch from mine. He has one knee hooked on the side, leaning over me as he gazes into my eyes.
“Y-yes?” I stammer, tucking my bottom lip between my teeth and biting as if to snap me out of the daze of losing myself in the glowing embers of hazel eyes. Warm and Inviting, I lay back on my elbows, following instructions that he hasn’t vocalized yet, but it’s like I intuitively know where this is headed.
He smiles gently, encouragingly as he begins undoing the buttons down my chest, then peels the shirt away to reveal my cupped breasts. My lips are tingling, my mouth watering with the anticipation of his kisses.
