“Okay, sweetheart.” I pulled her into a hug. “We’ll come back when you’re feeling up to it.”
“Yeah? I didn’t ruin it?” Her whispered question broke my heart.
“You could never ruin anything. We can go back home and have some good cuddles, okay?”
She didn’t quite meet my gaze but nodded. She stayed quiet while I paid for her books.
I grimaced as I looked outside at the pouring rain. “You hold on to these.” I handed her the bag of books. “And I’ll pull the truck around.”
The rain soaked my sweatshirt by the time I got to the truck, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was my Olive and making her feel better.
37
LARS
The wind shookthe lighthouse cottage, and the mood inside matched the weather. Tension filled the kitchen, sharp enough to cut through. Olive had been bright and sunshiny all day, but her dark mood seemed to roll in with the arrival of the storm. Or maybe the weather was just as obsessed with Olive as I was and changed itself to match her mood.
Her deodorant must have worn off because her scent was all burnt coffee—bitter and acidic—and her usual sweetness was absent. The cabinet doors slammed shut as she worked her way around the kitchen, followed by her little sounds of frustration. And it fucking broke my heart. To think she’d been alone all these years, managing all of this on her own. The way her body turned her mind against her at the drop of a hat. I couldn’t imagine how fucking disorienting that must be.
“Come here, sweetheart,” I said when I couldn’t take it anymore.
Olive turned to me, her eyes dull and her expression pinched. “What?”
I crooked my finger. “Come here for a minute.”
“But I need to make us tea.”
I arched my eyebrow, barely keeping my alpha contained. I wanted to close the space between us and pull her into my arms. Butmy omega was skittish, and I wanted her to know that I was the one she should always run to.
Olive looked back at the mug she’d pulled out from the cupboard and then at me. Painfully slowly, she shuffled towards me, my thick woolen socks on her feet dampening the sounds of her steps. She stopped about a foot away, looking down at the floor. I cupped her chin with my hand and lifted her face to find her lip trembling and her eyes glassy.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I pulled her against my chest, folding myself around her. Her breaths came quickly as she wrapped her arms around me, holding tight.
I rubbed my hand down her back. “You having a hard time, sweetheart?”
The only sound I got back was a tiny little sob.
“That’s okay. I’ve got you.”
“I’m ruining everything.” Her words were muffled against my t-shirt.
“How could you possibly be ruining anything?”
“It was such a good day,” she sobbed. “Why do I feel like this now?”
I rubbed my cheek against hers, scent-marking her. “I don’t know,” I murmured. “But it’s not your fault, and it’s not ruining anything.”
She needed the comfort of her nest, so I palmed her ass and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I headed down the hallway. I paused outside the door. “Will you invite me inside, little omega?”
“Don’t leave,” was her response.
I pushed inside and settled her down on the bed, the air mattress shifting underneath her. Then I had an idea. “I’ll be right back.”
She clutched at my arm with a whine. “Sorry,” she whispered, curling in on herself.
I leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be back in thirty seconds. You can time me.”
I ran back to the living room and grabbed the books we’d gotten today. Olive was completely hidden under a blanket when I returned.
