“The waters of the sacred lake help me heal,” Alvar says softly. “Whenever I’m hurt or in a bad mood, I come here. Soaking in the water speeds up the healing process. I hope it helps you too. I need you to get better.”
“I need your wolf,” he adds.
“I need our mate bond,” he says.
Tears well up in my eyes. “Fool,” I murmur.
In this moment, his feelings for me are crystal clear. I forget the prejudices, the pretense, and the distance between us. Wrapped in a skin-to-skin embrace in the cold winter lake under the moonlight, I come to understand my feelings for him.
How could I not like him? The Alpha who reveals his vulnerabilities to me, the mate who goes to great lengths to show his affection.
“Fool,” I say again, burying my head in the crook of his neck. For the first time, I hug him tightly of my own accord.
He holds me closer. “Mmm. I am a fool,” he responds softly.
We stay like that, holding each other in silence.
The night wind grows colder, and the lake’s water becomes icy. Gradu
