Semua Bab The Alpha With a Heart of Stone: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Ford’s pov“Is it weird that I’m nervous?” Nivia asked as we stepped into her bed.“Nervous about what?” I could feel her nerves through our shared bond, and it felt overwhelming. What was troubling my mate to this extent?“Everything,” she sighed, as she placed her head on my chest. “Going back to the Night Claw pack. The marking, the becoming an official Luna, getting rid of the council and, um,” she spoke the next bit in a hushed voice, “the sex.”“The sex?” I asked.She giggled, “Of course that’s the thing you focus on.”“What concerns you specifically, darling?” I asked, trying to be helpful and not dismiss her worries.“What if everyone is mad I left? Or what if they’ve forgotten about me? Or what if things changed too much or they all hate me?”I pulled my mate closer to my chest, “none of those concerns are valid, Nivia. Everyone misses you, and they all adore you.”“I didn’t even say goodbye,” Nivia said with a cute little pout.“I told the pack you left to assist your family;

Ford’s pov“No, no, no.” Nivia suddenly spoke. I was not sure if it was directed at me or if she was talking to herself. She tends to do that out loud for some reason.“What is wrong, darling?”We had barely arrived back home and we were now heading towards the packhouse to speak with my mate’s aunt. I thought everything was going swimmingly, yet here Nivia was, feeling anxious.What had I done wrong?I was trying to be mindful of my actions, but I could not remember if I perhaps had done something to make my mate feel this way.“I found myself making myself smaller and just returning to that role I played when I was around you. Like, being here, it’s actually a lot harder not to fall back into old habits.”I agreed. It had been more difficult keeping to my promise as we stepped food into our pack. Old habits die hard, and I had to alter a lot of my inclinations. So it was only to be expected we would regress to our old behaviours.“How can I be of assistance?”She smiled at me, “it’s

Nivia’s pov“Where is your mate?” My aunt Kat asked after I gave her a hug.“He has a meeting with the council,” I told her. “But he said we can go ahead and start without him.”“Only you’d rather wait?” She said with a knowing look.I shrugged, “we’re trying to do this as partners.”Sam smiled at me, having heard our short conversation. “So he’s really changed?”I nodded, “I know it might seem sudden, but I think it’s always been there. You know? Just hidden behind a mask of arrogance and indifference.”“And you’re back for good?”I smiled at Sam, “yes. I’m all in.”Aunt Kat sat down at the table in Ford’s office. I wondered if she had used his chair. Would he mind?“So, there was actually something I wanted to discuss with you alone first. I don’t know your mate, and I am not sure how he’ll respond to what I’ll be telling you.”That sounded ominous.“Okay?”She pointed to the chair across from me. “So, I’ve let Sam handle most of the day-to-day stuff, while I took over his tasks. And

Nivia’s pov“Being aroused by feet was just another defiance, another way I was different from the rest. To me, it felt like proof I did not belong here. Every little tidbit about me that did not compute with what an alpha was supposed to be, I tried to eliminate from my personality.” Ford said as he admired my feet. He pressed a kiss on my big toe, “even,” another kiss on the next toe,” the way,” and one more, “I speak.”“You used to sound different?” I asked. I didn’t think him admiring my body would lead to a conversation about Ford’s past, but I was here for it. As much as I wanted another ride on that Hardick of his, I wanted to get to know more about my mate just as much.“Indeed,” Ford spoke, before taking all my toes into his mouth at once and sucking on them.I moaned as my eyes rolled back. It was kind of hard to have a real conversation, but if this made it easier for Ford to open up about his past, I didn’t mind. I mean, I didn’t mind anyway, because he was touching me and

Nivia’s povThere was a lot to worry about. Walter’s last words were ominous, to say the least, but I didn’t want to focus on that.I didn’t want to think about everything there was to do after this ceremony, after all the changes we’d have to make. Or the ways we’d have to rally the pack behind us.All I wanted was to be here and now. Become the Night Claw’s Luna and a member of their pack.I wanted to be able to mindlink these people. To feel connected to them.Even though I’d miss my family like crazy. It needed to happen. You can’t have both.Well… I can. I am going to be the luna of this pack and then the alpha of the Iron River pack. So maybe I can have both. Just not at the same time.“Do you…” Oh shit, focus.“… accept the role of the Luna of the Night Claw pack and all the responsibilities that come with the title?” Ford asked me.“I do.”“Do you swear to protect this pack from danger, whether it’s from within the pack or out of the pack’s borders?”I nodded, “I swear.”“And w