Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
“Are you ok?” he asked.
Alice blinked, and then she laughed.
“Right as rain, right as rain,” she whispered and looked away from him.
“You don’t seem to be…” he pushed.
Alice hummed to herself as she brought her arms up in a protective hug of her own body. The tune was upbeat, and she bobbed her head playfully.
That action made Axel feel uneasy and even more worried about her. He swallowed down his own nerves and said something he didn’t expect.
“You said we could trade, right?” he asked.
Alice stopped humming. She slowly looked back at him.
He licked his lips.
“I tell you about my scar, and you tell me your secret?” he asked.
Alice leaned closer to him and nodded. In doing so, the window of cleavage on her dress became that much more apparent.
Axel cleared his throat and looked up towards the stars.
“Instead of telling me your secret,” he said, “I want to ask that you answer me truthfully.”
“About what?” Alice asked.
Axel looked back at her.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
Alice leaned back, surprised by his question.
She considered it for a while before she said anything in return. Axel was okay with waiting. He thought she looked rather pretty in the moonlight. He wasn’t particularly fond of her outfit or matching hair, but the soft look on her face as she thought about his offer. The way she lightly chewed at her bottom lip.
He found himself smiling.
“When you look in the mirror, do you see one or two?” she asked.
“What?” he replied, surprised by the question. “What do you mean?”
“I asked before, do you see yourself as two,” she replied.
“Oh…” he said, “I’m confused. Are you rejecting my offer?”
“No.”
“Then…”
“I need your answer to give you mine.”
“Oh…” Axel said. He sighed as he thought about it. “I guess I sort of see two….”
Alice nodded.
“One you accept, one you fear… no… one that gives you shame,” she smiled.
Axel felt a flourish of anger and embarrassment. He stood from the bench and turned to leave.
“Have you ever seen a kaleidoscope?” Alice asked, stopping him in his tracks.
“The kid’s toy?” he asked, facing her. “Tube with the beads or buttons inside and the mirrors?”
Alice nodded.
“Each time you look through the kaleidoscope, you look at the same thing, but different,” she continued. “Every single time there are still three buttons, two beads, and ten pieces of shiny confetti.”
Alice smiled, but it was a sad smile.
“You bring it to your eye and turn it, just a little,” she said, pantomiming the action. “And it’s a brand new image. Then you do it again, and again, and again. And each time, brand new and shiny.”
Axel sat back down beside her.
“Each and every time, same items, new image,” Alice’s voice fell just slightly. “Do you think that if the items could see through the kaleidoscope, they would recognize themselves?”
She looked at him now. With their golden flecks, her chocolate eyes stared at him as though he held an answer she longed for. But he didn’t know what it was.
“I…” Axel started to answer but found himself unable.
Axel thought he heard a strange sound. He looked around but saw nothing. When he turned back, Alice sat up straight, her body rigid and her jaw clenched tightly.
“Alice?” he called to her.
“Thank you for the chat,” she said, standing up to leave.
Axel quickly stood up and grabbed her hand.
“But our trade–” he said.
“Out of time,” she smiled and pulled away.
“Next time?” he asked, unsure why he wanted there to be a next time, but feeling loneliness in the way she pulled away from him.
Alice stopped; he noticed her shoulders sag ever so slightly.
“Next time, I will be brand new and shiny…” she whispered with a heavy regret as she walked back into the hall to answer the call of her master.
The sounds of the birds in the trees stirred Bell from the best night of sleep she had experienced in a very long time. No dreams, but no nightmares either. Just restful sleep.
She adjusted her position ever so slightly, and Galen’s strong arm around her waist tightened. Just enough to hold her securely but not enough to make her feel restricted. She smiled and put her hand over his.
Galen let out a soft grumble, nuzzling against her shoulder blade and squeezing her closer.
Bell giggled.
“It’s time to wake up, handsome. It’s morning,” Bell called out gently. Patting Galen’s hand as she spoke.
He groaned and grumbled and then once more pulled her closer to him. She laughed as the big puppy insisted on staying in bed.
“Hmm…” she said, “for someone so well versed in the mating restrictions of Winter, you sure don’t seem to have a problem with sleeping together.”
“There are sleeping bags and layers of clothing keeping us very much safe from anything that breaks the rules,” Galen mumbled into her back.
“So… if I told you I wanted to break the rules….” Bell said with a devilish grin.
Galen let out a low growl.
“Don’t push me, woman,” his voice was thick. “I’m already struggling to hold back.”
Bell felt his desire hit her like a tidal wave. There was no bond to speak of between them, but the heavy vibrations in his voice melded together with her own strong desire for him. Craving and longing rolled over her body, forcing her to arch and stretch in a way that might have embarrassed her if she weren’t wrapped up in a sleeping bag.
She bit her lips between her teeth and held in the moan that threatened to expose her. Then, taking a shaky breath through her nose, Bell calmed herself, quenching the fires that suddenly roared to life..
He pulled away from her, she wanted to stop him, to keep his warm solid arms wrapped around her, but she was still recovering her own senses.
Galen moved across the tent; she didn’t turn to look at him until she heard him opening the zipper.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To cool off,” he said as he left the tent.
She heard a distinct splatting sound dropping into the snow a moment later. Bell covered her mouth as she tried to stifle the giggles that came from imagining a big fluffy puppy flopping over in the snow.
She sure loved that big puppy.
They were all packed up and ready to head back down the mountain an hour later. The day was beautiful. The sun was bright in the blue sky, with only a few clouds in sight.
“Should we head down?” Galen asked, zipping up the last pouch on his bag and hoisting it onto his back.
Bell looked out over the view. She could see cars in the distance. The last of the alphas were leaving.
“Not yet,” she said.
She sat down on one of the logs and looked up at him.
“There is something I want to talk to you about.”
Galen put down the backpack and sat down beside her.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
“Yea,” Bell smiled. She took Galen’s hand. “There is just something I want to share with you, while it is my choice to do so.”