CHAPTER THREE
Ryan's voice was rough, like he hadn't used it in a long time. "You are going to share my bed with me," he said, his words coming out a little hoarsely.
Olivia's mind felt blank. She wanted to say something, anything, but no words would come out of her mouth. She just stayed quiet as Ryan held her in his arms tightly. He carried her over to a big bed. He said this was where they would both sleep together and her heart was filled with so much anticipation.
Olivia felt a little scared. For a moment, she thought he might try to have sex with her and being a virgin without any experience worsened the situation a little bit.
But instead of what she thought would happen, he just carefully got into the bed next to her and snuggled close.
He held her tightly, like a mother hen protecting her baby chick. He didn't want to let go. Olivia could feel the strong, steady beat of his heart against her back. 'Had he gotten better all of a sudden? Or would he suddenly become wild and scary again?' she wondered.
Olivia felt a little bit terrified. Her body was stiff and tense as he breathed softly near her neck. She didn't dare to move even a little bit.
But the man holding her seemed completely calm now. All the craziness from before seemed to have gone away.
She should be able to sleep peacefully now, right? But Olivia hadn't slept well at all during all the time she was kept in that dark, horrible dungeon. A deep tiredness washed over her, like a big wave. It pulled her down, down, down, and before she knew it, she had fallen fast asleep.
Soft, silvery moonlight came into the room through the window that was open. It made the room look peaceful and quiet.
Ryan opened his eyes and quietly looked at the girl in his arms. After sniffing lightly at her neck and smelling the faint scent of her sweet candy scent, he closed his bloodshot eyes at ease.
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The next morning, the first light of day peeked through the curtains, gently nudging Olivia awake. But it wasn't just the sunlight. Someone was definitely there, their voice a surprised whisper.
"Oh my goodness," the voice breathed, a mix of shock and awe. "She's alive! And... and the Alpha is holding her."
Another voice, deeper and more knowing, replied, "What did I tell you? Sometimes those old stories are right. She's alive and doing well, unlike all the others, the Luna sent before her."
A third voice, laced with a hint of panic, cut in.
"If Alpha Ryan didn't chase her away, and he even... slept with her... No, no, this can't be. I have to tell Luna and the head maid right away!" The footsteps that followed sounded hurried and worried.
Olivia's eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment, the bright sunlight streaming through the window made her squint. She wanted to sit up, but something felt... off. A strong arm was wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her close.
Slowly, the memories of the night before drifted back. Alpha Ryan... carrying her... She could feel the warmth of his body against her back. A sudden stiffness ran through her, and she spoke softly, her voice still a little rough with sleep. "My Alpha, please..." she whispered. "Can you let me go? It's morning, and we should probably get up."
Ryan stirred, not quite awake yet. He instinctively buried his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling the faint, sweet scent that clung to her skin, like delicate candy. A small smile touched his lips before he finally opened his eyes, a look of contentment in their depths.
Olivia turned her head, and suddenly she was face-to-face with him. Alpha Ryan. Up close, his features were even more striking. Sharp, dark eyebrows framed intense green eyes, and his lips were a perfect, thin pink line. It was the kind of handsome face that could make anyone's heart race. And then she noticed it – a small, subtle scar just below his right eye, a tiny imperfection that somehow made him even more charming and undeniably attractive.
Olivia wasn't easily impressed by good looks. Usually, she could see right through them. But the sight in front of her this morning? It honestly took her breath away. She just stood there for a moment, completely stunned.
The sun was just coming up, and its golden light poured over everything. It made the room glow, and that's when Olivia finally started to wake up fully. "Ca... can you please let me go?" she asked, her voice a little shaky. She had to clear her throat before she could say it properly. She was still scared that the nice man from this morning might suddenly turn into the scary beast from last night.
Ryan looked down at Olivia. His green eyes, the color of a deep forest, held her gaze for a few seconds. Then, he did something that surprised her. He gently kissed her on the side of her face before letting her go.
Olivia stayed still on the bed, feeling completely frozen. She didn't know what she was supposed to do next. Slowly, she reached up and touched her cheek where he had kissed her. She felt so confused. She remembered kissing him yesterday, acting all brave because that was her part of the deal. But for the cursed Alpha to kiss her on the face... it made her wonder if he was finally thinking clearly this morning.
As Olivia sat up on the edge of the bed, she heard voices outside the room. A moment later, the door opened, and a small group of people came in. First, she saw the head maid, the one who had talked to her yesterday.
Behind her, the maid was helping an older man walk. He had kind eyes and white hair. And then, Olivia recognized the last person immediately – Luna Sylvia. She remembered her from the dungeon when the Luna had come to make a deal with her.
The Luna's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Olivia. She didn't even blink. "You're really alive and healthy..." she whispered, her voice full of relief. "It seems like the seer was telling the truth. Come here, let me get a good look at you."
Olivia started to move towards the Luna, but just then, Ryan grabbed her wrist. His grip wasn't gentle anymore. He looked at everyone in the room with a cold, angry stare, like he wanted to hurt them.
The people in the room all flinched. "The Luna is speaking to you... you should listen to her," the head maid said, her voice trembling a little. Instantly, Ryan's icy gaze snapped to her. He took a step in front of Olivia, still holding tightly onto her wrist.
The head maid swallowed hard. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry.
Seeing Ryan protect her like that, Olivia was a little surprised. She whispered softly, "My Alpha, you're hurting me."
Right away, Ryan loosened his grip, but he still didn't let go of her hand completely.
Luna Sylvia watched her son with wide eyes. She was completely taken aback by his behavior. So many women had been sent to him before, hoping to break his curse. Ryan had always been cruel to them, angry that they were even near him. If he hadn't killed them, they were probably just lucky.
But things with Olivia seemed different. He hadn't just spent the night in the same room as her – that was strange enough. But to see Ryan acting so protective and possessive of Olivia was unbelievable.
Luna Sylvia wondered if the gentle man she saw now was the same beastly creature who didn't recognize anyone and didn't care about anything when his curse took over. Was this really her son?
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Luna Sylvia looked carefully at Ryan, making sure he didn't seem hurt. Then, she turned her attention back to Olivia. "You are Olivia, right?" she asked gently, realizing she hadn't asked for her name.
"I think my son likes you very much," Luna Sylvia said, a small smile touching her lips. "You will stay here with our pack from now on. And don't worry about your problems back home. I promise you, I will solve them. All you need to do is grant me my wish, like I told you before... give me a grandchild, an heir for our pack, and I will do anything you want."
Olivia nodded again, feeling the weight of the Luna's words. Luna Sylvia sighed softly before continuing. "I want you to know that my son won't hurt you... when he is himself, he is the sweetest person you could ever meet. Try to get along with him. But if anything... anything at all happens to you…"
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed again. "...if anything happens to you, I will go back to your father myself and make sure they get paid handsomely well."
"There would be no need for that, My Luna," Olivia said, her voice clear and steady despite everything that had happened. "If anything were to happen to me, you must promise me something else."
Luna Sylvia nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed by everything that was happening. "What promise is that, child?" Luna Sylvia asked, looking at her with curiosity.
"That you strip my father of his Alpha position," Olivia said firmly. "They won't need your money or your alliance."