The Alpha’s Arranged Bride: Age Gap Wolf Shifter Romance (Stardust Hollow Wolves Book 3) by Lyra Atlas

Author:Lyra Atlas [Atlas, Lyra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12 - Daniel

The rain had ceased, but puddles lingered on the streets, glistening in the reflection of the street lamps. The car hummed softly as it cut through the quiet night, carrying Daniel and Bailey back to Ram's house. He stole a glance at Bailey, who sat beside him, her profile brightened by the soft glow of the dashboard lights. Her fingers traced patterns on her lap, a telltale sign of deep contemplation. The night’s events had shaken her, as they had him, but her commitment remained unbroken.

Most she-wolves would have run when those wolves struck, but Bailey hadn’t. She’d stood by his side, fighting until she couldn’t anymore. He’d underestimated her. Just because she was young didn’t mean she was unreliable.

He couldn’t lie—he'd been concerned about her. He’d known he'd be putting her in harm's way and had no idea if he could keep her safe. But once she’d shifted, he saw her as an equal, and he realized that they could accomplish anything.

Bailey's head turned, her gaze meeting his. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

Daniel nodded. "I'm pretty beat. But we're not done yet."

"When we're done, we'll take the coward's way out and sleep in tomorrow.”

Daniel snorted out a laugh. "That sounds like a great idea."

Coward.

Her word choice suddenly struck him. Daniel's gaze drifted back to the road ahead, but his thoughts remained firmly fixed on Bailey. He'd been so focused on the merger and lost in his own self-pity, he'd treated her abominably to cope. Like a coward.

In his way, he'd done the same thing that so many others in her life had done. He hadn't taken into account her feelings or the fact that, even though their marriage had been arranged, she had the potential to bring immense value to their community. It was easy to dismiss her as a young, inexperienced she-wolf, but she'd proven herself. She’d shown courage in the face of danger, and she'd fought for the pack with everything she had.

He needed to do better. He needed to listen to Bailey, to understand her perspective and acknowledge her strengths. She wasn't just his wife; she was a vital member of their pack. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Guilt weighed on him, but it also gave him cause to be a better partner and alpha. He looked at Bailey again. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue, but she still sat at the ready. Daniel knew he had work to do, but with her by his side, he felt confident that they could face whatever challenges lay ahead.

In that moment, he couldn't deny his growing attraction to her, but he tried to rationalize it as something less profound. After all, they had only been married for a very short time. Their intimacy had been born out of necessity, not love.

But as the miles rolled by and the silence between them lingered, he couldn't escape the truth: there was something more between them. Daniel's fingers relaxed on the steering wheel, and he let out a quiet sigh.

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