Ruthless Alpha, and his Curvy Saint-Chapter 30

Alpha Terrell’s POV

I watched Angel storm away, her retreating form stiff with anger and hurt. When I was certain she was out of earshot, I turned to Sheena.

"Don’t help her lose weight."

Sheena’s eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Whatever herbs you were planning to give her - don’t. Find something else."

"Why?" Sheena crossed her arms, her expression shifting from surprised to challenging. "Give me one good reason."

"I have my reasons," I said firmly. "Just follow orders."

"Orders?" Sheena’s voice took on an edge I rarely heard from her. "Terrell... Uriel...whatever you’re calling yourself now, that girl is human. She has feelings. Emotions. She’s clearly tired of being the way she is and wants to change. It is her body afterall. Her life. Who are you to stop her?"

"It’s none of your business," I snapped. "Just do as I asked."

Sheena stared at me for a long moment, her priestess eyes seeing far too much. "And what should I do when Angel comes back and insists on those herbs? Because she will. You saw the determination in her eyes."

I considered this. "Give her something else. Something harmless. Herbs for healthy organs, for clear skin, for strong bones... I don’t care. Just not weight loss."

Sheena studied me with that unnervingly perceptive gaze. "Why are you doing this? Are you scared that if she loses weight, you’ll fall in love with her? Afterall you’ve always liked them slim."

I almost laughed out loud at the irony.

Because It was the direct opposite.

I was already falling - had already fallen, if I was being honest. And it was because of how she was now. The softness of her skin under my hands. The generous curves that fit perfectly against me. The way her body felt like coming home to something I didn’t know I’d been searching for.

I was terrified that if she changed, if she altered herself to fit some arbitrary standard of beauty, these feelings would disappear. This new, inexplicable pull toward her that made my chest tight and my wolf purr with contentment - I wanted it to last forever. I’ve never felt this way before and I didn’t want it to end now.

I needed her exactly as she was.

But I couldn’t say any of that out loud.

"It’s an order," I said flatly, ending the conversation.

I turned and walked away before Sheena could probe deeper, before she could see the truth written all over my face.

I needed to find Angel. Needed to talk her out of this insane plan to change herself.

Needed to make her understand that she was perfect exactly as she was.

When I reached camp, my eyes immediately scanned the gathered faces, searching for long black hair and soft curves wrapped in my coat.

Nothing.

My heart rate kicked up, panic starting to edge in.

Somewhere nearby, I was vaguely aware of Lyra shifting on her seat, her hand rising to beckon me over. But I ignored her completely, my entire focus on finding Angel.

Where is she?

Had she run again? Had Bellick’s threat not been enough? What if she was lost in the forest, alone and vulnerable?

I concentrated, filtering through the dozens of scents around camp until I caught it - vanilla and baby softness, faint but unmistakable.

There.

I followed the trail, my strides lengthening as the scent grew stronger. It led me away from camp, through the trees, toward the sound of rushing water.

The waterfall.

I emerged into the clearing and stopped short.

Angel was in the water.

The pool at the base of the waterfall was crystal clear, and she floated in it like some kind of water nymph, her hair spread around her like a goddess. Her generous curves were softened by the water, glimpses of pale skin visible through the rippling surface.

She was having the time of her life, her face tilted up toward the fading sunlight, completely unaware of my presence.

Relief warred with anger in my chest.

She hadn’t run. Thank God, she hadn’t run.

But she’d come out here alone. Without protection. Without telling anyone where she’d be.

What if slave traders had found her? What if there were bandits in these woods? What if a wild animal had attacked while she was vulnerable and naked?

The thought made my wolf snarl with protective fury.

I needed to mark her. Needed to put my scent on her so thoroughly that any potential threat would smell me and know she was claimed, protected, mine.

"Angel."

My voice came out rougher than intended.

She spun in the water, her eyes widening in shock. Immediately, she sank lower, trying to hide her nakedness beneath the surface.

"What are you doing here?" Her tone was defensive, embarrassed.

"Looking for you. You need to come eat dinner."

"I’ll eat later." She turned her face away, not meeting my eyes. "I want to soak for a while."

The coldness in her voice hit me like a physical blow.

She was angry. Still angry from our confrontation in the forest.

I needed to fix this. Needed to get back in her good graces somehow.

Maybe I could join her in the water? We could talk, I could explain...

"Uriel!"

The high-pitched, giggly voice shattered the moment. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

I turned to see Lyra emerging from the trees, her expression sultry and knowing.

No. Not now.

"When you gave me that sign to follow you," she purred, swaying her hips as she approached, "I never expected it would be somewhere this cool and romantic."

I stared at her, completely baffled. "What are you talking about? I never told you to follow me."

"Oh, but you did." She smiled coyly. "The way you looked at me back at camp? That was definitely an invitation."

"It wasn’t." My voice was flat, uninterested. "Go back to camp. Now."

But Lyra wasn’t listening.

"I want to swim," she announced.

And then, without any warning or modesty, she started undressing.

Right there. In front of me.