Ruthless Alpha, and his Curvy Saint-Chapter 62

Angel’s POV

The first day of our journey back was surprisingly peaceful.

No attacks. No mysterious accidents. No arrows flying out of nowhere.

Just peaceful travel through muddy roads, with Merrick’s additional warriors and supplies making everything feel more secure than our previous journey had been.

I rode between Uriel and Merrick - the twin brothers riding beside me like protective shields. Their presence should have felt suffocating, but instead it made me feel... safe.

Safer than I’d felt in my entire.

I’d asked Merrick about Harland discreetly that first morning.

"He decided you were safe enough with us," Merrick had replied. "Went on his way. Said he had other business to attend to."

The answer had left me feeling oddly sad.

Harland had traveled so far to find me, risked so much, and then just... left? Without even saying goodbye?

It seemed out of character for someone who’d been so determined to protect me.

But I couldn’t exactly go looking for him to ask why. Not when I was trying to stay in the Alpha’s good graces. Not when my freedom depended on behaving perfectly for just a few more days.

Soon, I told myself. Soon this will all be over. Soon you’ll be free from the mate bond, free to choose your own path.

Free to be with Uriel.

The thought made me smile.

Uriel. The man who’d shown me kindness from the very beginning. Who’d protected me, comforted me, made me feel like I was worth protecting.

Or Merrick, a traitorous voice whispered in the back of my mind.

I shut it down immediately.

No.

I refused to be torn between two identical twins like some prize to be won. I’d made my choice. I wanted to be with Uriel.

Didn’t I?

You’re drawn to him the most, I told myself firmly.

But even as I thought it, I could feel Merrick’s presence to my left, warm and solid and somehow just as compelling as his brother’s.

Stop it. Just stop.

The three days passed by pleasantly.

No violence. No attempted murders. Even Lyra and Sera seemed to have reached some kind of unspoken truce around Merrick, keeping their distance and their competition to subtle glances and occasional comments.

I never went anywhere alone - always with at least two or three guards, and usually Lyra as well. The constant supervision should have felt oppressive, but after everything that had happened, I was grateful for it.

Everything was going well.

Too well.

The last night before we crossed into Black Wolf territory, I lay in my tent unable to sleep.

Not because of fear or anxiety about what awaited us.

But because I’d reached the most scandalously, deliciously, impossibly explicit part of The Immense Pleasures of Gloria.

Lorenzo had taken Gloria to his private chambers.

And what followed had made my entire body flush with heat I’d never experienced before.

"His hands traced the curves of her body with reverent attention, discovering places she’d never known could feel pleasure. When his mouth followed where his hands had been, Gloria thought she might die from the intensity of sensation..."

I shifted restlessly on my bedroll, the book in my hands, my heart racing.

This was nothing like anything the nuns had ever discussed. Nothing like the vague warnings about "marital duties" that some of the older women in my village had whispered about.

This was...

"She arched beneath him, her body responding to his touch in ways she didn’t understand but desperately craved more of. His name fell from her lips, "Ohhh Lorenzo..."

"Angel? I’m coming in."

Uriel’s voice from outside the tent made me jump so violently I nearly dropped the book.

No no no no...

I looked around frantically for somewhere to hide it.

Under my blanket? Too obvious.

In my bag? Too far away.

I heard the tent flap opening. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

In a panic, I threw the book under my pile of spare clothes, just as Uriel ducked inside.

He saw me throw something.

I knew he saw because his eyebrows rose slightly, his gaze tracking the motion.

Please don’t ask. Please don’t ask. Please don’t...

"How are you feeling?" he asked instead.

Relief flooded through me. "I’m fine. Just... couldn’t sleep."

"Nervous about tomorrow?" He moved closer, settling onto the ground near my bedroll.

"A bit," I admitted honestly. "We’ll be crossing into Black Wolf territory. And then..." I trailed off.

"And then Sheena will break the bond," he finished gently. "And you’ll be free."

"And we can be together," I added quietly.

His expression softened. "Yes. We can be together."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"I have something to tell you," Uriel said finally, his voice soft. "When we get to Black Wolf territory. Something important."

My stomach tightened with sudden anxiety. "What kind of something?"

"I can’t explain it now. Not properly. But..." He reached out, taking my hand. "I hope you won’t hate me when you learn the truth."

"Hate you?" The idea was absurd. "Uriel, you’re a good man. One of the few truly good men I’ve ever met. You’ve cared about me from the beginning, protected me, shown me kindness when everyone else showed cruelty. Nothing could make me hate you."

"You say that now," he murmured.

"I mean it." I squeezed his hand. "Whatever this secret is, we’ll work through it. Together."

He stared at me for a long moment, something complicated and painful in his eyes.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway.

He stood to leave, then paused at the tent entrance.

"What were you reading?" he asked casually. "I saw you throw something when I came in."

My face went nuclear.

"Bible stories," I lied quickly. "Just... reviewing some of my favorite passages. Old habits from the convent."

"Bible stories," he repeated, something like amusement flickering across his face. "Of course. Well, don’t stay up too late with your scripture. We have a long day tomorrow."

"I won’t."

He left, and I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

That was too close.

I’d barely retrieved the book from under my clothes when the tent flap opened again.

What now?

Merrick ducked inside, his silver eyes finding me immediately.

"Angel," he said warmly. "Just checking on you before tomorrow. Are you well?"

"I’m fine," I said, holding the book behind my back.

"Still reading that book I gave you?" He moved closer, and I could smell his scent - similar to Uriel’s but somehow slightly different. "Do you have any questions yet?"

So many questions.

What does it feel like when a man touches you like Lorenzo touched Gloria?

How do you know if you’re doing it right?

Is it always that intense, or was Gloria’s experience unusual?

But I couldn’t ask any of that. Not when my face was already burning and my body was still tingling from what I’d been reading.

"No questions," I said, perhaps too quickly. "It’s very... educational. Thank you."

Merrick smiled knowingly. "If you change your mind and want to discuss anything - anything at all - you know where to find me."

"I do. Thank you."

He studied me for another moment, then nodded and left.

I collapsed back onto my bedroll, the book pressed against my chest.

Tomorrow, I thought. Tomorrow we reach Black Wolf territory.

Tomorrow I become free.

*****

Morning came too soon.

Everyone around the camp was busy packing up for the final leg of our journey.

The weather was beautiful - clear skies, gentle breeze, the kind of day that promised good travel.

Everyone seemed in high spirits about finally going home, ending this long journey, returning to familiar territory.

Lyra was helping me pack up my tent, chattering about how excited she was to see what Black Wolf territory looked like, whether the castle would be as grand as Merrick’s, what kind of people lived there.

I barely heard her.

Because I was fighting the overwhelming urge to reread that Chapter from last night.

The Chapter where Lorenzo had made Gloria scream his name.

The Chapter that had left me aching in places I’d never paid attention to before.

The Chapter that had featured descriptions so detailed I could almost feel what Gloria had felt...

Stop it, I commanded myself. Pack the book away and focus.

I was trying to tie it securely in the traveling bag Merrick had given me - along with clothes, toiletries, and other necessities - when footsteps approached.

"Did you sleep well?"

Uriel’s voice.

I turned to respond, the book still in my hands...

It slipped.

Fell right out of my grasp.

Hit the ground with a soft thud.

And Uriel, being a gentleman, bent to pick it up before I could.

He looked at the cover.

Looked at me.

Looked at the cover again.

Looked at me again.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"From Merrick’s library," I said quickly. "I was just browsing and..."

"How did you get this book?" he interrupted. "Someone must have told you about it. Recommended it."

"No one told me about it! I was just looking through the shelves and saw it and..." I trailed off, realizing how weak that sounded.

"Despite the title?" He held it up, showing me the embossed words. "The Immense Pleasures of Gloria. And you just randomly picked that up thinking it was... what? A history of a saint?"

My face was on fire. "I wanted to know what it was about."

"Was this what you were reading last night? When you told me it was Bible stories?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

For a long moment, he just stared at me.

Then he took my arm gently and led me away from the main camp, away from Lyra and the warriors and anyone who might overhear.

When we were sufficiently isolated, he turned to face me.

"I don’t want you reading this book," he said quietly.

Indignation flared through my embarrassment. "You don’t have the right to tell me what I can and cannot read..."

"I want you to learn from me," he interrupted, his voice dropping to something that made my knees weak. "Not from some old boring book."

"The book isn’t boring," I protested weakly.

"It is." He stepped closer, and suddenly I could barely breathe. "It’s boring compared to what I’m going to do to you. What I’m going to show you. What I’m going to teach you once we’re finally together."

Oh God.

"So I’m taking this," he continued, putting the book into his own bag. "For now. And later - when we’ve experimented enough - you’ll realize that book doesn’t come close to the real thing."

Something warm and liquid pooled between my legs - exactly like what Gloria had described feeling.

Is this what she meant?

Uriel winked and took my hand, leading me back toward camp.

I walked in a complete daze.

What I’m going to do to you.

What I’m going to show you.

What I’m going to teach you.

The words played on repeat in my mind, each repetition sending fresh waves of heat through my body.

By the time we mounted our horses and began the final stretch of travel, I could barely remember my own name.

All I could think about was Uriel’s promise.