Mated to Her Alpha Instructor (Eileen and Regis) novel Chapter 116

Chapter 116

“I can- 1 started, but my voice cracked, and I had to swallow hard before trying again. “I can manage,”

‘I know you can. His response was immediate and firm, but not unkind. ‘Humor me anyway.”

My cloak fell away, then the outer layers of my dress, and when his fingers brushed the bare skin of my shoulders to ease the fabric down, I flinched–not from fear but from the sudden overwhelming sensation of being seen, being touched, being cared for in the aftermath of being so thoroughly rejected. His hands stilled instantly.

“Eileen. My name was barely a whisper. ‘Look at me, love.”

I forced my gaze up to meet his, expecting to see pity or perhaps anger on my behalf, but instead found only an aching tenderness that made my throat close up completely. Slowly, giving me every chance to refuse, he cupped my face in both hands and pressed his forehead to mine, letting me feel the steadiress of his breathing, the solid warmth of his presence.

“You’re safe,” he repeated, and through our bond I felt the absolute conviction behind the words–not a hollow reassurance but a sworn truth. “They can’t hurt you anymore. You never have to go back to that place. You never have to see them again unless you choose to.”

The tears came then, hot and silent, tracking down my already tender cheeks to drip off my jaw. I didn’t sob–I had cried myself empty in the carriage–but I couldn’t stop the overflow either, couldn’t contain the sheer relief of hearing someone else say what I had been too afraid to even think.

They can’t hurt you anymore.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and released his hand so he could tend to me. He worked in silence, his touch so gentle it made my chest ache- washing away the dust of the road, the salt tracks of tears, the invisible stains of rejection and grief. And as he did, as the warm water and his careful attention combined to slowly thaw the frozen knot in my chest, I felt something inside me begin to shift.

By the time he wrapped me in a soft towel and helped me from the tub, my tears had dried completely, leaving behind not emptiness but a strange, fragile calm–as though some long–festering wound had finally been lanced and cleaned, painful but necessary.

“Better?‘ Regis asked quietly, and I surprised both of us by nodding.

“Yes,” I whispered, and found I meant it. I think… yes.”