Nerves climbed up her spine. She wasn’t certain how much Damon had been told about her limitations. She worried he didn’t understand how much of a burden she was going to be.She would try her best to learn her way around his home and become helpful, and she prayed he would be patient with her in the meantime.
Damon shifted her weight to one side and opened the door. The weather outside had been perfectly pleasant, but she immediately noticed the warmth of his home.
As soon as he shut the door, she wiggled in his arms, trying to free herself.
Damon held her closer. “Where are you going, Baby girl?”
“It will be easier for me to learn my way around your home on my own,” she informed him.
“Daddy will help you. There’s no rush.”
She held on tighter when he bent at the waist, not realizing he was lowering himself onto a chair.
He flattened his palm on her back. “Don’t worry, Baby girl. Daddy will not drop you.” He settled on what she realized was an armchair when her ankles brushed against the upholstered arm.
Damon arranged her so she sat sideways on his lap. It was so familiar and intimate, two things she was not used to. She felt awkward and nervous propped on his lap. Bending her knees, she turned to fully face him.
He rubbed her back. “Take a breath, Olivia. I know you’re stressed. I’m going to do everything in my power to make this transition easy for you. I’m sure stepping into an environment you’re not familiar with and can’t see is difficult.”
“I will learn,” she assured him. “I promise. I will figure out your space and do what you expect of me.”
“Olivia… Listen to Daddy. What I expect is for you to be happy. That’s it. Did you believe as my mate I would requireyouto take care ofmein some way?”
“Well…yes. Isn’t that what normal mates do? The ones who can see?” Her fear—a fear she’d carried with her most of her life—had always been that whoever her mate ended up being wouldgrow tired of her neediness. She’d braced herself to adjust as quickly as possible so she could prove her worth.
“In the valley, perhaps, but not among my people, Baby girl.” His hand felt so soothing, rubbing up and down her back. “Like I said earlier, Olivia, the mates of Alpha Protectors do not serve us.Weservethem.”
“I don’t understand.” She furrowed her brow in confusion.
“I will take care of you in every way, Baby girl. Not the other way around.”
He wasn’t making any sense. “You can’t do that forever. It would be exhausting.” She twisted to free herself. She needed to get off his lap and explore the room.
He gripped her hips and kept her on his thighs.
She blew out an exasperated breath. “I’m trained to learn my surroundings by feel, Sir.”
“Daddy.”
She licked her lips. “Daddy,” she murmured. “Is there anything I might break if I bump into it?”
“No, Baby girl. But I wouldn’t care if you broke anything as long as you didn’t get injured. Your safety is my primary concern. I spent the last several weeks arranging furniture to make it easier for you to get around without obstacles. If there’s anything you find that doesn’t work for you, tell me, and we’ll change it.”
Her breath hitched. “You did that…for me?”
He cupped her face. “Olivia, I would do anything for you.” He lifted her right hand and pushed the delicate sleeve of her dress up her arm, exposing the mark on her wrist. When he lifted it to his lips and kissed the spot that had determined her destiny since birth, she gasped.
“Mmm.” He kissed her there again before setting her hand on her lap. “Let me roll my sleeve up. I’ve heard the first timewe flatten our marks together is so powerful that no one can describe the sensation.”
She trembled as the sound of wrestling fabric indicated he was doing what was needed to expose the mark on his left wrist. Fate had determined centuries ago that Alpha Protectors would all be born with a distinct mark on their left wrist. Their intended mate would be born with a matching mark on her right wrist. She hadn’t considered the logistics of that fact, but now she realized that if they were facing each other, the marks would easily line up.
“Are you ready, Little rebel?” He asked as he lifted her hand again.
She nodded, uncertain what to expect but sensing already it would be powerful.
Damon threaded their fingers together and slowly lowered his wrist until the mark that would be a mirror image of hers landed against her skin.
Olivia flinched. For a moment, she thought something was terribly wrong. The shock that rushed through her felt like an electrical jolt. When she tried to pull away, Damon wrapped the fingers of his other hand around both their wrists and prevented her from breaking the connection.
