Mated to Her Alpha Instructor Chapter 55

Eileen

I woke to pale dawn light filtering through the curtains, my body sore, yet somehow I felt more whole than I ever had. The ache between my thighs was a reminder of yesterday—of Regis's careful hands, his reverent whispers, the way he'd made me feel precious and chosen and utterly safe even as he claimed me completely.

He was still here, his arm a warm, solid weight across my waist, his breath steady against my hair. Through the deepened mate bond, I could sense Valdor sleeping deep within him, occasionally rumbling with satisfaction. The sensation made my chest tight with an unfamiliar warmth—this wasn't just about me anymore. His wolf always accepted me, wanted me, and that knowledge settled something restless I hadn't known was still searching.

I turned my head carefully, not wanting to wake him, and just looked. In sleep, the sharp edges of his face softened slightly, though he still looked every inch the powerful Alpha he was. There was a faint shadow of stubble along his jaw, and I found myself wanting to trace it with my fingertips, to memorize every detail of this man who'd somehow become my entire world in such a short time.

*My mate,* I thought, testing the word in my mind. *My Alpha.*

The bond hummed in response, a warm pulse of recognition that made my breath catch. I'd spent so long believing I didn't deserve this. But lying here in the quiet morning, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my back, I started to believe maybe I did deserve it after all.

I shifted slightly, intending to slip out of bed and let him rest, but the moment I moved his arm tightened instinctively, pulling me back against his chest. "Don't move," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep and impossibly attractive. "Stay a while longer."

Heat flooded my cheeks even as I melted back into his embrace. "I was just going to wash up," I whispered, hyperaware of how bare we both were beneath the sheets, how intimate this was—waking up in his arms, his skin warm against mine.

"In a minute." His hand splayed across my stomach, careful of the small swell there, and I felt his wolf stir at the contact. "Let me hold you first."

I couldn't have said no if I'd wanted to. Instead I turned in his arms, shy but wanting to see his face, and pressed a tentative kiss to his jaw. His eyes flew open at the contact, the ice-blue depths immediately brightening with flecks of gold as Valdor responded to my touch.

"Good morning," I said softly, and was rewarded with a smile that made my heart stutter.

"Good morning, sweetheart." His hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone. "How do you feel? Are you sore? Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine," I assured him, though my body definitely ached in unfamiliar ways. "A little sore, but... good. Really good."

The relief that washed through the bond was palpable, and I realized he'd been genuinely worried. That he'd spent the night holding me, probably barely sleeping himself, just to make sure I was okay. The knowledge made my throat tight.

"I should let you rest more," he said, but made no move to release me. "You need to take care of yourself."

"I'm not made of glass, Regis." I surprised myself with how steady my voice was. "I'm stronger than you think."

"I know you are." His eyes held mine, serious and warm at once. "But that doesn't mean you have to carry everything alone anymore."

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When I finally made it to the bathroom, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and froze. The mark on my neck was impossible to miss—two clear rows of teeth marks, slightly raised and faintly pink, surrounded by the ghost of bruising that hadn't quite faded. I lifted trembling fingers to touch it, and a shiver of sensation ran through me, the bond responding to the contact with a pulse of warmth and belonging.

*I'm his,* I thought, staring at my reflection. *Really, truly his.*

The mark was beautiful in a primal way, a visible claim that said *mine* in a language older than words. But as I traced the outline, another thought crept in—I couldn't give him the same. I had no wolf to answer his. I couldn't mark him back, couldn't let the world see that he was as much mine as I was his.

The inadequacy of it hit me like a physical blow. He'd given me everything, and I could give him nothing in return. No reciprocal bite to seal the bond, no way to make his scent carry traces of mine, no visible proof that he belonged to anyone.

"What are you thinking about so hard in there?"

I startled at Regis's voice, suddenly aware he was standing in the doorway, watching me with those too-perceptive eyes. I tried to school my expression into something neutral, but the bond betrayed me—I could feel his concern spike as he sensed the turmoil underneath.

Before I could answer, he crossed the space between us and wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder so we were both reflected in the mirror. "Talk to me, Eileen."

"I just..." I swallowed hard, staring at our reflection—him so strong and perfect behind me, me small and marked and inadequate. "I can't mark you back. I can't leave my claim on you the way you did on me."

His arms tightened fractionally. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"How can it not?" My voice cracked despite my best efforts. "You've given me everything, and I can't even give you a proper bond. I can't—"

"Stop." He turned me in his arms, tilting my face up so I had to meet his eyes. "You've already left your mark on me, Eileen. Right here." He took my hand and pressed it flat against his chest, over his heart. "Valdor and I only have one mate. Only you. We don't need a bite mark to prove that to anyone."

"But—"

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "The bond between us doesn't need teeth marks to be real. It already is real—the strongest, most complete bond I've ever felt."

I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to so badly. But the doubt was so deeply ingrained, the voice that said I wasn't good enough, wasn't capable of being anyone's true equal.

He must have felt it through the bond, because his expression softened further. "I know you're scared. I know you've spent your whole life being told you're not enough. But you need to start listening to me instead." His thumb brushed away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen. "You're more than enough, Eileen. You're everything."

I buried my face in his chest, overwhelmed by the certainty in his voice, by the way the bond thrummed with truth and devotion. He held me until the tears stopped, one hand stroking my hair while the other stayed pressed to my back, grounding me.

"Now," he said eventually, pulling back just enough to look at me, "I have something for you."