Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Two Hundred and Tweiße Chapter Two Hundred and Twelve.

"You look younger," 1 remarked.noveldrama

"I get that a lot." She responded.

I glanced around the house, taking in the pictures. It seemed Selene was an only child-just like I was. In one of the photos, her mother had her arms around a man with curly blonde hair. I assumed he was Selene's father.

Older photographs crowded the walls. Her voice drew my attention away from my inspection.

"I'm sorry about... last time."

"What?"

"The rings and all black must have scared you off.'

While I thought she looked better without all

that hadn't been the reason I walked away.

"No, it's not that. I just hadn't expected you to be so... young."

"Oh." She said, and at that moment, Rebecca Ashford walked in.

"If you need anything else, all you have to do is say," she said with a smile.

"Actually, I'd like to speak to you. Alone," I replied. I didn't miss the brief flicker of disappointment that crossed Selene's face. "It'll just be a few minutes," I added.

"Of course." Rebecca said and nodded to Selene, who rose and walked away, probably back to her room.

I hated that I already missed her presence.

"I was hoping to speak to you and Mr. Ashford," I said.

From the sadness in her eyes, I knew I'd made a slip. I should have dug deeper into Selene's file, but I hadn't wanted to invade her privacy. The fact that I had access to her information didn't give me the right to read it, so I had only picked out her name and address.

"My husband died six years ago." She said,

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware."

"Of course, it's completely fine."

I could tell his death had affected her; her eyes betrayed it. I might have been six years, but she wasn't over it. I couldn't help but wonder how little Selene had been able to cope with the loss of her father.

"She told me, you know. She told me you were her mate," Rebecca said. I tensed but quickly masked it.

"I know what you must think about it, and I understand. I don't plan on claiming her."

"You can't reject her," Rebecca said, her words catching me off guard.

"I thought you wouldn't want your daughter dating someone much older." Twenty- one years older, actually.

"What I want it doesn't matter. What matters is her happiness. Since she met you, she's... changed. When her father passed, it was hard on her. She took her grief to a different level. She shut herself off from friends, her cousins-everyone. Everything changed; it's like she doesn't want anyone getting close to her. I even had to force her to go to the mate ball."

Chapter Two Hundred and Tweiße

That explains why she'd arrived late.

"But then she met you, and you're all she talks about. She's taken off all those rings she'd loved so much and had not worn the color black since then. I knew that whoever had that impact on her was the one meant for her. You changed her, and I believe you can make her happy."

"She's only a child. I don't want her to miss out on her youth; she deserves better."

“I'm not a child.” The voice belonging to Selene called, and I was immediately reminded of Kaida's advice.

"I'm sorry. You're not. But you might not understand this until you're a little older."

"How I feel right now won't change.” Says Selene. "I like you a lot, and I would learn to be a woman just to be with you. This is what I want."

I stared at the bold, confident woman standing before me, and I realized something: I couldn't do it; I couldn't let her go.

I had been silent for way too long.

"I kind of guessed you were going to reject me, and it's fine, but I wanted you to know how I felt before it happened." She said it, trying to put on a brave face, but I could see the fear in her eyes.

“I won't reject you.” I said, rising to my feet and walking to her. I took her tiny, soft hands in mine. “I'll take care of you and make sure you're safe, but nothing more will happen for now. I'll give you two years to live and enjoy your youthful years, two years to decide if this is what you really want. If, after that, you still want this, I'll be waiting."

In two years, she would be twenty-one. Old enough.

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it back, and then she nodded. "Two years and we would be together. Forever."

Chapter Two Hundred and Thursen