Page 37 of Alpha's Impostor Bride

As the stone skips along the surface, each point of contact lights up, a mesmerizing blue and silver light that stays for a few seconds before fading away.

My gaze lingers on the glowing sea. I’m fascinated. “What is that?”

“Something you can only find in the Northern Wolf Kingdom,” Cedric tells me. I don’t know why he sounds so smug.

“Is it some kind of algae?” I ask, curious now.

When I take a step toward the water, he stops me. “Careful. The water gets quite deep after a certain point.”

“I won’t go far,” I promise as I slip off my shoes.

“Leanna.” There is a warning edge to Cedric’s voice, but I don’t care. I step into the water and am surprised that it’s not cold. Wiggling my toes in delight, I can’t help but grin.

“Look!” I stomp my feet in place, and the glow appears once again. “Cedric, look! It’s lighting up where I walk!”

“I can see that.” He doesn’t sound disdainful, just amused.

I look around before splashing my feet in the water some more and watching the disturbed spots glow. I don’t know why I’m getting so excited. I take a few more steps, only to be plucked out of the water by two strong hands under my arms.

“That’s as far as you go. There’s a steep drop there.”

I flush, feeling Cedric holding me like a child, my legs dangling in the air. “Okay, okay. Put me down.”

He carries me back to the shore, ignoring my protests. But when my wet feet hit the sand, it clings to my skin. Dismay fills me when I realize that I won’t be able to wear my shoes with this sand all over my feet.

“I have to wash my—”

Cedric picks me up again and lowers me slowly into the edge of the water so that only my feet dip in.

Flustered, I cry out, “W–What are you doing?”

“Cleaning your feet,” he says, clearly confused.

“I can do it myself!” My face feels hot. “Let me go! Please!”

He sighs as if he simply can’t understand me but puts me down.

I rinse my feet, but then I face another dilemma. “My shoes—”

I feel like an idiot now.

Cedric shakes his head at me and fetches them. I try to put them on, but no matter what I do, either they will get wet or I will have to step into the sand. “I guess I can’t wear them.”

“At times, you are completely hopeless,” he growls before crouching down and pulling my feet toward him. I nearly fall over with the force he uses.

My face is burning. “You don’t have to do this. I can just walk barefoot!”

“Do you ever stop yapping?” he snaps.

I shut up. He cleans off my feet at the edge of the water and then wipes them with his shirt before putting on the shoes.

“There. Now don’t take them off again.”

Dazed, I stare at the man. He just washed my feet and put my shoes on for me. Is this the same brute who kidnapped me and said all sorts of horrid things to me? He’s the king of the Northern Wolf Kingdom, and he’s washing my feet?

I feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to think.

Nobody has ever done something like that for me before. Nobody has looked after me before or taken care of me. For a moment, my eyes burn with emotions, and I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t know what to make of this man who says one thing and does another.

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