Page 20 of The Wolf's Bullied Mate
A big tawny wolf appeared in front of me and Ray. It growled with menace. I wasn’t afraid, though. I recognized the wolf as Oliver’s animal side. I felt relieved. I ran past the wolf, not turning back as Oliver attacked the other wolves.
There was a bite here, a growl there, and then the fight quickly turned bloody. The other wolves fought to kill, but still, they were no match for Oliver’s giant alpha wolf. The bloodshed disgusted me and made me feel relieved at the same time.
In the end, only Oliver stood victorious in front of the enemies.
The vision’s message was clear—only Oliver could protect Ray and me. I knew these words were true, as surely I knew my name was Pauline. There was no doubt that Oliver was my key to survival.
“Hey, Pauline,” Oliver called out close to my ear.
When the vision faded, his worried face appeared in front of me. He had put a hand on my shoulder, something I hadn’t felt happen while in my psychic state.
Oliver shook my arm gently until he saw my eyes focus on him. He smiled softly as if to reassure me, or maybe it was to reassure himself that I was okay.
He already knew about my visions, so there was no point in hiding what exactly had just happened. “I’m fine,” I said. “Vision.”
My voice was parched. I always felt so weak after having a vision.
Oliver noticed I wasn’t feeling well and grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me to his chest. A blend of sandalwood and smoke, the most pleasant fragrance I had ever smelled, drifted into my nose. I relaxed against him for a moment.
“Is Mom okay?” I heard Ray’s voice from the right.
“I will be in a moment,” I answered.
“Mister… What’s your name, Mister?” Ray’s voice came closer. I saw him tugging at Oliver’s jeans from the corner of my eye.
“Oliver,” I heard the smile in Oliver’s voice. “You can call me Oliver.”
“O-Oliver,” Ray tried the word out. “Are you a friend of my mom? Why were we running?”
“I would like to know that too,” Oliver sighed. He took me gently by the shoulders and shifted me back so he could look into my eyes.
For a moment, we stared at each other, his gaze full of confusion and my own gaze full of uncertainty, too. I would have to explain to him why I hadn’t wanted to marry him… and why I now did want to marry him.
Now I knew that to keep Ray safe, I would have to stay close to Oliver. My child was everything to me. I would have forsaken my own soul to protect him.
So, of course, to ensure Ray’s safety, I would even become the wife of someone who had hurt me in the past.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a small, tired voice. “I don’t know what came over me. I just got so overwhelmed that I ran, and…” I trailed off, unsure how to explain myself further.
Oliver gave me a solemn look. “If you don’t want to get married now that you know the man you’ve been speaking with is me-”
“No,” I interrupted him. “No, I want to marry you.”
Oliver’s brows rose. He gave me an even more confused look. “You do?”
“Y-Yes,” I said. “I really just wanted… to have a moment alone. I was overwhelmed by seeing you after so many years, and by suddenly realizing that… you’re the one I’ve been talking to for the past month.” I blushed. This was the man who had teased me without end.
I couldn’t deny that despite everything that had happened because of Oliver, I still found him hot. I still enjoyed his smell when he was close. I still loved how handsome his face looked. This was the same man whom I had fallen in love with once.
I wouldn’t make that same mistake again, though. Even if we got married, it would only be a contractual relationship, just a means to protect Ray.
“I see…” He didn’t seem entirely convinced by my reasoning, but he nodded.
“Let’s go back to your house. The agent is waiting for us.” I stepped out of Oliver’s arms.
I took Ray’s hand. Ray’s eyes darted between Oliver and me with an intent look. I didn’t know what was happening in his little head, but the gears were turning in there.
“Alright,” Oliver nodded.
