Page 111 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

Freya giggles helplessly. “I can’t wait to meet your lycan for real.” She beams. “He is so funny.” Her stance is more relaxed again, and she is all smiley, so in a way, Max did help the situation.

I entwine our fingers and nod toward the doctor, asking him to link me once he gets the test results. Steve and Ryllis stay behind as they have more things to do and discuss here; they deserve their privacy for it. On my way through the corridor, I walk by Steve who looks a bit sad. I squeeze his shoulder.

You need to be strong for her,I tell him; glad that we can still mind link.

I know. I just… want to rip the world apart to avenge her and to hurt everyone who hurt her.

Yes, but sometimes revenge is not what a victim needs. Sometimes they need you to be there for them, to listen, understand, and to be reassured they aren’t judged for what they went through.

He tilts his head, contemplating my words for a moment, before nodding.

“Freya and I will go ahead,” I tell him. I know part of him relies on others sometimes to help him relieve the mood, but Ryllis is his mate, and he is the one she needs. He needs to learn to have more confidence as her mate.You are doing a fantastic job, Steve. Ryllis already trusts you. I’ve seen how she looks at you. She seeks your comfort and contact whenever she is tense or nervous, and that says a lot about you, you know?

He looks at me.I hadn’t noticed,he mutters, a smile on his lips.I love her so much. You are right; I need to be confident for her sake and mine.

I nod, content. Ryllis needs him at her side to be able to move forward and heal. Only he can be that comfort for her, and the sooner he understands and gets used to the thought, the better. He is a capable and good man, and I’m glad he is starting to see it too.

Freya smiles at Steve too. “Amaryllis trusts you,” she tells him. “I know she does. I’ve never seen her as happy as she has been during the last few days.” She pauses. “She grew up in a land covered in snow,” she says with a wink. “Show her some flowers.”

Steve smiles at us. “Thank you,” he says genuinely. “To both of you.”

thirty-five

Belle

*STEVE*

Amaryllisdoesn’tsaymuchwhen she returns with Frida, but she doesn’t look as tense as before. Frida hands her a brochure and a schedule. “I’ll talk to Alpha Celine and my colleague at Moon Blood. Once you transfer there, you’ll be in good hands. Believe me, the doctor there is an absolute sweetheart.”

Ryllis nods and smiles. “Thank you, Frida.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that the brochure is about trauma therapy. Ryllis puts everything in her bag and closes it without saying a word. She isn’t ready to talk about it, and I won’t push her into it. Once done, she turns around and smiles at me. She seems to be less shy around me than usual.

“Did you have fun with the girls today?” I ask her while we walk out of the infirmary.

“I did,” she says. “Your sister is so nice, Steve.”

“And did you buy some stuff?”

“The girls made me buy more than I intended to,” she mutters, and I can hear a hint of guilt in her voice.

“That was the plan!” I say, noting how she smiles slightly. “Do you want to show them to me? The clothes you bought.”

Her eyes light up in surprise. She seems to be both happy and a little insecure about my suggestion. “I don’t want to bore you.”

“What?” I’m sincerely surprised. “You would never bore me!” I reach out my hand to her, and she takes it with a smile. “I like your new outfit.”

I really do. She is wearing white high-waisted jeans and a cute blue top. She looks sweet as candy, and I love it.

“Okay.” She looks happy. “Then I’ll show you the rest.”

On our way up, we stop by the kitchen; the head of Silverlake’s kitchen staff is a lovely older woman mated to the cook. They tend to bicker nonstop, but the woman’s eyes turn gentle and kind once she spots us. I know she has taken a liking to Ryllis. During our breakfast today, she was fussing over her and made sure she had everything she wanted.

“Are you two searching for snacks?” she asks with a smile.

“Should we make sandwiches for you lovebirds?” her mate asks.

“I don’t want to ask for too much,” I say.

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