Filed to story: The Luna is Secret Heiress Book PDF Free by Sylvia
Our wolves called out to comfort one another through the bond. The connection between us pulsed with unspoken understanding.
After a long while, Olivia finally spoke. “Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural course of life, my condolences.”
Emotion rippled through my ice-blue eyes. I stepped forward, reaching out to pull Olivia into my arms.
But seeing that I was soaked and dripping wet, I stopped my hand in mid-air. I couldn’t bear to get her wet and cold.
The gesture caused another tremor in Olivia’s heart through our bond. I could feel her emotional response to my consideration.
I was always like this, every little detail revealing my deep love for her. It was impossible to ignore or suppress.
I withdrew my hand, hoarsely saying, “I’m fine.”
Still being stubborn. That’s what it was like in her dream too, though I didn’t know she’d been dreaming of me.
Olivia looked up and met my eyes, glaring at me somewhat resentfully. “If you’re fine, why did you run out in the middle of the night to stand in the rain?”
My ice-blue eyes seemed to melt with the warmth of her concern. Just as I was about to say something, my pupils suddenly contracted.
Olivia gently wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me. The familiar scent of my potential mate surrounded me.
My powerful body instantly stiffened. The unexpected contact sent shockwaves through our mate bond.
I hadn’t expected this. Olivia had always been more reserved with physical affection, especially since our relationship remained complicated.
Olivia buried her head in my chest, tightening her arms slightly. Her voice was very soft. “Connor Rivers, will a hug make it less painful?”
My eyes deepened, a warm current flowing through my cold heart as our mate bond pulsed with comfort. The girl’s warm body was like a small stove.
She dispelled the cold from the rain, instantly warming me from head to toe. The physical warmth was nothing compared to the emotional healing.
My hands slowly returned her embrace, my movements very gentle, very careful. I was afraid of holding too tight, of frightening her away.
“I’m not very good at comforting people,” Olivia whispered, nestled in my arms. “I know that sadness and grief can’t be suppressed.”
“I just hope you don’t mistreat your body.”
Who said she couldn’t comfort people? A hug was worth a thousand words.
My heart had melted into a pool of spring water, rippling gently through our developing bond. This was exactly what I needed, though I hadn’t known how to ask for it.
The warmth of her embrace chased away the numbness that had settled over me since William’s death. For the first time in days, I felt truly alive.
After hugging for a while, Olivia left my embrace. The loss of her warmth was immediate and sharp.
“Okay,” Olivia averted her amber eyes, not looking at me. “Go back and change your clothes, don’t stand in the rain anymore.”
“Okay,” my expression was soft, very obedient. I would do anything she asked in that moment.
“Eat well, sleep well,” Olivia instructed, as if scolding a child. “Don’t make me worry.”
Hearing her say that, my heart turned incredibly soft. It was the first time since William Rivers’ death that Olivia had openly revealed her feelings for me.
The admission that she worried about me was more precious than any declaration of love. It meant she cared, despite everything between us.
I softly replied, “Okay.”
“Then I’m going back, you go back and drink Connor’s healing ginger brew, take a hot bath,” Olivia turned to leave.
I stood there, watching her back, until she was out of sight. The corridor felt empty without her presence. But the warmth from her embrace lingered. The knowledge that she cared enough to come out in the storm for me.
Returning to my downtown apartment, it was already past two in the morning. The staff had already gone to sleep.
The apartment felt cold and empty after the warmth of Olivia’s embrace. But her instructions echoed in my mind.
I took a hot shower, letting the warm water wash away the rain and some of the grief. Then I made myself a bowl of Connor’s healing ginger brew.
The therapeutic brew warmed me from the inside out. I could almost feel Olivia’s care in every sip.
After drinking the ginger brew, I lay in bed and quickly fell asleep. I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for many days since my father’s suicide.
But tonight, wrapped in the memory of Olivia’s embrace and her whispered words of concern, sleep came easily. The Alpha finally found peace.
(Third person’s POV)
In mid-May, Gerald Rivers returned from his European visit to bid farewell to his son and daughter-in-law. The funeral for William Rivers and Eleanor Rivers was scheduled for May 17th.
On the funeral day, the sky was overcast with leaden gray clouds hanging low. The atmosphere felt somber and oppressive, as if the heavens themselves mourned the loss.
The private cemetery was located fifteen kilometers north of Rivers Pack Mansion. Generations of Rivers pack ancestors rested here in eternal peace.
Rows of neat tombstones stood silently like guardians of time. They witnessed countless endings and beginnings of pack life throughout the centuries.
Now two new monuments joined them. The stones were engraved with names, birth dates, and death dates of the deceased.
Mourners dressed in black with solemn expressions slowly entered this tranquil place. Their footsteps were muffled against the soft earth, creating an almost reverent silence.
The two graves were arranged vertically, representing different generations. Bouquets and wreaths surrounded them in a sea of white and pale colors.
The ceremony began with a pack elder’s low and solemn voice leading prayers and remembrance. His words carried the weight of tradition and loss.
Pack members bowed their heads in silent tribute. Time became slow and heavy, each moment stretching like an eternity.
Finally came the farewell moment. Mourners placed white moonflowers one by one on the fresh graves.
Despite past unpleasantness with the Rivers pack, Richard Winters and Natalie Winters attended the funeral. They offered their condolences to the three remaining Rivers family members with genuine respect.
After the funeral ended, a young woman in a black dress with white flowers approached. Her movements were graceful despite the somber occasion.
She greeted Gerald Rivers and Eleanor Rivers with appropriate reverence. Then she turned to Connor Rivers with subtle changes in her eyes.
Her gaze showed more tenderness as she called his name. “Connor.”
Connor responded coldly and politely. “Thank you for specifically returning to the country to attend my father and grandmother’s funeral, Miranda.”
Miranda looked at him with barely perceptible heartache. “My condolences for your loss.”
Connor’s brief “hmm” and averted gaze signaled the end of their conversation. His ice-blue eyes remained distant and unreadable.
Seeing this, Miranda lowered her eyes with trembling eyelashes. She said nothing more and quietly left the cemetery grounds.
As funeral attendees gradually departed, Connor didn’t see the figure he hoped for. Disappointment flashed in his ice-blue eyes like a shadow.
The embrace in the rain that night seemed like a dream. Beautiful yet unreal through their developing mate bond.
Many days had passed, yet he could still feel Olivia’s warmth in his arms. The memory was both comfort and torment.
