Bride of the Cursed Alpha (Auren and Lucien)

Chapter 190

Chapter 190

Tamara POV

My body weighed down with exhaustion. Hours of relentless practice had drained me. Coach Dana ensured that every practice was heavier than the last. At the end of the game, every time I attempted to jump or stretch, my muscles screamed in protest. Sweat clung to my skin, and my head throbbed with the fatigue of it all.

I didn't have the strength to protest when Matt swept me off my feet, literally. His strong arms cradled me effortlessly, securely, and I couldn't fight the urge to sink into his chest.

"Matt!" I protested weakly, but it didn't have the fire I usually intended. It felt almost impossible to form words-my body had given up before my mind could keep up. Instead, I just snuggled against him, letting his warmth and scent envelop me. The familiar, comforting smell of him wrapped around me like a protective shield. Angel also purred inside me as she felt the presence of Torben near her. She wagged her tail lazily.

"Shut up!” he said and I became quiet. He kissed the crown of my head and I think I moaned.

Why was it that him holding me like this that made me feel so safe, so at home? Even in the chaos of the day, even when I was beyond exhausted, Matt felt like my anchor.

His body was solid against mine and his heartbeat was steady beneath my cheek, and I just let myself relax into it.

I was too tired to care about the disapproving looks from Sarah and Lexi as they shot us scornful glances. Matt didn't care either. He didn't even look at them, his focus solely on me. And I'd be a fool to say that I didn't feel smug about it. They would never know why Matt loved me the way he wouldn't anyone else. We were mates. What did the humans know about mates?

As he walked, I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, the world around me blurred. The rhythm of Matt's footsteps, or my exhaustion, lulled me to sleep. I curled myself into him, into his warm chest, which was layered with solid muscles. The jolt of waking up was sudden, and I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog

mind.

I realized he had carried me all the way to my dorm, and I must have dozed off. "Oh, my God!" I said in a weak voice. "You carried me all the way?" I tried to get down, but he grabbed me tightly, not allowing me to get down until we reached my

room.

held me, gently cradling me, felt like he was treating me like a baby, like a treasure. I was leaning against him, my head

I blinked up at him, feeling

said, his voice soothing. "You needed rest.” His hand brushed over my hair, a gentle

smile tugged my lips. "Will you

want me to?"

my cheeks. "No,"

He chuckled. "Liar,"

was crumbling so fast? Why was it that near him, I felt better, but away

didn't wait for me to respond, as he turned to leave

and I stretched, feeling the ache in my body, but also

much-needed bath.

the time. I didn't want to go for beachball. I remembered that I had filled for basketball. Then I was tossed into volleyball team by the admin. However, I found myself back in the beachball team. Everything was confusing. I had asked Brad to look into it. It's not that I was going to blame the

wrapped in a towel, I was met with the smell of food. I raised my eyebrows, surprised. Matt was already here, standing by my desk with a tray in his hands. He'd brought dinner for me-again. My stomach rumbled in response, and I

up over there. I pulled the towel tighter around me, trying to maintain some semblance of modesty. My heart raced. His gaze lingered a moment too long, and I could feel a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the bath. The air between us seemed to thicken, the world narrowing down to just

1/2

but it never came. With my heart hammering inside my chest,

of me," he murmured. "How will I survive without having

words affected Like I was the guitar he was longing to strum. And me-I was dying to be strummed by him in

1. it.

in his eyes. "I'll make up for this life and

I lowered my head, closing my eyes. It was the mate bond speaking. When I opened

I hated it so much that I wanted to pull

fists.