Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 18

Willow

I let a small gasp escape from my lips the moment we stepped through the bathroom door.

It was like being transported to a completely different world.

The lights were turned off, but the illumination provided by the flickering candles established a relaxing atmosphere, not to mention a wonderful aroma that seemed to blanket the room.

I took a deep breath and allowed my gaze to travel over to the massive tub before meeting Ronnie’s eyes.

The tub appeared to be near overflowing with vanilla scented bubbles, while cherry scented candles covered the counter nearby.

I could not wait to sink into the warm, frothy water and soothe all the aches in my body that seemed to be never ending.

However, I felt a bit unnerved by the seemingly romantic setup, whether that was his intention or not.

I was suddenly feeling infinitely grateful that Ronnie had been the one to help me. I was not ready to acknowledge Jax as my mate yet, but my wolf was going crazy in my head trying to reach out to our mate.

I was able to push her to the back of my mind for now, but being alone in a small, enclosed room like this with his intoxicating scent and magnetic presence would have seriously tested the limits of my control.

That was before even mentioning the fact that I would be naked in a tub filled with soapy bubbles soon.

As I felt my cheeks redden, I shyly glanced up at Ronnie from under my eyelashes to gauge her reaction to the scene her brother had prepared for me.

I could tell that she was amused, if her small smile was anything to go by, but she also appeared to have a knowing look in her eye, though she said nothing about the room.

Instead, she helped me shuffle to the edge of the tub, keeping her arm locked tight around my waist to keep me from falling again.

As we approached, she stated, “I can help you wash your hair before I go if you want.”

Ronnie supported me long enough for me to sit on the edge of the tub to remove my clothes, before helping me slowly lower into the foamy bathwater.

I allowed myself to release a long sigh as the hot water began to soothe my weary muscles.

As I began to relax, I could not help but feel touched at her offer. No one had washed my hair for me since my mother had been alive.

I quickly brushed away the stupid tears that had started to fall without my permission; then I ran my hands through my hair, or I attempted to anyway.

I had not realized what a rat’s nest my hair had become, and I quickly realized it would take an eternity if I attempted to wash it by myself.

I glanced up sheepishly at Ronnie before swallowing my pride to accept her generous offer, “Actually yes, I would appreciate it if you could help me tame this mess.”

I finished by gesturing to the tangled mess that rested atop my head. I think there may have even been a few branches stuck in there somewhere.

Ronnie’s face broke out in a gentle smile as she moved closer to the side of the tub.

“We will have it untangled in no time.”

I did not respond verbally, but I smiled back at her as I moved forward slightly, so she would be able to wash my hair more easily.

I watched Ronnie as she reached towards the selection of shampoos and conditioners that Zeke had always made sure she had stocked at all times in the guest bathrooms.

I guess it was finally of some good to me, I though wryly to myself.

I watched as Ronnie reached for the strawberry scented shampoo. I was about to tell her I would prefer the honey scented one that I had used so long ago, but before I could, her hand switched courses out of nowhere and decided on the one I preferred. Well that was weird.

I debated letting it slide, but then I remembered that I had decided I was done hiding who I was while I was cowered in that cave. Even if it was something small, I was going to speak my mind from here on out.

“Why did you change your mind?” I asked Ronnie curiously.

She appeared startled that I had noticed her change of direction, but her eyes immediately filled with humor.

She did not hesitate to answer, which made me feel better about the small amount of trust my wolf and I had already placed in her.

“Jax overheard me offering to wash your hair from the other room and demanded that I use this shampoo instead through the mind link.” She finished by letting out a loud laugh that startled me.

I knew that his hearing was good due to his werewolf genetics, but the reminder that he could hear everything we were saying made me a little anxious.

I also was not sure how to feel about the fact that he preferred the scents that I loved the most if this fragrant setup was anything to go by, but Ronnie’s laughter hurriedly broke me out of my chaotic thoughts.

Before I could respond, she spoke again teasingly, “Oh, don’t go getting embarrassed now big brother.”

Ronnie chuckled a few more times before she quickly, but efficiently began washing my long tresses. She did not speak as she worked, but I noticed that she did pick a few branches out of the shrinking nest and set them to the side.

I grimaced. I was not sure where I picked those up at, but I thanked Luna for Ronnie’s help. I would be here for ages if I tried to tackle my dark locks solo in my tired state.

She began humming as she finished washing out the last of the shampoo and started applying a liberal amount of conditioner to my hair.

I closed my eyes as her gentle fingers sifted through my hair, allowing the melodious tune to drown out of scattered thoughts and agitated wolf.

“Wow, you have a lot of hair girl, but it is so gorgeous. I wish mine was that long.” Ronnie enthused as she finished with the conditioner, getting up to throw the sticks away in the garbage now that she was done.

“Thank you! That would have taken forever to do on my own.” I warmly thanked Ronnie as I broke free of my stupor.

“No problem! You have got to let me braid your hair some time though. I am going to take Jax with me to get you some food now so you can enjoy the rest of your bath in peace, but just yell if you need anything. We will both be able to hear you from down the hall.”

She spoke the words so quickly that I had trouble keeping up, and then she was out the door, firmly shutting it behind her, before I could utter a single syllable.

I heard low voices and a bit of shuffling coming from the other room before I also heard the bedroom door thud shut. Well okay then.

Now I guess all I had left to do was ponder the ramifications of my failed escape attempt and the expectations of how my newfound protector imagined things were going to go from here on out.

I knew that I was biased towards alphas after the way Zeke had treated me, but my wolf urged me to look past my mistrust for my other half.

I did not know if I could trust Jax, but I decided that I had no other choice but to agree with my wolf to at least give him a chance.