’t blame him for being overprotective. How many times had he rescued her since they’d met? How many times had she relied on him for survival?
But Olivia didn’t need rescuing. She was strong. She wanted him to be proud of it.
“Her wolf is pushing. She needs freedom to reach her full potential. So she can protect the pack when you’re gone.” Her words were factual.
Mal’s eyes narrowed, his lips pressed flat. Ellen’s comment infuriated him. She knew he’d never leave her—he’d promised. But she did want to do her part when it came to protecting the pack.
“And you’re going to teach her?” he barked.
“I cannot teach her to have instincts. But she has to learn to use them, to trust them. You need to let her do that,” Ellen bit back.
Mal sighed, loudly. “I know what she needs.”
“Do you?” Ellen’s tone remained impartial, almost cold.
Olivia was right there, but neither of them seemed the least bit curious about what she had to say about what she needed. Yes, she was new and learning, but she wasn’t incompetent. They shouldn’t fight over her because they shouldn’t be making decisions for her. Olivia stood, her temper flaring. “Thanks for dinner guys.” She smiled at Anders and Dante. “I’m beat so—”
“See you in the morning.” Jessa smiled.
She rinsed and loaded her dishes in the dishwasher and smiled her good-nights, grabbing a book off the side table and heading to her room. Being a wolf meant she didn’t need lights, so she left them off as she went in and ran a bath. When steam flooded the room and the water was high, she slipped into the bath and rested her head against the edge. If she could have five minutes of Ellen-Mal-wolf-free thoughts, maybe she could calm down.
She soaked a washcloth and draped it over her face, letting the warmth ease her tension.
“I get jealous.” Mal’s voice made her jump.
She dragged the washcloth from her face, watching him.
“Up until now, it’s been you and me. We’re part of a pack, but I still want it to be just us.” He shook his head.
“It is.” She smoothed her hair from her forehead. “Me and you. My wolf and your wolf. I know you better than I know anyone. Ever. I know you better than I know her.”
“Ellen?” he asked, frowning.
She smiled. He was adorable when he felt vulnerable. “No, Mal. Her, my wolf. You have a bond with yours. I’m still forming one with mine.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“At this point, I’m pretty sure she likes your wolf best, then you, then me.”
“I don’t see a problem,” he said, leaning against the doorframe.
She threw the washcloth at him. “Running with Ellen let me tap into my wolf, without her wanting you to the point of distraction. She’s just as addicted to your wolf as I am to you. It’s overwhelming. She sort of locks up when you’re around, lets you take charge, steps aside for you.”
“Addiction?” he asked. “I get the distraction thing. He wants to drag her into the woods and make a dozen litters. But he knows better.”
She stared at him, his words evoking something primal and raw.
“How do we fix this?” he asked. “I don’t want her, or you, taking a backseat to anyone. Especially me. Whatever you and your wolf want, I want. So be strong, Olivia. It might take some getting used to, but I can take it. I want it.”
She smiled, draping one leg over the side of the tub. “In every way possible?”
He stared at her, his eyes narrowing. “Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Mal couldn’t look away. He didn’t want to. Olivia stood, her body slick with bathwater, a hundred drops sliding along every curve and valley. She had no idea what she did to him, or how essential she was to him. It was more than claiming her as his. It was the satisfaction knowing he was hers. He’d never wanted to belong to someone else, to compromise who and what he was. Olivia didn’t expect that—she wanted him as is.
She stepped out of the bath, reaching for her towel. But he grabbed it before she could.