Chapter 222: Close Proximity

{Third Person}

The morning had been unusually quiet, and Amara had already begun looking for something to occupy herself.

She had heard a few of the servants talking about the ripe fruits in the garden and how they intended to pick some of them to make fresh juice and jam.

Since she had nothing else planned, especially as she had already picked flowers the other morning, she decided to join them.

Ginger was still curled up lazily on her bed when Amara left the room. The cat had barely opened her eyes when Amara called her name, so she decided to leave her sleeping and went outside with Sonia.

The servants were already busy among the fruit trees when Amara joined them. She picked the ripe fruits carefully, placing them into the basket Sonia held for her whenever it became too heavy.

It was simple work, but she enjoyed it because it gave her something to do.

After a while, however, Amara felt goose bumps rise along her arms. She rubbed them lightly and looked toward the trees.

The morning air did feel a little chilly.

Sonia noticed it when her hand accidentally brushed against her palm when taking a fruit from her and frowned subtly.

"My Lady, are you cold?" she quickly asked.

Amara looked down at her own hand before shaking her head. "Not really. The weather is just a little cool this morning."

Sonia studied her for another moment but eventually nodded.

When the fruit picking was finished, Amara decided to take a walk.

She knew Alexander usually went for his morning run around this time, and although the thought of encountering him in his wolf form still frightened her a little, she deliberately chose the route through which she might see him.

She wanted to get used to it.

She could not spend the rest of her life being startled every time she saw a werewolf in wolf form, especially not Alexander.

With that thought in mind, she walked deeper into the woods surrounding the estate.

At the other end of the woods, Alexander was enjoying his run.

His wolf raced between the trees with a freedom he had not experienced in a very long time. There was no heaviness in his body, and the familiar tension that had always accompanied his excitement was absent.

For once, the strength surging through his muscles did not feel like something he had to restrain.

He was beginning to believe that whatever had changed inside him was real.

Then a familiar fragrance reached him.

Alexander slowed. His wolf lifted its head, immediately becoming more attentive. In a matter of a few seconds, the recognition clicked.

Amara.

He stilled for a moment, wondering whether his senses had deceived him. Then he looked farther ahead, using his wolf’s heightened vision.

Several trees away, he saw her. She was walking through the woods, apparently unaware that he was near.

He watched her for a long while before deciding to change direction. He did not want to frighten her again.

He continued his run on another route. Much later, he turned toward the house through a different path.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Amara kept walking. She looked around several times but saw no sign of him. She also listened for any sound that might give him away, but heard nothing.

In the end, she concluded that he might have probably returned to the house.

After searching for a while, she gave up and headed back toward the house. When she reached the garden, her gaze fell on her swing, and she decided to sit down for a while.

She had barely settled into it when she made a decision to wait while thinking that Alexander might return through the garden.

Several minutes passed before she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw Alexander walking toward her in his human form.

A small disappointment settled inside her.

She had actually wanted to see him in his wolf form again, and that was why she had patiently waited all these while.

"Good morning," she greeted, deliberately omitting his name.

"Good morning." Alexander stopped a few feet from her and asked, "Were you waiting for me?"

Instantly, her eyes widened slightly. "How did you know?"

"I saw you in the woods," he revealed.

She immediately became conscious of herself. "Oh."

Alexander studied her briefly before asking, "Why were you there?"

"I—I... was just taking a walk."

Alexander knew she was lying. He had seen the way she had looked around the woods, and now he understood that her walk had probably not been as aimless as she wanted him to believe.

Still, he did not question her further.

Amara hesitated before speaking again. "I have some questions for you, if you don’t mind."

"Go ahead." As he spoke, he walked toward her.

She expected him to stop some distance away, but he stopped beside the swing and looked at her instead.

"Move over."

She blinked. "Huh?"

He gestured toward the space beside her. She understood and quickly scooted to the side.

The swing was wide enough for two people, and Alexander sat down beside her. Her whole body grew tense.

She had sat beside him at the dining table countless times, but this was completely different. Here, there was barely any distance between them.

She could smell his natural scent, and the warmth of his body seemed much more noticeable in such close proximity.

Her palms grew warm despite the cool morning. She could hear her own heartbeat.

Alexander noticed. He knew exactly what his proximity was doing to her, but his expression remained composed.

"You don’t expect to sit here and question me while I stand, do you?"

Amara quickly waved her hands in front of her face. "No, no." She forced herself to relax and focused on the reason she had wanted to find him.

Alexander leaned back slightly. "Ask your questions."

She took a breath. Her first question had been on her mind since she had seen him in the garden.

"How do you shift from your human form into your wolf form?"