#Chapter 217: Attentive

Ava I lay with my head on Chris’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The stress and fear of the past few days seemed to melt away in the comfort of our bed, replaced by a deep sense of contentment. Chris’s fingers lazily traced patterns on my bare shoulder, sending pleasant shivers down my spine, peppering the occasional kiss along my temple or cheekbone. “Ava,” Chris said softly, breaking the comfortable silence. “I need to apologize.” I tilted my head to look up at him. “For what?” He sighed, his hand stilling on my shoulder. “For getting so mad at you over Patrick. I was out of line. I know it wasn’t your fault, and I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on you.” I considered his words for a moment before sitting up, pushing a few stray curls out of my eyes. “I understand, Chris,” I assured him. “You’re under a lot of pressure. Being an Alpha isn’t the easiest job in the world, especially with everything that’s been going on lat