My Alpha Mate's Christmas Gift novel Chapter 70

　　"Larry?!"

　　“No, I can’t accept this! This is wrong” Roxanne thought to herself.

　　The lanky man smiled as he saw her. He had a certain twinkle in his eyes, an expression which had both a high of pain and happiness. It confused Roxanne when she saw him look at her this way.

　　“S-Sir… Are you fine? You look really tired” She quickly said, rushing to his side.

　　He gave off a weary look as he laughed while she approached him.

　　“I’m fine… Thank you very much for your concern, ``he said.

　　Watching such a man say that to her made her heart ache. He seemed so fragile that a single jab from her was enough to take him out, maybe for good. Yet, he engaged in such labour so early in the morning… In the cold.

　　“But this isn’t right! Why are you doing this sir? I don’t understand…” She protested weakly.

　　“It’s fine, little one. I don’t do it because I’m forced to. It’s my duty to my people, my role to the pack. I’ll carry it out no matter what it takes.

　　She couldn’t understand properly. He was doing this of his own free will? This punishment? Wasn’t this duty too much for a single person to bear?

　　“What about the others? Don’t tell me you’re the only one who does this!” Roxanne asked with her eyes blazing with concern.

　　“This is my work. We all have our respective duties. It’s fine… I am grateful for your concern, but there’s really no need for you to worry so much. I’m used to this…”

　　Roxanne's heart ached, so much that she didn’t know what to say. From the man's looks, he appeared to be at least 39-40 years old, but he even appeared older thanks to the look of exhaustion he had.

　　“Well then, if you’ll excuse me… I have to continue this. I have to complete this before the others wake, after all.” He said with a smile.

　　He turned his face back to his work, as though he was a machine and lifted his axe after placing the wood in it’s correct position.

　　Roxanne watched him continue his work for some moments, diligently bringing the bus axe down as he chopped the wood. He did so with such precision that Roxanne believed it when he said he was used to this.

　　“Just how many years has he been…”

　　She couldn’t complete her thoughts, but she also couldn't bear to watch. From the man’s smile, she could tell that he took pride in his work, but she could also sense a tinge of sadness and loneliness from his expression.

　　“The last time… I helped him, and I could tell that he was clearly happy. But why do I have the feeling that he wouldn’t appreciate it if I tried to help him here.” Roxanne muttered.

　　There was only a single axe, and he was using it. From his tight grip, she could tell he wasn’t willing to part with it.

　　“Is there nothing I can do?” She thought within herself.

　　No! There was something she could do! Her thoughts lit up as she had a fantastic idea pop into it. She smiled with determination and decided to go along with it.

　　“Hang on sir! I’ll be right back!” She said to him and quickly ran off, leaving him in the background.

　　He didn’t react immediately to her words as he continued his work without any form of hesitation. However, a little smile formed on his face. He didn’t realise it himself, but something about her words had caused him to react… He was happy.

　　[A Few Moments Later]

　　“I'm back!”

　　As the man heard her voice, he turned back in surprise. When she said she would come back, Even though he was happy, he decided to push away the hope of seeing her again. After all, she was not obligated to help him. She could just run along and get tangled up in her other affairs.

　　“I’m not worthy of her help… I’m just an Omega…” He had thought to himself.

　　However… She returned.

　　His eyes bulged as he noticed the object on her right hand. The object dangled as she gripped it tightly, similar to the way he did his.

　　“You… Came… Back..?!” He muttered with surprise.

　　“I said I would, didn’t I?” She smiled, walking forward to him with the tool she went to get.

　　“I noticed you only had one axe, so only you could work. I know you would never allow me to take the axe and do the work alone, that’s why… I went to get another!” She said with a smile.

　　The axe she brought was held in her hand, with her singing it slightly in a firm playful manner. It was smaller than the man's but it would still do the job.

　　“You…” He muttered with disbelief. He never expected her to be so thoughtful. She really cared about him so much?

　　“B-But why go so far? I'm just a lowly Omega. There’s no need to go so far…” He mumbled

　　“Sir, come on! If we dawdle, we won’t be able to complete this pile in time!” She smiled, moving to pick another large piece of wood and placed it on the pedestal.

　　“So... Why don’t we get started?” She said with an excited grin.