Chapter 7
Alaric finally shut his laptop and turned to look at me.
His features were sharply defined, deep–set eyes like obsidian, so dark and intense it felt like they could pull you in if you stared too long.
“You really like Damon, don’t you?” he asked, voice calm.
“Of course. He’s my boyfriend,” I replied with a bright smile.
His expression didn’t change, but the air in the car seemed to drop ten degrees. The tension settled thick between us, cold and heavy.
Just as I started to wonder if I’d said something wrong, Alaric suddenly broke eye contact, reached into his coat pocket, and casually tossed me a small
velvet box.
“Here,” he said. “A gift. I’ve been back this long and haven’t given you a proper welcome.”
Curious, I opened the box–and froze.
Inside was a deep green emerald ring.
There were only two of these in the entire Rosethorn Pack. Passed down from the former Luna herself, they were meant for the wives of her two grandsons.
In
my past life, I’d worn one of these when I married Damon.
But why was Alaric giving it to me now?
Was this a test?
Because at this point in the timeline, Damon hadn’t even proposed–so I shouldn’t have known the significance of the ring.
Panicking a little, I shoved the box back toward him. “Alaric, this is way too much. I can’t accept something so expensive.”
But he didn’t take it back. Instead, he lifted his lashes and looked at me–really looked at me, like he was seeing something beyond my skin.
“Oh?” he said mildly. “Too expensive? How so?”
I blinked. “Well… just look at it. It screams money.”
He chuckled lowly. “It’s just a ring. What, maybe a million bucks at most? You’re worth that.”
My mouth opened, but no sound came out.
may
Then he leaned in, his face close enough to catch the way the morning light slid across his lashes. His voice dropped to a near whisper. “When I say something, I mean it.”
And just like that, he leaned back, straightened his posture, and reopened his laptop–like the moment had never happened,
When the car finally pulled to a stop in front of a coffee shop, I grabbed my purse and gave him a quick smile. “Thanks, Alaric.”
He nodded without looking up. “Mm.”
I waited until the car pulled away, the tinted window rolling up to hide him from view–then turned and walked straight across the street.
Inside a much quieter café, I slipped into a private booth.
No words were exchanged.
I pulled out an envelope of cash. The man sitting across from me–a rogue with mirrored sunglasses and a half–burned mark on his neck–passed me a sealed brown package.
Payment made, deal done.
I headed home.
That night, Damon called me.
“The Coralbay project ran into a crisis. I’ve gotta fly out to handle it. But I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise.”
I hung up with a sweet little “mm,” but inside, I was practically humming.
Perfect. With Damon gone, it was the perfect window to make my next move.
Chapter 7
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The day of my ovulation came quickly.
Damon texted me that morning, saying he’d be back by nightfall. Told me to wait for him.
But it wasn’t Damon who showed up first.
It was Emily.
Not surprising. The packhouse might as well have been her own home–the way she waltzed around like it belonged to her.
So when she cornered me in the greenhouse, I didn’t even blink.
She folded her arms, eyes locked on my belly like she could see through skin and bone.
Then she tossed me a paper bag.
“Damon told me to give this to you. Take a shower, and put it on before he gets home.”
I peeked inside and felt my stomach turn.
It was a skimpy lace lingerie set–black, sheer, with cat ears.
“When exactly is he getting back?” I asked coolly.
Emily smirked, her voice dripping with smugness. “What’s the rush? He’ll be here tonight. Just make sure you’re ready.”
Then she spun on her heel and walked off, hips swaying.
