Chapter 8
Truth be told, I’d been a little anxious.
But the moment Alaric walked through that door, my nerves melted away.
There he was–tall, broad–shouldered, the quiet confidence practically radiating off him. The faint red beauty mark beneath his eye, barely visible in the dim light, was all the confirmation I needed.
I unclenched my fists.
Of course Damon wouldn’t pass up a night like this. He wanted to beat Alaric more than anything. And this? This was the perfect opportunity to gain favor with Alpha Ulric and prove he was worthy of taking over the Rosethorn Pack.
Alaric was dressed down in white loungewear, the soft scent of white tea and musk lingering on his skin.
I let a coy smile play on my lips–the kind a girl might give her secret crush.
I threw my arms around his waist and leaned my cheek against his chest, murmuring,
“Took you long enough… You texted me early, made me wait forever.”
I was dressed in the outfit Damon had so thoughtfully arranged–black lace, barely–there straps, with playful little cat ears perched on my head.
Alaric’s breath hitched. His hands landed on my shoulders, burning hot against my skin.
I tilted up on my toes and whispered close to his ear, “What’s the matter, Damon? Don’t you like it?”
His gaze darkened. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked,
“What did you just call me?”
I blinked, then gave him a sly grin and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Daddy.”
Alaric’s fingers dug into my cheeks as he crashed his mouth onto mine.
For the next seven days, we barely came up for air. If we weren’t eating or sleeping, we were tangled in each other–again and again.
At one point, I teased him, “Why are you so… intense lately?”
He paused, then turned the question back on me.
“You tell me. You know why I’ve been so insatiable.”
I was barefoot in a white sundress, hands tucked behind my back as I walked backwards across the villa’s garden, smiling up at him.
“Because… you’re madly in love with me?”
To my surprise, Alaric actually chuckled–just once, soft and low.
“You’re not wrong.”
But deep down, I still didn’t know why he loved me-
–
-or even if he truly did.
Our dynamic was a delicate push and pull, like a game of shadows. We were testing each other. And neither of us trusted too easily.
Then, o a month slipped by.
And just like that, Damon came back.
He showed up at the villa without warning–clothes wrinkled, hair a mess, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin.
I froze in the hallway, startled to see him standing there.
“I thought you were still at Rosethorn Hall,” I said carefully. “Did something happen? You didn’t even change?”
His jaw clenched. He looked like he was ready to explode–but before he could speak, Alaric’s car pulled into the driveway.
‘Damon,” Alaric called as he stepped out, “come upstairs. Now.”
He didn’t wait. Just headed straight for the study on the second floor.
Chapter 8
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Damon shot me a long look–sharp and unreadable–then followed after him.
Naturally, I trailed them both, pressing my ear to the study door once it shut.
But damn it–they’d sealed it tight. I couldn’t hear a thing.
That was fine. I always had a backup plan.
By the time they came back downstairs, the sun had already set.
Damon looked like he’d bitten down on a lemon. His face was dark, his mood darker.
The housekeeper had already set the table for dinner.
Both brothers took their seats.
Damon didn’t say a word, just kept staring at me with a weird look in his eyes.
I tried to ease the tension by serving him his favorite–pan–seared short ribs.
“Here, try this…” I started, but before I could finish, the smell hit me.
Rich. Meaty. Warm.
But instead of making me hungry, it made my stomach twist.
I dropped my fork, clapped a hand over my mouth, and bolted for the bathroom.
I didn’t notice that both Alaric and Damon stood up the moment I ran.
When I finally came out, pale and shaky, Alaric was already waiting by the door with a tissue.
“Thanks, Alaric,” I murmured, taking it from him.
He gave me a long look, unreadable.
“What’s going on?” Damon asked, his voice a touch too sharp–like even he didn’t realize the edge in it.
Chapter 8
