Alpha Kane

Now she was in a perfect mood to irritate me, unbuckling her seatbelt and challenging me. She should have known I never back down from a challenge.

Scooping her up, I sat her on my lap; if she refused to fasten her seatbelt, my hands would do the job.

She fidgeted slightly in my arms, but didn’t make a sound thanks to Kaysir’s presence. For a moment, she sat motionless, her face turned away from me, my face resting close to her tender neck.

But then she removed her glove and pinched my arm hard with her sword-sharp nails. Damn! What does she feed them? Steel ball bearings?

She turned her head slightly so our eyes met and gave me a withering look. I fought the pain and tried to maintain a neutral expression, but tears shone in my eyes. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Touch me again without my consent, and this injection will go to your groin," she threatened in a low whisper, her gaze so boldly fixed on mine. The disgust on her face made my heart clench in pain.

She literally turned into a wolf, with all those claws and threats. My Blue Rose had transformed into a wild rose, revealing those thorns and brambles.

I pressed myself closer to her and whispered in her ear, just to irritate her: "You can try." Zara could easily resist, and part of me wanted to see if she could defeat me.

Her gaze grew even more intense, and I was afraid she would elbow me in the face, leaving me with a bloody nose.

Luckily, we returned home, and the car pulled into the garage. With one last death glare at me, she opened the door before Kaysir could and jumped out.

I followed her and saw Asbela waiting for us with a grim expression, which meant my mother was there.

"Welcome home; Luna is in the living room having tea and waiting for you both," Asbela said with a forced smile, gathering our coats.

I immediately offered Zara my hand. What had begun as a sham had become a heartbreaking reality for both of us, and yet we had to continue.

She caught her breath, plastered a polite but empty smile on her face, and took my hand. Her gloved hand wrapped around my bicep, and we moved on.

"If I’d known your mother could change anything, I’d have told her about your hypocrisy, but I’m sure she wouldn’t care, so I’ll refrain," she muttered under her breath, her sharp nose like a red light bulb due to the cold weather.

"You’re right," I lied, knowing my mother would be very disappointed in me. She might be harsh and set in her ways, but she possessed a remarkable honesty.

Mom settled comfortably on the sofa, sipping tea from an elegant cup. She glanced in our direction, and her gaze fell on Zara’s hand, which was clutching mine.

"Welcome, Luna Caleri." Zara released my hand and walked over to Mom. Mom shook her hand, and fortunately, I didn’t detect any particular hostility in her greeting.

"You look wonderful." Mom even complimented Zara.

I came closer. "I’m glad you’re here, Mom."

She hugged me with a warm smile.

"I missed you and wanted to spend Christmas together." She had long plans.

Zara settled on one side of her, and I chose the other.

"I should have brought Grandma too," I said, picking up the teapot and pouring tea into another cup.

"I told her to come with me, but she went to see your Aunt Rachel for Christmas, so here I am." She squeezed my shoulder, and I realized she was here on some kind of mission.

Nothing my mother did was random; everything was carefully planned. Especially her appearance after I scolded Cassidy, who screamed something fishy.

"We’re glad to see you." Zara smiled with practiced discipline; she didn’t even glance in my direction. I poured tea into the second cup.

"So you’ve moved in together. That’s a big step," Mom murmured, picking up a coconut cookie from the plate and taking a bite.

Zara’s gaze finally shifted to me, as if to say,

"Can you take this cup?" I smiled before handing the cup to Zara and taking another one for myself.

"It’s easier for us to go to the office together, and I thought..."

"Oh, that now is the perfect time." Zara agreed." Taking the cup by the handle, I savored the rich aroma of cardamom, and she took a hesitant sip.

"It’s true," Zara smiled tensely again and picked up the cup to hide her remaining emotions.

She must have been in a terrible emotional state by now. I was causing her so much suffering, and it felt wrong.

"So everything’s going smoothly. That’s good news, right?" Mom asked, especially coming from me, her cunning eyes shining with a hint of curiosity.

I glanced at Zara, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"It’s okay, Mom. Why don’t we talk over dinner?" I suggested, and she nodded slightly, munching on a cookie.

Zara stood gracefully and went to tell Asbela about our dinner plans. Her shoulders were hunched, as if I had placed a burden on her that she could not bear, and the thought weighed heavily on me, destroying my peace.

***

Zara

Caleri was especially kind to me. A woman as perceptive as she couldn’t just suddenly change her mind. Something was bothering her.

From her words, I guessed Alpha hadn’t told her we were living together. We weren’t living together, but in a sense, we were, at least, that’s what was implied to those who considered us a real couple.

The irony of the situation left a charred taste in my mouth as we sat down to dinner. Luna kept talking, and I mostly nodded politely or gave short answers, slowly eating my food.

Alpha’s sharp gaze fell on me several times, and I noticed he was paying attention to the amount of food on my plate. He said nothing, simply silently adding more, which I barely finished.

Fortunately, dinner ended quickly, and we said goodnight before hurrying upstairs.

I climbed the luxurious staircase wearily. My gaze fell on the spot where we’d performed oral sex, and tears welled up in my eyes again, my shoulders slumping.

It seemed like something from a distant past. While I was slowly sinking into his trance, he was merely satisfying his lust.

"To my room," Alpha called quietly from behind, and I headed toward his. Stepping inside, I turned to face him and cleared my throat.

"I won’t sleep in the same bed with you. We can share a room, but don’t even think about touching me." I made everything clear to him.

Alpha elegantly unfastened his cufflinks, his obsidian eyes fixed on me and locked on my face. "I’ll take the sofa. Don’t worry."

"Okay." Feeling uneasy under his gaze, I walked away and headed for the walk-in closet. I was sure Asbela had moved my clothes there.

Checking where my clothes were supposed to hang, I discovered she’d only brought sexy, low-cut nightgowns, see-through soft mesh, and silk ones.

Damn! Where were my cozy, warm, strawberry-print sleepsuits? I couldn’t wear them in front of this cold monster. He’d think I was trying to seduce him.

"Do you want to go to the bathroom first, or if you need time, can I do that?" Alpha called from outside, not going inside.

"Go." The door clicked and closed a few seconds later, and an idea flashed in my head. I quickly moved over to him and began rummaging through his clothes and belongings.

Everything was perfectly organized in his enormous walk-in closet. From wristwatches to platinum and diamond cufflinks and three-piece suits. Even his underwear was neatly folded in a drawer, which I accidentally opened.

Something peeked out from underneath, a color that wasn’t Alpha’s style at all. I reached inside, pulled it out with my thumb, and my mouth dropped open in amazement.

My strawberry shorts...

The very ones that conveniently disappeared when I offered them to him. He’d damn well kept them. I knew it... a warm, tingling feeling crept into my heart, but I suppressed it as quickly as it had come.

Looking at them with mixed feelings, I tucked them back where I’d found them. My heart was pounding in my chest. Why would he need my shorts? Just why?

Maybe he had this disgusting fetish, keeping the shorts of women he’d slept with.

Ugh! The thought made me sick, but there were no other women’s underwear there, only my shorts, safely tucked between his.

His personality was so contradictory that I couldn’t understand it.

Turning away, I grabbed one of the satin pajamas and began changing. It consisted of a red halter-necked tank top that reached to my knees and a silk robe of the same ruby hue.

Looking at myself in the full-length mirror, I realized I definitely needed to talk to Asbela. The poor thing must think she was doing me a favor, not realizing that the relationship had been ruined by her Alpha before it even began.