A Lover and A Liar

Lovely

Instead of knocking, Julian rested his hand on surface of the door, sighing deeply. It was simple, all he had to do was knock, wait for her to open the door, and ask her how she was. Why she hadn't came out of there.

It didn't have to have any other meaning behind it. Just Julian checking out on his new guest, because that was his responsibility to begin with.

Then why was he hesitating?

"Julian, knock! I want to meet her." Julian hadn't even noticed his little brother's presence in the hallway, all happy and excited.

When Julian didn't do what he said, Luis took matter in his own hands.

And it took a few other seconds for the door to open slightly, and for a pretty face to appear in front of them.

"Julian," his name left her lips softly, convincing Julian once more that she had a unique way of saying his name. Like it sounded more beautiful somehow.

"Hello!" The other voice almost startled her, finally breaking their eye contact. "I'm Luis."

A small smile split on her face, one that made his heart jump just slightly inside his chest. "Hello, Luis, I'm Alina," she spoke, but when she realized they had been standing at the door for a few, embarrassingly long seconds, she added, "You can come inside, please. It's like... your castle. You can go anywhere I guess."

Julian couldn't help the small chuckle from escaping his lips. She was either being cute on purpose or she had absolutely no clue about the way he had started reacting when she was around.

"But walking in and out of my guests' chambers would be inappropriate, don't you think so, Alina?" Julian bit down on his bottom lip hard when he realized how it sounded, following her and his brother inside. "Not that I do that, of course."

This was going bad. He could feel it on his bones, this was going bad.

Which was strange, Julian knew his way around with the ladies in general. Except for Alina and his mate, it seemed. Both for different reasons.

Only when he sat down on one of the armchairs, he noticed she had a simple cream dress on, instead of a big gown, which made her look much more simpler, and her caramel skin look more enticing. Even her dark curls were let free this time, falling down their shoulder, which he seemed to prefer more than when they were tamed and tied behind her head.

He looked away immediately.

Yes, this was going so, so bad.

"Alina." He forced a smile on his face when he noticed the witch was studying his face closely, as if she wanted to somehow read what was on his mind. Why, though, he wasn't sure. "We're here because Luis wanted to meet you."

"Liar, you were there at the door before I was!" Luis accused, with a sly grin in his cute face.

Cursing underneath his breath, Julian gave his brother a message with his eyes only; We will talk about this outside, little man.

Alina's eyes widened, before she threw her head back and giggled joyfully. Julian noticed how her big honey eyes almost closed fully when she laughed. And how the smile took a big place of her face. How her hands played with her curls unconsciously.

For some reason, his wolf woke up at the sweet sound, and purred in his head, contented and in peace. As if her laugh somehow was a lullaby that took all his wolf's worries away.

This was all so strange, but he couldn't stop it.

"He is so sweet!" Alina stated, and it took him a second to realize she was talking about his little brother instead. "And such a gorgeous young man at that."

"Really?!" Luis' big round eyes, and his happy smile gave all his happiness away. "Alina, do you have a mate?"

Alina froze for a second, the smile disappearing, making Julian realize he was waiting for her answer―no, not only waiting, he was observing her face, trying to get the answer there on her eyes.

He had assumed she didn't, but what if she did have a mate?

And what did that have to do with Julian, anyway?

"No, I don't." Her voice was almost a whisper, but for his own surprise, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Then you can be my mate!" Luis jumped away from the couch, clapping his hands happily. "You just have to wait nine more years until I turn eighteen."

That warm smile reappeared on her face as she ruffled Luis' blonde head as if they had known each other for years. "If you keep stealing my heart like this, young wolf, I'm afraid I will have no other choice but to wait for you."

"Yay, I have a witch as my mate! I have a witch as my mate!" Luis kept shouting in the hallway even after he got out of the room, telling all the servants his happy news.

Julian had realized long ago, maybe after his sister got married and Luis was the only one he had left here, that he was always going to be his weakness. The one that could ask the world and Julian would give it to him as long as he kept smiling like that.

"I can see how much you love him." Alina's soft voice brought him back to reality. "It's written in your eyes."

With every word she said, he found he wanted to keep smiling. "Is this some witch power I'm not aware of?" he teased, for the sake of hearing her soft giggle one more.

And he wasn't disappointed.

"I don't need that when it comes to you, Julian."

His hands gripped on the arms of the armchair unconsciously. "What do you mean, Alina?"

She shook her head, like what she had said was some sort of mistake, had some sort of deeper meaning to it. "Nothing. Nothing at all, I..." she trailed off. "Why are you actually here, Julian?"

That question took him completely by surprise. "I told you, Luis..." Of course, Luis had totally thrown him to the wolves as soon as he had seen a pretty Lady. He sighed, "Alina, don't you feel comfortable here?"

Her mouth opened to speak, but she didn't for a two or three heartbeats. "Of course I do, what makes you think I don't?"

"What makes me think you don't?!" Julian could hear his own sarcasm. "Lovely, you haven't gotten out of here for twenty-four hours. I'm not blind. Not when it comes to you at least."

Although he was taken by surprise at his own words, almost as much as Alina had, he couldn't bring it in himself to regret it.

Alina was lovely. It suited her. She was lovelier than anyone, any female, he had ever met.

And his wolf agreed with every thought on Julian's mind.

"I..." She played with some of her curls, rolling them on her index finger, her eyes averting away from his. Did she do this when she was nervous? Did he make her nervous?

The thought pleased him. It pleased him so much, he wanted to keep doing that. To keep taking her breath away, making it hard for her to look at him.

"You what, lovely?"

Her plump bottom lip rolled between her teeth, and the motion took all Julian's attention from what they were actually saying.

"I just... don't know my way around the castle, I guess." She shrugged, but her smile seemed forced... nervous. "Katherine was busy, and I didn't want to... interrupt her."

"I'm not busy." Julian was in his feet before even processing what he was doing, walking towards her and offering her his hand. "I can show you anywhere you want to go."

This was such a bad idea but he couldn't seem to stop himself, stop hoping for her to at least place her hand on his awaiting one, not in a simply way, not only to take his offering but to curl their fingers together and hold his hand tight...

...Just like they had done five years ago.

...When he didn't have a mate.

...When his mate wasn't her childhood friend.

"Who better then the King himself can talk to you about the history of this place?" He gave a shrug, bending to her reach her ear, and whispering to her as if he was telling her a secret no one else was supposed to hear, "Not many refuse me, lovely. You must be the first."

She wasn't even breathing, but the pounding on her chest was so loud, and it was almost cute how she had no idea his sensitive ear could clearly catch to that.

"But if you want to get lost in here, go ahead. I'm not coming to your rescue then."

Her eyes softened at that, and that smile invaded her lips once more. "Your really aren't used to being rejected, right, my King?"

"Nope," he admitted, only then realizing their faces were too close for it to be appropriate. However, Alina finally, just as he was hoping for her to do, placed her hand on his one and got up from the couch, standing right in front of him. 

"Alright, Alpha, take the lead."

Julian had to close his eyes for them not to become black, and for his wolf not to come forward.

They were starting to play a dangerous game.

But today, Julian just didn't seem to care about it.