Fated Alpha

Chapter 3: One Thought to Another

The woman placed one of her legs outside the car, ready to come out. With the scorching sun behind Draven, he held the umbrella up as he waited for the woman.

These actions might contradict his contumacious personality of refusing to mate, but no, it doesn't. These acts, as he has seen a lot of times in movies, are actions that flatter a woman. His intentions—far from pure, simply wishing to break a vase with cracks all over.

By giving someone hope, making them believe that there is someone out there who is willing to lend them a hand. And when the time is right, he will let her go. The hope he will give is nothing but a trap set to bring her down further into the depths of hell.

This urge to see them beg before his knees is the kind of satisfaction he will always welcome. And no one is more befitting of that role than someone already broken. Someone who's lost but not enough to not trust someone. His face curved a smile from that thought as he looked at the woman.

However, his expectation of a shy woman with no sense of dignity soon vanished after he was left alone without the umbrella in his hands. The astonished look she had looked satisfying, but the fiery personality was the most unexpected.

He never thought she would take the umbrella from him and stride off. 'Was he mistaken?' he thought. As if amused, he laughed despite the fact that the woman was no longer there.

He loved her eyes. That kind of eyes with no hint of fear. But that was all. She was no longer the toy he was searching for. A woman like that won't easily yield no matter how much effort he makes. And he hates wasting his time on boring people.

That thought, and the woman—who once amused him—soon left his mind. As if everything that happened was a mere dream.

Draven, without the umbrella, felt his skin irritating again. He looked around and saw a towering building not as tall as Sunlit but definitely not so small. As if realizing, a smirk formed on his face. He was about to enter the place when he felt a vibration inside his pocket. The sudden call made him stop from his feet. He took out his phone and read the name of the caller.

'Elias Thorne'

It was a name he was sure he had heard before. But for Draven, who couldn't care less about people, intentionally forgot about it. He believed that irrelevant people do not deserve a space in his mind. And so he ignored it and placed the phone back in his pocket.

***

Caelia stayed late at night in her office, afraid of returning home where she might be thrown. Despite working the entire afternoon, she couldn't focus at all. Her head was preoccupied with what happened earlier.

'Are they having dinner together?' she keeps making doodles unconsciously. And when she came back to her senses, the documents that she was supposed to review were now filled with scribbles.

Her mind drifted from one thought to another. It was already late, and she couldn't keep staying in the office. So she decided to return home with a heavy heart, hoping that everyone would be fast asleep so she could avoid seeing them.

The front of the mansion looked desolate. As if no single soul resides there. The lights were out except the lamps outside, guiding her path as she walked closer to the door. Without making a sound, she opened it and peeked inside. It was empty. She went in after scanning the place and made sure to close the door without a creaking sound. She can't wake them up, or Darius would scold her once again.

Despite being the lady of the house, she's treated like a ghost. As if she's not there, and as if her presence brings discomfort to his mated Alpha. Despite a long day of work, no one awaited her return or cooked her food. But she was used to it, and she has become numb from the coldness this house brings.

After successfully closing the door, she turned around and tiptoed her way to her room. The house remained quiet, so quiet that even her footsteps sounded so loud to her ears.

She checked her room, located at the far edge of the hallway. No light was seen, making her wonder if Darius really gave them the guest room instead of hers. But she wasn't yet relieved. She opened the door, scanning her room to see if the clothes looked disheveled or if her bed was used. But there was nothing.

She heaved a sigh of relief. Her room is the only place she can willingly call her home. If Darius even dared take away her only comfort zone, then there is no reason for her to hold back as well.

A long day of working exhausted her to the bone. She checked her watch. It was midnight. She laid on her bed like a corpse, she closed her eyes, ready to sleep, but then a question arose.

'Where are they sleeping?'

There are plenty of guest rooms in the mansion, but not wide enough for two people. The way Darius looked at the two, he wouldn't let them sleep in an uncomfortable bed with little space. The fact that Caelia's room remained untouched would only mean two things. Either the two slept separately in the guest room, or in Darius'...

Caelia abruptly shot up in her bed. The thought bothered her more than she expected. Caelia had no idea who the woman was. If only Darius had answered her question, then she wouldn't be left wondering like this.

She couldn't be his mistress, Caelia was his chosen mate. Unless he wanted his father to take back everything he owned now, then he wouldn't act so recklessly.

That thought gave her a sense of relief. But she has yet to solve the predicament. If the woman is not his mistress, then what is she? She can't be just a friend. The way he looked at her warmly and even treated her pup like his own just didn't sit right with her.

Her mind drifted from one thought to another. She has to know. If Darius refuses to answer, then maybe she can ask the woman. She didn't look like she had any ulterior motive.

Caelia tried to ease her beating heart by reassuring herself. With no one to clarify her suspicions, the thought remained a puzzle with a missing piece. She did not need to worry about the kid. She is confident that Darius is not its father. The kid looked to be around 6, too old for Darius, who had just recently turned 20.

Even Darius's father, Elias, would surely mate him with the woman he has a child with, which only happened a few years back.

'As long as it's not his child.'

She was determined. She will find out the answer tomorrow. She has to, or she will die wondering what they are towards each other. Who is she that she is receiving such a warm look that even Caelia, his mate, never once saw.

As her thoughts slowly turned into a blur, her eyes intermittently closed. The heart that worried incessantly finally eased, and she fell into a slumber.