Alpha Daddy, My Se(X)cret Desire

Chapter 14

I held his wrist gently, as if that was the only thing keeping me from collapsing on the spot.

“You have no idea what will happen after tomorrow. Alpha Silvermoon is not someone who takes rejection lightly,” I said.

“They can wait for a lifetime if they want to,” Gabriel replied, his voice calm but carrying an unspoken threat.

I was about to respond, but there was another soft sound. Not a knock on the door, but the faint scrape of the chair Elena had just left.

“Let’s go to your room. Do not let her see anything else right now,” Gabriel said.

I nodded slowly. We walked toward the stairs, but before we reached them, Gabriel’s breath halted for a second. Not out of hesitation but the instinct of an Alpha realizing something.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“She left her bedroom door slightly open. She wants to watch without being seen.”

I froze. Without even glancing toward the hall, Gabriel squeezed my hand for a moment and then let go as if we had never touched at all. He went up first. I followed a few steps behind, like an obedient guest.

Once my bedroom door closed tightly, I leaned against the wall, trying to breathe. Elena’s words echoed in my head, about the dinner, about the wedding, about my place being nothing.

My phone vibrated on the table.

From: Gabriel

Do not leave your room no matter what happens.

I swallowed hard. Another window downstairs rattled faintly, either from the wind or because someone had opened a vent on purpose to listen to conversations inside the house. This was not merely a visit from a mother. This was an inspection.

I typed my reply slowly

All right. But if your mother… if the Council…

The notification appeared again before I even pressed send.

As long as I live, no one will touch you. Sleep.

My hands trembled as I held the phone.

I lay down, but my eyes stayed open. Between the fear of Elena and the threat of the Council, there was still one more thing that kept me awake,

That promise.

The promise of an Alpha who, if he had to choose, might truly burn the entire world just to protect one person he should never have defended.

I closed my eyes slowly.

^^^

The next morning, the smell of cooking already filled the entire apartment when I came downstairs. The sound of pots, the clinking of spoons, and the hushed conversation of the staff blended together. As I approached the kitchen, I saw Elena standing in the middle of the room like a war commander, apron neat, her hair still perfectly pinned, her movements controlled and full of authority. The staff worked around her, following instructions without the need for a raised voice.

I took a breath, walked in, and tried to be polite.

“Good morning. Let me help—”

“Put that spoon down,” she cut in without turning. “The kitchen is not your place today.”

I fell silent for a moment, my hand stopping midair above the cutting board.

“I only want to help.”

Elena finally glanced at me from head to toe as if assessing the quality of merchandise.

“Exactly because you live here, I do not want this food contaminated by the wrong hands.”

Some staff lowered their heads, not daring to look at anyone. Everyone pretended to stay busy, but the atmosphere froze.

“I understand if you do not like me, Madam, but I do not mind helping with the housework.”

“Yes, and because you understand, you should also know when to step aside.”

I stayed quiet. Not because I had no answer, but because her words were too sharp to counter without causing a problem. I took one step back and bowed politely.

“Is Gabriel still asleep?” Elena asked one of the staff, as if I were not there.

“When I went upstairs earlier, Master Gabriel was still in his room,” one staff member answered quickly.

Elena gave a small nod, then took salt and sprinkled it with precision.

“Make sure the dining table is set properly. We are expecting guests tonight, and there must be no mistakes.”

I was just about to leave the kitchen when Elena spoke again, this time addressing me.

“Seraphina.”

I stopped and turned slowly. “Yes, Madam?”

She looked at me with an expression I could not fully interpret, somewhere between curiosity and disgust wrapped neatly in courtesy.

“You know the rules of this world. You are an outsider. There is no reason for you to make yourself appear as if you belong to this family.”

“I have never tried to be part of the Bloodfang family,” I answered quietly.

“Good, keep it that way,” she said before turning back to the cooking.

I drew a slow breath and exited the kitchen. But only a few steps away from the doorway, Elena’s voice came again, lower and sharper.

“I do not know what Gabriel promised you, Seraphina. But trust me, every promise an Alpha makes will collapse when the future of the pack is at stake.”

I did not answer, because I knew whatever I said would only be met with more words that cut. I kept walking to the living room.

Not long after, Gabriel came downstairs. His hair was still damp from the shower, his black shirt was half-buttoned. He found me sitting on the sofa with a book I was not really reading.

“Have you eaten?” he asked as he approached.

“Not yet. Your mother is cooking,” I replied without looking at him.

Gabriel exhaled softly. “She said something to you?”

I closed the book. “She told me not to disturb the kitchen. And—”

“And?” Gabriel sat beside me, his tone slightly sharper.

“She reminded me that I am an outsider. That I have no place in this family.”

“You do not have to listen to her.”

“She is your mother and she is a former Luna. Her words are not nonsense. She can make the Council start looking into our relationship.”

“I know the risk.”

“That is the problem, you always know the risk but you still walk toward it,” I said.

He looked at me for a long moment, then touched my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I will keep doing it.”

I was about to respond, but footsteps came from the kitchen. Elena appeared with a calm expression as if the previous conversation had never existed.

“Breakfast is ready. We will eat together.”

Gabriel stood, his Alpha expression returning. “Very well, Mother.”

I followed them to the dining table, Elena at the head of the table, Gabriel in the main seat, and I in the place I had always taken, at the side, not too close, not too far. Exactly on the border.

The food was neatly arranged. Hot soup, toasted bread, slices of meat, and black tea. Elena ate gracefully without unnecessary sound. From time to time her eyes lifted to look at me, not with blatant disdain, but like someone measuring the moment a rope would finally snap.