Chapter 2
841 Words
He stepped inside, glanced at the silk scarf around my neck, and frowned.
"It's from Addison," I said quickly.
He gave a noncommittal nod, then draped his own coat gently over my shoulders. "I have a surprise for you."
Smiling, he took my hand and led me out onto the balcony.
The moment we stepped outside, fireworks erupted across the sky above the estate, brilliant and vivid, bursting open in cascades of light as half the night sky blazed bright as day.
I stood dazzled, breathless, then laughed in delight. "What's the occasion? Fireworks of all things?"
"You said you've been feeling bored lately," Darius replied softly, brushing my hair with his hand. His fingers were gentle, his gaze warm and deep, then he laced his fingers through mine, looking at me as though I were the only thing that mattered.
Standing nearby, Addison went very still. "Your Alpha treats you so well, sister," she said. Then her voice lifted, bright and pointed. "Mine does the very same. When we held our formal binding ceremony, he lit the sky for me all night long. There were so many fireworks left afterward." I felt Darius's hand tighten sharply around mine.
Addison kept her smile fixed in place, but her eyes held a flash of cold, unmistakable hostility.
Darius drew my cloak tighter around me, shielding me against the chill. Then he turned to Addison, his voice dropping to a tone of polite, distant frost. "Addison, it's late. I will have someone drive you home. Luna and I would like to watch the rest of the display alone. We don't care about outsiders standing among us."
Addison's smile faltered. She looked straight at Darius, her gaze cool and unyielding.
I knew they had never gotten along. Darius disapproved of Addison's bold, revealing clothing. He disliked how freely she mixed and associated with rogue werewolves, those without clan or rank. And Addison, in return, despised Darius's rigid ways and sharp tongue. Most of all, she resented the quiet arrogance that clung to him as alpha of his clan.
In the past, every meeting ended in cutting remarks and thinly veiled jabs.
Darius had always warned me, "Keep your distance from her."
Addison had often told me, quietly, "If you had any choice… choose a different mate."
I had always stood between them, smiling awkwardly, wishing I had known how to bridge the distance.
Addison, however, seemed entirely accustomed to his coldness. She lifted her chin, her smile returning in perfect, practiced form. "Then I shall take my leave. My own Alpha is expecting me this evening."
She walked away, and only once she was gone did I feel the tension leave Darius's grip. He turned back to me, his expression softening at once. "Are you cold? I'll fetch you another wrap."
He turned toward the house. I watched him go, hesitated only a moment, then called out, "Darius."
He stopped and looked back at me.
"During your journey… did you truly go to the Turner Clan?"
Darius stood several paces away, framed against the flare and fall of fireworks. I saw the warmth fade from his lips.
But when he spoke, his eyes were calm and gentle once more. "Where else would I have gone?" He walked slowly back toward me, then held out his phone; on the screen were travel bookings, flight confirmations, and hotel reservations, all listed with the Turner Clan as his destination. "There," he said, tucking the device away. "You spend too much time indoors, and your mind begins inventing worries where there are none. Soon enough, once matters settle, I will take you away myself. It's my fault; I have been far too busy lately and neglected you."
Darius showed no anger. Instead, I saw genuine guilt in his eyes.
Seeing him so contrite eased my fears somewhat. Yet deep down, a cold prickle of unease lingered.
I thought back to how we had met, at a friend's formal binding ceremony, when a servant had accidentally spilled red wine all over my white gown. Darius had stepped forward at once, draping his own suit jacket around me to cover the stain, and he told me later that it was the moment he fell in love at first sight.
Back then, as heir to the clan, he was known for being stern and proper. Though many she-wolves had sought his attention, he had never once stepped out of line or given anyone reason to speak ill of him. I had accepted his proposal and became his Luna.
Since marrying, he has been unfailingly gentle and yielding toward me. And even now, with the clan in turmoil, he had chosen to protect me by delaying our mate's bond rather than risk me in dangerous times.
Yet tonight… something felt different. And I couldn't shake the feeling that I had every reason to be afraid.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD