THE ALPHA I NEVER SAW

Chapter 15: Drooling on him

*****Saturday Morning*****

Golden sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, replacing the rain and moonlight of the previous night.

For the first time in what felt like forever...

I woke up peacefully.

No nightmares.

No screams.

No execution platform.

Just...

Silence.

The warmth of an impossibly soft mattress.

The faint scent of lavender drifting through the room.

I blinked slowly before sitting upright.

For a moment...

I simply looked around.

Now that it was morning, I could finally see the guest suite properly.

It was even more beautiful than I remembered.

Cream-colored walls were decorated with delicate silver patterns that shimmered beneath the morning sun. Fresh white lilies rested in a crystal vase near the balcony doors, filling the room with a delicate fragrance. Elegant paintings adorned the walls, while a small bookshelf stood beside a comfortable reading chair.

Everything felt...

Warm.

Comfortable.

Lived in.

Nothing about the room felt cold despite the mansion's enormous size.

I slipped out of bed and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Outside...

The rain had stopped.

Sunlight sparkled across the vast gardens, leaving tiny droplets of water glittering like diamonds on every leaf.

The entire Ravencrest Estate looked peaceful.

Almost unreal.

Behind me, Lyra stretched lazily.

"Good morning."

I smiled.

"Morning."

"You slept well."

"I did."

"That's because someone finally stopped sleeping with one eye open."

"...I wasn't that bad."

Lyra snorted.

"Really?"

"You used to wake up whenever the wind changed direction."

I couldn't even argue with that.

After everything that had happened in my previous life...

Being able to sleep this peacefully felt...

Strange.

Lyra padded over to the window, lazily swaying her silver tail.

"Looks like today will be sunny."

"It does."

"A perfect day to stop hiding inside your head."

I rolled my eyes.

"Must you start this early?"

"Absolutely."

A small laugh escaped my lips.

Maybe...

She wasn't wrong.

Turning away from the window, I headed toward the bathroom.

The moment I stepped inside...

I froze.

The bathroom was almost as large as my bedroom back at the Veyra Estate.

White marble stretched from floor to ceiling, polished until it reflected the morning light. A freestanding bathtub rested beside a tall window overlooking the gardens. Silver fixtures gleamed elegantly, while fluffy white towels had been folded with perfect precision.

Beside the sink sat expensive perfumes, skincare products, lotions, soaps and everything else anyone could possibly need.

Everything looked...

Luxurious.

Yet tasteful.

Not overly extravagant.

Just...

Elegant.

After freshening up, I returned to the bedroom and walked toward the wardrobe Professor Ravencrest had mentioned.

Curious, I opened it.

...

I blinked.

Then blinked again.

Inside hung dozens of neatly arranged outfits.

Elegant dresses.

Casual dresses.

Blouses.

Cardigans.

Sweaters.

Skirts.

Jeans.

Even shoes were arranged neatly beneath them.

On the upper shelves rested several handbags, while a beautiful jewelry box sat quietly in one corner.

I stared.

"..."

Lyra slowly wandered over.

"Well..."

"Someone certainly came prepared."

I reached out and gently touched one of the dresses.

The fabric felt unbelievably soft.

"They're all my size..."

Every single outfit looked as though it had been chosen specifically for me.

Then...

A thought crossed my mind.

"...Wait."

I slowly looked around the room again.

The flowers.

The books.

The perfumes.

The jewelry.

The clothes.

Everything...

Belonged to a young woman.

I frowned slightly.

"...Professor Ravencrest..."

"...has a girlfriend?"

Lyra tilted her head.

"What?"

"I mean..."

I looked around the room once more.

"This doesn't feel like an ordinary guest room."

"It feels..."

"...personal."

Lyra glanced around thoughtfully before shrugging.

"Maybe."

"Or maybe rich people decorate their guest rooms like this."

I wasn't convinced.

Someone definitely owned this room.

Or at least...

Someone had.

Carefully, I selected a simple cream-colored dress from the wardrobe before getting changed.

Standing before the mirror, I looked at my reflection.

The dress fit perfectly.

Almost...

Too perfectly.

"...How did he know my size?"

Lyra grinned mischievously.

"Magic?"

I laughed.

"You're impossible."

"I know."

Taking one last look around the beautiful room, I quietly straightened the bed.

No matter who this room belonged to...

I was grateful.

Professor Ravencrest had gone out of his way to make sure I was comfortable.

The least I could do...

Was thank him before I left.

With that thought, I reached for the doorknob.

And quietly stepped into the silent hallway.

The hallway was quiet.

Only the soft footsteps of the mansion staff echoed through the enormous corridors.

I glanced around uncertainly.

The Ravencrest Mansion was...

Huge.

If I tried finding Professor Ravencrest on my own...

I'd probably get lost.

Just then, a maid carrying a tray approached.

The moment she saw me, she stopped and bowed respectfully.

"Good morning, Miss Veyra."

"Good morning."

I offered her a small smile.

"May I ask where Professor Ravencrest is?"

The maid nodded politely.

"My Lord is in his room, Miss."

"Oh..."

"Thank you."

"You're most welcome."

Following the directions she had given me, I made my way through another corridor before finally stopping in front of a pair of dark wooden doors.

His room.

I raised my hand to knock.

But before my knuckles reached the door...

I noticed it wasn't completely closed.

It was slightly open.

"...Professor?"

No answer.

Maybe he didn't hear me.

I gently pushed the door open a little further.

"I just wanted to—"

The words caught in my throat.

...

Professor Ravencrest stood before a full-length mirror.

He had already put on a crisp white dress shirt.

The sleeves were neatly buttoned.

A black vest rested perfectly over it.

One hand adjusted the silver cufflink around his wrist while the other reached for the dark tie draped around his neck.

His silver hair was still slightly damp from his shower.

Tiny droplets of water clung to a few loose strands before disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt.

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows behind him, outlining his tall figure in a warm golden glow.

He looked...

Ridiculously handsome.

"..."

Without realizing it...

I simply stood there.

Watching.

He fastened one cufflink.

Then the other.

Picked up his watch.

Slipped it onto his wrist.

Adjusted the collar of his shirt.

Completely unhurried.

Completely composed.

...

Inside his mind—

Mida chuckled.

"She's been staring at you for..."

"...five seconds."

"I know."

"You aren't going to say anything?"

"No."

"...You're enjoying this."

"I wouldn't call it that."

"You've counted."

"..."

"You counted."

"..."

Mida burst into laughter.

"Our mighty Alpha is pretending he doesn't know his mate is admiring him."

Darius ignored him.

He calmly finished adjusting his tie.

Only then...

Without turning around...

He spoke.

"...Are you done looking?"

...

My brain stopped working.

"W-What?"

Slowly...

He turned to face me.

Those silver eyes met mine effortlessly.

"I asked..."

"...are you done looking?"

Heat rushed straight to my face.

"I-I wasn't staring!"

"Were you not?"

"I..."

"..."

"..."

I had absolutely no defense.

My eyes betrayed me.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Barely noticeable.

But it was there.

Inside his mind, Mida laughed so hard he could barely breathe.

"She broke."

"Completely."

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"I... I came to thank you..."

I finally managed to mumble.

"For last night."

His expression softened immediately.

"You don't have to thank me."

"I know..."

"But I wanted to."

For a brief moment...

Silence settled between them once again.

This time...

It wasn't awkward.

Just...

Unexpectedly warm.