The Alpha King’s Hybrid Bride

Chapter 12

-Elara

By the time I arrived at his downtown apartment again, Alpha King was nowhere to be seen. Linda was already waiting.

She was a graceful older woman with kind eyes and perfect manners. She told me she had served the Wolfe family for years and was responsible for taking care of Dominic's daily needs.

She also explained that Dominic lived here instead of the main estate because it was closer to his business downtown.

The apartment itself was nothing like what I had imagined. It was quiet, spacious, and coldly elegant, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

I deliberately rolled all three suitcases into the guest bedroom.

Linda paused at the doorway, then asked gently,

"Luna Elara, the master bedroom is next door. Did you put your luggage in the wrong room?"

The title still made me feel strange.

Luna Elara.

I forced myself to stay calm. "No mistake. I'm staying right here."

After all, if my guess was right, Dominic had no real interest in me as a woman.

And since this marriage was only a contract, separate bedrooms were my bottom line.

Later that night, I heard the sound of the bedroom door next door opening.

Dominic was back.

I lay still in the darkness, listening for his footsteps, waiting for him to knock on my door or question my decision to sleep separately.

But he didn't.

He went straight into the master bedroom, and the apartment soon fell quiet again.

His silence only made my guess feel more certain.

He really didn't want to share a bed with me.

I should have felt relieved.

Instead, with a strange, subtle disappointment pressing against my chest, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up early and did yoga in my room before taking a shower.

When I came out, Linda had already prepared a huge breakfast spread.

I ran into Dominic just as he returned from his home gym. He wore only a black tank top that clung to his sweat-dampened chest, outlining every hard line of muscle beneath it. Sweat traced his sharp jawline before sliding down his throat and disappearing beneath the fabric stretched across his chest.

His dark eyes glanced at me briefly. "Morning."

My wolf suddenly perked up, more excited than she had been since Zack's rejection.

Wait.

This...

This was my second chance?

Had the Moon Goddess really given me a second chance?

But the shock lasted only a second before fear crashed over me.

What if Dominic rejected me too?

One rejection had nearly killed me. I absolutely couldn't survive a second one.

And if my guess was right, he didn't accept women as romantic partners at all.

Maybe even the Moon Goddess made mistakes sometimes.

No.

I couldn't go through heartbreak again.

I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Morning."

As we moved past each other, the heat from his skin seemed to reach for me. My body responded without permission—a slow, throbbing ache that started between my thighs and spread everywhere.

My n*****s tightened so suddenly it almost hurt, and I wrapped my arms around myself, pretending I was cold.

practically fled to the dining table, squeezing my legs together against the sudden wetness.

The breakfast looked perfect, but all I could focus on was his lingering scent, making me dizzy with dangerous want.

Stop this.

You can't survive going through this hell again.

"Luna Elara, I made several dishes. I hope at least one of them suits your taste," Linda said gently.

I smiled, hoping she couldn't hear how breathless I sounded. "Thank you, Linda. Could I have coffee tomorrow morning?"

Linda nodded, making a mental note of my preference.

Then Dominic appeared in a bathrobe, his damp hair carrying the clean scent of cedar shampoo.

The robe hung loose on his body, revealing brief glimpses of his chest with every step.

My p***y clenched involuntarily, and I had to bite back a whimper.

This was torture.

He noticed me sitting quietly with my coffee, and his lips curved slightly.

"Everything okay? If not, just tell Linda. She can make almost anything."

I cleared my throat, trying to sound normal.

"Everything's perfect, thanks. Linda's cooking is amazing."

After breakfast, I grabbed a hotel management textbook and settled on the couch.

The quiet sounds of eating and page-turning should have felt peaceful, but the air between us was thick with tension.

Dominic wiped his mouth, then returned a few minutes later wearing a white dress shirt. He held two ties in his hand.

"I have a business dinner. Gray or blue?"

I looked up from my book and studied both options carefully. "Gray. It matches your suit better."

His lips curved upward. "Gray it is."

Instead of leaving, he kept watching me with those intense eyes.

"Interested in management?"

"You can't learn management just from books," | said.

I was trying to prepare myself to take over my father's hotels. Remembering Dominic's connections, I asked carefully, "Do you know any good courses I could take?"

He thought for a moment. "For management, you need someone to guide you. Interested in hotels?! have a friend in that business. I'll send you his contact. You can ask him questions."

I nodded.

His voice carried a hint of amusement. "As a reward, would Luna Wolfe help me with my tie?" My breath caught slightly. "Of course."

Dominic lowered his head a little, leaning in until he was far too close.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

He was close enough for me to catch the clean cedar scent lingering from his shower, close enough for the heat of his body to wrap around me before he even touched me.

I forced myself to take the tie from his hand.

It was just a tie.

I was just helping him with a tie.

Nothing more.

But the moment my fingers brushed the warm skin near his collar, my wolf nearly lost control.

Mate.

The word rose in my mind like both a warning and a temptation.

My fingertips trembled as I looped the fabric around his neck. I tried to focus on the movement, on the knot, on anything except the way his dark eyes remained fixed on me.

"Relax," he said softly.

His voice was low, edged with the faintest trace of amusement.

I swallowed hard. "I am relaxed."

The corner of his mouth curved. "Are you?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

I hated how easily he could see through me.

I pulled the knot a little tighter than necessary. His brow lifted, but he didn't step away.

Instead, he leaned in even closer.

The space between us narrowed until I could feel his breath against my forehead.

My wolf surged forward, restless and eager, begging me to close that last tiny distance.

No.

Absolutely not.

Dominic didn't want a woman.

This was a contract marriage.

He was only teasing me because he was naturally charming. Maybe this was how he treated everyone. Maybe powerful men like him simply enjoyed watching other people lose control.

That had to be the answer.

But my body didn't believe it.

Neither did my wolt.

"Your hands are cold," Dominic murmured.

Before I could pull away, his fingers closed lightly around mine.

My whole body went still.

"I'm fine," I said quickly.

"Are you sure?"

His thumb brushed once across my knuckles, so lightly it could almost have been accidental.

I pulled my hand back and focused desperately on finishing the tie.

"There," I said, stepping away the instant the knot was done. "All set."

Dominic glanced down at the tie, then lifted his eyes to mine.

For one brief second, I thought I saw something dark and hungry in his gaze.

But it vanished too quickly for me to be certain.

"Thank you."

The warmth between us disappeared so abruptly that I almost wondered if I had imagined it. I stood there, awkward and confused, my fingers still

• tingling from his touch.

Dominic adjusted his cuffs and turned toward the door.

"I'm going to the office. Call me if you need anything."

His voice was polite again.

"Okay."

Of course.

This was the truth.

Dominic Wolfe did not want me.

He had only married me because the arrangement benefited both of us.

Whatever I had felt just now was nothing but the mate bond playing cruel tricks on me.

I had survived Zack's rejection once.

I would not let myself be destroyed by another man

Not even my second-chance mate.