Mistletoe and the Alpha's Sin

CHAPTER 5: GREYSANDS

LEV

Greysands was a shitty town that nobody knew about because it wasn't even on the map. I also recently discovered it.

Before I could ask Mom why she was going to Graysands, her voice came through the speaker, saying she’d tell me everything on her way back.

I took the phone. “Have a safe flight, Mom,” I said.

“Thank you, darling, I will. Oh, and your father we'll be arriving tomorrow evening instead of next week.”

That pulled a smile out of me. My father was one of the few places I could breathe. Whenever he was home, we spent a lot of time together, often playing late-night chess games and enjoying breakfasts before sunrise while catching up and discussing business.

But he was rarely home for long. Even after I took over the business, he continued to travel constantly, always jumping from one boardroom across the world to another.

Wanda put the phone away and turned her focus back to me, taking my jacket from where I had laid it on the bed. She helped me slip my arms into the sleeves, smoothing the fabric over my shoulders with gentle hands.

“Thank you,” I said, grabbing the things I needed for the meeting: my briefcase, phone, car keys, and the leather folder containing the copy of the proposal that would be presented to me.

She stepped closer. “You’ve got this,” she whispered before pressing a quick kiss to my lips. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she gave my backside a slap. I jumped, surprised, then burst out laughing. “Really?”

“Go. You’re going to be late.”

Shaking my head, I was still smiling as I headed for the door, my troubled life forgotten for a moment.

Wanda's mom and mine were best friends, and we were kind of pushed together by our parents. I was miserable after Iva left, and that was about the same time that Wanda returned from studying abroad. She's the same age as me, but we were never close when Iva was around. I had no time for anyone else but her. I cared deeply for Wanda, but she could never fill the void. No one could.

••••

IVA

Nik’s questions hung in the air. “Why did you leave home, Iva? Why wouldn’t you go back?” Taking my hands, he pleaded. “Please talk to me,” his voice softer this time.

But I stepped back before he could say more, my pulse hammering in my ears. “Where's this coming from, Nik?” I asked. “You’ve always respected that I don’t want to talk about my family.”

He didn’t let me finish. He closed the distance between us with two steps, his eyes still pleading. “You’re sick, Iva,” he said. “You need your family more than ever right now.”

“You don’t have to worry. I won’t burden you,” I replied before I could stop myself, and he flinched.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

I knew it was a low blow. I only said it to push him away, to make him stop asking questions I couldn’t bear to answer. Guilt twisted in my stomach, and I took a breath. “I’m sorry. I just… I don’t want to talk about my family. Do I miss them? Yes. Do I need them? Yes. But I can’t be with them, Nik. And I know that’s not enough for you, and I understand. But that's all I can tell you right now.”

His shoulders dropped, but he still listened.

“Maybe one day, I’ll be in a place where I can tell you everything. But that day hasn’t come yet. And I need you to understand. Please.” He pulled me into his arms, and I leaned into his chest.

“I didn’t mean to push you,” he murmured against my hair. “I’m sorry if it felt that way. I’m just… concerned.”

“I know,” I said quietly as we pulled back, and he smiled, that mischievous smile of his. “What?” My brow c****d.

“I brought short ribs.” Warmth flooded my chest, and a smile lit up my face, despite having told him not to bring anything. They were my favorite, and he knew it. “Now, you sit down,” he said, taking my hand and guiding me toward the sofa. “I’ll plate everything for us.”

I sank onto the cushions, watching him disappear into the kitchen, and the smile slipped off my face the second he left the room. "Until when?" my inner voice whispered. “How long are you going to keep telling him you’re not ready?"

I didn’t have an answer. I never did.

Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV, letting the noise drown out my thoughts.

A few moments later, Nik returned with dinner, and we ate while discussing the weather, work, and other mundane matters.

The evening slid by quietly until the house fell still, and it was time for bed. I had work in the morning. My part-time job hadn’t paused like med school.

Juggling my studies, job, motherhood, and a relationship wasn't easy, but I had to leave my family's money alone if I wanted to remain hidden. So I had no choice.

I also needed to stay busy. Plus, I didn’t want to depend on Nik, even though he never cared about that. He disagreed with my taking a part-time job. He wanted me to attend university and then return home. He promised he’d take care of everything, and I believed him.

But I couldn’t let myself lean on him completely when my whole life still felt like it could collapse with one wrong move.

••••

THE NEXT DAY

The afternoon shift assistant arrived right on time, and I knew it was almost time for me to head home. But first, I needed to take my medication. My alarm hadn’t gone off yet, but it would any second now. I reached for my bag under the counter when a familiar voice stopped me.

“Iva, dear, could you please help me?” I straightened and turned to see Mrs. Daniels, one of our regular patients, holding out her prescription slip with a tired smile.

“Of course, Mrs. Daniels,” I said, taking it from her. I worked at the dispensing side of the clinic as a pharmacy assistant. Medical school secured me the job. “How are the grandkids?” I asked as I scanned the prescription.

“Driving me mad as always,” she chuckled, and I smiled while quickly moving to the shelves behind me.

Blood pressure tablets, iron supplements, and a mild muscle relaxant. I muttered under my breath as I grabbed each item and brought it over to the counter to sign it off in the logbook.

“Here you go,” I said, placing the small brown paper bag into her hands.

“Thank you, darling. Tell that handsome fiancé of yours I said hello.”

“I will,” I laughed as she walked off. She knew Nik. He was well-loved by the community, as his family was one of the first to settle here and had made significant contributions to the community. Just then, Mia walked in, tying her hair into a bun. “Busy day?”

“The usual,” I said. “You’re early.”

“Traffic was light. Lucky you.”

We exchanged a few more words about shift changes and patient load when my phone buzzed loudly in my pocket. It was my alarm and a call at the same time. I glanced at the screen. It was Nik, and I knew he had to be outside. “I have to go,” I told Mia.

“Go, before he comes in here and drags you out himself,” she teased, and I laughed, grabbing my bag. Nik hated it when I worked more than my required hours, and everyone here was aware of it.

Waving goodbye, I stepped outside and spotted his car parked near the entrance. He was already stepping out to get the door for me, ever the gentleman.

“Hi,” he said softly.

“Hi,” I replied, leaning up to kiss him before sliding into the passenger seat. He closed the door, went back to the driver’s side, and got in. “How was your day?”

“Same as always,” I sighed. “Balls deep in patients’ business.”

He burst out laughing. “That’s one way to put it.”

I found myself laughing too as I asked how his day was. But frowned, noticing he wasn’t heading toward our apartment. Instead of turning left at the junction, he turned right toward town.

“Where are we going?” I asked, sitting up straighter.

“I thought we could grab a snack before heading home,” he replied casually, to which I murmured, “Oh,” and leaned back into my seat again. I could use a snack.

Nik and I kept talking, mostly about work, Akari, and how my supervisor still refused to take lunch breaks like a normal human. The drive passed quickly, and it wasn't until the car slowed to a stop that I realized we weren't anywhere near the takeout place I thought we were heading to.

My brows knit together as I looked out the window. We were parked in front of Maison d’Étoile--the upscale restaurant where Nik had taken me on our very first date. It was the same place where he proposed to me, right under the golden lights and soft piano music.

I loved everything about this place. The food, the atmosphere, and the service. But I wasn’t expecting this, and I definitely wasn’t dressed for it, still wearing my clinic uniform.

But Nik turned to me and smiled before I could say a word. “You look perfect,” he said, as if he read my mind, and my heart softened. We got out of the car and walked inside.

Warm lights, crystal chandeliers, soft jazz playing in the background--everything was exactly as it always was. A waiter approached us as soon as we entered and escorted us to a table near the windows, overlooking the garden lights outside.

We sat across from one another and reached for the menus. I already knew what I wanted, but pretended to read anyway. Nik glanced at his watch, then at me. “Excuse me for a minute?” he said. “It’s an important call. I’ll just step onto the balcony.”

I nodded. “Of course.”

He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before walking away. I went back to staring at the menu, still not really reading any of the words, until something else caught my attention despite having told myself I would get the usual.

I suddenly found myself trying to decide between a lamb dish and pasta when a soft, familiar scent flooded my nose, and I paused.

My fingers went numb around the menu, and my heartbeat quickened as my head snapped up without waiting for the signal.

Everything stilled.

No.

“Hello, sweetheart.”