Chapter 184: A truce between us

That evening, the tension lessened considerably.

Alyssa was lost in thought throughout dinner, her fork tracing idle patterns against her plate while she barely touched her food.

Dorian instantly noticed her lack of focus. His hand disappeared under the table, his fingers gently stroking her thigh.

"Are you alright, my love?" he murmured, his voice low enough to slip beneath the quiet chatter of everyone else.

She turned her head slowly, her gaze drifting through him for a second before snapping into focus on his face. A faint, distant smile touched her lips.

"I’m alright."

"Are you sure?" Dorian insisted, his thumb tracing circles on her thigh. "I know yesterday was a lot, but I’m worried about you." He glanced around the table, then leaned closer to whisper, "Maybe we should send for Nina to check you over."

"No," Alyssa shook her head, rejecting the idea before it could take root. "Believe me, Dorian, I’m fine. We don’t need to call Nina. I don’t even think I’m ready to face her yet."

"Please, baby. Just let her run a quick assessment. It would ease my nerves. Do this for me."

Alyssa really didn’t want to face Nina yet, especially when her mind was still reeling from a vision she couldn’t explain. But looking at the intense worry in Dorian’s eyes, she couldn’t refuse him.

"Alright," she sighed softly. "We can send for her after dinner."

Dorian heaved a quiet sigh of relief. He leaned close and pressed a kiss to her cheek. When dinner ended, he instructed a guard to get the healer.

Alyssa was waiting in the living room, curled against the corner of the sofa when Pandora and Henna drifted over to join her.

"Why’s Dorian calling for Nina?" Pandora asked, settling onto the cushions and crossing her ankles.

Alyssa let out a slow breath and leaned her head back against the upholstery. "He’s worried. Apparently, my silence makes him nervous. He wants Nina to run a full checkup on me."

"My brother has always carried a mountain of anxiety," Pandora chuckled, though her eyes were sympathetic. "Of course he’s going to worry about his wife."

"Have you been feeling dizzy?" Henna cut in, leaning forward with a speculative look. "Nauseous?"

​Alyssa frowned, shaking her head. "No. Just exhausted. Why?"

"Henna has a theory that you might be pregnant," Pandora blurted with a grin. "She thinks it’s why you’re so moody."

"What?" Alyssa let out a dry, incredulous laugh. "No, I’m not pregnant. Doctor Dylan said it would take time after the last loss. And honestly, bringing a child into this right now... with everything hanging over us... isn’t a smart move."

"It wouldn’t be so bad," Pandora murmured softly, her smile fading into something gentler. "Pilate is dead. There are no more threats targeted at you."

If only you knew, Alyssa thought bitterly, her hand instinctively pressing against her flat stomach. I can’t bring a baby into a world where my status as a Hybrid hasn’t been confirmed.

"A baby would be nice, though," Henna sighed dreamily, resting her chin in her hand. "I can’t wait to have Jake’s pups. But not yet. Right now, we want to cherish the time we have together."

"Must be nice," Pandora muttered, looking away toward the dark windows. "To have a mate who looks at you like you’re his moon and stars. Mine is probably off in some distant city, gallivanting with half the continent."

"Or," Alyssa drawled with a small, knowing smile, "he’s living right under this roof, and you’re just too stubborn to notice because the bond hasn’t snapped into place."

"If you’re talking about Anthony, stop," Pandora rolled her eyes hard. "We are not doing this again. Even if I have feelings for him, which I don’t, I wouldn’t say a word. What happens if he finds his true mate down the line? Where does that leave me?"

"What if you are his true mate?" Henna asked softly. "Have you ever actually allowed yourself to think about it?"

"If I am, I’d rather wait for the bond to connect us," Pandora replied, her voice dropping a fraction. "It’s safer than guessing and getting your heart crushed."

The three of them fell silent, each retreating into their own private thoughts. Shortly after, Nina arrived, and Alyssa excused herself, following Dorian and the healer up the stairs to their bedroom.

Downstairs, Henna’s eyelids drifted shut and she dozed off until Jake appeared and scooped into his arms. He murmured a quiet goodnight to Pandora and carried his sleeping mate upstairs.

Pandora lingered in the dim living room, preparing to head to her own room, when movement in the hallway caught her eye.

Anthony was leaning against the doorframe, watching her with an intensity that made her stomach flutter.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, her voice hitching slightly as her heart hammered against her ribs.

"Long enough," Anthony replied. He pushed off the wall and crossed the room, stopping right beside her. Without a word, he gently lifted her feet and rested them across his lap.

It was an old habit, casual and normal, but tonight the stillness between them made it feel too intimate. Pandora couldn’t tear her gaze away from his face.

"I’m in love with you, Pandora," Anthony said suddenly.

She froze. Her breath caught, her eyes widening in disbelief. Anthony wasn’t looking at her; he was staring down at her feet, his jaw tight as a faint flush crept up his neck.

"You don’t have to say anything," he rushed on, his words tumbling over each other. "I know you don’t feel the same way."

"Anthony..."

"Let me finish," he pleaded, finally lifting his head, his green eyes locking onto hers with immense sincerity. "I tried to kill these feelings. I fought them for years; it was useless. But seeing you lying unconscious from that potion broke something in me. It made me realize how fast I could lose you."

He reached out, his calloused hands wrapping firmly around hers. "I had to tell you while I had the chance. Who knows, I may die tomorrow..."

"Don’t talk like that," Pandora hissed, her voice shaking. "You aren’t going anywhere. If you die and leave me here, I swear I’ll kill you myself."

Anthony let out a breathless laugh. "That doesn’t even make sense. But I needed you to know. I’ve loved you for a very long time."

He swallowed hard, the green flecks in his eyes catching the chandelier light. "If my true mate ever comes along, I will reject her. Because a Lycan’s heart only beats for one woman, Pandora. And you already have mine."

Before she could form a single word in response, he leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn’t a tentative brush of lips; it was fierce, deep, and intense with all the emotions he had kept hidden for years.

When he pulled back, his thumb brushed her cheek once before he gently lowered her feet to the floor, stood up, and walked out.

Pandora sat frozen on the sofa, her fingers trembling against her lips as tears brimmed in her eyes and spilled over.

...

On the other side of the mansion, Samantha couldn’t sleep. The quiet of her room felt suffocating, so she slipped outside into the garden, hoping the night air would clear her mind.

It worked, until the temperature plummeted and she realized she was standing in a thin silk nightgown, shivering violently. She crossed her arms tightly, refusing to go back inside to get a blanket.

Out of the blue, something warm settled over her shoulders.

She whipped around, her eyes widening as she found Alec standing right behind her, holding out a dark wool blanket.

Annoyance flared in her chest. "Are you stalking me now?"

Alec held up both hands in mock surrender, taking a step back. "Relax. I saw you shivering. Thought you might need a blanket to keep you warm."

She hesitated, then pulled the fabric tighter around her frame, letting the warmth soak in. "I’m... I’m sorry. Thank you."

Alec stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her with an expression of exaggerated shock. "Did the great Samantha Bennington just say thank you without insulting my ancestry? What bug crawled up your butt?"

"Oh, fuck off," Samantha muttered and turned her face away, but the corners of her mouth twitched into a reluctant smile.

Alec chuckled. He stood beside her, his hands deep inside his pockets, staring out at the fountain. "The Luna defended you today."

"She did," Samantha nodded, watching her own breath cloud in the cold air. "We cleared the air after you all left. It turns out we aren’t enemies anymore."

Alec turned his head, a soft smile touching his lips. "That’s a good thing, isn’t it?"

"It is," she admitted. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you smiling? Where did the grumpy, insufferable Alec go?"

"I guess we’ve both changed," he replied smoothly. "There’s enough chaos in this house without us adding to it."

They fell into a silence, the space between them comfortable instead of tense. After a long pause, Alec cleared his throat. "I wanted to clear up what Elvira said earlier, too. About me having feelings for you."

Samantha’s heart gave an odd, sharp thud, though her voice remained steady. "Oh, I knew she was just lying. There’s no way in hell you’d ever have feelings for me, right?"

"Not a chance," Alec agreed instantly.

"Right. But, thanks for trying to defend me."

"Sure."

Another silence settled over them, but this one lingered longer. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, gazing deeply at each other in the pale moonlight until Samantha finally looked away.

"I should get back to sleep," she murmured, starting to slip the blanket from her shoulders. "Thank you for this."

"Keep it," Alec said. His hand came up and gently pushed the blanket back onto her shoulders, his fingers brushing the skin of her collarbone. "Consider it a truce between us."

Her breath hitched at the contact. She looked up, and for a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then she stepped back, nodding once before turning toward the mansion.

She walked away, unconsciously pulling the blanket tighter around herself, inhaling the scent of citrus that clung to the fabric, while Alec stood in the dark, watching her disappear inside.