Chapter 87: The one-night stand

Alyssa felt so overwhelmed by the rush of emotions that tears spilled freely down her cheeks. Seeing Henna standing there brought a wave of profound relief she couldn’t contain.

She pulled back slightly, cupping Henna’s face with shaking hands. Henna looked the same, her wild curly brown hair a bit longer, though her shoulders were noticeably thinner from stress and exhaustion.

But it was her eyes that caught Alyssa’s attention. Henna’s green eyes looked hollowed and haunted, carrying secrets of trauma she might never be able to speak aloud.

"You’re alive," Henna whispered, her voice trembling. "I was so terrified something happened to you. Gerald came back the night you escaped and said you were dead, that you were murdered by the monster of the North."

"He lied," Alyssa said, smiling through her tears. "Gerald lied to you. There was no monster. I should have come back for you sooner. I’m so sorry, Henna."

"It’s okay," Henna shook her head frantically. "All that matters is that you’re alive. You look so different, so beautiful." She looked over Alyssa’s elegant dress with awe, until her eyes caught the flash of the diamond ring resting on her finger.

A sudden look of confusion crossed her face.

"Wait, you’re married?" she gasped. "How? What happened after you escaped?"

"It’s a long story," Alyssa offered a warm, reassuring smile. "I’ll tell you everything as soon as we leave here. But yes, I’m married. I’m the Queen of Wintercrest."

Henna’s eyes widened into saucers. "The Queen? Then... that means..." Her eyes darted over Alyssa’s shoulder to where Dorian stood. Seeing his towering frame, his sharp, icy features, and the suffocating aura bleeding off him, her shock instantly turned into absolute terror.

"You’re married to the Alpha King," she whispered.

"Henna, listen to me..."

"No!" she shook her head wildly. "They said he was a beast... that he killed you..."

"Henna, stop," Alyssa took her gently by the shoulders, giving her a soft shake. "The rumors we heard were lies. Dorian is no monster. He is the best thing that ever happened to me."

She turned, holding out her hand toward Dorian with a silent plea. Understanding her implicitly, Dorian closed the distance between them and slid his long fingers into hers.

Behind them, the remaining guards kept their heads bowed, waiting in disciplined silence.

Henna backed away further, her eyes fixed on the floor, so paralyzed by Dorian’s terrifying presence that she failed to notice her own pulse spiking and her wolf stirring restlessly beneath her skin.

Alyssa drew Dorian closer, keeping one arm wrapped around Henna’s shoulders.

"Henna, this is my husband," she said softly. "He saved me that night I escaped. He’s the one I told you about from Iridian."

Henna’s eyes snapped up. She looked at Dorian, then back at Alyssa in total disbelief. "He’s the one-night stand?" she whispered.

Under any other circumstances, Dorian would have executed anyone who dared address him as a casual fling. But to his own surprise, all he felt was genuine amusement. The sweet, melodic sound of Alyssa’s soft laugh warmed his chest.

"Yes," Alyssa murmured. "He isn’t anything like the monsters in the stories we were told. He’s kind, Henna. He came here to free you and the rest of the women."

"So..." Henna whispered, swallowing hard. "Gerald is really dead?"

​Alyssa gave a small nod, tilting her chin toward the dark crimson pool spreading across the marble behind Dorian. Henna caught a glimpse of the carnage, recoiled, and immediately averted her face.

"You’re free now," Alyssa smiled, squeezing her hand. "And you’re coming home with me."

Henna looked up at Dorian once more, a profound shift of reverence in her posture. She dropped into a low, trembling curtsy, keeping her gaze strictly on the floor. "It is an honor to meet you, Alpha. Please forgive my insolence."

"Apology accepted, Henna," Dorian murmured smoothly. "A friend to my Luna is a friend to the crown."

Alyssa squeezed his hand, silently mouthing thank you. Dorian offered her a brief, warm smile in return.

"She can come with us, right?" she whispered.

"I don’t think she’ll have much of a choice," Dorian chuckled. "Take a look at Jake."

Alyssa glanced toward the beta and froze. Jake stood entirely rigid, his dark eyes locked onto Henna as if the rest of the world had completely vanished.

Her breath hitched as she looked back at Dorian. "Is she...?"

Dorian gave a single, knowing nod. "She’s his mate."

Henna finally turned toward Jake. The second their eyes locked, an overwhelming, intoxicating scent filled her senses. Her wolf surged awake in her chest, howling a single word through her bloodstream: MATE.

She took an involuntary step toward him, entirely forgetting her surroundings, and Jake closed the distance between them with urgent, long strides.

Alyssa watched them, tears pricking her eyes again. "Goddess," she breathed. "Jake finally found his mate."

Dorian studied his beta, chuckling softly at how completely undone the fierce warrior looked. He slid his arm around Alyssa’s waist, pulling her flush against his side.

"Come, my love," he murmured. "Our work here is done."

He guided her out of the blood-stained foyer into the afternoon air. As they walked toward the car, he leaned down, his breath warm against her ear. "Cover your ears, little lamb."

She looked up at him with a frown, but without hesitation, she pressed her palms tightly over her ears.

She saw Dorian lift a hand, giving a quiet signal to the Lycans waiting near the side gates. A second later, even through her sealed ears, the muffled, wet sound of tearing muscle and frantic screams echoed across the courtyard as his army executed Gerald’s men.

That was when she realized why he asked her to cover her ears. He wanted to shield her from the slaughter, refusing to let the violence ruin her day.

As he helped her into the back of the car, she stole a quick glance back. Jake was leading Henna toward his own vehicle, his arm wrapped tightly around her.

The sight brought a warm feeling to her chest, reminding her so much of Dorian’s fierce, possessive nature over her.

As André drove out of the estate and turned in the direction of the North, she curled into Dorian’s warm chest, allowing herself to forget, for just a few brief hours, the storm brewing closer around them.

...

Later that evening, after Dorian left for an urgent council meeting regarding Gerald’s death, Alyssa spent the rest of the night catching up with Henna.

During their talk, Henna quietly confessed that she had lost her baby just a week before her due date. Severe complications had set in, and by the time Gerald bothered to call a doctor, it was already too late.

Henna claimed she didn’t care, that the child had been the product of Gerald’s brutal assault, but Alyssa saw the deep, shattering grief in her friend’s eyes. It was a trauma that would haunt her forever.

Thankfully, Pandora had welcomed Henna with open arms, and the two had bonded almost instantly.

Late that night, as Alyssa prepared for bed, Dorian stepped out of the bathroom. Steam rolled off his bare shoulders, droplets of water glistening along the taut muscles of his chest and abdomen, a towel slung around his hips.

Catching her staring, he offered a slow, charming smirk. "Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Hellborne?"

Alyssa laughed, boldly holding his gaze. "Maybe. But I was actually wondering how Henna is doing. I thought about checking on her."

Dorian climbed onto the bed, sliding over her frame to press a deep kiss to her lips. "I assure you, she’s doing fine. You’d only be interrupting something extremely intimate between her and Jake."

Alyssa’s eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Dorian chuckled at her innocence. "Lycans do not hesitate when they find their mate. The moment the bond snaps into place, we are utterly consumed. Jake will likely mark her tonight, so it’s best not to disturb them. You’ll see her in the morning."

As he pulled her close against his chest and turned off the lights, his words echoed repeatedly in her mind.

Jake will likely mark her tonight.

Then why hadn’t Dorian marked her yet? Was it because she wasn’t his true mate? Or was it something deeper... something that had to do with Elvira?

Drifting off into a troubled sleep with those questions heavy on her chest, she was entirely unprepared for the strange dream that awaited her in the shadows.