Chapter 12

LEAH

The drive back to the house felt like I was in an oven. Dante was already in the house and to my luck I was forced to use another car yet heaven knows I was more bothered about what was going down tonight.

The car came to a halt and I swallowed harder before taking a deep breath and stepping out. There was no doubt he was going to touch me tonight.

At the balcony he had whispered eight o'clock in my ears and I had half an hour to get my shut together.

“We'll help you get ready" Two maids appeared from nowhere and I knew they were made by the way they dressed, but I've never seen them before

Half an hour past and I was sitting in his… Our room and he was nowhere to be seen. I nervously moved back and forth in the room as I stared at the clock that was exactly eight then the door cracked open making me freeze in place.

“You seem very impatient little one” His voice sent chills down my bone and to make it worst, I was excited

I shouldn't be excited but I was

The night was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Dante’s touch was possessive yet careful, as though he was holding something fragile, something he wasn’t willing to break. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted, like I wasn’t just a discarded piece of property passed from one man to another.

His lustful eyes found might and I could trace the shimmer of gold in them while my body got hot with every passing seconds and his lips met mine. Fireworks were an understatement, tingles flowed through my bone.

His fingers brushed my nose gently as he deepened the kiss, it was no longer lust, it was something I couldn't place a finger on, but I didn't want him to stop

Disappointment courses through my body when he pulled away, and I realized I wasn't breathing at all, I tried to catch my breath, but it was instantly taken away when his hot breath showered my shoulder blades making me swallow

His lips traced paths along my skin, claiming every inch of me with a quiet intensity that left me trembling. His hands, calloused and warm, skimmed my waist, my shoulders, my back, drawing out sensations I didn’t know I could feel. I had spent years believing I was worthless, but in his arms, I wasn’t just Leah, the unwanted mate. I was his Queen.

The way he looked at me in the dim light of the bedroom, his silver eyes darkened with an emotion I couldn’t name, made my heart race. He wasn’t just touching my body, he was unraveling me, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but raw vulnerability. And yet, I wasn’t afraid.

Two hours passed like a breeze and I wished I could relive them over and over again. It didn't matter that I had experienced it before with my ex-husband, this felt good, it felt right even if the wedding doesn't settle in my mind.

I watched him sleep quietly, and I wished for him to wake up, but he looked so peaceful sleeping and absolutely nothing like the beast everyone knew.

I moved closer to him and let myself peaceful slip into my dream land

By the time the sun rose, I lay tangled in the silk sheets, my body exhausted but strangely light. I wasn’t sure what had changed between us, but I knew there was no going back, and I don't regret it to my surprise.

I glanced over at Dante, his strong arm draped over my waist, his breathing steady. I suddenly remembered everything that happened last night and I blushed before looking at him again, a stark contrast to the ruthless Alpha everyone feared.

I had to remind myself that I couldn’t afford to get attached. Whatever this was, whatever last night had meant, I had to be careful. Dante was dangerous, and I was already starting to feel something for him, something I shouldn’t which scared the daylight out of me.

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I carefully slid out of bed, wrapping a robe around myself before opening the door. A servant stood there, holding a tray of food and I furrowed my eyebrows confused

“The king asked me to bring this to you,” she said politely, and I stared at the tray of food in surprise before looking back at the human who was fast asleep

I hesitated before taking it. “Thank you.”

I set the tray down on the table and lifted the lid. The smell of fresh bread, eggs, and fruit filled the room. My stomach twisted with hunger, but something else curled inside me, something unfamiliar.

No one had ever taken care of me like this before. Tears filled my eyes and I immediately wiped it away, couldn't afford for him to see me like this. I turned to look at him as he peacefully slept, and I fought the urge to kiss him.

Dante stirred, his eyes opening slowly as he stretched, and he looked at me, “You need to stop staring at me like that,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

“I would rather not wake you,” I said softly while looking at the food on the side cupboard

He pushed himself up, the blanket slipping to reveal the hard lines of his chest. “Did you eat?”

“I was about to. How do you even order food while you are asleep?”

He stood, walking toward me, and without hesitation, he plucked a piece of fruit from the tray and pressed it against my lips. “I have my ways, come on, eat, Leah.”

I swallowed hard before taking a small bite. The gesture was intimate, almost too much, but I didn’t pull away. Dante watched me with an unreadable expression before he grabbed a cup of coffee and took a sip.

“You should rest today,” he said. “But tomorrow, training begins.”

I blinked. “Training?”

“You need to be stronger, Leah. I won’t have you weak and defenseless.”

I frowned, setting my fork down. “I don’t need training. I can take care of myself.”

His silver eyes darkened. “You think you can? After everything that’s happened? If you had been stronger, those rogues wouldn’t have touched you, again”.

His words were a knife to my pride. I had spent so long being powerless, and I hated that he saw me that way. But he wasn’t wrong. If I had been stronger, maybe my life wouldn’t have turned out the way it did.

“I’ll think about it,” I mumbled.

Dante leaned in, his fingers tilting my chin up so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. “You belong to me now, Leah. And I protect what’s mine.”

I can't believe we were having the same conversation as last night and he wasn't complaining

Something flickered in his eyes, something dark and possessive. The words sent a strange shiver down my spine, and I wasn’t sure if it was fear or something else entirely.

After breakfast, Dante left for his duties, leaving me alone in the massive bedroom. I wandered aimlessly, my fingers brushing against the velvet drapes, the polished wood of the furniture. My eyes landed on the nightstand, where a drawer sat slightly ajar.

I only meant to grab a tissue, but when I opened it, my breath caught in my throat.

There, tucked neatly inside, was a portrait.

Of me.

I picked it up, my fingers trembling. The image was an old one, I looked younger, my face softer, my eyes uncertain. But there was something wrong.

I had no memory of ever taking this picture.

A chill ran through me as I stared at the image. How did Dante have this? And why?

The question settled deep in my gut, a dark suspicion curling inside me. Whatever I thought I knew about Dante, it wasn’t the entire truth.

And now, I needed to find out exactly what he was hiding.