Chapter 16: Dinner With Alpha

Adelie

Alpha, as usual, spent the majority of his day holed up in his study.

I could sense a shift in his demeanor towards me, but I wasn’t quite ready to approach him and offer my assistance. My feelings for him had been evolving over the past few days.

I couldn’t pinpoint exactly how or why, but something was different. I was experiencing emotions I’d never felt before. It was as if my heart was being pulled in two different directions, existing in two different moments in time.

As the day began to fade into evening, I found myself gazing out of my bedroom window. I had offered to help Helen with dinner preparations, but she had politely declined my offer.

Helen informed me that Alpha wished to dine with me that evening. She didn’t mention Jasmin, which led me to wonder if this could become a regular occurrence. I found myself hoping it would.

When dinner time arrived, I descended the staircase to find Alpha already seated at the table. The room was dimly lit by a few strategically placed candles. Jasmin was noticeably absent, her place at the table empty.

Alpha must have sensed my presence, as he turned towards me and rose from his chair. “Adelie,” he said, his voice soft. “Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the chair next to him. His expression seemed warm, but I couldn’t tell if it was the candlelight playing tricks on me, or if my feelings were clouding my judgment.

I took my seat and asked, “Where’s Jasmin?”

“She’s out of town, but she’ll be back for training tomorrow. You’ve been doing well on your own, though,” he complimented.

“Thank you,” I replied.

Our conversation during dinner was sparse, with only Kairos speaking. If he didn’t initiate conversation, I certainly wasn’t going to.

“A few werewolves will be arriving tomorrow for training. They’ll be here for a week,” he informed me. It didn’t really affect me, but I appreciated the heads up.

“Would you like some music?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“I would like that,” I responded. Some background noise would be a welcome distraction.

Kairos rose from his seat and walked over to a small display that housed a radio. He fiddled with the stations until he found a slow song sung by a male vocalist. It was a beautiful song, and it fit the ambiance of the room perfectly.

“You look beautiful, Adelie,” he said, catching me off guard. I was wearing one of my usual dresses, nothing special.

“Thank you,” I replied. After our argument the other day, I had said everything I needed to say. Now, I wasn’t sure how to act around him.

I no longer felt the need to obey him, or anyone else for that matter. It went against everything my mother had taught me, but it felt right.

Once we finished eating, Helen came to clear the table.

“Tell me about yourself, Adelie,” Kairos said, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Tell me about your dreams, your family, what you love most in the world.”

I smirked at him, a smirk tinged with pain. “My family?” I asked, my laughter bitter. “Since when do you care about my family? You’ve never cared about anything I do.” I instantly regretted my words.

Kairos looked down at his plate. “I’ve always cared,” he said quietly. “I’m trying to make amends for what I’ve done to you, to us. But if you can’t forgive me, I understand.” I could see him swallow hard, a lump forming in his throat.

A knot formed in my stomach. He was making an effort, but I wasn’t about to make things easy for him. Despite everything, I could see his sincerity.

“My mom was a water nymph and a werewolf. She was my world, my teacher. She taught me to live in the shadows, to follow rules, to speak sparingly. She died protecting me, and that’s why I left my first pack,” I confessed. Kairos watched me intently.

“Why did she have to protect you?” he asked. How much could I reveal to him?

“If she hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here,” I admitted. Kairos shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Which pack was it?” he asked. I couldn’t tell him. I doubted Alpha Hans would want his mate’s identity revealed. Kairos believed he was dead, and it had to stay that way.

I shook my head, looking at him with a slight tilt of my head. “I can’t say. It doesn’t matter.”

Kairos clenched his jaw but didn’t press further.

“As for my dad, I don’t see him much. He visits when someone close to me dies. He’s the best dad I could ask for, but no one else can see him. There’s no way to prove I’m not making this up.”

“When...when Maria died...” he didn’t finish his sentence.

“He was here. We talked a bit.”

“Does he know about me?” he asked, his voice choked.

“Yes. He watches over me.”

“He doesn’t like me much, does he...?” He looked down, leaning back in his chair, one arm resting on the armrest, the other lightly touching his chin. “What’s there to like?”

“And why do you care?” I asked, smirking.

“Well, it’s a bit awkward asking your dad for your hand in marriage,” he said, grinning. I laughed, genuinely, for the first time with him. It was a beautiful moment, just the two of us, bathed in soft light, slow music playing in the background.

“Yes, the awkward part is that he might not like you, not that you can’t actually reach him,” I laughed again. It felt natural, as if I’d been doing it my whole life with him, as if I’d known him forever.

My laughter faded as I remembered what my father had said when he came for Maria. “My father actually likes you,” I said. He hadn’t said it in so many words, but I knew he didn’t hate him.

“He does?” Kairos looked surprised.

I nodded. “He told me not to lose faith in you. He knew about you even before I told him.”

Kairos leaned in closer. He didn’t speak until our eyes met. “I was serious,” he said softly.

I furrowed my brows. “Serious about what?”

He stood up, and I couldn’t hide my confusion. What was he up to?

Then he knelt on one knee before me, and everything else faded away.

The music around us seemed to disappear, replaced by the sound of my own heartbeat.

This couldn’t be happening.

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with hope.

“Adelie Murrell, will you marry me?”