Chapter 196
Janetâs body became stiff.
Although he was still smiling, that smile was so cold that it sent a chill down her spine.
ââ¦I ran into him after we said goodnight, Westin. I didnât find him on purposeââ
She tried to explain.
But he interrupted her with a short laugh:
âNot on purpose. But temptation is still a bitch, isnât it?â
He cupped her face with one hand, his thumb caressing her skin, âI am doing you a favor, Janet. Come to the Lycanâs land with me and kill that temptation forever. He wonât have any chance to hurt you. Ever again.â
Janet froze.
Seconds later, she tilted her head and avoided his touch.
âYou should go.â
She said quietly, avoiding his sharp gaze, âYou want to beat Daran to it. Donât start
off late.
âYou are right. I should go,â Westin agreed.
He bent down and stole a kiss on her lips.
âWhen I come back here with that bottle of wine that Luna Balvina wants, I hope you have already made your decision, Janet. I am tired of waiting.â
He blinked at her and turned on his heels, walking away.
Janet stood on her spot and watched his back disappear around the corner.
The siren at the back of her mind went off again.
Was she making a terrible mistake by choosing him?
âHey!â
Morganaâs voice came from behind her.
âWhat is the matter? You look pale,â Morgana asked, walking up to her.
Janet took in a deep breath, âWestin and I just had the weirdest conversationâ¦â
âAbout what?â
âI asked him if he could stay here for me. He said no, firmly. He even warned me not to hang out with Daran behind his back again.â
Morgana frowned, âHe threatened you? That is creepy. He doesnât strike me as a Morgana frowned, âHe threatened you? The jealous guy.â
âI donât knowâ¦And that is the point, Morgana. I know nothing about Westin. Sure, he is charming and nice and sweet. But is that who he really is? Or is that the part of him that he chooses to let me see?â
Janet was not sure if she was being paranoid.
But she felt that she knew so little about Westin, only the tip of an iceberg.
And there was so much more hiding underneath the surface.
Morgana crossed her arms, âSo you are afraid that he is hiding his dark side from you?
âEveryone has their dark side. I justâ¦.wish I could learn about Westinâs dark side before mating with him. And see if I can live with it,â Janet said.
For example, she knew about Daranâs dark side.
He was cold and powerâhungry.
She couldnât stomach that. And she had left him for that.
â¦But what was Westinâs dark side?
âI have an idea.â
Morgana said abruptly and took Janetâs hand, âCome with me.
They took the elevator and went down to the ground floor.
Morgana asked the doorman to arrange a car for them.
âWhere are we going?â Janet asked as they hopped into the car.
âMona Estate Vineyard.â
Morgana started the car and said, âYou want to know about Westinâs dark side? Then you need to watch him quietly from a distance. Let us travel down there and see how he behaves himself when he is alone. This is the perfect chance for learn about the real him.â
you to
The car drove out of the packhouse and left the city, heading down South, to the Mona Estate Vineyard.
It was a 6âhour drive.
When they approached their destination, it was nearly dusk.
The amber hues of the setting sun painted the sky in warm tones as they traveled down the meandering road leading to the vineyard.
Janet rolled down her window, inviting the cool evening breeze into the car. The air became infused with the rich scent of earth and the promise of grapes waiting to be harvested.
The landscape before them was bathed in the soft, golden glow of dusk.
In the distance, the vineyard emerged, its sprawling expanse of grapevines a silhouette against the fading light.
âIt is quite a view,â Morgana said, relaxed, with her eyes on the road.
Janet nodded, her fingers tracing patterns on the window, âI can never grow tired of the scenery of this land.â
âKass showed me around. This is a great place to settle down, especially since this is your homeland. You should really consider staying.â
Janet let out a little sigh.
âHave you and Kass talked about where you want to settle in the future?â she asked.
Morgana shrugged, âAs the Rogue King, he has a responsibility back at the Grace Ruin. But we both agree that this is home as well. So we will travel back here at least once a year.
Janet was jealous, âI wish things could be that easy for me and Westin.â
âThen you should definitely talk. Donât let a man rob you of your home.â
As they neared the entrance of the vineyard, the last rays of sunlight bathed the vines in a soft, golden glow.
Janet and Morgana parked the car.
They stepped out. A staff came out from the reception office and rushed over to greet them.
âMs. Diaz, is it?â the staff shook hands with Morgana, smiling warmly. âWelcome to Mona Estate Vineyard.â
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at your!
âThank you. We spoke on the phone earlier. We hoped tonight and do a little tour tomorrow morning if that is possible.â
âCertainly. Parts of this vineyard are open to tourists. And you should definitely get a taste of our wine. We are very proud of our own products. This way, please.â
The staff led them through the main gate and to the hotel.
The surroundings seemed to hum with the harmonies of nature winding down for the night.
âAre there any other guests staying in this hotel tonight?â Janet asked the staff as they stepped into the hotel lobby.
âA coupleâ¦yes. Two gentlemen just arrived earlier today.â
Janet and Morgana exchanged a look-
So Daran and Westin were already here.
âBut this is a very large place, and you probably wonât even run into them. So there is no need to worry about privacy,â the staff assured them.
the check in the staff asked if they needed a tour around this place
Janet had been to this vineyard before, so she politely declined the staffâs offer.
They wanted to look for Daran and Westin first.
âCasper used to take me and Balvina here to spend the summerâ¦They make the best Cabernet Sauvignon.â
Janet said as they wandered across the courtyard, savoring the crisp air tinged with the fragrance of ripening grapes.
âNo wonder Balvina wants a bottle for her wedding,â Morgana said.
âYes. I remember that the wine cellar is this wayâ¦Come with me.
They came around the corner.
A misty voice made its way into their ears from the near distance.
ââ¦You should really give up on this, Alpha Daran.â
It was Westinâs voice!
Janet and Morgana immediately stopped and dashed into the garden to take cover. They peeked through the cracks of the leaves and saw the shadows of two men cast on the window of a redâbrick house.
âThat is Mr. Larkinâs house. The owner of this vineyard,â Janet whispered into Morganaâs ears.
Then they heard Daranâs voice, cool and calm as usual:
â¦This is a fair game, King Westin. I donât see why I have to be the one to give up.â
Westin chuckled lowly, âBecause you have already lost, Alpha Daran. As reluctant as you like to admit it, Janet is attracted to me now. You know perfectly well that it is going to be my name that comes out of her mouth a couple of days later. Do you really want to stick around only to get yourself humiliated in the end?â
Daran let out a light snort, âIf you are so confident about yourself, why want me gone so desperately?â
Westinâs voice dropped cold, âBecause I hate to see you hanging out with my mate together. I canât wait till the weddingâ¦If I can get rid of you tonight, that would be the best.â
âWell then, King Westin, I am not going anywhere.â Daranâs voice carried a clear hint of sarcasm, âWhat are you going to do? Throw a temper tantrum? Tear down this vineyard?â
âNo.â
Janet rounded her eyes as Westinâs shadow closed in on Daranâs abruptly.
ââ¦But I can kill you tonight and nobody will know,â said Westin with a faint smile.