Chapter 38
BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Demon
038 â I Donât Think I Can LUCY.
âReady for dinner?â Adan asked as a warm smile tugged on his mouth.
âReady!â I smiled at him after I blinked back the tears pooling in my eyes.
âGood, Iâm starving. I missed lunch because some little bunny riled me up...â
He teased me as we walked toward the dining hall with our hands still clasped together, and I just couldnât help but giggle softly because he was right. We didnât come out of his suite after the incident at lunch with Alexa and Alpha Aeon, and we were just informed about this dinner when Beta Collin mindlinked him.
We entered the dining hall in silence, and Adan helped me onto my chair before he sat beside me. Soon another older female with blonde hair came in, carrying a bowl 1/11 of vegetable salad. She was so beautiful, and she looked like Alexa.
Her eyes fell on me, and she gave me a warm, motherly smile as she placed the bowl on the table. She then walked to where I was seated, and I immediately stood up and faced her.
âOh, Lucy! Youâre as beautiful as Adan told me you are...â Her arms wrapped around my body, and I heard a chair being pushed before I felt Adanâs presence beside me.
âThis is my grandmother, Crystal. Grand Luna of the pack and where Alexa got her blonde hair.â
âAnd her smart mind,â she added, pointing a finger to her temple, which made me smile.
âAnd stubbornness.â Alpha Aurelius added, his voice still as cold as snow.
âOh, honey, youâre the stubborn one here. Iâm sure your son and grandkids.
would agree.â Luna Crystal added, smiling at her mate before she returned her gaze to me. âA pleasure to meet you, Lucy.â
âThe pleasure is mine, Luna Crystal.â
âMomma... Everyone calls me momma.â
I was about to acknowledge her words when someone cleared his throat, and Alpha Aureliusâ voice came. âI think we should all eat.â
Dinner turned out well most of the time â
everyone at the table looked genuinely happy for me and Adan, except his grandfather, who was quiet most of the time.
But I tried my best not to let it affect me, although I saw him looking at me from time to time. I was listening to Alexaâs story when, all of a sudden, my attention. was drawn to the grand Alpha when he asked a question, and I knew it was directed at me.
âDid your father talk about Suzanne?â
âPops!â Adan snapped his head in that direction, and I saw his brows furrowing.
My hand went to his thigh, and I squeezed it, hoping he would calm down.
âIâm just asking a question. Answerable by yes or no.â Alpha Aurelius told him.
âNo. If they did talk about her, maybe I was not around.â I answered in a soft voice.
âOf course, my daughter didnât matter to them.â
âBut he talked of Alexa. Of how he still had no idea where she was, and the last time he was home, he said they found Alexa but she was taken by another pack.â
âYet, he didnât do anything to protect her.
âPops, Iâm not sure what your point is.
Lucy has nothing to do with what Diego and Achilles did. I thought we had moved on from this?â Adan was trying to make his voice calm, but I could see veins popping out from his neck. He was trying to control himself.
âThis female here was raised by the people responsible for Suzanne... So I wonder how she was raised.â
Adanâs jaw tightened, and I knew he was losing his control already.
âMy stepfather is a good father, and I want to believe he raised me well.â
âIs he?â 1 âEnough!â Adan slammed his fist on the table.
âAdan Stone!â It was Aunt Helena.
I dropped my gaze to my lap contemplating my next move. I placed the napkin back on the table, excused myself, and stood up.
Adan stood up as well and held my arm.
My hand went to his chest as I smiled at him. âIâm okay. I just need to use the restroom. I can ask the females there.â
I didnât wait for his reply as I left the dining room with my head tilted down, not because I was an Omega, but because I didnât want anyone to see the tears that threatened to fall.
As soon as I stepped out, I heard voices raised and some movements, but I tried to tune out the noise and walked further than the toilet I was pointed to. Until I reached a balcony.
I opened the sliding door and stepped out, closing the door behind me. I didnât have my coat with me, but I didnât care at the moment. It was chilly, but my body could adjust to the temperature. I just wanted a few seconds of silence.
I knew Diego was not perfect. But he had been in my eyes, and it hurt to see him in a different light.
Soon, I heard the sliding door open, and at first, I thought it was Adan, but the Alpha aura was different not as strong as Adanâs.
strong but A coat was placed on my back, and I held it tightly against my body without looking at the person behind me. âThank you...â
Soon, the one who gave me the coat moved to my side, his hands clutching the balcony railings, but he didnât say anything. He was just looking at the view in front of us.
We stayed in silence for a moment until I couldnât hold it anymore.
âIâm sorry that my stepfather made some terrible mistakes against you. But he had been good to me. So it hurts to hear those words... Iâm sorry.â
I had no idea what I wanted to point out.
âIâm sorry about the way I acted in there.
Alpha Aurelius said so in a much softer tone.
âI understand you, sir.â
âOne day youâre going to have a child, and hopefully you will not make the same mistake I did. I know I should move on.
But I canât help it. If I forgive your stepfather, it will feel like I am also forgiving Achilles. Iâm sure Diego was aware of Suzanneâs suffering, but he didnât do anything. If I forgive them, it will feel like I am spitting on my daughterâs grave- a grave that held nothing of her, no body, no ashes, no remnants â because I still donât know where she was buried or burned. This is the cross I had to bear every day of my life.
He let out a deep sigh as a lone tear fell from my eyes.
âIâm sorry if Iâm lambasting the memory of your stepfather. I understand, we see him differently.â
âWe both loved the people we lost. Weâre both in pain. Iâm not going to defend him to you because I knew what he did. But please let me cherish my memory of him, on how he acted toward me. Heâs not my father, but he loved me like his own. And I donât want to tarnish that memory.â
âI would like to believe that he raised you well. I will try my best not to open those wounds again for both of us.â
âThank you, sir...â
âDo you love my grandson?â His question came unexpectedly.
Love? Demons donât do love. 1 I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat, and from the way my cheek was burning, I knew the grand Alpha must be looking at me.
âYou couldnât answer it. Why are you with him then?â
I swallowed again before I opened my mouth to speak. âI have never fallen in love, I donât know what it feels like. My mother died before she could tell me about falling in love. And my father, the real one, Iâm sure he had no intention of teaching me about it. So I donât know how to answer your question, sir.â
He didnât say anything, so I took it as my cue to continue.
âBut Adan, he makes my heart flutter. I like waking up next to him. I hated it when he had to be far away from me for days. Iâm bothered when heâs upset with And I donât like the idea of other females taking his attention. I like it when he smiles, it makes me happy knowing heâs happy.â
I tilted my head to the side and looked at him, but he was looking far, straight ahead.
âAnd I want you to like me because I know how much you mean to him. I really donât know if thatâs how love feels, but I really like Adan, so please donât ask me to stay away from him because I donât think I can.â