Chapter 18: After.

When Damien opened his eyes, the sun had already appeared in the horizon, and the sky was as bright as could be, showing that it was almost noon.

He furrowed his brows soon after, his eyes flashing with an unreadable glint.

After so many years, he could not remember sleeping for that long, and so peacefully at that without any nightmares plaguing his dream,

He slept like a log, sleeping for hours straight when on a usual, he only sleeps for two hours at the maximum.

Could it be that his insomnia had been cured overnight?

But the night before, his sleep was still as usual. So, why was last night different? Could it be…

As he reached this point in his thoughts, Damien finally felt the weight on his arm and also the hair that kept tickling his neck. He turned to the sides slowly and his pupils dilated slightly.

The sun shone to her face, casting a golden hue to her serene features and making her look like some banish immortal. Her breath came out slow and calm and those lips parted slightly, reminding Damien how he had sucked them and even that red tongue that poked in the surface.

She was gorgeous, that fact could not be denied.

She had her head on his arm, her pinkie holding onto the corner of his shirt like a child who was afraid to get lost. She was so unlike the fiery firecracker she was like when she was awake, the difference was just too massive.

His gaze trailed lower and the ambiguous red marks on her neck and collarbone entered his eyes. Some of the marks had even begun to turn purple, signaling how much strength he had used on her last night.

He pressed his lips together.

Was it because of her? He wasn’t so sure, he had never felt so relaxed all his life. It was as though all that pressure on his shoulders had been lifted.

But Damien was unwilling to think too much about it, he was afraid that his conjecture would be proven right. After a few seconds, he slowly pulled himself out of the body.

He could not even understand why he decided to be gentle, but he was.

Hazel did not even move as she left, showing how deep her sleep was.

With one glance at her, Damien walked out of the chambers.

That day, the people noticed something different about him. His aura, which was initially always heavy, was lighter and he wasn’t as gloomy as before.

The servants rejoiced, glad that none of them would be facing any punishment that day.

Hazel, on the other hand, finally woke up after two hours had passed. When she also realized how long she had slept for, she was speechless.

But then, the memories of last night began to register and her face went ashen.

She could not believe that she had made those sounds as though she was enjoying what he was doing to her when she never did.

Hazel was not given a chance to think too much about the matter when the door was knocked twice and Matilda walked in.

She was alone this time.

“You are up. I will prepare your bath before breakfast gets ready,”

Hazel nodded and flung the covers away from her body. She expected to feel sticky down there, but realized that apart from the momentary discomfort and soreness, she felt clean otherwise.

She refused to believe that Damien had helped her clean up, the thought does not even make sense.

But as she took the first step, she almost fell. Her legs felt like jelly, so soft that it trembled, unable to hold her weight.

Her face turned ugly and she cursed under her breath, “That bastard!”

Does he think he could use her anyhow?

Hazel cursed Damien’s ancestors without holding back, as she supported herself with the wooden bed frame.

Unexpectedly, Matilda heard everything and chuckled softly.

“You are the first who would dare to insult the Alpha like this, aren’t you afraid he would be furious and order for your death?” Matilda asked, amused.

Hazel sneered, “That would be better. Seeing his face annoys me.”

Matilda shook her head and said nothing, but then saw what Hazel was wearing and lifted a brow. Hazel was on one of Damien’s shirts,

Because of his height, the shirt covered most of her thighs, so Hazel did not feel anything.

When she finally sank herself into the warm, scented water she never knew she needed, her entire body relaxed.

A contented sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of comfort.

“Is the temperature right?” Matilda asked as she washed her hair gently.

“Just right.” Hazel replied without opening her eyes and Matilda smiled, busting herself.

After a while of immersing herself, Hazel finally opened her eyes and the last thing Hanna said echoed in her mind.

“Matilda, how many betas does he have?” She asked, feigning casual curiosity.

By the ‘he’, Matilda already knew who she was referring to.

Since it was not a secret, Matilda did not hide anything.

“The Alpha King has four betas. The first and second ones are fraternal twins. Their family had been serving the royal family of the pack for years and it will always be like that. The elder one, who is the first beta went on a mission given by the Alpha King himself. And for the second one, he had been absent for two days, it’s uncertain where he had been all along.”

Hazel nodded, “What about the remaining two?”

At this point, Matilda hesitated slightly, but after a few seconds, she still replied.

“The third one is the second son of the second Elder. He became the beta because the second Elder had insisted, putting the Alpha in a tight spot. Although he is the third beta, he never does anything other than to show off his status as the beta.”

“But he is not a very likable person.”