25

25
Jane
The enticing aroma of food wafted through the air, making my stomach growl loudly. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until the smell hit me.
After everything that happened yesterday—meeting Amber, learning about the fake Luna’s death—my body was finally catching up with my emotions.
I had barely slept last night, too excited and overwhelmed by the discovery that I wasn’t wolfless after all.
I followed the scent into the kitchen and found Vishal cooking. The sight made me stop in my tracks. He looked so handsome as he worked his culinary magic, his sleeves rolled up, hair slightly messy from the steam.
There was something so peaceful about watching him cook, something that made my chest feel warm and tight.
I stood there, mesmerized by the sight before me. The way he moved with such confidence, the little smile on his face as he tasted the sauce. He looked... content and happy.
“Vishal, did you cook this delicious food?” I asked, pointing at the mouth-watering dish on the table.
He turned around, and his whole face lit up when he saw me. “Yes, I did all the cooking. You’re free to dig in—I made this for you,” he said proudly, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.
My heart skipped a beat. “You cooked this for me?” I blinked, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “How? But why?”
The question sounded stupid even to me, but I couldn’t help it. No guy had ever cooked for me before.
“I made it to celebrate your meeting with your wolf yesterday,” he replied with a grin that made my knees feel weak.
My throat got tight with emotion. “Aww, Vishal. Thank you,” I whispered, blushing so hard I probably looked like a tomato.
“Anything for you, love,” he said, smiling warmly.
The way he said ‘love’ made my heart flutter. I had to look away before I did something embarrassing like cry happy tears.
We sat down to eat together. The food was incredible—better than anything I’d ever tasted. Each bite was perfect, seasoned just right, cooked with love.
Vishal was so sweet and kind to me, always making sure I had enough on my plate, refilling my water glass before I even asked.
I couldn’t help but wonder why the moon goddess had fated me to a heartless man instead of someone like Vishal. Someone who actually cared about me. Someone who saw me as worth something.
The thought made my chest ache with longing and confusion.
“What are you thinking about, Jane?” Vishal asked, his fork paused halfway to his mouth. His eyes were studying my face with that careful attention he always gave me.
“Ha! Nothing!” I lied quickly, forcing a bright smile that felt fake on my face.
“I don’t think so,” he said with a knowing smirk. “You stopped eating and started zoning out. Is something bothering you? You’ve been tapping your spoon on your plate without eating.”
He noticed. Of course he did. He always noticed everything about me—when I was sad, when I was tired, when something was wrong. It was like he could read my mind sometimes.
How could I tell him I was thinking about my trash of an ex-mate? Wouldn’t he think I was ungrateful? Here he was, being nothing but honest and kind to me, cooking for me, celebrating with me. I owed him the same honesty.
“It’s nothing serious, Vishal,” I replied with a soft smile that felt more real this time. “I was just thinking about my mate. Why did the moon goddess pair me with someone like him? Why not someone pure and kind like...” I almost said ‘like you’ but caught myself. “Why a mate who’s so wicked?”
Vishal set down his fork and leaned back in his chair. “Jane, you think too much,” he responded gently. “We can’t question the goddess. The moon goddess has her reasons. And as for your ex-mate... he rejected you because he believed you didn’t have a wolf. He’s an Alpha king, after all.”
My fork clattered against my plate as my hands started shaking with anger.
“So you’re telling me to understand him because he’s a king?” My voice rose higher than I meant it to. “That I deserved what he did to me? That it was my fault for being weak? That I deserved rejection?”
“No, no,” Vishal spoke quickly, reaching across the table like he wanted to touch my hand but stopping himself. “I’m not blaming you. I’m just saying alpha kings are known for their pride.”
“That’s a lame excuse, Vishal,” I snapped, pushing my plate away. The anger was building inside me like a fire, hot and wild and out of control.
“He didn’t even give me a chance. He rejected me coldly, like I was worthless trash. He humiliated me in front of everyone at that club. I swear, he’s going to pay for every single thing he did to me.”
Vishal sat in silence, watching me rant with those patient, understanding eyes. I could see he was trying to figure out what to say, how to comfort me.