Chapter 13 I Don't Mind
"Are you insane?" Alicia blurted out as soon as she got into Damian's car, her heart pounding with anxiety.
She had a sinking feeling that her name would soon be plastered all over the gossip pages. She had already imagined the headlines: "BREAKING NEWS! Socialite Alicia Wilton Revealed to be King of Rogues' Mate!" or "BIG NEWS! The King of Rogues' Mate is the Wife of Tobias Wilton, the Eldest Son of the Wilton Family!" She couldn't believe that her life had turned into a nightmare in just a few hours.
It was only a matter of time before the news reached the Wilton family. If she was lucky, she might be asked to divorce Tobias and be banished from the Golden Moon Pack. If she was unlucky, she might be secretly executed as punishment for her disloyalty to the Wilton Family. Alicia didn't think the former was very likely, given that meeting her best friend Mae was the luckiest thing that had happened to her since childhood.
Damian, however, seemed unfazed by the attention his announcement had generated. "Is it bad?" he asked with a chuckle. "Now no one will dare to bully you in that small studio anymore."
Alicia gave him a withering look. "You mean I should thank you for making my life a living hell?" she retorted.
"You're welcome, sweetheart. I'm sure your husband won't mind, will he? After all, it's so normal to meet a mate after marriage." Damian flashed a grin, showing his teeth.
He must have mentioned her husband on purpose! Alicia winced at the mention of Tobias. She imagined Tobias lying in a hospital bed, coughing heavily and unable to move, while she was sitting in her mate's Maybach. She felt like the bad wife in a TV drama who cheated on her husband with another man behind his back.
"Please stop the car! I want to get out!" Alicia pleaded with Lyon, who was driving. But the car didn't slow down, and it seemed like she couldn't get out without Damian's permission.
"Where do you want to go?" Damian asked, grabbing her wrist. "I made dinner reservations at that seafood restaurant I mentioned earlier. It'll be fun."
Alicia felt an electric current running through her body at the touch of her mate's large hand, stimulating her heart and making her crave more touches. But she knew she couldn't indulge in the pleasure that the mate pull brought. She had to face reality.
"Mr. Howard, please let me go. I've been through too much today. I just want to go home," Alicia sighed.
"Very well, then. I'll book a new dinner for tomorrow night," Damian offered, but his tone sounded more like a statement than a question.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Howard, I can't make it," Alicia said firmly, biting her lip before deciding to speak her mind. "Although I am your mate, I am already Tobias' wife. You may have heard some bad rumors about Tobias Wilton, but I know he's a good man. He's been good to me."
At Alicia's description of Tobias, Damian let go of her hand. His heart skipped a rare beat because it was the first time he had ever heard someone describe him (or his alternate identity) as a "good man." But was he good to her?
Last night, he had contacted Alicia as Tobias, the first time they had been in touch since they had been married for a year. He had simply greeted her and hadn't asked much about her. Because he already knew all about her background long before he had chosen her to marry.
"He treated you well? You mean the fact that he still didn't show up after someone drugged you at the party?" Damian asked with a dismissive grunt, poking at Alicia's lie without mercy and bringing up the accident she didn't want to remember.
"No! It was an accident. He was just too busy. Yes, he was busy. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that he's my family. I would never betray him," Alicia emphasized the reason for Tobias' absence.
In truth, she could have told Damian that her husband might have been absent due to his poor health. But there were already too many rumors about Tobias' health, and Alicia didn't want to spread any more bad news and ruin her husband's reputation and dignity.
Upon hearing Alicia's words and seeing the determination in her eyes, Damian froze, and when he regained his senses, he felt his heart beating erratically. It was unlike the feeling he had experienced during their night of passion, as this pounding came from deep within his heart or soul.
Alicia expected Damian to be angry, but instead, she saw a sudden gentleness in his eyes as if a ray of sunlight had suddenly appeared in the depths of the deep blue ocean. But it lasted less than a second, leaving her wondering if she had imagined it.
Damian, who had previously sounded cold, softened his voice, saying, "So, he is your family, not your lover. I don't mind if you're married, even if I'm a bachelor. I think I'm the best choice to be your lover. We can keep it a secret if you want to keep a low profile."
Alicia was taken aback by Damian's suggestion and retorted, "Keep a low profile? Stay secret? Are you serious? After you told my boss that I was your mate? After you called me your Luna in front of all my colleagues? I'm sorry, Mr. Howard, I didn't know you had such a compelling way of keeping a low profile."
"Pfft!" Lyon could not contain his laughter, and despite trying to lower the volume, Damian heard it. "Ahem!" Lyon quickly coughed, sensing Alpha's warning glare in the rearview mirror.
"You look even more attractive when you're angry," Damian remarked before handing her the tablet that was placed in front of his seat, "Try googling my news. Or go to any social networking page and search for my name, my pack, any keyword you can think of that has anything to do with me."
Alicia did as he said, but the search turned up only one entry on the Wikipedia page - Damian Howard, Alpha of The Moon Halo Pack. When she clicked on The Moon Halo Pack. Alpha: Damian Howard. Luna: Confidential; Number of members: Confidential; Background: Confidential. For the first time, Alicia saw a page as clean as a test paper, with only the name on it, with no value whatsoever.
Alicia pulled out her smartphone and searched for news about Damian Howard on social media, but her interface was blank. She knew nothing about the man sitting next to her except his name and the name of his pack. No, maybe even his name was a fake. It dawned on her why he was referred to as the most mysterious and dangerous Alpha.
"You see? Even if I speak willingly, you have absolutely no reason to worry about our relationship being discovered by your husband," Damian whispered into Alicia's ear.
As the warm, soothing scent of lavender tickled Alicia's ear, she couldn't help but feel her ears flush with heat. Nervously, she shifted to the right and pressed her body against the car door.
Damian took notice of her reaction, his eyes flickering with interest as he observed the tips of her ears turning red and following her earlobes. The redness gradually spread to her neck, painting a beautiful picture that made him want to come closer and admire it.
With a longing gaze, Damian leaned in closer to her face. But before he could even get closer, Alicia closed her eyes and pushed him away, her body resisting the powerful pull of their mate bond. Even though every cell in her body wanted to embrace and kiss her mate, she knew deep down that it was wrong.
"I'm sorry. Please let me go," Alicia whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
For a moment, Damian paused, his eyes filled with a mix of desire and sadness. "Lyon, send her back," he eventually said with a heavy sigh, his disappointment evident in his voice.
"Got it!" Lyon quickly replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead as he drove.
"I can take the subway back myself," Alicia said, determined to distance herself from Damian as much as possible.
To know that he never allowed women to get in his car, but this she-wolf next to him couldn't even stand to be in one car with him. His mood soured at the thought, but he couldn't help but feel a strong desire to conquer her.
"Have dinner with me or go home in my car," Damian said in a commanding tone, giving her a choice.
After a moment of hesitation, Alicia reluctantly chose to go home in his car, knowing that she had no other options.