Chapter 20 Why Are You Here?
The scent of sizzling bacon and buttered toast wafted into the bedroom, rousing Alicia from her slumber in the king-sized bed. She opened her bleary eyes, inhaling deeply the tantalizing aroma, and then stretched with a deep sense of relief. It was the most comfortable sleep she had had since her marriage.
However, the next moment, memories of the last night flooded her mind, as she noticed the naked form beneath the silky duvet. She sat up and let out a heavy sigh, looking at the hickeys made by her mate. Once again, she had succumbed to Damian's advances, giving in to the fear and their mate bond.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Damian greeted her with a smile as he leaned against the bedroom door frame.
Upon seeing Damian's grin, Alicia buried her face in her palms, as if facing an impending disaster.
"How are you feeling? Is your throat still bothering you?" Damian asked, his voice laced with concern, as he walked over to the bed and took a seat.
"I'm probably well," Alicia spoke in a hoarse voice. She could barely feel the pain in her neck anymore because of Edward's medicine. Her hoarseness, however, resulted from her uncontrollable cries during her intimate encounter with Damian the previous night.
"Looks like your self-healing power didn't heal your throat quickly." Damian observed with a serious expression, "Perhaps I didn't penetrate you hard enough last night, and your body wasn't fully satisfied. So your self-healing power was not as strong as expected."
Alicia, her face flushing with embarrassment, covered her ears, not wanting to hear Damian's dirty talk when he wore such a serious look. "That has nothing to do with it," she muttered.
"Just kidding," Damian said, flashing a wicked smile. "Get dressed and come to breakfast!"
He kissed her forehead and handed her a light blue men's shirt, "Sorry, I don't have any women's clothes here. I've dispatched Lyon to get you new clothes."
Alicia whispered her thanks, feeling hesitant to wear a man's shirt. Nevertheless, she had no other choice.
The shirt fit her perfectly, enveloping her upper body and covering her hips. Barefoot, Alicia walked into the kitchen to find Damian placing crispy bacon next to an American omelet. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, struggling to reconcile the sight of the King of Rogues, feared by shifters across North America making breakfast.
As Damian turned to see Alicia, he froze. Nothing was more arousing than the sight of his stunning mate wearing his shirt. Her perky breasts propped up his shirt, making her long, slender legs exposed to his view. He remembered her legs wrapped around his waist, her seductive moans filling the room. His body stirred, betraying signs of renewed interest.
"Damn it! I should have put you in a sack!" Damian growled, casting a menacing glance at Alicia. He then turned around and opened the fridge to retrieve the jam, placing the plate of breakfast he had prepared on the table.
Alicia wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to calm her racing heart. However, her conscience reminded her that she couldn't continue to be obsessed with Damian. What she was doing last night was wrong. Ignoring Damian's words and glare, she changed the subject, "Did you cook all of this? It's amazing."
"Why? Did you think someone like me would serve blood and raw meat for breakfast?" Damian retorted, unscrewing the lid of the jam jar and handing it over to Alicia.
"I just find it hard to believe that someone like you - a super-rich and established Alpha - would bother with something as mundane as cooking. At Shinfancy, Alpha Rhett doesn't even have to pour himself a glass of water," Alicia replied.
"Well, my pack is not as pampered as others. Besides, I don't like the idea of someone else handling my food and drink." Damian shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of invitation. "Try it."
Alicia couldn't help but smile with satisfaction as she tasted the American-style omelet, grilled bacon, and fried toast. The eggs were cooked to perfection, and the aroma of butter was heavenly. The crispy bacon and crunchy, golden toast complemented the eggs nicely.
"They're perfect!" Alicia praised.
"Thanks. " Damian said, pleased with her reaction and noticing the surprise in Alicia's eyes. He said, "But these are just average breakfast meals."
"Oh, come on, don't be modest, Chef Damian. You should be proud of yourself. These are far from average," Alicia exclaimed excitedly. "You know, my family put my American omelet and fried bacon on the banned list. My brother even said that my bacon would cut his throat."
Alicia realized she might have been carried away with her appreciation for the delicious meal. It was surprising how easily she opened up to Damian. Apart from her best friend Mae, Alicia had never shared much about her family or pack with anyone else, especially after getting married.
This was the first time Damian had heard Alicia mention her family. Sounded like Alicia used to cook for all family at her home. Based on the information that Alpha Ellis had given him one year ago, Alicia's family, especially her stepmother, and brother, treated her poorly. Her father seemed to have a preference for sons.
It made his blood boil to think that anyone once mistreated his mate. Damian grunted, hinting at his mate, "My teeth and throat are healthy. I wouldn't mind trying some of your cooking."
Relieved that Damian didn't press the issue about her family, Alicia joked, "You might want to schedule an appointment with your dentist beforehand."
Just as they were settling back into their breakfast, the doorbell rang, interrupting the peaceful moment. Damian muttered under his breath, "If that's Lyon interrupting our breakfast, I swear I'll kick his ass."
Alicia bit into a delicious sausage and silently crossed her fingers, hoping it wasn't Lyon.
"Why are you here?" Damian furrowed his brows at the woman standing before him.
The young woman was impeccably made up, with long, slightly curly auburn hair and bright brown eyes peering out from under thick, curling lashes. She was dressed in a fluorescent pink v-neck dress that showed off her tanned skin, and at 5'8" tall, she exuded the confident allure of a model.
At the sight of Damian, Caroline's eyes lit up and she let out a surprised squeal. "Oh my gosh! Honey, you're really here!" She reached out to hug Damian, but he quickly dodged her.
Alicia was eating breakfast when she heard Caroline's high-pitched voice. She recognized it as belonging to the rich girl who lived downstairs. Frankly, the snooty girl hadn't made a good impression on her. When Alicia first moved into the building a year ago, Caroline thought she was a maid for one of the residents and not only teased her about looking like a pumpkin, but also deliberately tripped her.
Alicia left the table and hid behind a shelf, grateful to be standing in a blind spot that Caroline didn't notice.
"I'm sorry, Alpha. Miss Heather spotted me on the first floor. She seems to be a resident of this apartment building," Lyon quickly apologized to Damian.
Damian looked at Lyon, displeasure etched on his face. "I see you've gotten too comfortable being a Beta lately, haven't you?"
Lyon didn't dare say another word. It was his fault for not investigating all the residents of the building before they moved in.
"You have 10 minutes to make up for your mistake," Damian ordered sternly.
"Yes, Alpha," Lyon said, grateful for the chance to redeem himself. He hurried into the study to gather information on the other residents of the building.
Caroline felt aggrieved at Damian for blatantly ignoring her. Biting her lip, she asked him, "Why do you always avoid me? Do you know how worried I am about you? I've been looking for you."