Chapter 254: Behind the Mask
Jack thought to himself that Evelyn was a girl and also his friend, so that made her his girlfriend. So he nodded right away.
Aiden teased him, “You’re only six and you already have a girlfriend? Do you even know how to make her like you?”
Jack proudly thumped his chest. “Evelyn likes me the most.”
“Is that so impressive?”
“Of course!”
Watching Jack and Aiden’s childish exchange, Jacintha could not help but laugh. From beginning to end, Aiden had always been very patient with Jack. It was not the kind of obvious effort meant to win him over, but a natural kind of indulgence, as if he truly did not mind a prickly child bristling at him.
Raphael watched Jacintha’s softening expression, and his brows slowly drew together.
He did not like this feeling.
It was not that he hated seeing her open up to her family. It was precisely because he understood so well how deeply she longed for familial affection that he hated even more the thought of her lowering her guard too much around them.
But in front of everyone, Raphael said nothing.
It was not until evening, when Laura had coaxed Jack away for his bath, Emma had fallen asleep, and William had also forced Mira to lie down and rest, that Raphael finally carried Jacintha back to their room.
After laying her on the bed, he immediately wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck.
Jacintha slipped her fingers into his hair, gently stroking it. “What’s wrong with you? Are you upset?”
Raphael nibbled lightly at her nape for a long while before saying in a gloomy voice, “You were too close to Celestine and Aiden.”
“Hahahaha…” Jacintha suddenly burst out laughing.
Raphael frowned at her, his eyes full of confusion. But to Jacintha, his expression at that moment was unbearably adorable, exactly like a big dog staring at her in bewilderment.
“Show me your wolf ears so I can touch them.”
The moment Raphael received Jacintha’s command, he obeyed at once. A pair of silver-gray wolf ears appeared on top of his head.
Jacintha reached out and scooped it up, then gently stroked and kneaded it. The softness of the wolf’s fur beneath her palm and fingers delighted her.
But under her "torment," Raphael's face had gradually flushed red. A soft moan slipped from his throat, and the beast beneath his hips had begun to harden as well. The ears were one of a wolf's most sensitive parts; if the one touching them had been a stranger, he would have flown into a rage and torn out the other person's throat without hesitation. But if the one touching him was his mate, the pleasure would have been so intense that he would have willingly surrendered himself beneath her.
“If we keep acting guarded and never let them get close to us, how are we supposed to find any openings from them?”
Raphael arched a brow. “So you were putting on an act for them?”
Jacintha nodded. “Not just me. Jack was acting too. That kid was a lot smarter than you thought. As for Mira... haha, she had never shown much emotion since she was little, so there was no way to force her to act. ”
She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips. “You need to trust that Jack and I were both capable of protecting ourselves and helping you. We won’t become your burden. We’ll be your strongest support.”
Raphael held the back of her neck and kissed her deeply. Raphael’s kisses always carried something strangely disarming. On the outside, he was cold, but when he kissed her, he was so patient it could melt anyone. He wasn’t hurried, and he wasn’t rough. He simply held her by the waist and coaxed her along, slow and steady, until she had gone soft in his arms.
Jacintha wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back of her own accord.
A while later, Raphael pulled away, his forehead still resting against hers. “You were really amazing.”
She let out a soft breath, her voice barely above a whisper. “Of course. I’m your Luna.”
The proud look on her face after being praised was exactly the same as Jack’s.
Meanwhile, inside the apartment Raphael had arranged for them, Celestine sat quietly at the tea table, her gaze no longer carrying the gentle, tearful softness it had held that morning.
Aiden leaned against the doorframe, his tone full of disdain. “Hah. Looks like that bitch Jacintha and that brat Jack already trusted us. This mission felt way too easy, and Elder Ball still kept telling us to be careful. What a nuisance.”
With a flick of Celestine’s hand, the entire apartment was enclosed within a transparent barrier. Inside it, any electronic device, whether cameras or bugs, was rendered useless. That way, they could speak freely without worrying about being watched or listened in on.
Celestine curled her lips into a faint smile. “Maybe he was simply too old, so he dragged his feet with everything. Hmph. Once this mission is over, I’ll take his place.”
As she spoke, Celestine raised a hand to her face. The skin of a woman’s face vanished, revealing a cold, severe countenance underneath.
“Keep getting close to Jack. That boy will probably become Wulfhart’s heir Alpha. If we can control him, manipulating Wulfhart later will be easy for us too. As for Jacintha... hmph, she’s that stupid, and Sharon still couldn’t beat her and steal Raphael away. Useless trash.”
Aiden shrugged. “I’ll obviously keep carrying out the mission. Oh, and now that the DNA test is done, and Jacintha and Mira have accepted you as their aunt, why didn’t you kill their real aunt?”
Celestine glared at Aiden as though she were looking at an idiot. “I was leaving myself a way out. If the plan fails, I’ll use her as a hostage.”
At that, Celestine suddenly smiled. “Just wait and see. I don’t believe Jacintha and Mira could stand by and watch the only family they have left die right in front of them.”
More than that, Celestine had a feeling that when the decisive moment came, this hostage would help her turn the tide.