Chapter 331

Chapter 331

A horrible thought slips in before I can stop it.

Am I failing as his wife?

“Considering you barely had proper sex for most of your relationship?” Zinnia says bluntly. “Yes.”

I stare ahead in offence.

She shrugs without remorse. “Mates usually fuck like rabbits. Meanwhile, your relationship came with instalments. Book One. Book Two. Tragic Book Three.” She gestures vaguely. “Things only recently stopped being depressing.”

I sink lower into my seat with a groan, sulking properly now.

It’s not my fault.

Every single time things started getting better, something happened.

“No,” Zinnia cuts in calmly. “You’re just lucky.”

I frown slightly.

“Drix is patient to an almost stupid degree,” she continues. “He respects you. Even before you accepted him as your mate, he refused to push you because he knew you were struggling. And afterwards, he still held back because you were carrying too much already.”

My irritation slowly fades.

“Most Alphas wouldn’t have done that,” she says bluntly. “Men like Hendrix—human or not—usually know exactly how to blur the line between emotional tension and physical desire until resistance becomes impossible.”

I can’t even argue with her.

Because she’s right.

Men like Hendrix could have easily won my body long before my heart caught up. Honestly, he probably could have done both without much effort if he truly wanted to. It’s not like the attraction was ever missing between us.

But he never pushed.

Even when he clearly wanted to.

Even when I knew holding back frustrated him.

Instead, he restrained himself over and over again, always careful with me, always giving me room to breathe when most people wouldn’t have bothered.

Part of that is probably fear. Fear of losing me.

But mostly… that’s just who Hendrix is.

Extraordinarily kind. Painfully considerate.

And dangerously easy to love.

“Neh, he’s just a coward.”

I sigh tiredly. “Zinnia.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she says dismissively. “He was afraid. Still doesn’t change the fact that touching you in your sleep was hot as hell.”

“My God, your morals are broken.”

She shrugs carelessly. “I’m realistic.”

Before I can argue further, Hendrix’s voice cuts through the car.

“We’re here.”

I don’t even bother looking around first. The second the car unlocks, I shove the door open and climb out, grateful to finally stretch my legs again. The building towering in front of us is elegant and modern, somewhere between luxurious and understated. Warm lights glow through the windows, balconies lined neatly across the structure.

It looks nothing like a hotel.

Gillian notices immediately. “I don’t see the hotel.”

“What hotel?” Drix asks as he shuts the car door. “I said I had a place for us to stay. This building is mine.”

Scarlette straightens slightly. “You own an apartment building in Italy?”

“And in about a hundred other countries.”

I nearly choke. “A hundred?!”

“Maybe less.” He shrugs like owning property across the planet is completely ordinary and starts walking towards the entrance.

I stare after him in disbelief before hurrying to catch up. “Did one of your ancestors just wake up one day and decide to buy half the world? How rich are you people exactly?”

Being werewolves certainly gave them enough time to build terrifying amounts of wealth.

Drix ignores the question entirely.

An older man stands near the entrance, and Hendrix inclines his head politely as we approach.

“Good evening, Mr Ballerini,” he greets smoothly in Italian.

The elderly man’s face brightens immediately. His dark brown eyes crease warmly beneath thick grey brows as he smiles at Hendrix. “Good evening, boss man,” he replies in accented English, amusement colouring his tone.

Hendrix chuckles softly. “You’re still alive.”

“Now, now, boss, don’t be rude.”

Mr Ballerini’s attention shifts towards me. Then to Scarlette. Then Gillian.

His brows slowly pull together.

“You said you were arriving with your wife and her friends?”

Oh no.

I already know exactly what he’s thinking.

To humans, I look far too young standing beside Hendrix, and shifters don’t exactly age normally enough for that to help the situation.

“I did,” Drix says without shame.

Before I can react, he turns slightly and extends a hand towards me.

The traitor.

I plaster on the sweetest smile I can manage and hurry to his side, slipping my hand into his. Then I bow politely.

“Old man,” Hendrix says casually, “this is my wife, Sapphire.”

I lift my head and smile warmly.

Mr Ballerini’s mouth drops open.

Right. That bad.

I instinctively edge closer to Hendrix, gripping his bicep tightly enough to probably annoy a normal person. Drix simply places his hand over mine, patting it gently.

“She isn’t a child,” he says calmly. “Sapphire just looks much younger than she is. It causes misunderstandings.” His expression remains perfectly composed. “She’s in her twenties.”

Liar. Absolute liar.

And somehow he says it with such confidence that even I almost believe him.

“Not that,” Mr Ballerini says with a dismissive wave. “I’ve lived long enough to see far stranger things than age gaps, trust me. People’s tastes are their business.” His gaze settles on me again, softer this time. “I was surprised because of your eyes. They’re beautiful.”

“Oh.”

Heat rushes into my face so quickly it almost hurts. I smile awkwardly. “Thank you.”

“Your parents chose well when they named you,” he says warmly. “You’re a gem.”

I let out a small laugh. “I hear that a lot.”

“It can’t be easy living in such a young body.” He offers me his arm naturally, and I release Drix to link mine through his. “I understand more than you think, dear. When I was younger, I kept getting accused of using fake identification. At thirty, I still had to drag my mother around to prove I was legally an adult.”

I stare at him in shock. “You dealt with that too?”

“Constantly,” he says with a laugh. “How old do you think I am now?”

I blink. “I honestly don’t know anymore.”

“That’s the beauty of it.” He pats my hand lightly. “Looking young is humiliating when you’re actually young. People don’t take you seriously. But when you grow older?” He grins proudly. “That’s when it becomes a blessing. I’m over a hundred and still walking without my spine collapsing.”

“A youthful appearance doesn’t automatically mean good health,” Hendrix points out.

“It certainly improves the odds,” Mr Ballerini counters immediately.

The two of them continue bickering lightly while we head further into the building, and by the time we reach the apartment on the top floor, I’ve decided I genuinely like Mr Ballerini. He’s warm in a way that feels effortless.

The apartment itself is spacious and elegant, with two bedrooms and wide windows overlooking the city lights. Mr Ballerini offers Scarlette and Gillian a spare room in his own apartment next door since he has more space there. Gillian accepts immediately.

Scarlette does not.

I know exactly why Mr Ballerini made the offer in the first place, and the thought alone is enough to make my face warm again.

The moment we step inside the master bedroom, Scarlette throws herself onto the bed Hendrix and I are obviously meant to share. She lands face-first with a dramatic groan, arms and legs sprawled out like she’s died there.

“I’m exhausted,” she mumbles into the mattress. “My babies are exhausted too.”

I giggle quietly as Drix stares at her in complete confusion.

“What are you doing?” he asks slowly.

She rolls onto her back and kicks off her shoes carelessly. “Sleeping here with my bestie. Obviously.”

Drix’s expression turns blank with disbelief. “That’s my wife.”

“And I’m not sleeping next door listening to my sister getting railed while my own mate isn’t here,” Scarlette says without shame. “I’m pregnant, hormonal, and already sexually frustrated. Have mercy.”

The muscle in Drix’s jaw twitches violently.

Zinnia bursts into delighted laughter inside my head.

“I’m going to throw you off this building,” Hendrix says flatly.

Scarlette points at her stomach. “Pregnant.”

Then at herself. “Also your Beta Female.”

“I’m still your Alpha,” he snaps. “Get out of my room, Scarlette.”

She pushes herself upright and grins wickedly. “You dragged me away from Cooper, so now you suffer the consequences like a real man.” Her grin widens. “Or I can spend the whole night being unbearably annoying. Your choice.”

The veins in Drix’s neck stand out dangerously.

“Shoo,” she says, waving lazily at him. “I need sleep and you’re blocking my peace.”

Hendrix turns to me immediately. “Jewels, remove her.”

Unfortunately for him, the battle is already lost.

And Scarlette knows it.