Trouble's In The Alpha's Den

Trouble's In The Alpha's Den
Chapter 50:

Ivy’s POV

If there was an award for the worst timing in the world, I’d win it.

The moment Damian said, “We’re going to have a chat. Just you and me,” my brain decided to short-circuit. Chat? With ‘that’ tone? Oh no, no, no. Nothing good ever followed that tone.

His sister, ‘his sister!’ was still standing there, sipping her tea– I didn’t even know where she’d gotten it, like this was a comedy show. “Good luck,” she murmured, sounding entirely too amused.

I wanted to glare at her, but I was too busy trying not to spontaneously combust. “So… you're not just the devil's only child?” I blurted, turning to Damian. “You could’ve mentioned that before I started complaining about you to her.”

He didn’t even blink. “You seemed comfortable enough.”

“That’s not the point!” I snapped, my face heating. “I was venting! There should be a warning label when family members are involved.”

“She doesn’t need one,” his sister chimed in. “I thoroughly enjoyed the complaints. Refreshing, really.”

Damian shot her a look sharp enough to slice through stone. “Out.”

She raised a brow but didn’t move. “Oh, come on, you can’t actually be angry. It’s harmless fun.”

“Out,” he repeated, voice calm but lethal.

For a second, it looked like she might argue, then she sighed dramatically and placed her empty cup on the shelf. “Fine. But don’t scare her too much, Lucy.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said dryly. “And stop calling me that.”

When she finally left, closing the door behind her, the air seemed to thicken. The sound of it latching echoed through my bones.

Now it was just me and him.

And the mess we had left.

God, the ‘mess.’

He stood by the window, hands in his pockets, eyes on me. He wasn’t saying anything, which was so much worse than yelling.

I shifted, trying to look anywhere but at him. “So…” I said, drawing the word out. “Nice weather we’re having.”

His brow arched. “You’ve lived through a storm since meeting me, Ivy. I don’t think weather is your concern.”

“Right. Good point.” I cleared my throat. “So, you’re angry.”

“Observant.”

“Well, in my defense…”

“You don’t have a defense,” he said simply.

I threw up my hands. “Okay, maybe not a ‘good’ one. But look, it wasn’t like I was plotting your downfall. I was bored, I mean you left me here without saying anything. So she basically encouraged me.”

“Encouraged you to ransack my room?”

“Technically, she suggested it. I just… executed the vision.”

That muscle in his jaw jumped again, and for a fleeting second, I thought he might laugh. But instead, he exhaled through his nose and started toward me.

Each step was slow, deliberate, like he was reining something in.

“You can’t do that here,” he said quietly. “This isn’t the city. You’re not just another human passing time. You’re in a packhouse, under my protection, surrounded by wolves who follow orders because they have to. If they see you break rules and get away with it…”

“I get it,” I interrupted. “You’ll look bad in front of your people.”

His gaze snapped to mine. “That’s not what I said.”

“Isn’t that what you were implying though?”

He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could see the faint flecks of gold in his eyes. “No,” he said softly. “I meant it puts you in danger.”

I hesitated, before speaking, “ You said it was safe here, didn't you? So how does it put me in danger? Besides everyone in this house avoids me like the plague, and I’m tired of it.”

The words came out sharper than I meant, but I didn’t take them back.

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.

“So yeah,” I continued, my voice dropping. “I made a mess. I laughed. I had fun for the first time since all this started. And I don’t regret it.”

He was silent for a long moment. Then, to my complete shock, his mouth twitched.

“You’re impossible,” he murmured.

“Funny,” I said, crossing my arms and looking away.

He looked down then, as if he could feel my silence pressing against him. “You think I enjoy this? That keeping you here, locking doors, giving orders, that it comes easy to me?”

I met his gaze again. “You seem pretty good at it.”

His mouth curved, but it wasn’t a smile. “That’s the problem.”

The words landed heavier than I expected.

I should’ve been furious, he had locked me in, after all—but somewhere beneath the irritation was something else. Something warm and dangerous that had nothing to do with anger.

He moved a little closer, and I forgot how to breathe.

“You drive me insane,” he said quietly, voice low and rough. “No one’s ever managed that before.”

“Glad to be of service,” I said weakly, though it came out more like a whisper.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. The air between us pulsed, thick with something I couldn’t name. His scent, pine, cedar and rain, wrapped around me, making it impossible to think straight.

Then he stepped back, dragging in a slow breath like he was forcing the space between us back into existence. “You’re not leaving this house without telling me,” he said, all business now. “No wandering, no surprises, and no pranks.”

“So, basically, no fun,” I muttered.

He shot me a look. “You can have fun. Just not the kind that involves wrecking my property.”

“Noted,” I said. “I’ll redirect my chaos toward… less physical outlets.”

He gave me that look again, half frustration, half amusement. “I’m afraid to ask what that means.”

“You should be,” I said, smiling just a little.

That earned me a quiet laugh—barely a sound, more a soft exhale that made my stomach flip.

He ran a hand through his hair and turned toward the door. “You’ll eat something, then rest. Tomorrow, I’ll show you around properly. If you’re going to stay here, you should know the rules.”

“Rules,” I repeated, wrinkling my nose. “Of course.”

He paused at the door, glancing over his shoulder. “And Ivy?”

“Yeah?”

He hesitated, just for a second, and then said, “Don’t listen to my sister.”

I blinked. “Why not?”

A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Because she likes trouble. And you clearly don’t need help finding it.”

Before I could answer, he was gone, the door closing softly behind him.

I stood there for a long moment, surrounded by the remnants of my chaos, and let out a slow breath.

“Don’t listen to his sister,” I repeated under my breath. “Sure. Easy for him to say.”