28- Forbidden Curiosity
POV Lunara Grimwald:
Edric was drinking whiskey in the kitchen when I got back home. He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, dark jeans, and tall boots.
His hair was slicked back, though a few unruly curls had slipped out of place, making him even more handsome than he already was.
The scent of eucalyptus from his cologne lingered in the air.
He threw me a glance as soon as I entered the house, but didn’t bother to speak to me. He had been treating me like that ever since he ran from me in the forest, leaving me alone, aroused, and confused.
I was grateful for it, actually. He had done me the favor of sparing me from waking up the next day full of regrets.
"Hello, Edric," I greeted, stopping at a safe distance.
He swallowed a small sip of the amber liquid and set the glass on the counter, his blue eyes sliding toward me as he arched a brow. The silver shimmered around his pupils in a playful dance that stole my breath for a second.
"What do you want?" he snapped, sounding bored.
I took a few deep breaths, controlling my temper. He was an asshole, an arrogant piece of shit, but he was the Alpha of the pack, and anything I did would require his authorization.
"I heard there’s a party tonight," I said, lacing my fingers in front of me. "I wanted to know if I can go."
The silver gleamed brighter, and one corner of his lips twisted in a grimace. He looked... irritated? I was asking permission, trying to keep things civil between us.
"Of course not," he growled, pulling the glass to his lips. His fingers around the glass had gone white from squeezing it so tightly.
"But why?" I crossed my arms and stomped my foot on the ground.
Was I supposed to live out the rest of my days in utter boredom? With nothing to do but wander back and forth, without a single friend?
"Because I said no."
"That’s not an answer."
"It’s the only answer you deserve."
I uncrossed my arms, raising my hands to my temples and massaging them.
"Why?" I insisted, staring him down in challenge.
I wanted to go to the party out of curiosity, but right now it was more out of sheer stubbornness, because he had said I couldn’t and didn’t deserve to. And that hit my ego straight on.
"Go to your room," he hissed, and I could feel his Alpha pheromones in the air. But, unlucky for him, they didn’t work on me, since we were mated.
"Can you at least explain what kind of ritual or party it is?" I objected, trying another way to get the information.
He had been categorical about me not going, but he could at least explain what it was. Each pack had its own customs and rituals.
He finished the liquid in his glass, poured himself more, then emptied it again. He closed the bottle and pushed the glass away from the counter.
"There’s nothing you need to know, Lunara."
That hurt me more than the ‘no’ about going to the party, because it showed what I meant to him—which was nothing. I was so irrelevant that he didn’t even care to tell me about his people’s customs.
I swallowed hard and looked away, refusing to let him see me falter in front of him. Likewise, I buried my feelings deep down before he could catch a whiff of them emanating from me.
"I won’t be around, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have men lurking around, keeping an eye on you. Don’t do anything stupid, nothing that will disrupt my business."
"Or what? You’ll kill me?" I mocked, blinking slowly.
I was sick of all these empty threats, of all that Alpha-male ego, authoritarian, and pompous. He didn’t want me to run away, but he didn’t seem even remotely interested in helping me adjust to the pack, to want to stay.
One moment, he seemed to want me so desperately he could hardly control himself and succumbed to it. And the next, he despised me as if I were worth less than bird shit in the garden.
"Or I’ll show you what it means to be a prisoner here," he murmured, each word sounding more strained than the last. He ran a hand through his hair, and I noticed the muscles in his shoulders tense. He was worried, stressed about something. "Anyway, behave yourself. I can’t abandon my business because of you."
I had so many, so many questions.
Was the business he was going to attend political or professional? Maybe he wasn’t going to the party, like I imagined, but to handle something else. Lyris had told me there were five Alphas in the region. Did they already know about me? About Alessio’s threat?
But... on the other hand, with Edric gone, along with Thalira and the rest, I would have the whole house and the village to myself. I could do whatever I wanted; there would be no hostility, no annoying people every few steps.
In a strange way, it was a little piece of freedom. Even just for a few hours.
"Fine," I agreed, feeling my heart race with excitement.
Edric stepped closer, stopping just inches away. He leaned in, aligning our faces at the same height.
"Why don’t I feel even slightly comfortable with that answer of yours?"
"Because you’re an idiot, a maniac." I pulled away from him, walked over to the counter, and grabbed the whiskey bottle. I opened it and took a gulp, feeling my throat burn. "I’ll drink it all and stay in peace, without you and all your bad mood around." I winked.
God, I didn’t know he was drinking pure alcohol. Because his whiskey tasted like death. I pressed my lips together, stifling a coughing fit.
It would have been humiliating to expose that I wasn’t used to drinking and that I nearly choked to death on a tiny sip of the whiskey he drank daily as if it were water.
I smiled, leaning against the counter.
"Fuck, I hope you’re not being sarcastic," he hissed.
"I’m not."
He glared at me, his brown brows furrowed together.
"I swear, Lunara..."
"Go to your business already," I cut him off, pointing toward the door with a wave of my hand.
He stood still, silent, his eyes fixed on me for a while, studying me, trying to figure out what my real plans were, before finally giving in and storming out of the house.
"I know what you feel, just as I can locate you at any time. Trying to run or lie to me again would be stupid," he hissed over his shoulder.
"Then you have nothing to worry about, do you?" I teased.
He stormed out the door, slamming it behind him as he left. I felt the itch in my chest fade little by little as he walked away.
I looked around, taking in his house, and a huge smile spread across my face. Furthermore, I had the whole place to myself.
Where should I snoop first? His bedroom, obviously.
Laughing, I ran toward the stairs.