98- The Fragility of Trust
POV Lunara Grimwald:
I wouldn’t be able to handle it again if it happened once more.
“Poor Thalira, she devoted her whole life to him,” whispered Petronela.
“Are you paid to gossip or to work?” Edric’s voice thundered from behind me.
I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed him approach. I blinked, clearing my mind, and turned to face him. His eyes were locked on the omegas, the silver gleaming—proof of his anger at hearing them discuss his private life.
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to—” blurted Petronela.
“It wasn’t out of malice, we didn’t even know Lunara was nearby,” Ileana defended herself.
A growl rumbled from his chest, low and menacing. I turned just in time to see them shrink under the alpha’s fury.
“Get out of my sight, now!” he snarled, the gold flaring in his eyes. “Before I tear your heads from your necks.”
I rolled my eyes at his threat and stepped further into the kitchen. The two of them scurried past me, fleeing in panic, leaving only the trail of their perfume behind.
I picked up an apple from the basket and began peeling it.
“I brought something for you,” he said, stopping beside me and extending a box.
I dropped the fruit and looked at him, frowning.
“What is it?”
“Look.” He nodded toward the object.
I took the box from his hands and set it on the counter. I tried to appear calm, not like a desperate, curious fool—but I failed. After only three seconds of struggling with the tape sealing the cardboard, I extended a claw and tore through the wrapping as if my life depended on it.
He laughed and raised an eyebrow.
“Looks like someone likes getting gifts.”
“Does anyone not?”
“No idea,” he confessed.
Inside were three new romance books. I looked through them one by one, reading the titles on the covers, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.
“I’m going to get spoiled like this.”
He placed a hand on my arm, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“I’ll give you many more. We can build a library if that makes you happy.” He sighed. “You’ll never have to read the same book over and over again because it’s the only one you have.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, my throat tightening with emotion.
“I’m not your father. I’ll never be like him. You’ll never be forbidden from reading romances or doing anything else you want. You’re completely free, Lunara. And as long as it depends on me, you’ll have everything you desire.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hiding a smile, and lifted my lashes to meet his eyes.
“Except for having another male?” I teased under my breath.
His pupils dilated, and the gold flickered, illuminating the blue and silver.
“You already know the answer,” he hissed, crossing his arms over his chest. The motion tightened the muscles beneath his dark wool sweater. “And I’ve already made my point clear through my actions. Do you want me to rip out the eyes of every damned male who looks at you with interest, so you’ll understand better?”
“I doubt any of them would come within meters of me, with the reputation you have—and make sure to maintain.”
“I’m just trying to preserve their lives.”
“How humble of you, Edric.”
“What would we be without modesty?”
I let out a breathy laugh and pulled the last book from the box. Beneath it lay another object. I picked up the brand-new cell phone, staring at it, unsure what to say.
“It’s already set up,” he said. “You have my number saved, as well as Lyris’s, Celindra’s, Andrei’s, and Anton’s. Lyris will teach you how to use it—to make calls, send texts... those more urgent things.”
“You... you gave me a cell phone?” I stammered, my voice rising in disbelief.
“It was long past time for you to have your own smartphone, Lunara. If you need to talk to me, now I’m just a call away.”
I had never thought much about cell phones, though I was curious. I knew I’d never own one—not even when I was married to Alessio. It wasn’t common among packs, especially not for females.
“Thank you,” I murmured, my voice trembling.
He brushed the back of his hand against my cheek.
“I told you, you’ll have whatever you want.”
I closed my eyes briefly, swallowing everything I felt, refusing to give in to emotion. I felt... shaken by his gesture. And feeling that way was a risk—a mistake that could be immense, unimaginable.
No matter what my heart whispered, I couldn’t trust Edric or let myself be carried away. I had seen what he did to Thalira. She had been his lover for fifty years, and he discarded her as if she meant nothing. What would he do when he tired of me—or realized he had nothing to gain from me?
Unlike before, I had no position, no pack to offer as currency. I had nothing but myself. And I didn’t know if that was enough—or if it mattered.
He leaned in to brush his lips against mine. I pulled away, clearing my throat and running a hand through my hair.
“I... um... I’m very grateful for the gifts. I don’t even have the words to thank you properly, but I need to prepare the pups’ snacks before they storm this kitchen starving.” I stepped aside, putting distance between us.
I was sorry for it, but my heart was worth far more than a few books and a cell phone.
A crease appeared on his forehead as he narrowed his eyes at me, suspicious. For a moment, we stood in silence, staring at each other, both of us weighed down by the words left unspoken.
“I won’t get in the way of the pups’ snacks,” he said finally, breaking the heavy silence.
“They’ll thank you for that,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He didn’t smile. It was as if something had shifted—as if he were no longer the same male who had walked through that door carrying a box of gifts for me.
His posture stiffened, his gaze sharpened. The warmth that had filled his eyes in recent weeks whenever he looked at me was gone. It was as if he had become the same male as before—the same cold, bitter Edric I had first met.
I ignored the sharp pain that tore through me, pushing it down with all my strength so he wouldn’t notice. I clenched my teeth tightly and stayed silent.
“Well... I have to go,” he said, and even his tone had changed. I exhaled sharply, deflating like a punctured balloon.
I had been right. I’d been right all along.
He was very good at discarding people as if they were nothing, as if they had never meant anything at all.
“Are you all right?” he asked, casting one last glance my way.
One moment he was warm as a summer day, and the next, cold as the snow falling outside.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I lied, nodding, my lips pressed together.
He left the kitchen, leaving me alone with the ghosts that haunted me—and with the feeling that I was about to drown in my own emotions.
I set the phone and the books aside and pressed both hands to the counter, leaning forward. My lips parted as I drew in a long breath before letting it out slowly.