Chapter 197
Chapter 197:
Before he could respond, I bolted for the en-suite bathroom and locked the heavy obsidian door behind me. I leaned against the cool wood, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs, trying to outrun the primal ache his possessive nickname had ignited.
Forty minutes later, I emerged dressed and armored for the day. The smell of pancakes drew me to the penthouse kitchen.
Jaxon was perched at the island, intensely coloring a napkin with a purple crayon. But my eyes immediately locked onto Kain. He was dressed in a flawless charcoal suit, a leather overnight bag resting by his feet.
“I have to leave,” Kain announced, his tone shifting entirely from the teasing mate in the bedroom to the ruthless Alpha King. “There’s a rebellion in an allied Pack in Europe. I need to handle it personally p>
A sharp pang of disappointment hit my chest, instantly deflating the fragile bubble that had formed between us.
𝖸our 𝗱a𝘪𝗹𝗒 𝗱о𝘴𝘦 o𝘧 𝗇𝗈v𝘦𝗹𝗌 𝘰ո
He closed the distance, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. My breath hitched. I tilted my chin up, half-expecting — half-craving — the brutal, punishing kiss from the Blood Ring. Instead, Kain leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against my temple.
“Stay in my den,” he whispered, his voice vibrating with the undeniable, heavy weight of an Alpha’s Command. “Stay safe. I will know if you are not p>
The command washed over me — a possessive shiver that left me both frustrated and fiercely protected. Then he turned and walked out. The massive penthouse suddenly felt suffocatingly empty.
“Auntie Adelina p>
I blinked, pulling my gaze away from the empty doorway. Jaxon was folding his napkin with exaggerated care, tucking it into his pocket.
“Can I come to your castle today?” he asked, his big eyes wide and innocent. “I want to see my new friend Carmella. She promised I could visit her office p>
I hesitated. But leaving him here with just the housekeeper, especially after the traumatic confrontation with his father the day before, felt wrong. Besides, I had a massive Q3 budget meeting to run — he could sit quietly on the sofa in my office and draw.
“Alright, pup,” I sighed, offering a small smile. “Grab your crayons. We’re going to the hotel p>
Jaxon beamed, clutching his folded napkin like a prized treasure as he hopped off the stool. I grabbed my briefcase, eager to bury my confusing morning in the safety of spreadsheets and budget reports.
Adelina POV
The Wolfe Hotel’s executive boardroom was a sanctuary of cold, hard facts. I sat at the head of the massive glass table, letting the sharp, focused scent of my wild rose and storm fill the room. It was my armor. Here, I wasn’t a wolfless woman confused by a Lycan King’s possessive morning commands — I was the Alpha, firmly in control of my empire.
“As you can see on the projection,” Harvey Hester, my Director of Operations, droned on, pointing a laser at the Q3 budget charts, “our occupancy rates in the downtown sector have p>
“Auntie Adelina, I need to use the bathroom p>