Chapter 95
Chapter 95:
The tension in the room thickened, suffocating and heavy. I stared at my plate, the delicious food suddenly turning to ash in my mouth. Kain reached under the table, his large hand gripping my knee in a silent promise of protection, but the damage was done. The reminder of my status as a strategic asset echoed loudly in my mind.
After dinner, the suffocating pressure eased when Jaxon dragged me into the Great Hall.
Sitting on a thick bearskin rug, I helped the young pup construct a massive Lego castle complete with trapdoors. Jaxon’s bright, silvery laughter echoed off the stone walls, melting away the lingering chill of Almon’s words. For a fleeting moment, I wasn’t a disgraced Omega or a contracted Luna. I was just happy.
I glanced up and caught my breath.
Kain stood in the shadows of the archway. The firelight danced across his sharp jawline, illuminating a raw, agonizing tenderness in his obsidian eyes that I had never seen before. The air grew heavy with his scent — ancient cedar and raw, unyielding power — but it wasn’t dominant now. It was fiercely protective, wrapping around Jaxon and me like a warm blanket. I could almost feel the satisfied rumble of his Inner Wolf, purring at the sight of us.
Slowly, Kain closed the distance and folded his massive frame onto the rug beside me, his shoulder brushing mine. The physical contact sent a shower of sparks across my skin.
“Uncle Kain,” Jaxon chirped, snapping a Lego drawbridge into place. “You and Auntie Lina should have a baby. I want a cousin to play with p>
I froze. The air vanished from my lungs.
My mind violently flashed to the mysterious A.W. tattooed over Kain’s heart — a woman who wasn’t me. And then to the persistent, whispered rumors of his deeply intimate, decades-long bond with his Beta, Fletcher Banks. I braced myself, fully expecting Kain to stiffen, look annoyed, or quickly change the subject.
Instead, Kain turned to me. A slow, devastatingly handsome smile spread across his lips. “Perhaps one day, little warrior,” he murmured, his voice a deep, velvety caress. “If your Auntie agrees p>
Y𝗼𝗎r 𝗻𝖾𝗑𝘵 𝖿𝘢𝗏o𝗿𝗶𝘵𝖾 r𝗲𝗮𝗱 і𝗌 𝗼𝘯
He actually winked at me.
A sharp, jagged pain sliced through my chest. He’s acting. He was playing the role of the devoted, fated mate so flawlessly that he was willing to lie to a child’s face just to maintain our charade. The realization was a bucket of ice water over my foolish, fluttering heart. I forced a tight smile for Jaxon, burying the agonizing sting of being nothing more than a temporary replacement.
Hours later, the warm, golden lights of the Blackstone Estate faded in the rearview mirror of the Aston Martin, replaced by the cold, approaching glare of the New York City skyline.
“Thank you for tonight,” I said quietly, staring out the window. “Your family is wonderful p>
“They adore you,” Kain replied, his eyes fixed on the road. “Jaxon is a harsh critic. He usually ignores the guests I bring around. You’re the first one he’s ever asked to come back p>
Guests.
The word hit me like a physical blow. I wasn’t his mate. I was just the current guest — the most expensive one.