Chapter 183
Damian’s POV
This was one hell of a bombshell.
I watched as Aria’s eyes lit up with interest, her body instinctively leaning closer to mine.
The movement sent her scent washing over me—vanilla and jasmine, tinged now with that sharp edge of curiosity that made my wolf stir with satisfaction.
I leaned in to meet her, bringing my face so close our breaths mingled. My lips were barely an inch from hers, soft and inviting, when I finally spoke.
“Sylvia’s not the type to make moves without a clear payoff,” I murmured, letting my voice drop to that register I knew affected her.
“Nathan’s parents’ case has zero leads, zero evidence trail… Don’t you think that’s… a little too convenient p>
I was delivering serious intel, but fuck if I could help the way my voice roughened when she was this close.
Each word came out slower, more deliberate, especially those last few. I couldn’t resist—my gaze dropped to where her eyes had fixed on my throat, tracking the movement of my Adam’s apple.
The urge to kiss her slammed into me like a freight train. I tilted my head, angling toward those tempting lips.
Aria’s eyes fluttered. Her breath caught audibly. “I think… there definitely… could be something there p>
My eyes narrowed as my breathing grew heavier. She was matching my energy perfectly, her voice breathy and soft, that gorgeous flush spreading across her cheeks.
She looked like the ripest fruit—sweet and succulent, begging to be tasted.
“Though honestly, we don’t need to handle this ourselves,” Aria continued, even as I moved closer still. Her voice dropped to barely a whisper.
“Nathan’s sharp enough to figure it out on his own. I p>
I didn’t let her finish.
My mouth captured hers in a kiss that started gentle—testing, savoring. I brushed my lips across the corner of her mouth twice, then opened to catch her lower lip between mine, sucking gently.
Christ, she tasted like home.
“Did you know Nathan’s been funneling investments into Ethan’s pack?” I asked against her mouth, reluctantly pulling back just enough to speak.
I knew I was being a bastard, kissing her senseless then dropping business intel, but watching her try to focus while I had her this flustered was its own kind of satisfaction.
My wolf preened at having our mate so thoroughly distracted by us.
“Nathan’s investing in Silver Creek p>
Aria shot upright, her palm pressing hard against my chest in her shock. The sudden pressure made me grunt, my brow furrowing.
Fuck, that hit right over my heart. Not that it hurt—she barely had the strength to really hurt me—but the spot she’d pressed was sensitive for entirely different reasons.
“Sorry! Did I hurt you?” Her concern was immediate and genuine.
“No. You’ve got about as much force as a kitten. How could you possibly hurt me p>
I caught her wandering hand before it could explore further, pulling her firmly back against my side where she belonged.
Not hurt, no. But her touch had landed precisely where my wolf resided, and having her palm pressed there while I was already wound tight with desire for her? Dangerous combination.
Heat crept up my neck despite my best efforts to stay controlled.
I was a grown man, the fucking Alpha King, and yet keeping my composure around my mate was proving to be one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
“Who the hell would make such a stupid move?” Aria’s voice rose with indignation. “Is this Nathan and Sylvia’s doing? Are they funding Ethan just to mess with me p>
The fire in her voice, the way she immediately dismissed any lingering connection to her ex—my wolf settled with deep satisfaction. She’d just confirmed what I already knew: that piece of shit meant nothing to her anymore.
The last trace of jealousy I’d been carrying since seeing him touch her earlier finally dissolved.
“Propping up Silver Creek Pack doesn’t cost Nathan much,” I explained, keeping my tone even and analytical.
“But having Ethan around V&A Group headquarters means you’ll be running into him constantly. People will talk. Speculation, rumors, gossip about your past with him p>
I paused, making sure she understood the full scope of their strategy.
“It’s not designed to destroy you. It’s designed to wear you down, make your professional life uncomfortable enough that you’ll slip up somewhere that matters p>
Classic psychological warfare. Not enough to be an outright attack I could retaliate against, but persistent enough to be a constant irritation. Nathan was smarter than I’d given him credit for.
“What do you want to do about it?” I asked.
The Nathan situation could only be handled as it came—countermoves to their moves, defense against their offense.
But I was confident they wouldn’t dare make any direct moves against Aria while she was under my protection. They’d stick to these underhanded tactics.
And I had complete faith that Aria could handle those herself.
Sure enough, something shifted in her expression. That brilliant mind of hers was already working, and I watched as a slow, dangerous smile curved her lips.
“If they’re so invested in Silver Creek’s success,” she said sweetly, “then I wish them the very best with their partnership p>
The smile didn’t reach her eyes. Those gorgeous green depths had gone cold and calculating in a way that made my wolf rumble with approval.
Beautiful and ruthless—exactly what a Queen should be.
“Need me to do anything?” I asked, taking her hand in mine.
My fingers found the engagement ring on her fourth finger, thumb stroking over the diamond in an unconscious gesture of possession. Mine. My mate, my Queen, my everything.
Aria’s smile softened as she shifted, draping herself across my shoulder and bringing her lips to my ear. Her breath ghosted across my skin as she whispered her plan.
My expression stayed neutral as she spoke, but inside, my wolf was howling with pride.
Clever, strategic, and perfectly ruthless. She’d identified their weakness and was going straight for the throat.
I felt my own smile finally break free, something dark and satisfied. “Alright then,” I agreed, my voice dropping to a possessive rumble. “Let’s give them exactly what they’re asking for p>
My wolf surged forward with approval.
This woman—brilliant, ruthless, and completely mine—was going to make one hell of a Queen.