Chapter Eleven
Adriel
I watch Silas stride out of the restaurant, his shoulders squared. I’d recognize that extra force in his step anywhere, his annoyance radiating off him like a storm brewing on the horizon. The fact that Danae’s jabs have actually gotten to him this much amuses me more than it should. It’s almost as amusing as the “coincidence” that brought me here.
Just moving around my ass. I shake my head with a wide grin painted on my face.
It’s no coincidence I’m here. I knew exactly where they’d be tonight. Information like that is easy to come by. I mean, it’s Silas Jorg. My brother would have to move a million miles before reaching a place where people don’t know who he is. I wasn’t planning to intrude, but when I heard they were dining here, I couldn’t resist. Something about watching them together, seeing Silas out on a dinner date with an Omega, was just too enticing.
And oh, what a show they gave me. Watching them bicker, struggling to fit together like oil and water, the tenseness crackling between them like a live wire. It was hilarious and fascinating all at once. I couldn’t help myself; I had to step in.
I settle into the seat Silas vacated, flashing Danae my most disarming blockbuster worthy smile. She looks at me, her green eyes narrowing slightly as though she’s trying to figure out what my angle is.
“You’re a very interesting woman, Ms. Danae,” I begin, my tone light, teasing. “Although I couldn’t help but notice you and my dear brother having a bit of a row. I don’t mean to pry, but is there trouble in paradise?”
Her sigh is long, and I catch the way her shoulders drop ever so slightly, as though she’s letting her guard down for just a moment. “Well,” she says, her voice tinged with exasperation, “your brother is just very difficult to get along with.”
I smirk, leaning back in my chair and giving her a playful wink. “Unlike me?”
Her cheeks color faintly, and the sight of it thrills me more than it has any right to. She immediately rolls her eyes, trying to cover her reaction, and replies, “You are friendly, and you’re charming. I’ll give you that. But I know better than to trust guys like you.”
“Guys like me?” I repeat, feigning shock as I press a hand to my chest. “And what exactly does that mean?”
She raises an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a knowing smile. “It means you’re quite the fox.”
I gasp, leaning forward as though her words have mortally wounded me. “Miss, that’s a slanderous accusation. I’ll have you know I am very much a wolf.”
Her laughter rings out, clear and genuine, and it’s a sound I instantly want to bottle and keep. There’s something intoxicating about the way her green eyes light up when she smiles, and for a moment, it’s like I lose myself in them.
I snap my fingers, in part to signal the waiter, in part to snap myself back to the present. The waiter arrives in a few short steps. “A bottle of our finest red,” I say smoothly. “Something fit for a woman as ravishing as Ms. Danae here.”
She blushes again, and this time, she doesn’t roll her eyes. When the wine arrives, I pour for both of us, watching the way she holds her glass delicately, her lips grazing the rim as she takes a sip.
Fuck! I wonder what those lips can do to other things.
It’s a mesmerizing sight, and I almost wish I could have it recorded and play it back over and over again.
The silence between us stretches, and I realize I’ve been staring. She realizes too, clearing her throat before she breaks the quiet, her voice curious.
“I haven’t noticed anyone using their pheromones since I got to Howls Peak,” she says, swirling her wine in her glass. “Not even Silas.”
I shrug, leaning back in my chair. “For that part, Silas isn’t exactly the biggest fan of using pheromones. He likes to keep it to a minimum. Plus, it’s tradition here. A special part of the Union ceremony. That’s when the lovebirds reveal their pheromones to each other for the first time.”
She nods, her expression thoughtful. But the thoughts her question stir within me take a bit of a mischievous turn. I lean forward, smirking. I can’t help myself. “But if you’d like a taste of mine, I’d be more than willing to show it off.”
She looks at me then, and her expression changes. There’s a seriousness in her gaze that takes my breath away. It’s captivating, the way she holds her stare, completely unflinching.
“Why do you keep flirting with me, Adriel,” she asks, her tone soft but firm, “when you know I’m supposed to be your brother’s mate?”
I shrug, smiling. I’m not going to let this moment turn heavy. “Well, I’m very well versed in the rule book, and I don’t think there’s any part that says brothers can’t have the same mate,” I say, pretending to flip through an imaginary book in my hands.
Her cheeks flush a deeper shade of pink, and she bites her lip, trying to suppress a smile. “Men like you are never serious,” she says, shaking her head. “I know a player when I see one.”
I laugh, the sound coming out warm and genuine, even to me. I lean closer to her, resting my elbows on the table. “I’ll admit to enjoying a bit of fun,” I say honestly. “And I haven’t exactly given much thought to having a mate before. But I don’t play around with serious things. It shouldn’t be that hard to believe me.”
She doesn’t reply, but there’s definitely a different look in her eyes now. Something like uncertainty, curiosity, maybe even intrigue.
We finish our meal and the wine, and I stand, moving to her side of the table. I pull her chair back, offering her my hand. “May I?” I ask, extending my arm.
She chuckles softly but places her hand on my arm, allowing me to guide her out of the restaurant. There’s a warmth I feel bubble within me as we walk, arm in arm, and I can’t help but savor it.
Once we’re in the car, I instruct my driver to take us back to the estate. Danae and I sit in the back, the city lights casting fleeting shadows across her face. I turn to her, and there’s a hint of opportunity in the way she looks.
Time to shoot my shot.
“I meant what I said,” I tell her, my voice low. “I’m interested in you, Danae. And I want to court you …alongside my brother.”
Her eyes widen, and she blinks rapidly, clearly stunned by my admission. “Are you asking me to choose between you and your brother, Adriel?”
I reach out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, my fingers lingering against her skin. “Who said anything about choosing?” I murmur.
Before she can respond, I lean in, closing the distance between us. My lips find hers, and the world around us fades. Her kiss is warm, soft, and entirely consuming. I feel my pulse race, the heat of her so close to me igniting an intense rush inside me, making me stiffen, rock hard.
And it’s only worsened when she thrusts her tongue at mine. It motions as if it’s massaging my mouth as her hands resting lightly against my chest.
Fuck. …I want this woman.