Chapter 9
Boaz
“You’re late,” Hansel called from the tea fields, one hand gripping his hat as the wind threatened to pull it off.
Boaz winced as everyone turned to look at him.
“Thanks, Hansel,” Boaz muttered under his breath as he walked down the narrow path between the rows, the scent of crushed tea leaves rising around him with every step.
He made his way down to the last row where Hansel was working. As he expected, his brother was moving at his usual slow, careful pace.
Hansel crouched, taking his time plucking the tea leaves one by one like there was no rush at all. It always took him forever to finish a single shrub, but Boaz had learned not to push him.
That was just how Hansel worked.
And somehow, it balanced out.
Boaz handled the hard labour, while Hansel took care of the people. He kept the pack peaceful, made sure everyone was fed, heard, and getting along.
“What happened to you this morning?” Hansel asked, glancing up at him briefly before going back to the leaves in his hands. “You’re usually the first one out here.
“I overslept,” Boaz said, embarrassment heating the back of his neck.
He never overslept, but last night… Boaz dragged in a sharp breath. He’d dreamt about the vampire again.
And this time it hadn’t been a nightmare.
Boaz shook his head quickly, pushing the thought away. He didn’t want to think about the dream. Or what the vampire had done to him.
He slapped his hat onto his head and got to work, forcing himself into the familiar routine, letting it distract him.
He’d done this a thousand times.
His hands moved falling into the repetitive motions. Reaching. Plucking. Sorting. It was muscle memory at this point. All he had to do was keep moving.
And not think.
By midday, the sun was blazing. Sweat soaked through their clothes, clinging to their skin.
“We should get out of the heat,” Hansel said, straightening slowly as he wiped at his face.
“Yeah,” Boaz agreed, already turning to the others. “That’s it for today,” he called out.
A few tired voices answered back, murmuring their thanks as everyone began gathering their baskets. They hauled the harvest toward the dry room and handed everything off to the pack members working inside before heading out.
“Want a beer?” Hansel asked, fanning his face with his hat.
“Sure,” Boaz said, falling into step beside him as they headed toward his office tucked behind the dry room.
Inside, it was cooler.
Hansel went straight to the mini fridge, pulling out two cold beers. He tossed one to Boaz without looking, then made his way over to the desk. With a tired sigh, he dropped into his chair and turned on the computer.
Boaz caught the bottle, twisted the cap off, and took a long gulp. The cold beer hit his throat, cooling the heat that still clung to him.
“Come look at this,” Hansel said, already clicking through something on the screen.
Boaz chuckled as he stepped closer. “If you wanted help with the books, you should’ve just said so.”
“I’m telling you now,” Hansel replied, flashing him a bright, unapologetic smile. “I need help with the books.”
“You think you’re smart,” Boaz said, shaking his head.
“I know I’m smart.”
“Yet you still can’t do this on your own,” Boaz shot back, setting his beer down on the desk before walking around to grab the spare chair. He dragged it over and dropped it beside Hansel, turning his attention to the screen.
“I can,” Hansel said easily, nudging his shoulder. “I just like it better when you’re here.”
Boaz bumped him back, a small smirk tugging at his lips before he focused on the numbers in front of them.
The rest of the afternoon passed quietly as Boaz and Hansel went through the books together, checking numbers, making sure everything was in order. By the time they were done, the sun was already dipping low on the horizon, painting the sky in deep oranges and golds.
Boaz stretched his arms over his head as he stepped out of the office, his muscles pulling tight after hours of bending over the screen. He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the stiffness, then paused and sniffed the air.
The scent of meat sizzling over an open fire filled his lungs, making his stomach growl.
He glanced over his shoulder at Hansel. “Are we having a BBQ tonight?”
“Yeah,” Hansel said, pushing himself up from his chair. “Figured we could use something hearty after that grueling work.”
“You think that was grueling?”
“Yes,” Hansel said, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. “I’m not built for that kind of suffering.”
Boaz laughed, shaking his head.
“See you later, Mr. Delicate,” he said, already turning away as he headed toward his cabin.
But as he reached the clearing, his steps slowed.
The long tables were already being set up, people moving back and forth with plates and trays, laughter and chatter filling the air. The smell of meat cooking over the fire drifted through the space, thicker now.
Boaz let out a low sound under his breath, his mouth watering.
And then he saw him. Alexander. And right beside him was Lyla.
Fucking hell.
He was already here.
Boaz didn’t waste another second. He turned on his heel and hurried back to his cabin, pushing the door open and heading straight to the bathroom. He cleaned up as quickly as he could, scrubbing away the sweat and dirt from the day, then pulled on his best clothes.
When he was done, his gaze drifted to the painting.
It sat exactly where he’d left it.
I’m going to bring her here tonight, he told himself. One way or another.
With that, he turned and headed back out, his steps quicker this time as he made his way to the clearing.
The vampire was still there.
Of course he was.
He stood surrounded by Lyla and her friends, all of them leaning in, hanging on his every word.
And then Alexander looked up, his gaze locking onto him.
Air caught in Boaz’s throat, his breath stalling as goosebumps spread across his skin. He rubbed his arms, trying to shake the feeling off, but it didn’t help as Alexander continued to stare at him.
His eyes lingered, and it made Boaz feel… awkward and overly warm.
Why is he looking at me like that? Boaz wondered as came to a stop beside Lyla.
“Good evening, everyone,” Boaz said.
“Hey,” they replied, their attention shifting to him.
“Boaz,” Lyla said, turning to him with a bright smile, excitement lighting up her face. His heart thundered in his chest, then stumbled when she held out her hand, palm open. “Isn’t this lovely? Its snow from the mountains of the north. It’s so soft and fluffy.”
Boaz looked down.
The snowflake rested in her palm, already starting to melt under the warmth of her skin, tiny droplets forming and slipping between her fingers.
Boaz stared, jealous.
The vampire was damn good.
“Do you like it?” Boaz asked, his voice tight.
“Yes,” Lyla said, a soft blush rising to her cheeks.
“Really? I never pegged you for someone who likes fleeting tricks. I thought you preferred real gifts. Something that actually means something,” he said.
The moment the words left his mouth, a heavy silence fell. Boaz looked up to find everyone staring at him.
His stomach tightened as his gaze shifted to Lyla.
The excitement that had lit up her face moments ago was gone. Her eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip trembling as she stared at him like she didn’t understand what she’d done wrong.
The snow in her palm melted completely, dripping through her fingers.
She sniffed, then ran away.
“Why would you say that?” one of her friends said in disbelief before she turned and rushed after Lyla. The others followed quickly.
Dammit!
Boaz turned, a low growl building in his chest as his eyes locked on the vampire. Every part of him burned with the urge to smack him across the face.
As if reading his mind, Alexander stepped closer. Waiting.
“Fucking leave my pack alone,” Boaz bit out.
“Or what?” Alexander replied, closing the gap between them. He was too close. So close that Boaz could feel the faint brush of his breath against his face.
Boaz’s jaw clenched. He glanced around and caught people watching them.
Not here.
Without another word, he grabbed Alexander’s hand and dragged him away, pulling him into the darkness beyond. He didn’t think about where he was going, he just needed to yell at him in private. And somehow, his feet carried him to the meadow.
“Wow…” Alexander’s voice broke the tension, filled with awe. He stepped forward. And only then did Boaz realize he was still holding his hand.
Boaz dropped it immediately.
Why did he keep doing that?
He rubbed his hands together, turning away, trying to shake off the strange feeling crawling up his arms.
“It looks better than my dreams,” Alexander said, moving ahead slowly. He walked into the meadow like he belonged there, his fingers brushing over the flowers glowing softly under the moonlight.
Boaz frowned, watching him.
Something about the way he moved, the way he smiled as he touched the petals, it caught Boaz off guard.
He looked… beautiful.
Boaz’s chest tightened.
He looked away quickly, something uneasy flickering through him.
“The air is even fresher than I imagined,” Alexander murmured, still exploring. He plucked a flower gently and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply.
Boaz followed Alexander despite himself. “How can you dream about this place when you’ve never been here before?”
“I don’t know,” Alexander said. “But I dreamt it. I could feel the wind on my skin… smell the flowers.” He glanced around, his eyes glowing. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s… beautiful.”
“I thought your snow-covered mountains were more beautiful than my meadow,” Boaz said, looking around them.
“Your meadow?” Alexander repeated, one brow lifting.
“You know what I mean,” Boaz muttered, irritation slipping into his tone. He hated how easily the vampire could make him feel off-balance. “So, you admit it’s better than your mountains.”
Alexander didn’t answer. He just kept walking, brushing his fingers over the flowers as he passed.