Chapter 38: A Caring Gesture?
Chapter 38: A Caring Gesture?
(Aria’s POV)
I nearly crashed into Claire as I exited the consultation room. Her emerald eyes widened in surprise before narrowing with suspicion.
“Were you talking to the doctor about Elizabeth?” she demanded, blocking my path.
I took a deep breath, trying to sidestep around her. “I’m not doing this with you right now, Claire.”
“Oh, but we are,” she insisted, following me down the corridor. “We need to talk.”
“About what exactly?” I turned to face her, my patience wearing thin. “How you’ve manipulated Alexander? How you’ve done everything possible to undermine my position as Luna? Or maybe how you’re using Elizabeth’s condition to strengthen your hold on him?”
Claire’s face flushed with anger. “You’re blaming me for everything that’s gone wrong in your pathetic life. Your problems with Alexander have nothing to do with me.”
“Nothing to do with you?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s rich coming from the woman who conveniently attempted suicide on the day of our mating ceremony.”
“I was in pain!” she hissed. “My mate-”
“Save it,” I cut her off, turning to walk away. “I’m not interested in your excuses.”
I felt her hand grab my arm, her nails digging into my skin. As I yanked my arm away, her sharp nails scratched across the back of my hand, drawing blood.
The metallic scent filled the air immediately. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, her protective instincts flaring at the injury. Blood from another werewolf’s scratch could be dangerous if not properly treated.
Claire looked at my bleeding hand with dismissive eyes. “It’s just a scratch. Don’t be so dramatic.”
Something in me snapped. Three years of pent–up rage, humiliation, and pain rushed to the surface. I stepped toward her, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
“You’ve taken everything from me – my mate’s attention, my position, even my mother’s last moments. And now you have the audacity to act like I’m overreacting?”
I was close enough to see the tiny flecks of gold in her emerald eyes, close enough that she flinched back slightly from the intensity of my gaze.
“Aria!” Alexander’s voice cut through the tension. He strode toward us, his amber eyes flashing with anger. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Of course. Of course he would assume I was the aggressor.
“Your precious Claire and I were just having a friendly chat,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Alexander’s gaze darted between us, his frown deepening. “This isn’t the time or place. My mother is fighting for her life, and you’re picking fights in the hallway?”
“Picking fights?” I repeated incredulously. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
< Chapter 38. A Caring Gest
“Alexander,” Claire interjected, her voice suddenly soft and trembling. ‘I was just asking how she knew about Elizabeth’s condition, and she became so angry…”
I stared at her, amazed by her ability to transform from vicious to victim in the blink of an eye.
“This is where your heart aches?” I asked Alexander, gesturing to Claire’s dramatic performance. For her fake tears?”
It was only then that Alexander noticed my bleeding hand. His expression changed instantly, his amber ejes darkening as he inhaled the scent of my blood.
“What happened?” he demanded, reaching for my hand,
I pulled away before he could touch me. “Ask your friend.”
Alexander turned to Claire, his voice hardening. “Did you hurt her?”
Claire’s eyes widened in disbelief. “It was an accident! She pulled away when I touched her arm. You can’t possibly blame me for a tiny scratch!”
“You should apologize,” Alexander insisted, surprising both of us.
“For what?” Claire snapped, abandoning her victim act. “A scratch? She’s being ridiculous!”
I’d had enough. Without another word, I turned and headed for the elevator, ignoring Alexander calling my
name behind me.
The elevator doors closed just as he reached them, granting me a moment of blessed solitude. I leaned against the wall, examining my injured hand. The scratches weren’t deep, but they still stung. I’d need to clean it properly with moonflower herb to prevent any potential issues with my wolf’s healing.
My phone rang in my pocket. Dominic’s name flashed on the screen.
“Hello?” I answered, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Where are you?” His deep voice was concerned.
“In the elevator. I needed to get away from them.”
“Come to the seventh floor. I’m in the waiting area near Dr. Lewis’s office.”
The elevator continued its ascent, and I found myself looking forward to seeing Dominic. His presence had become a strange comfort in the chaos my life had become.
I found him sitting in a small waiting area, his tall frame making the hospital chair look ridiculously small. He stood when he saw me, his silver–gray eyes immediately zeroing in on my injured hand.
“What happened?” he asked, his nostrils flaring slightly as he caught the scent of my blood.
“Claire,” I said simply. “We had a disagreement, and she scratched me when I pulled away from her.”
Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. “Wait here,” he said, his voice clipped.
Before I could protest, he was gone, striding down the hallway toward the pharmacy. He returned minutes later with antiseptic, gauze, and what looked like a small víal of moonflower extract.
“Give me your hand,” he said, sitting beside me.
I extended my injured hand, watching as he carefully cleaned the scratches. His touch was surprisingly
< Chapter 38 A Caring Gest
gentle for someone so powerful, each movement precise and thoughtful.
આપની જેમાં વા
“These aren’t deep,” he murmured, applying the moonflower extract with a cotton swab. ‘But wolf scratches can be problematic if not treated properly.”
The familiar cool tingle of the moonflower spread across my skin. It was a sensation I knew well from my work with herbal remedies – the extract would prevent any foreign werewolf essence from interfering with my
wolf’s natural healing.
“I know,” I said. “I was planning to treat it when I got home.”
Dominic nodded, carefully wrapping a light bandage around my hand. “Keep it dry for at least six hours. You don’t want infection setting in and affecting your wolf’s healing abilities.”
His concern touched something inside me. When was the last time someone had taken care of me like this? Alexander had grown increasingly distant over the years, and with my mother gone…
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Dominic finished securing the bandage, but didn’t immediately release my hand. His fingers lingered for a moment longer than necessary, the warmth of his skin seeping into mine.
“I’ll drive you home,” he said, finally letting go. “You’ve had enough drama for one day.”
The drive to my apartment was quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. My wolf had settled down after the treatment, but I could still feel her unease beneath my skin. These days, she seemed to respond more to Dominic’s presence than to Alexander’s, which was both confusing and concerning.
“Do you want to come up?” I offered as we pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building.
I immediately regretted the words, afraid they sounded too forward. But Dominic simply nodded, turning off
the engine.
Inside my apartment, I headed to the kitchen to make tea, but Dominic surprised me by following me in.
“I’ll cook,” he announced, rolling up his sleeves.
I blinked at him in surprise. “You cook?”
A slight smile touched his lips. “Don’t look so shocked. I spent years in military service before becoming Alpha King. When you’re on extended missions, you learn to prepare your own meals to meet your wolf’s nutritional needs.”
I watched, fascinated, as he moved around my kitchen with unexpected familiarity, opening cabinets and examining my limited food supplies.
“Sit,” he instructed, pointing to one of the bar stools at my kitchen counter. “Rest your hand.”
I obeyed, oddly content to watch him work. He moved with the same efficient grace he displayed in everything he did, chopping vegetables and seasoning meat with practiced ease.
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The aromas that soon filled my kitchen made my mouth water. My pregnant wolf responded enthusiastically, her cravings suddenly satisfied by whatever Dominic was preparing. It was strange that what my body seemed to need, though I hadn’t told him about my pregnancy.
“This smells amazing,” I said as he set a plate in front of me.
He’d prepared a perfect balance of proteins and vegetables, with a side of moon berries that were particularly
< Chapter 38: A Caring Gest
beneficial for werewolf vitality. The first bite was heaven – flavors exploding across my tongue in perfect
harmony.
“This is incredible,” I admitted after several enthusiastic bites. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Dominic shrugged, looking pleased by my reaction. “Practice, mostly. Food is important for a wolf’s strength. I could cook for you more often, if you’d like.”
1
The offer caught me off guard. There was an implied intimacy to it regular meals together suggested a deeper relationship than the strange friendship we currently shared.
“That’s… very kind,” I managed, unsure how to respond.
“It’s nothing,” he said casually, though his wolf’s subtle protective scent filled the space between us. “Just a practical arrangement between friends.”
Friends. Yes, that’s what we were. Nothing more. I ignored the strange disappointment that flickered through me at the thought.
After dinner, I started to gather the dishes, but Dominic stopped me.
“I’ll do it,” he said firmly. “You need to keep your hand dry, remember? Your wolf needs to focus its energy on healing.”
I reluctantly surrendered the dishes, watching as he efficiently cleaned up.
“By the way,” he said over his shoulder as he washed a plate, “I heard some interesting gossip from Nathan today.”
My curiosity piqued, temporarily distracting me from the pain in my hand and the confusing feelings his presence stirred within me.
“What gossip?” I asked.
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