BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha’s Little Demon Chapter 38 – I Don’t Think I Can
LUCY…
“Ready for dinner?” Adan asked as a warm smile tugged on his mouth.
“Ready!” I smiled at him after I blinked back the tears pooling in my eyes.
“Good, I’m starving. I missed lunch because some little bunny riled me up…”
He teased me as we walked toward the dining hall with our hands still clasped together, and I just couldn’t help but giggle softly because he was right. We didn’t come out of his suite after the incident at lunch with Alexa and Alpha Aeon, and we were just informed about this dinner when Beta Collin mind linked him.
We entered the dining hall in silence, and Adan helped me onto my chair before he sat beside me. Soon another older female with blonde hair came in, carrying a bowl of vegetable salad. She was so beautiful, and she looked like Alexa.
Her eyes fell on me, and she gave me a warm, motherly smile as she placed the bowl on the table. She then walked to where I was seated, and I immediately stood up and faced her.
“Oh, Lucy! You’re as beautiful as Adan told me you are…” Her arms wrapped around my body, and I heard a chair being pushed before I felt Adan’s presence beside me.
“This is my grandmother, Crystal. Grand Luna of the pack and where Alexa got her blonde hair.”
“And her smart mind,” she added, pointing a finger to her temple, which made me smile.
“And stubbornness.” Alpha Aurelius added, his voice still as cold as snow.
“Oh, honey, you’re the stubborn one here. I’m sure your son and grandkids. would agree.” Luna Crystal added, smiling at her mate before she returned her gaze to me. “A ple@sure to meet you, Lucy.”
“The ple@sure is mine, Luna Crystal.”
“Momma… Everyone calls me momma.”
I was about to acknowledge her words when someone cleared his throat, and Alpha Aurelius’ voice came. “I think we should all eat.”
Dinner turned out well most of the time – everyone at the table looked genuinely happy for me and Adan, except his grandfather, who was quiet most of the time.
But I tried my best not to let it affect me, although I saw him looking at me from time to time. I was listening to Alexa’s story when, all of a sudden, my attention. was drawn to the grand Alpha when he asked a question, and I knew it was directed at me.
“Did your father talk about Suzanne?”
“Pops!” Adan snapped his head in that direction, and I saw his brows furrowing. My hand went to his thigh, and I squeezed it, hoping he would calm down.
“I’m just asking a question. Answerable by yes or no.” Alpha Aurelius told him.
“No. If they did talk about her, maybe I was not around.” I answered in a soft voice.
“Of course, my daughter didn’t matter to them.”
“But he talked of Alexa. Of how he still had no idea where she was, and the last time he was home, he said they found Alexa but she was taken by another pack.”
“Yet, he didn’t do anything to protect her.”
“Pops, I’m not sure what your point is. Lucy has nothing to do with what d*iego and Achilles did. I thought we had moved on from this?” Adan was trying to make his voice calm, but I could see veins popping out from his neck. He was trying to control himself.
“This female here was raised by the people responsible for Suzanne… So I wonder how she was raised.”
Adan’s jaw tightened, and I knew he was losing his control already.
“My stepfather is a good father, and I want to believe he raised me well.”
“Is he?”
“Enough!” Adan slammed his fist on the table.
“Adan Stone!” It was Aunt Helena.
I dropped my gaze to my lap contemplating my next move. I placed the napkin back on the table, excused myself, and stood up.
Adan stood up as well and held my arm. My hand went to his chest as I smiled at him. “I’m okay. I just need to use the restroom. I can ask the females there.”
I didn’t wait for his reply as I left the dining room with my head tilted down, not because I was an Omega, but because I didn’t want anyone to see the tears that threatened to fall.
As soon as I stepped out, I heard voices raised and some movements, but I tried to tune out the noise and walked further than the toilet I was pointed to. Until I reached a balcony.
I opened the sliding door and stepped out, closing the door behind me. I didn’t have my coat with me, but I didn’t care at the moment. It was chilly, but my body could adjust to the temperature. I just wanted a few seconds of silence. I knew d*iego was not perfect. But he had been in my eyes, and it hurt to see him in a different light.
Soon, I heard the sliding door open, and at first, I thought it was Adan, but the Alpha aura was different not as strong as Adan’s. strong but
A coat was placed on my back, and I held it tightly against my body without looking at the person behind me. “Thank you…”
Soon, the one who gave me the coat moved to my side, his hands clutching the balcony railings, but he didn’t say anything. He was just looking at the view in front of us. We stayed in silence for a moment until I couldn’t hold it anymore.
“I’m sorry that my stepfather made some terrible mistakes against you. But he had been good to me. So, it hurts to hear those words… I’m sorry.” I had no idea what I wanted to point out.
“I’m sorry about the way I acted in there. Alpha Aurelius said so in a much softer tone.
“I understand you, sir.”
“One day you’re going to have a child, and hopefully you will not make the same mistake I did. I know I should move on. But I can’t help it. If I forgive your stepfather, it will feel like I am also forgiving Achilles. I’m sure d*iego was aware of Suzanne’s suffering, but he didn’t do anything. If I forgive them, it will feel like I am spitting on my daughter’s grave- a grave that held nothing of her, no body, no ashes, no remnants – because I still don’t know where she was buried or burned. This is the cross I had to bear every day of my life.” He let out a deep sigh as a lone tear fell from my eyes.
“I’m sorry if I’m lambasting the memory of your stepfather. I understand, we see him differently.”
“We both loved the people we lost. We’re both in pain. I’m not going to defend him to you because I knew what he did. But please let me cherish my memory of him, on how he acted toward me. He’s not my father, but he loved me like his own. And I don’t want to tarnish that memory.”
“I would like to believe that he raised you well. I will try my best not to open those wounds again for both of us.”
“Thank you, sir…”
“Do you love my grandson?” His question came unexpectedly.
Love? Demons don’t do love.
I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat, and from the way my cheek was burning, I knew the grand Alpha must be looking at me. “You couldn’t answer it. Why are you with him then?”
I swallowed again before I opened my mouth to speak. “I have never fallen in love, I don’t know what it feels like. My mother d*ied before she could tell me about falling in love. And my father, the real one, I’m sure he had no intention of teaching me about it. So, I don’t know how to answer your question, sir.”
He didn’t say anything, so I took it as my cue to continue.
“But Adan, he makes my heart flutter. I like waking up next to him. I hated it when he had to be far away from me for days. I’m bothered when he’s upset with. And I don’t like the idea of other females taking his attention. I like it when he smiles, it makes me happy knowing he’s happy.”
I tilted my head to the side and looked at him, but he was looking far, straight ahead.
“And I want you to like me because I know how much you mean to him. I really don’t know if that’s how love feels, but I really like Adan, so please don’t ask me to stay away from him because I don’t think I can.”