Chapter 14
The sun had dipped lower by the time we returned to the Frostbane mansion. The sky was painted in soft orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the estate. I should’ve felt at ease pulling into the long driveway. But my heart was still restless.
Kael had seen me.
He had looked at me like… like I was something important.
I shook the thoughts away as Jared parked the car. Alexandra gave me a warm smile and squeezed my
hand before we stepped out.
“Let’s not think about that anymore, okay?” she said softly. “Just act like it didn’t happen.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
She had promised not to tell Rylan. And I believed her.
As we walked up the front steps and entered the mansion, I was expecting silence. Maybe a few servants going about their work. Maybe Rylan would be locked away in his office, doing Alpha stuff like attending
meetings and reading reports.
Instead, the soft sound of a television playing drifted down the hallway.
We stepped into the main hall, and there he was-Rylan, sprawled out on one of the large leather couches,
watching something that looked like a nature documentary.
He looked up the moment he saw us and his face lit up. He stood up quickly, brushing off imaginary dust
from his jeans.
“Well, well,” he said with a playful grin. “The shopping queens have returned. How was it?”
I hesitated. I was trying to find the right words.
Alexandra answered smoothly. “It was nice. We went to a few stores, browsed around.”
Rylan looked directly at me. His brown eyes sparkled with interest. “Did you get everything you needed,
Lisa?”
I nodded quickly. “Yes. I’m… good.”
He tilted his head slightly, like he was trying to read more behind my words. I tried to keep my face calm and neutral.
“And where are the shopping bags?” he asked, lifting a brow. “Don’t tell me you two just window-shopped
the whole time.”
Alexandra laughed lightly and jumped in. “She’s a bit difficult to please, that’s all. We went to several
1/4
Chapter 14
shops, but Lisa didn’t find much that she liked.”
Rylan looked at me with a frown, his lips curling slightly in amusement. “Is that so?” he said, stepping closer. “Then maybe next time, I should take you shopping myself. We’ll spend the whole day hopping from one store to another. And if we don’t find anything here, we’ll go to the neighboring packs. There’s this place in Ashmoor Pack that’s famous for their boutiques.”
I blinked. I was surprised. “You? Shopping?”
He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Of course. For you, I would suffer through racks of clothes
I
and perfume samples.”
I felt my cheeks flush. He was teasing me but there was something warm in his voice. Something that
made my heart skip just a little.
“But don’t you have important Alpha stuff to do?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
Rylan placed a hand over his chest dramatically. “Ouch. Is that your way of saying you would rather not
have me around?”
I smiled despite myself. “That’s not what I meant.”
He grinned and leaned in slightly. “I just came back from a meeting. I’ve got another one in thirty minutes.
I needed a break… and seeing you walk through the door just now made it worth it.”
I glanced away, heat rising to my cheeks again.
Alexandra, never one to let a chance slip, giggled. “Maybe Lisa didn’t want to buy anything because she
was worried about the cost. She probably thinks we’re spending too much money on her.”
Rylan turned serious immediately. He took a step closer to me. “Lisa… is that true?”
I hesitated. “No. I mean… not exactly.”
He frowned. His voice was softer now. “Why do you think that way? Money isn’t a problem here. And this
isn’t about flaunting anything. I just want you to feel comfortable. To have what you need. What you like.”
His words were gentle, but they made my chest tighten. No one had ever spoken to me like that before. Not without expecting something in return.
“I just didn’t like most of the clothes,” I said quickly, trying to move past the awkward feeling in my stomach. “They weren’t… me.”
“Ah,” Rylan said, a mock-serious look on his face. “So you’re hard to impress, huh? I’ll take that as a challenge.”
Alexandra smirked. “Good luck, big brother. She’s picky.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not picky.”
“You just said you didn’t like most of the clothes,” Rylan teased. “Sounds like someone’s picky to me.”
“I’m just… particular.”
He grinned. “Particular. Right. That’s what we’re calling it.”
I playfully narrowed my eyes. “You’re not very good at this whole teasing thing.”
He laughed. “Oh, I’m very good. I just haven’t used my full power yet.”
Alexandra made a dramatic gasp. “He’s holding back!”
Rylan gave her a quick glance. “Of course I am. I wouldn’t want to scare her off.”
I laughed, and it felt good. Like something inside me had unclenched just a little.
But as I laughed, a flicker of Kael’s face flashed through my mind.
His eyes. The way he had looked at me.
The laughter faded slightly. I tried to keep smiling, but my heart wasn’t in it.
$25 Points
Kael now knew where I was. Would he tell his parents? Would mine find out? Would they come for me? Would they try to drag me back?
I swallowed hard and turned away, pretending to adjust the strap of my purse even though it wasn’t slipping.
Rylan must’ve noticed something in my expression. His voice softened. “Hey… are you okay?”
I nodded quickly. “Yeah. Just tired.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He looked like he didn’t quite believe me, but he didn’t push. Instead, he stepped back and said, “Alright. Why don’t you go get some rest? We’ll do a better shopping trip next time, I promise. I’ll make it my mission to find something you like.”
“Is that an Alpha promise?” I asked with a small smile.
He smirked. “The strongest kind.”
Alexandra chuckled. “He doesn’t break those, you know. You’re stuck with him now.”
I rolled my eyes. “Lucky me.”
Rylan placed a hand over his heart again. “Wounded. Truly.”
We all laughed again, but I could still feel the tightness in my chest. I excused myself a few minutes later and climbed the stairs to my room. Once the door was shut behind me, I let out a long breath.
I leaned against the door, staring at the floor. Kael had seen me. And that changed everything.
I didn’t know what he would do. I didn’t know if he would tell anyone. Maybe he already had.
But one thing I knew for sure-I wasn’t going back.
No matter who came.
No matter what they said.
