Until Dawn

LILAC

At Beta Peyton’s suggestion, I went downstairs to make Dominic some lunch.

Apparently, his appetite hadn’t fully come back since his injury, which was a huge concern as werewolves have higher metabolisms than humans.

Three maids were chatting and working when I entered the kitchen, but they stopped what they were doing upon my arrival. The silence pierced the air.

A man was chopping vegetables on the counter. He had on a white dress shirt, black trousers, and a white bistro apron over his outfit. His sandy blond hair was wavy and swept to the side.

He looked up with surprise on his face, but then he smiled, showing dimples just like Beta Peyton. “My name is Marco, private chef to Blackwood residence. Is there something I can help you with, Miss…?”

“My name is Li—Violet.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked kindly.

“Actually, I’m here to make something for the alpha.”

“Alpha Dominic?” Again, he looked surprised.

I giggled. “Well, is there another alpha here that I’m not aware of?”

He smiled in return before tossing his hand towel onto the counter before him and walking toward me.

My giggle stopped the second he stood before me.

Tilting his head to the side, he lifted a hand and placed a finger underneath my chin. He must not have known who I was. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so bold as to touch me.

“Sei bellissima,” he whispered.

I blinked several times before stepping back to put more space between us. My cheeks flamed and I looked down at my white ballet shoes as if they were the most interesting thing I have ever seen.

I didn’t speak any other languages, but I’d watched enough dramas and read enough romance books to know what he meant.

“I’m Alpha Dominic’s betrothed mate.” I spilled the words so quickly that they slurred together.

His light blue eyes widened in astonishment and he shook his head. “I mean no offense, Luna. I didn’t—”

“It’s fine,” I interrupted. “I know you didn’t know.”

He smirked. “What I was going to say was that I didn’t know you were his betrothed, but that I meant it when I said you are beautiful.”

My face was so hot it was like someone had lit a fire underneath me. I ducked away from his penetrating blue eyes and toward the maids. They looked at me skeptically.

I needed a distraction, and cooking was as good as any. I didn’t know how to cook but I wanted to make something for Dominic.

When I wasn’t feeling well, I always wanted warm comfort food, but the only comfort food I could think of was a grilled cheese sandwich.

Marco raised his eyebrow. He must have seen the puzzled look on my face.

“What is it that you are looking for?” he asked.

“Bread, cheese, and butter.”

He looked at the maid behind me and nodded his head. She hurried away and returned quickly with everything I needed.

I began to work while Marco leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, watching me. It was unnerving and inappropriate.

“Do you know what you are doing?” he finally asked.

I gnawed at my bottom lip while I focused on placing bread onto the skillet, butter-side-down, and then adding a slice of cheese. While it was cooking, I turned away to butter the other slice of bread. A few moments later, the smell of burned food floated into the air.

“Oh no!” I turned back to the slice of bread on the skillet and grabbed the to flip the bread over.

“Crap!” I flipped the burned slice of bread off the skillet and onto the stovetop, creating a greasy and cheesy mess.

Marco sighed and tried to push me away. “You will ruin my kitchen!”

“Hold on!” I dropped the spatula and buttered slice of bread to push him back. They fell to the floor and he let out a frustrated sound, running his hands through his hair.

“I don’t like this.” He wagged a finger at me like I was a child. “I’m the cook. I will cook the food.”

“I want to cook,” I insisted. “Who is the luna here?”

His lips pressed into a thin line and his eyebrows crinkled so close together it almost transformed into a unibrow.

“Luna, please—”

“I will do the cooking,” I interrupted, pointing a finger at my chest.

Marco shook his head and scoffed, “American women.” He walked out of the kitchen.

Inhaling deeply, I turned my focus back to the grilled cheese sandwich I was about to make. Finally, uninterrupted and away from scrutinizing eyes, I could relax.

The sandwich took several attempts, but in the end, I felt proud of a job well done. The bread was perfectly browned on both sides, and I added steamed vegetables and a cup of orange juice.

I carried the tray upstairs and knocked on the door, hoping Beta Peyton was gone.

Dominic’s voice called for me to enter.

I walked in to see him sitting at a small table near the window with his face tilted toward the sun. His eyebrows were furrowed and his nose twitched as he turned to me and my tray.

With a smile, I set the tray in front of him.

“What is that smell?” he asked.

“Grilled cheese sandwich. I made it especially for you.” I set the tray on the table.

He sniffed again and his face turned back to me. Before I had the chance to defend myself, Dominic’s hand wrapped around my wrist and he yanked me into his arms.

He held me tightly around the waist while his nose sniffed my stomach.

I tried pulling away. “What are you doing?”

“You need a shower,” he growled, releasing me as quickly as he’d captured me, and I stumbled backward.

He picked up my sandwich and took a bite. He chewed and then coughed. I saw his hand groping and feeling for something to drink. Quickly, I grabbed the juice and handed it to him. He gulped it down.

“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at cooking,” I apologized.

Once he got his coughing under control, he sat the cup of juice back down onto the tray.

“It’s fine,” he muttered and continued eating.

I examined the bread closer and realized I forgot to add the cheese, and there wasn’t much butter. Yet Dominic continued eating.

“Let me ask Marco to make you something else.” I tried to grab the sandwich.

He snatched my hand before I could.

“Go and shower, Violet,” he ordered.

I frowned. “But—”

“You stink like burned food and of another male werewolf,” he snapped in irritation.

Great. My first day here and Dominic must already think I’m an incompetent klutz who doesn’t know how to cook.

I watched him gobble down the food that I made, but when he didn’t say anything else, I hesitantly left to shower.

While showering, I considered Dominic. Being an alpha, it was unsurprising that he was demanding.

I knew that he no longer had his parents. Blackwood Pack had been attacked twelve years ago when Dominic was eighteen.

His parents died during the attack, leaving him as the CEO of their company and leader of the Blackwood Pack.

I wondered if he was lonely, living his life alone and leading such a large pack. Underneath those hard exteriors, did some part of him yearn for a companion?

Many believed that the higher your position, the higher your burden and the lonelier your life.

Was that the case with Dominic?

After I shut off the shower and dried myself, I glanced at the bathroom counter and saw that I had forgotten to bring clothes to change into.

Cursing under my breath, I wrapped a towel around my body before slowly opening the bathroom door.

When I didn’t see Dominic on the bed or by the window, I sighed with relief and thanked him silently for giving me privacy. I stepped out and headed for the closet.

I looked through the drawers for a bra and panties and picked a sky-blue matching set. I let my towel drop to the floor and bent to slip the underwear on. After pulling it over my bottom, I turned for the bra.

My eyes fell on a pair of black shiny shoes.

I blinked several times before looking up.

A scream crawled up my throat but was snuffed out when Dominic’s hand covered my mouth and he pressed me up against the wall.

I struggled against his body weight.

“Scream and you will have twenty servants running up the stairs and another twenty to thirty guards in our room in seconds,” he whispered.

“Get off me,” I mumbled into his palm while pushing against his chest.

He pulled back and released me.

“Get out. I’m naked.” I shouted and pushed him hard in the chest. He didn’t budge.

“I can’t see you,” he reminded me.

I scoffed. “It doesn’t look like it.”

“I can only see shadows and light. Mostly shadows. I followed your scent into this room. I didn’t realize you were naked.”

His eyes didn’t roam over my body or look at me hungrily. They were staring past me to the wall. I relaxed in front of him. I guess it was fine because he wasn’t really seeing me~.~

“Even blind, I feel violated by you,” I muttered before moving to pick up my bra.

He sighed before turning his back to me.

“Better now?”

I clipped my bra on while eyeing his back, then I pulled on a dark-gray T-shirt and black lounge pants before moving around him and out of the closet.

I was starting to think that sleeping in the same room as Dominic was not a very good idea.