Chapter 17

He moves forward and I watch as his eyes darken, his pupils dilating. He cups my chin and lifts up my gaze. Slowly, he leans down and his lips brush softly against mine. I close my eyes, savoring his taste. When he pulls back, I open my eyes and look up at him, flustered.

"Get dressed," he murmurs huskily against my lips. He pulls away and steps back. I see his fists tightening by his sides as if he's restraining himself from touching me. He turns around quickly and I watch his departing back as he leaves the room. I sigh.

After getting dressed, I walk out and see him talking to the female assistant. She nods her head and walks away. He turns to me suddenly and looks me up and down, his face expressionless. He holds out his hand to me and I take it. He drags me out of the store. Confused, I look at him and frown. "What about our groceries?"

"Don't worry about it," he answers.

I don't reply. We walk out of the mall and he leads me to his truck. As usual, he opens the passenger's door for me and lifts me up onto the seat. He closes the door and rounds the truck. After getting in the driver's seat, he fires the engine and the truck starts to run.

As we exit the city, he drives through the dark road and into the woods. Feeling sleepy, I watch the passing trees in silence, listening to the quiet humming of the truck. After a few minutes, he suddenly pulls over the side of the road.

My eyebrows furrow as I look at him. He steps out of the truck and walks to my side. His hands envelope my waist as he lifts me down. He takes my hand and we walk further into the woods. My heart starts to quicken in panic. Will he kill me and leave me here?

Before I can stop myself, I blurt, "Wait." He stops and turns to look at me, his face shining in the moonlight. He looks so beautiful. "What?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowed in question.

I tug on my hand in his grip but he holds it tighter. "Don't kill me," I mutter under my breath, almost pleading.

His face softens. "I'm not going to kill you," he states, his large hand cupping the side of my face. "I'll never intend to hurt you. Do you understand?"

I bite my bottom lip. Before I can argue, strong arms wrap around me and lift me up. I yelp, clinging to him. "What-"

"It's a long walk and you walk too slow," he states as if that explains everything. He starts walking and I watch the tall trees passing by in silence. Soon, I see a road. We stop by a restaurant named Paradise and he gently puts me down on my feet.

I straighten my dress and fix my hair. He takes my hand as we walk in. I look around the restaurant in awe. It's beautiful. The architectural design is fascinating. No one else is inside but it feels like home. I can't help but smile. I turn my head. He's staring down at me. My cheeks redden as I look away.

A man walks to us and bows down in greeting. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Black," he welcomes.

My eyes widen at what he said and I can't help but flush in embarrassment. "Oh, I-I'm not-"

"Where do we sit?" the Alpha interrupts.

The man smiles. "This way, sir." He leads us towards the back of the restaurant and there I see a set of tables. The beautiful forest is shown in the background. The moon and stars as the light of the night sky. The Alpha pulls out my seat for me. I sit down. He rounds the table and sits down. I turn my head and gaze at the view in amazement. This feels so heavenly. So serene. It feels exactly like a paradise.

"Do you like it?" I hear him ask.

I turn my head and look at him. His face shines in the moonlight. No matter what I do. No matter how much I hate him. I can't help but find him attractive. A smile forms on my lips. "Yes, Mr. Black," I answer, mocking his name.

He grins and it takes my breath away. "Call me Leo."

"Leo," I mutter under my breath.

The man from before suddenly comes back. He places two plates of special food on our table. My mouth waters. The man leaves and I dig in my food happily. The Alpha looks amused as he watches me.

"How did you learn to bake?" he asks.

"My mother taught me," I respond, smiling at the memory. "When she was still alive, our house used to smell of cupcakes. She loved baking. I watched her every day." I gaze out at the dark forest and a painful memory flashes back to me. "But one night, I woke up and I heard someone screaming. I went down and found her bleeding on the floor. My father told me she's gone and that she'll never come back."

A single drop of tear rolls down my cheek. I wipe it away, stopping myself from succumbing into the nightmares that came after that terrible night. The nightmares that hunted me until I was drowning myself in my own sea of tears.

"My father is the only one left. He was always there for me. I miss him so much."

He pulls out his phone from his pocket and places it in front of me. I look at him, frowning. "Call him," he states.

I look at him warily. Tugging my bottom lip under my teeth, I take the phone in my shaky hands. I dial the number and put the phone in my ear. I hear the other end ringing and my heart starts to beat faster.

I hold my breath as someone picks up and a familiar voice answers, "Hello?"