Chapter 74
Valencia’s POV
His piercing silver eyes found mine through the peephole as though he could sense me watching, and my heart jumped violently in my chest, I stumbled back from the door, the receiver in my hand almost slipping from my trembling fingers.
What… what was he doing here?!
Panic coursed through me as my eyes darted to Castor’s egg lying on the bed. The covers I had draped over him earlier had slid down, revealing the shiny turquoise and gold scales of his shell. My stomach twisted as the realization hit me–Aiden couldn’t see him.
I scrambled to the bed, my hands shaking as I carefully lifted the egg and tucked it into the cupboard. My heart raced as I closed the door, casting one last glance at the wooden panels hiding my baby from view.
What the hell was he doing here? How did he even know where I was?
My face flushed as another pang of heat coursed through me, my body betraying me once again. Wolves weren’t supposed to feel their family’s pheromones–romantic or aroused ones, at least. It was unnatural, impossible. So it would be okay if I let him in, even if it would be embarrassing and awkward.
I had alway kept a respectful distance from my brothers and father. So even the thought of him seeing me in this state made my stomach churn.
The sharp knocks on the door came again, louder this time, and I sighed. There was no use pretending I wasn’t here. I’d just have to take the suppressors and pray they worked quickly enough that I wouldn’t humiliate myself further in front of him.
*
I moved to the door, hesitating for a moment before opening it slowly. My eyes met his immediately, his silver gaze sharp and intense. I glanced past him, my heart pounding as I checked the corridor for anyone else. It was empty.
“Come in,” I muttered reluctantly, stepping aside to let him enter
Aiden moved past me, his broad shoulders brushing slightly against mine. The moment he stepped into the room, though, he froze, and I did too.
What was that smell?
A sweet, intoxicating aroma filled the air, like roses and sugarcane, and it made my knees weak. Roses, of course, were a signature scent of the Wolfe pack wolves. However the other scent shouldn’t have been as strong as I felt it and it should definitely not have made me feel the way it did.
My eyes widened as the heat inside me roared to life, stronger than before. I stumbled back, putting as much distance between us as possible as though the air itself was burning me.
“W–hat… what is happening?” I gasped, my voice trembling.
He doesn’t answer and I hear him curse under his breath as he looks at me. His silver eyes flickering bright then dark as though he were fighting some internal battle of his own.
And that’s when a horrifying realization dawned on me.
Wolves couldn’t feel their family’s pheromones. It was a biological impossibility. Which meant there was only one explanation for what I was feeling now.
My eyes darted to Aiden, then down to my own trembling hands
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14:59 Tue, Jan
Chapter 74
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We weren’t biological siblings. Not even step–siblings.
So…which one of us was the outsider?
He moved closer and I felt a shiver go up my spine as my mouth went dry.
“Stay back!” I yelled, the words ripping from my throat as I stumbled further away.
Aiden stopped in his tracks, his jaw tightening as his hands curled into fists at his sides. His chest heayed, his nostrils flaring as though he were holding himself back with every ounce of strength he had.
“Valencia…” His voice was low, strained. And so fucking alluring in my hazy mind.
“Don’t!” I snapped, my stomach churning with nausea. My body may have been responding to his pheromones, but my mind was recoiling in disgust. Even the thought of another Alpha touching me made me want to retch.
But contrary to my expectations, Aiden didn’t move any closer. Instead, he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of pills, opening the bottle and placing the pills in his palm, and then in front of me. In his other hand, he held a bottle of water.
I stared at the items, my mind racing. When I didn’t move, he placed them on the bed and stepped back, his movements careful and deliberate.
I lunged forward, grabbing the pills and water with trembling hands. Without hesitation, I popped the two pills into my mouth and downed half the bottle of water in one go. The taste of the suppressors was bitter, but I didn’t care. I needed relief–anything to make this stop.
But suppressors weren’t magic. They took time to work. And in the meantime, I was terrified of what might happen if Aiden stayed.
I glanced up at him, my eyes widening as I noticed the blood dripping from his clenched fists. He was gripping his hands so tightly that his nails had dug into his palms, drawing thin lines of crimson.
Was he holding himself back that much?
His adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his gaze flickering to the door. Without a word, he turned and strode out, slamming the door behind him.
The sound echoed through the room, and I collapsed onto the bed, my chest heaving. My heart was jackhammering against my ribs, and my hands shook as I pressed them to my face.
What the hell had just happened?
The heat was still there, simmering just beneath the surface, but the suppressors were beginning to dull it. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as I noticed a plastic bag on the bed–the one Aiden had left behind.
Curious, I reached for it and opened it to find two smaller bags inside. One contained the packets of indomie noodles I had requested, and the other held a warm box of food.
Chinese fried rice.
My stomach growled loudly, and I didn’t waste any time tearing into the food. The rice was still warm, the savory flavors filling my mouth as I scarfed it down. It was the first real meal I’d had all day, and it felt like heaven.
I finished quickly, leaning back against the headboard as I tried to process everything that had happened.
Thirty minutes passed, and the suppressors had fully taken effect. My body felt calmer, the haze of heat lifting slightly. I had aired out the room to rid it of any lingering pheromones, and I was finally beginning to feel like myself again.
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Chapter 74
So when there was another knock at the door, I didn’t hesitate to answer.
This time, I knew it was Aiden.
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1 grabbed the bowl of rice, stuffing my face with a spoon full of it as I opened the door casually, trying to appear nonchalant.
Aiden stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his silver eyes scanning the room with a disgusted expression. “Why the hell are you staying in a place like this?” he asked, his voice sharp.
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Because this is all I can afford. Sorry I’m not rolling in wealth like you.”
He frowned, his gaze narrowing. “What are you talking about? Father-”
“Don’t,” I cut him off, my tone icy. “Don’t call him that.”
Aiden’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
I hesitated, heat rising to my cheeks as I remembered what had happened earlier. I looked away, ashamed. “Families aren’t affected by each other’s pheromones,” I said quietly. “So what happened earlier… it means we’re not blood–related.”
It was surprising but also not at the same time, how easily I had accepted it. Maybe if Drogo had actually been like a father I would have been a little sorrowful.
Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating.
Aiden moved to sit on the bed, leaning back as his shoulders sagged. I heard his back crack as he shifted, the tension easing from his posture. Then I remembered how long of a drive it would be from the Wolfe pack mansion to here. Had he been driving for five hours straight?
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“And how are you so sure the person who’s not family is you?” he asked, his tone measured.
I wasn’t. But even though I was ashamed to admit it, my mother was a maid, and a former sex worker. At least that’s what I had heard from the pack wolves. It wouldn’t be implausible for her to have had multiple affairs.
But I didn’t say that out loud, it felt too disrespectful, especially to someone who was already six feet under. Not to mention she was my mother.
I stared at him, and asked instead. “Why wouldn’t it be me?”
He tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. “Because the one who’s not family is me.”
It took a minute for me to understand. Then the words hit me like a freight train, and I froze.
My eyes widened as I stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
Aiden’s expression didn’t change, but his voice was steady as he repeated, “I’m not Alpha Drogo’s son.”
The world seemed to tilt on its axis as his words echoed in my mind.
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