Hours earlier, after Dorian left the mansion, Alyssa toured the bedroom, marveling at the enormous structure and elegant design. Dorian certainly had impeccable taste.
The walk-in closet alone was massive, filled to the brim with his custom clothes and his intoxicating scent. There had to be at least a thousand pairs of shoes neatly arranged in different sections.
She drew closer to the windows and peeked out. Several shifters went about their duties without a care in the world. A set of double-doors led to an open terrace just outside the room, but she didn’t dare step outside for fear of being spotted.
A soft knock suddenly sounded, freezing her on the spot.
The door opened, and an elderly woman poked her head inside, offering a warm smile. "Hello, dear."
Alyssa stared warily at the newcomer. She had a head full of long, thick, silver-grey dreadlocks. Her skin was the rich color of freshly brewed coffee, and her dark brown eyes radiated kindness.
"Hello," she murmured softly. "Who are you?"
When the woman stepped further into the room, Alyssa took a cautious step back.
"Oh, please don’t be afraid," the woman chuckled softly. "My name is Nina. I’m the pack’s healer. I was the one who nursed you back to health when the Alpha found you."
Alyssa scrutinized her old-fashioned attire. She wore layers upon layers of woven fabrics, looking almost like an ancient medicine woman.
Now that she looked closer, she noticed Nina had mismatched eyes; one was a sharp brown, while the other was covered in a thick, creamy film.
"Can I come in?" Nina asked gently. "I just want to check on your shoulder. The Alpha told me you were experiencing some discomfort, and I brought a special balm to soothe it."
Alyssa finally let her guard down, exhaling a quiet breath as she nodded.
Nina quietly shut the door behind her. She moved toward the bed, gesturing for Alyssa to take a seat.
"You look much better. How do you feel?"
"Just a little sore around my shoulder. The side of my neck feels stiff, too."
Nina nodded understandingly as she began extracting several sealed jars from her bag. She tried not to stare too openly at Alyssa, but looking at her up close, she finally understood Dorian’s strange obsession.
Alyssa’s enchanting, ethereal beauty could rival even the Moon Goddess herself.
"The stiffness will fade gradually as the bruising subsides. And as for your sore shoulder, that is simply the tension from the stitches."
She unscrewed one of the jars, releasing a cool, herbal aroma, and extended her hands toward Alyssa’s bandaged shoulder. "May I?"
Nodding affirmatively, Alyssa pulled down the neckline of her gown.
Nina carefully unwound the linen bandage, her fingers steady as she applied the soothing balm over the stitched area where the skin was red and stretched taut.
As she worked, her eyes slowly strayed to Alyssa’s lustrous hair. She marveled at the rare, mixed color, and questions burned on the tip of her tongue.
No one possessed hair like that. Not the Lycans, not the werewolves, not even the fox shifters or the elven creatures who resided deep within the woods.
"There," she said and straightened. "All done. The soreness and stiffness should completely fade away in a few hours."
Alyssa pulled her silk dress back into place and offered a polite, genuine smile. "Thank you, ma’am."
"Please," Nina smiled warmly. "Call me Nina. We don’t have to be so formal with each other."
Alyssa’s smile widened slightly. "Okay. I’m Alyssa."
"It’s wonderful to meet you, Alyssa," Nina beamed. "I’m just so glad you’re recovering well."
"Nina? Are you in there?" a loud, familiar voice suddenly called out from outside the door.
Before Nina could answer, the door swung open and Anthony poked his head inside.
"Oh," he exclaimed, a sheepish grin breaking across his face. "Hi. I hope I didn’t intrude on girl talk."
"Don’t be silly, Anthony," Nina shook her head with a fond smile as she rose from the bed. "I was just changing Alyssa’s bandages."
"Hello, Alyssa," Anthony grinned warmly, stepping fully into the room. "I’m Anthony. Remember me from the chaos this morning?"
Alyssa nodded, her expression softening. "Hello."
"Is that her? Is she awake?" another voice chimed eagerly from the hallway.
A second later, Pandora pushed past Anthony and slipped into the room. She smiled brightly the moment her eyes landed on Alyssa.
"Hello, there! I’m Pandora, Dorian’s sister."
Alyssa smiled, feeling instantly at ease by Pandora’s naturally vibrant energy. "I’m Alyssa."
"You are absolutely beautiful," Pandora gushed in admiration. "It is no wonder my brother keeps you all to himself."
"Pandora!" Nina chided sharply, throwing her a warning look.
"What? It’s the truth." Pandora drew closer to the bed and sat down beside Alyssa. "I really want to apologize for what happened this morning. We had no right scaring you like that."
"Don’t forget the part where the whole disaster was entirely your fault," Anthony cut in smugly.
Pandora threw him an annoyed glare over her shoulder. "Very helpful, Anthony." She turned back to Alyssa, her bright smile returning instantly. "Ignore him. That’s Dorian’s childhood best friend, and a total pain in my butt."
"Very mature, Pandora," Anthony rolled his eyes.
"The two of you are going to embarrass yourselves in front of our guest," Nina chuckled from where she stood.
Alyssa smiled, genuinely amused by Anthony and Pandora’s hilarious bickering. She wondered if the two of them were mates.
"We should probably leave before Alpha Dorian returns," Nina advised as she strapped her bag to her shoulder. "He only permitted me to enter. You two shouldn’t be here."
"You’re right," Pandora sighed dramatically, rising from the bed. "Dorian has such a terrifying temper when his rules are broken."
She looked at Alyssa, her eyes softening with warmth. "It was truly wonderful meeting you, Alyssa."
"And we really do apologize for the madness this morning," Anthony added sincerely. "Even if it was ninety percent Pandora’s fault."
Before Pandora could fire back a retort, the door sharply swung open and Dorian stepped inside.
His icy gaze immediately swept across the room, taking in the unauthorized crowd before hardening into a mask of pure annoyance.
"What are you doing in here?" he muttered, his question directed squarely at his sister.
Pandora took a step backward, already stuttering out an excuse.
When Alyssa noticed the genuine fear in her eyes, she opened her mouth and blurted out the first thing she could think of.
"I wanted them here."
Every eye in the room snapped toward her, but it was only Dorian’s burning gaze that caused a flurry of butterflies to erupt in her stomach.
"They were nice," she continued softly. "And they came to apologize for what happened this morning. Please don’t be mad."
Her defense caught Dorian completely off guard. The annoyance in his golden-brown eyes instantly softened, melting into a profound warmth as he closed the distance between them.
"Are you finished here, Nina?" he bit out.
Nina nodded quickly. "Yes, Alpha."
"Then you may leave. And that includes you two as well, Pandora and Anthony. Out!"
The three of them hurried out in a quiet rush. Only when the door clicked shut did Dorian turn his undivided attention back to Alyssa.
"I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?" He stepped closer, his hands sliding around her waist to pull her firmly against his broad chest.
Alyssa’s pulse quickened at the sudden, radiating heat of his embrace. This time, her smile came naturally, without a hint of fear.
"No," she whispered. Then, after a pause, she added, "Where did you go?"
"Somewhere unimportant," Dorian murmured. He leaned down, his face nuzzling into the curve of her neck as he inhaled her sweet, intoxicating scent.
Alyssa shut her eyes, pulling her lower lip between her teeth as his warm lips began dropping slow, tingling kisses against the delicate skin of her throat.
His breath was scorching, causing a wave of goosebumps to rise across her flesh. A part of her wanted to push him away, but her body recognized his touch too well.
"Why did you run from me, Alyssa?" he asked suddenly.
The question startled her, cutting through the haze of pleasure. His face was still buried against her neck, his lips still tracing light kisses along her skin.
He slowly straightened, gazing deeply into her eyes. "Why did you run after the night we shared? Did you regret it?"
"No!" she shook her head quickly. "It was the best night of my entire life."
"Then why did you leave me?" he pressed, his grip tightening possessively around her waist as if anchoring her to him forever.
"I..." she swallowed hard as the weight of her past threatened to crush her. "It’s a long story."
Dorian fell silent for a moment, his dark gaze roaming over her exquisite features before dropping to her lips.
"Will you tell me everything?" he asked softly. "Every single detail I need to know about what happened to you?"
A small, sad smile curled her lips as she nodded. "I will. But it’s not a pretty story."
Dorian’s eyes darkened at her words. He had already vowed to destroy the man who hurt her.
"I need you to promise me one thing," he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, velvety timbre.
She dragged her eyes away from his mouth and looked at him. "What?"
"You won’t run from me again," he said, his tone laced with finality. "I don’t want to wake up one day and find you gone."
A soft smile lit up her face. "I promise."
Dorian drank in the sight of her. She was smiling easily at him now, no longer wary, no longer distrustful.
Suddenly, Jake’s voice broke through the quiet intimacy of the moment.
[Samantha just arrived, Alpha. She said it’s important.]
[Send her in!] Dorian snapped, his irritation soaring.
He closed the link, his focus snapping back to Alyssa’s face. He reached out, gently brushing a wavy strand of dark, crimson-tipped hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.
"Come with me," he said. "Someone owes you an apology."