The first thing Alyssa felt when she opened her eyes the next morning was a raging headache pounding at the back of her skull.
She groaned from the pain, slowly looking around the room. She pushed herself up against the pillows and held her head as the room spun wildly.
When the spinning stopped, she slid out of the bed, grabbing the headboard to steady herself. Outside the door, Dorian’s deep voice drifted in as he spoke with someone in the hallway.
She strained her ears to catch his words, but the heavy oak muffled the conversation. She was just about to take a step forward when the door swung open and he walked in.
The moment Dorian’s eyes landed on her, a wave of intense relief washed over his features. He crossed the room and swept her into his arms, his grip firm, desperate, and almost painful.
He buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of lavender.
Alyssa could feel his powerful arms trembling against her skin. It took her a moment to realize his entire body was shaking.
"Dorian," she whispered, but he simply shook his head, silencing her.
"Just give me a minute," he murmured, his voice thick and muffled. He tightened his hold, pressing a fierce kiss into her hair and the curve of her neck.
"Dorian," she tried again. "You’re squishing me."
He finally loosened his arms, pulling back a fraction to gaze into her eyes.
"I almost lost you," he whispered, leaning his forehead gently against hers. "I can’t believe I almost lost you."
He kissed her then, his lips moving over hers with a quiet, fierce insistence. Her mouth opened to welcome him and he deepened the kiss, letting out a low, possessive growl from the back of his throat.
His hands slid into her hair, fisting tightly as he angled her head to the side.
The moment she winced from the sudden movement, he pulled back. The realization hit him that she was still recovering from the blow to her head.
"I’m sorry," he whispered, his golden eyes wide with concern. "Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?"
"It’s okay," she whispered, lifting a hand to touch the back of her skull. Luckily, the injury wasn’t too severe. Nina had already cleaned the wound and taped a piece of gauze over it while she slept.
Dorian hovered over her like a protective shadow, his voice soothing and his touch incredibly gentle. "Do you need anything? Are you in pain? Are you hungry? Should I send for Nina?"
The endless barrage of questions made her head spin all over again.
"Dorian, wait," she cut him short, slowly pulling her wrists away from his grasp. She turned away from him and sat on the edge of the bed, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
Dorian’s brow furrowed with worry. He crouched before her, his massive frame shifting down to her eye level. Gently taking her hands back into his own, he raised them to his lips.
"What’s wrong, Alyssa?" he asked softly. "Talk to me."
"What am I to you, exactly?" she asked suddenly, the question cutting through the quiet room. "You’re so kind to me, so sweet... it’s almost like we’re lovers."
She paused, taking a deep breath to steady her erratic emotions before looking down at their joined hands. "I know you said I was yours. That I belonged to you. But why am I here?"
Dorian didn’t interrupt. He waited patiently, his eyes locked on hers, sensing she still had more to say.
"I think..." She licked her dry lips and tried again. "I think my presence in this house has made me a target."
Dorian’s jaw tightened. "A target? Why do you say that?"
"The man who took me," she said, her voice trembling slightly at the memory. "He told me he was hired to kill me. Someone paid him to get rid of me, but he decided to sell me to the slave merchants instead to make double the profit."
Dorian listened in absolute silence. The only indication of the storm raging inside him was the violent shift in his irises.
"I don’t know who hired him," she continued, even though Samantha’s face flashed in her mind. "But someone clearly doesn’t want me here. And it’s only a matter of time before they try again. Maybe it’s best if I just leave."
"No!" Dorian’s deep voice boomed through the room, startling her. "You are not leaving me, Alyssa. You’re not going anywhere."
"Dorian, try to understand," she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "My presence here has disrupted everything. I came between you and your fiancée."
"My engagement with Samantha was for political reasons," he cut in without hesitation.
Alyssa looked at him in genuine surprise, a soft frown knitting her brows. "You don’t love her?"
Dorian shook his head, staring deeply into her eyes. "The marriage was supposed to form an alliance with her father’s pack, but then I met you."
He reached up, his thumb softly stroking across her cheek. "I have never felt this drawn to anyone in my life, Alyssa. You calm my inner beast, and at the same time, you make him lose complete control. The thought of losing you again, the way I did three years ago, is so terrifying I can’t even think about it."
Alyssa’s heart hammered against her ribs as she listened. The raw sincerity in his gaze was overwhelming. He was looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the entire world.
Her defenses began to soften, but then the memory of the wedding portrait in the basement flashed in her mind.
"There’s something else," she said softly. "Yesterday, while I was wandering through the other side of the mansion, I found the portraits in the basement."
She raised her eyes, waiting for a reaction. But Dorian’s expression remained perfectly still.
"I saw the wedding portrait," she said finally. "I know you were married before. And I know you’re more than a hundred years old."
Dorian’s mask finally cracked. A strange, unreadable flash crossed his eyes, too fast for her to fully decipher, before his features hardened again.
"I’m sorry if I trespassed," she rushed to add. "But knowing you were once married, combined with Samantha being engaged to you, it makes me wonder where I fit into your life. I know nothing about you, Dorian. And you know nothing about me."
She braced herself, half-expecting him to stand up and storm out of the room in anger. But he didn’t move. Instead, he brought her hands back to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.
"You’re right," he murmured. "I shouldn’t have forced the intensity of my feelings on you so suddenly. I overwhelmed you."
"Please don’t be mad."
"I’m not mad," he assured her, leaning forward to press a tender kiss to her lips. "I promise you, I’m not. It has been decades since I felt this way about anyone, and I got so carried away that I forgot to let you get to know me first. I didn’t take the time to know you."
A small smile finally broke through Alyssa’s expression. She pulled one hand free from his grip and touched his cheek, her fingers tracing the sharp line of his jaw.
He turned his head and pressed a warm kiss into the center of her palm.
"How about we have breakfast together? Right here in the room. Afterwards, you can ask me absolutely any question you want, and I’ll ask you mine."
Alyssa’s smile widened, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she nodded. "I would love that."
Dorian’s expression brightened. He brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes and stood up, helping her to her feet.
"I think I’ll take a shower first," she said.
"Do you need any help?"
"No. I can move my arm easily now. I’ll be fine."
Dorian nodded. "Okay." He held onto her waist for a brief second longer before finally letting go.
The moment she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, his smile vanished.
He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, using every ounce of his restraint not to punch a hole straight through the wall. The last thing he wanted to discuss was Elvira, his ex-wife. Not today. Not ever.
A soft knock on the door broke him out of his spiraling thoughts. He pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of shorts from his wardrobe and laid them on the bed for Alyssa, making a mental note to take her shopping for a completely new wardrobe as soon as possible.
Then he walked over and opened the door. Pandora, Anthony, and Jake stood tensely on the other side.
"Is she okay?" Pandora asked, her eyes searching the room behind him.
"She’s fine."
"Can I see her? Please, Ri. I just want to make sure she’s alright."
Dorian let out a breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Fine."
Pandora flashed a grateful smile and slipped past him into the bedroom. Dorian stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door shut, leaving him alone with Anthony and Jake.
"Well?" Anthony prodded curiously. "Did she say anything about the Shadow shifter?"
"I don’t think she knew he was a Shadow shifter," Dorian muttered, his voice dropping low. "But she said he told her someone hired him to kill her."
The air in the hallway instantly turned rigid with suspicion. Anthony stared at Dorian for a few silent seconds before speaking the thought they were all having.
"You think Samantha did it, don’t you?"
"I don’t think," Dorian corrected, his golden eyes bleeding into an icy, merciless glare. "I know she did it. She is the only one unhinged enough to pull a stunt like this."
"What are you going to do about it, Alpha? Jake asked next.
"I’m breaking off my engagement with her," Dorian said without a single shred of hesitation. "And I’m marrying Alyssa instead."