Chapter 75

Nightclub staff? Oh, God...
“She stays,” he says coolly. “She’s living with her son here, Mother.”
“What?” his mother asks, looking shocked. 
“You would know that if you used your phone at least once in a while,” Ethan replies firmly.
“Ah, well, but what’s the point of traveling if we have to worry about Blackmoon’s problems?” The expensive diamond necklace around her neck catches the light, shining brightly as she subtly tilts her head toward me and catches my eye when she says the word ‘problem’. The movement is so slight, I doubt Ethan noticed—since he’s staring at his dad. They share a look I can’t decipher. Then his dad just nods.
I step closer to Ethan. I hope he can’t feel the fine tremor running through my body. It isn’t visible in the way I hold myself, I make sure of that. But it is there. This is affecting me but I’d never let on. His parents don’t know me yet. That’s it. We just need time. I open a smile.
With crossed arms, the father taps his fingers against his biceps. My step closer to Ethan seems to catch his attention as he raises an eyebrow at Ethan before looking around my face, which reminds me a little of the way Az does sometimes.
I stand slightly behind Ethan and to the left. Ethan doesn’t even look back at me as he says to his father, “We’re together. This is Alicent.”
His mother stares at him intensely, seeming to communicate with her eyes, like Vi and Ethan do sometimes when they’re fighting silently, I’ve come to observe. It’s an odd habit. It must run in the family.
“Hi,” I say as cheerfully as I can muster, unable to stand the deafening silence any longer. “You can call me Allie if you prefer.” I extend a hand toward them.
The father is the first to take my hand. “Hello, we’re Ethan’s parents. I’m Arthur King. This is my wife, Emma King.”
King? 
No. Wait.
Ethan King?
I almost smirk. That bastard. He’s never told me his last name. But his last name suits him just fine since he thinks he’s a real king around here.
“Nice to meet you both,” I reply, shaking Ethan’s mother’s hand next.
“Alicent?” his father asks.
“Yes?” 
“Your last name, dear.”
“Oh, I’m Alicent Dove, Sir.”
Good Lord, they are very formal. Now I get why this mansion has such classic decor. Look at them, they scream nobility. Ethan’s dad is dressed in a three-piece suit, for God’s sake.
Ethan places his hand on my shoulder. And I look up to his dark eyes with teasing in mine. “King, huh?”
“Where’s Vi?” Emma asks. No, not Emma. Emma King. I almost roll my eyes.
“She’s in Summerville,” I answer, but seconds later, I realize she’s asked in Ethan’s direction, not mine.
“What’s she doing there? It’s Lily’s birthday today. She should be here. Goddess, Ethan, what a boring party with no one is this?”
“Lily didn’t want to invite anyone,” I say, my smile fading a little.
“With cheap decorations like those, I can see why, dear,” Emma says, looking at the glitter banner on the wall as if it offends her personally.
“Honey, I’m sure Maggie did it last minute,” Arthur says, placing an arm around her shoulder.
“Uh, it was my idea. I didn’t know you guys would prefer it differently. Sorry,” I say, feeling like an intruder again.
“No sense. You have nothing to apologize for,” Ethan tells me firmly before turning to his mother. “And Lily loved everything.”
“Well,” his mother replies, looking around again. “Maybe it’s good to switch things up sometimes to something, uh, so different so you know what you really like.” *What*? “Anyway, if she liked it so much, where is she then?”
“Wait. Where’s Jordan? Why isn’t he here?” Arthur asks Ethan.
“What about Kelly?” Emma adds. Unlike when she saw me, she didn’t squirm in disdain when she mentioned Kelly.
But before anyone can answer, they turn around, and a few seconds later, Lily runs towards her grandparents, as if they had seen it coming. Wow, super hearing must run in the family around here.
“Pumpkin!” 
Lily hugs them both at the same time.
“Nana!” she says. “Pawpaw! I missed you so much! I can’t believe you’re here!”
“Surprise!” Emma replies, still hugging her. “We wouldn’t miss your birthday, little one.”
Seconds later, Theo and Az enter the decorated living room, followed by Josh and Maggie.
“We brought you lots of presents,” Emma says. “You still like dolls, right?”
“Yeah, but I doubt I’ll like them more than I like Liz,” Lily says as she lets go of their hug. Then she points to the doll that looks just like her and is sitting in an armchair in the living room as though she is a guest. “She’s my favorite doll. Az gave her to me,” Lily goes on, looking at Az with a huge smile. My son blushes shyly before approaching Lily. 
“Then you must be—” 
“Azrael,” he says politely. My chest almost swells with pride. “Azrael Andrews.” 
“What a polite little boy,” Emma says, looking at him, then her eyes widen for a moment. “Ohh, so—” Arthur clears his throat, and Ethan stiffens next to me. “Yeah, it’s really nice to meet you, Azrael.” 
Ethan relaxes, turning to get a drink from the bar in the living room, and Josh walks over to him. 
“Where are your parents?” Emma asks Az. 
“My mom is right over there,” he answers. 
“Wait.” Emma looks at me incredulously. “You’re his mom?” 
“Yeah.” 
“But—”
Arthur holds her hand tightly. “Uh, yeah,” he clears his throat again. “I can see the resemblance between you two.” 
Ethan’s mother looks me up and down dismissively. Suit me fine. I don’t want any attention from her inspecting gaze right now. But to my surprise, I hear my son growl. My eyes widen when I realize he’s looking straight at Emma. 
“Az, stop that!” I yell-whisper. 
Emma gives him a tight smile, but it’s not enough to convince my son to stop. 
“Az?” Lily tilts her head to the side, holding his hand. Then Az stops growling. So much for having Ethan’s parents like us. Now they’re going to think my son was raised in a barn. Bad timing for Az to decide to growl. I should remind him it’s not polite to do that. I shoot him a scolding look, and when our eyes meet, he gives me an unapologetic smile.
Maggie asks, saving him by the bell, “Who’s hungry?”
The children answer her a big yes with a loud cheer in unison.

🐺 🐺 🐺

I hesitate as I lay my hand on the door handle leading to his bedroom. I’m not sure exactly why. I’ve been coming to his huge bedroom at this same time almost every night for the past few weeks. And, yet, tonight, I hesitated. 
Why? 
I know there would be pleasure, that’s for sure, I always enjoy myself. Even when I can’t walk very easily the next day. 
No. Maybe I know why. 
After the disastrous first meeting with his parents just a few hours ago, this strange feeling grew even more in me. I feel like there is something missing. It makes me feel icky inside. Unwanted. And I am not certain what it is or how to bring it up. 
I can’t ask him. What would I ask? Ask him to tell me why am I his second choice? The last time I asked him that, he was furious. And even if he ends up telling me the truth, what if I don’t like his answer? Then what? We broke up? 
I rub my aching head. And what if he decides that he doesn’t want me anymore? What if I am lacking somehow? After all, I’m his damn second choice. 
We have our little routine. I’ve headed to his bedroom or office each evening after I tuck my son into bed or when I get home early from work and he’s free. We talk, but mostly, we have sex. Then, each day, I wake up about forty minutes later because sex with Ethan always leaves me very exhausted, and I spot the empty bed. So I go back to my room.
The orgasms are awesome. Amazing. Like nothing I’ve ever had. 
So why do I feel this way? I need to stop being stupid. I should be glad he wants me. My mind flashes to the faces of those monsters. I shudder. 
Taking a deep breath, I enter and lock the door as soon as I shut it.

🐺 🐺 🐺
***Alpha Ethan*** 

After she shuts the door, she just stands there.
“Come here, Little Dove,” I say, patting my lap. I’m sitting on the chair near the closed window. I always leave it closed because the temperature gets too cold for humans at night, especially her sensitive skin.
She strides over to where I am. Then I settle her sideways on my lap. Even though we’re close, she still avoids my eyes. I immediately wrap my hand around the nape of her neck. The gesture is comforting because I feel her less tense, but also commanding. “What’s going on, Little Dove?” 
“Nothing, Ethan,” she says but still keeps her gaze lower. 
“Eyes to me, Little Dove.” 
She lets out a quiet sigh. Then she raises her bright green eyes to meet my gaze.
I cup her chin in the palm of my other hand. “What did I tell you about lies?”
“I’m not lying.” 
“Did you give me an honest answer, then?” 
“No.” She bites her bottom lip.  
“Want to change your answer and tell me what’s going on in your pretty head, Little Dove?” 
“I don’t want to talk about it. Sorry.” 
I sigh, disappointed. I shift the palm of my hand from her chin to her thigh. “I don’t like that you’re holding back,” I say, narrowing my gaze.
“You and me both, Ethan.” 
“What’s that supposed to mean?” 
She remains stubbornly silent. 
“What’s going on, Little Dove?” I squeeze her soft thigh. “And before you tell me nothing, remember I have all night to keep you on the edge.” 
“You wouldn’t.” 
“You sure about that?”
She sighs. “This isn’t on you, Ethan... It’s on me. I have to learn how to deal with all of this. I don’t want to talk about it.” 
“Is it about your family?”
She tenses. “Um, yeah.” I can tell by her aura that she’s not telling the whole truth. I decide that I’ll let it slide just for tonight, though.
I cup the side of her delicate face in my hand. “This is always going to be with you. A part of you, there’s no getting away from it. What happened to them was horrible, but you can’t let it eat you alive. You can’t let it darken who you are.” 
She says, “I thought if I didn’t think about it, then I could live with it.” 
I get the sense that this isn’t just about her family.
“Trust me, that’s no way to live. I know.” 
“Something bad happened to you, didn’t it?” she whispers bravely. 
I snort. 
“I want to know, please, Ethan.”
“Little Dove,” I say in a warning tone. My face closes down. “We’re not here to discuss about me.” 
“No, you get to keep your secrets, but I’m expected to lay myself bare. Just because you don’t want me to know?” 
“You want to watch what you say to me right now, Little Dove,” I tell her in a dangerous voice. “Don’t push me.”
“Okay, I’m sorry,” she says, shaking her head. 
“Ethan? Is everything all right?” There is an uncertainty in her voice. 
Fuck! I’ve taken too long to answer her. “No. You’re sitting on my lap, but not naked.” 
The tension in her body eases a bit, and she opens a bright smile. “I’ll change that.” She quickly stands and then slowly starts to strip. 
This human. She knows exactly how she is affecting me. She’s been slowly coming to understand that I think she is beautiful. Hot. 
Long gone is that human who was embarrassed to be naked in front of me and always asked to turn off the lights.
Right now, Little Dove is putting on one hell of a sexy strip show. When she reaches for her red lacy bra, my heart speeds up. Her pale, soft breasts spill free. I stare at them for a moment, feeling my anger fade. 
But then, she takes a deep breath and looks at me. “Uh, I have a headache.” She reaches up to rub her temple. It isn’t a lie. I can sense that. “My head really hurts. I think I just need a good night’s sleep... Do you think we could skip tonight, and I could go to bed?” 
“Of course, Little Dove,” I say, worried. I reach up and brush her hand away, massaging her temple.
She moans before groaning. “I should have thought about that before striping.”
“Have you drunk plenty of water today? Maybe you exhausted yourself too much by planning Lily’s birthday party.” 
“I’m fine,” she says just to reassure me. 
I get up and take her in my arms. She immediately wraps her thin arms around my neck. “What are you doing?” 
“You are tired. You need to rest.” I carry her to my bed. Then I set her down. “Here,” I say after grabbing some headache medicine that I keep on the nightstand drawer just for her. After that, I take a glass of water from the jug on the table. 
She takes the headache pill and then wears a blue T-shirt I grab from my closet for her. “I got to go.”
“Sleep with me tonight, Little Dove.” 
She widens her eyes. “Really?” Goddess, her small voice almost kills me. 
“Yes. Come on, lie down. You need your rest.” 
I heard earlier Theo, Lily, and Az saying that they were going to sleep in Lily’s playroom in one big fort, so I know her son won’t notice she won’t be sleeping in their room.
Earlier, when she met my parents, that little tremor in her body hit me hard. The need to protect her, to wrap her up in safety, slammed into me. And the bright smile she gives me convinces me even more that this is the right thing to do.

🐺 🐺 🐺

Little Dove snores against my chest. She’d hate or deny it if I told her she snores like a little cat. It’s fucking adorable. 
We are lying in my bed, our legs tangled up. I’ve never cuddled with a female after sex in my bed before, much less after not having sex before. Hell, I never cuddled any female before. Yet here I am, curled up with Little Dove, fucking entranced with the way her soft blonde hair is splayed out across my arms and chest. 
But then, her relaxed body against mine suddenly lets go of me as she sits bolt upright in the bed, tendrils of her blonde hair tumbling over her beautiful face. Her frantic eyes immediately look to my side, and when she realizes I’m here, her shoulders relax. Fuck. It hurts to see her gaze searching for me like that. Is this what her eyes look like when she wakes up when I’m not here?
She gives me a smile that lights up her face before snuggling back to where she was. “Morning,” she whispers shyly against my chest.
I grunt. “Are you feeling better?” I ask.
She lifts her face up to meet my eyes with a soft smile. “Much better.” She yawns before saying, “What time is it?”
“Almost eight.”
Little Dove lets out a squeak, “I have to go! Az should be up by now!”
‘Can you stop ignoring me now, for Goddess’ sake?’ Dad mindlinks me immediately after I allow the connection to my mind again as Little Dove begins to get dressed.
‘My room, Ethan. Now.’
Minutes later, I open my parent’s bedroom doors and step inside. 
My mother is dressed in a purple silk robe, while my father is in a cotton-white bathrobe.
They don’t beat around the bush. Mom gets straight to the point. “A divorced woman, Ethan? Seriously? Are you trying to punish us by any chance?” she says, sitting next to my father on the deep blue loveseat and crossing her legs. Dad’s hand rests immediately on her thigh. 
I sigh and sit down in a chair across from them. “I didn’t know you guys were interested in my sex life.” 
Mom wrinkles her nose. “Ethan!” she scolds me. 
“Well, we weren’t until we found out you were spending the whole night with her,” my dad says, scratching an eyebrow with his free hand. “What the hell, Ethan?” He looks at me, his lips set in a thin line.
“I thought you know better than that, son. A human? Here? Goddess, Ethan!”
That was actually one of the reasons I decided to sleep with Little Dove last night. I know I can’t offer her *love*, but I could do this. Yesterday, after meeting my parents, she seemed so small and lost. I just wanted to make her smile again.
I go straight to the point as well. “Well, you better get used to it, because I’m going to marry her.”
“What?” they both ask in unison, leaning forward sharply. Mom holds a hand to her chest.
“You heard me. I’m marrying her. I need to protect her,” I explain, my voice firm. “Alicent has dangerous people after her, and while she doesn’t know about our world, I think whoever’s hunting her might be rogues.” 
My parents are silent for a moment. I know it’s a lot to take in. They seem to be mindlinking to each other, too, though. 
“You will not marry *that* human, Ethan,” my father demands with an alpha command, his face stern. “We won’t allow you to make that fucking mistake.”