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Chapter 27 - Mira
A blood-red dress with a neckline that shows off a modest cleavage, a thigh-high slit, flats, and my hair curled in an updo. I never thought I would ever look this elegant, I don’t even recognize the woman looking back at me.
We traveled to my father's territory a day ago, with Nikolaos keeping to his promise. I haven't seen him at all this entire week, but I know he was around the pack house. His scent was all over, but I never saw him.
It was the most frustrating week of my life because I really wanted to speak with him after the way we left things. He's even got us sleeping in different hotel rooms so we don't run into one another. We're supposed to appear happy and in love tonight; how will we pull that off if we're both trying not to let the other in? I'm not that good of a liar, no matter what he thinks.
There's a knock on my door and Josef pops his head in. “The Alpha is waiting outside for you, Miss Mia,” he says.
I nod and grab my handbag while ignoring how gorgeous this engagement ring looks on my finger. Then I follow Josef out to where Nikolaos is waiting right outside his hotel room door.
Sucking in a breath, the wind is knocked out of me when I see him. He always looks so good wearing a suit, and right now he looks absolutely dashing. Black suit, bow tie, hair slicked back, and smelling divine; I don't think I'll struggle with pretending I'm in love with him at all
His eyes widen slightly when he sees me, but his expression remains stoic as he takes my hand and draws it to his lips. A jolt of excitement shoots right through me when he kisses my hand, and the way his eyes briefly shimmer crimson, I know he felt it too.
“Beautiful Mia,” he says, then he holds out his arm for me to take. I slide my hand into the crook of his arm, loving the feel of his bicep as I hold it. Being so close to him is intoxicating, I can hear my heart beating so loudly in my ears.
“You're asking for trouble allowing your desire to seep into your scent, little rabbit,” he grumbles but doesn't look at me. “Do you want to be the cause of a few deaths tonight?”
“I think I'll already be the cause,” I say without thinking, and he turns to me with a frown etched on his brow.
"Remember what I said; eye contact at all times,” he whispers before turning to face my father with a put-on smile. “Uncle Gio, Aunty Rosa; good to see you both again.”
My father still looks the same as always; huge and terrifying. This man used my body as a prize so many times, to so many of his friends and now he’s beaming at me as if he’s proud.
"Ah, my Mirabella!” he says and I am left in shock when he embraces me. “You look as beautiful as ever!”
What? Since when am I beautiful to him?Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
He breaks off the embrace and looks down at my belly, then touches it without even asking me. Nikolaos’ jaw is working again, so I squeeze his hand and offer him a wan smile. My father steps back and smiles at us both again.
"Hello, Pappa,” I greet him with the term he used to hate me calling him, but I doubt he's heard anyone calling him that in a while. Then I turn to the witch who had no problem selling me to Mikhail. “Rosa.”
My father's wife looks down at me with distaste in her blue eyes and ignores me completely before air-kissing Nikolaos. “It's lovely to see you, Nikolaos.”
He doesn't miss the look in her eyes and raises my hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. I don't think I'll ever get used to him doing that, not that I'd ever want to get used to it.
"We can't stay long, Gio. Mirabella is not feeling well and she’s been put on bed rest,” he says with utmost sincerity in his voice. “This is an extremely delicate pregnancy, given what she’s been through before.”
My father nods and something resembling concern flashes in his eyes. “Of course! An hour or two at best,” he says, then the smile drops from his face and a low snarl escapes his mouth.
Nikolaos and I both look in the direction his killing intent is aimed and my heart leaps into my throat at the sight of the man walking towards us.
His long blonde hair hangs loose and sweeps his shoulders, the charcoal suit fitting his body perfectly. There's a scar running down his face and over one of his eyes leaving the eye milky, and I realize that's the scar I left before I ran away from him.
Just looking at him causes my body to break out in a cold sweat and my hair is literally standing on end; I can feel my legs threatening to give way but Nikolaos slips his arm around my waist and anchors me to his side.
Mikhail grins and looks at Nikolaos, then at me. My throat closes up at the scent of the killing intent between these three Alphas, but I don't avert my eyes even if my heart is begging me to show my nape in submission.
“Well, what do we have here,” he says with that same look in his eyes as when he’s about to punish me. “Seems you caught a stray bitch, Nikolaos.”
“Now, now, Mikhail; don't go projecting your own image on others or I'll be forced to think you're talking about my Luna,” Nikolaos says. His eyes don't even have to be crimson to threaten Mikhail. Mikhail chuckles. “And she’s pregnant too, You sure that's your pup in there and not someone else's?”
“That's enough out of both of you. I want no bloodshed here tonight, no fighting while you're on neutral ground or I'll be forced to banish you both,” my father says with a growl. “Tonight is a special occasion and I won't have any deaths here; keep your war out of my territory.”
Mikhail and Nikolaos continue to stare each other down, but Mikhail is the first to look away with a shit-eating grin on his face. “As you wish, Giovanni,” he says before walking away from us. Something about the way he gave up so easily doesn't sit right with me.