Chapter 5

"Okay." After hanging up, Silas gently lifted my chin. "Ms. Blackwood, are you jealous?"

I laughed, "Jealous? Why would I be? I'm only annoyed he had to disturb us."

Silas looked at me, a mix of helplessness and affection in his golden eyes. "Then I'll make sure he never bothers us again, alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

*****

For six days, Silas personally took care of me. We were stuck together like glue, sharing every meal and sleeping side by side.

On the seventh day, I woke up to find Silas gone from my bed.

Looking around the room, which had lost its masculine vibe, I let out a couple of cold chuckles.

I wondered whether Silas had hidden himself when he heard that Declan was coming back. Men were always like this.

Declan came back in the afternoon.

At that moment, I was sitting out on the garden veranda, sipping coffee.

The autumn sunset washed the whole yard in a deep amber glow. The sweet scent of flowers mixed with the coffee, making me sleepy.

I'd ditched that fancy gown for a light blue dress, my hair loosely tied back. I looked like a dutiful wife waiting for her man to come home.

Only I knew about the bold love bites right under my collarbone, hidden beneath three careful layers of foundation.

When Declan saw me, he paused for a moment and then walked over. "Lyla, darling, I'm back."

I quickly turned around, a faint smile on my lips. "Declan, you're finally back. Did you get everything sorted out with the pack?"

Declan's face froze for a split second.

Then he strode across the garden path, his steps crushing the fallen petals and whipping up a fierce wind.

He looked pretty disheveled.

His silver-gray hair was a mess, falling over his forehead. Rough stubble covered his jaw, and heavy shadows were under his eyes.

His gray eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a wolf that had wandered the wilderness for ages, finally getting back to its den with exhaustion.

Declan stopped in front of me and looked down at me.

I looked up at him and gave him a submissive smile.

His face froze for a moment, and then he managed a smile. "Sorry, I kept you waiting, my dear Lyla. That's all my fault."

I shook my head. "It's okay. I understand. I don't blame you. After all, you're the Alpha. You've got duties to your pack."

"You're so sweet, Lyla." As Declan spoke, he leaned in for a kiss, but I dodged him.

"We're in the garden," I murmured shyly.

"Oh, that's right. I didn't realize. Sorry, Lyla."

"It's okay. We're mates. No need to say sorry." As I spoke, I let a faint smile tug at my lips where he couldn't see.

"Lyla, I've been so swamped with pack business these past few days. I haven't had a decent night's sleep. I'm dead tired. I need to crash for a bit.

"If you get bored, I'll have Silas hang out with you. That way, I won't have to worry."

I put on a shy act. "Is that okay?"

"Sure. Silas is uptight and old-fashioned, and not as strong as me, but he's my right-hand man. He can handle any regular trouble that comes your way.

"With him around, you can wander around without worrying about hunters. And I can rest assured when you're with him."

After Declan finished, he watched me carefully, like he was waiting for my answer.

I nodded, putting on my most considerate face. "Alright, go get some rest. You've been working so hard.

"But no need for Silas to keep me company. I've got a few things to handle outside.

"I'll be back before it gets dark."

Declan grumbled, "Alright, go ahead."

"Okay." As I turned away, my smile faded away, replaced by a sneer.

I wondered whether Declan really thought that everyone else was as smug as him. Without me, he'd never be that strong.

I glanced at Declan as he turned to leave, my smile vanishing from my lips.