Page 72 of Brutal Alpha Dragon

I stifle the girlish giggle in my chest as Draco and I steal around the house toward the front. Ducking our heads under the windows, we creep up to the front entrance and hit the bell.

“Lily?” Violet appears at the door, eyes wide in surprise. I immediately step over the threshold and pull her into a hug.

“Violet! Oh, my God!” I melt into the hug as relief washes over me. “It’s so good to see you!”

When I draw back, Violet stares warily at the Draco. Clearing my throat, I step aside to introduce him.

“Vi, this is Drake.”

Violet glances at me before tersely slipping her hand into Draco’s outstretched one. “So…” she quips a brow. “... You’re the boyfriend?”

Draco lifts his chin and steps forward. “Yes, I’m the boyfriend,” he announces boldly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Violet.”

Violet eyes me suspiciously as she steps aside to let us in. Draco scans the inside of the house while Violet grabs my arm and pulls me aside.

“I get it now,” she says as she stares after Draco.

“Get what?” I ask with a frown.

“Why you disappeared again.” Violet rolls her eyes.

I open my mouth to defend myself and offer Violet a rehearsed excuse for my sudden disappearance when Mom comes out of her bedroom.

“Lily?”

“Hey, Mom,” I greet tentatively.

“Don’t worry,” Violet assures in a whisper. “I told her you were out of the country with the boyfriend you wouldn’t tell us about.”

I hug my mother before introductions are made. When Dad comes in, more introductions are made before we’re invited to the dining room.

Lunch is quite simple, but the air remains tense as my parents question Draco about everything, from what he does for a living to where we’d been over the past couple of weeks. Luckily for me, Draco is a natural, exuding charismatic charm that softens the tension until it finally fades. I find myself staring in amazement as he speaks to my parents as if he’s known them his whole life.

“... And when I stumbled on some of Lily’s work, I just knew that I had to have her writing our script,” he explains, making up the alibi of us meeting through his work as a movie director. “But when I met her, I fell in love at first sight.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Mom clutches her chest as her eyes sparkle with wonder. She’s as mesmerized as I am.

Dad chuckles as he places his fork down and rises from his chair. “Come on, Drake. Let me give you an official tour,” he offers, and I know that he approves of Draco.

“Of course,” Draco smiles as he gets up, throwing a wink at me. “You’ve gotta show me that Chevy you’re working on.”

When Draco and Dad leave the dining room, I feel my mom and sister’s eyes boring into me.

“What?” I shrug nonchalantly as I poke my fork into a pea.

“You seem so… Different,” Mom appraises as she props her chin on her hands, staring at me in wonder.

Blushing, I set my fork down and stared at my plate sheepishly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys about him sooner.”

“That’s okay,” Violet assures me with a soothing hand on my shoulder. “It just makes me happy to see you happy.”

With my family’s approval, I feel relieved. Though I’m not sure what the future holds, it puts me at ease that they understand I won’t be around much.

After clearing the lunch table, I head to my bedroom to reminisce over my old life. The life I’m leaving behind in exchange for my immortal one. But when I enter my bedroom, I’m surprised to find Draco seated on the edge of my bed, untying the string around my diary.

“You aren’t supposed to read that!” I yelp as I snatch my diary out of his hands.

He looks up with a nervous chuckle. “Are we keeping secrets now?”

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