Page 25 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

I stare at him, trying to understand his logic. “That’s a big brain move there.”

He laughs. “Isn’t it? Am I right? Is this your first scarf ever?”

“It is,” I admit. “And I love it. I don’t know what this material is, but I could sleep in it.”

The pleasure in his eyes makes my heart skip a beat. “I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered us a three-course meal in advance,” Darian tells me. “I wanted to give you the scarf first. I would have gotten you something better, but I wanted to give you something you’ve never had before. Look at the corner.”

I pick up the side of the scarf he is pointing at and see something embroidered in gold thread.

Darian’s Alice.

He’s making this too real for me. He’s forcing me to face a reality in which someone cares about me. I don’t understand. I’m scared to understand.

I look at him, a pang in my chest. “Darian, why are you doing this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I—My friends told me not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but if you figured out where I live, then you must’ve looked me up in the registry. You know the truth. Why are you still interested in me?”

He’s about to say something when I hear someone call out my name. My entire body turns stiff as a board.

Turning my head to the left, I see a familiar face approaching us. She’s not alone. Willow is dressed in a beautiful gold dress, and right behind her is her father, Thomas.

The beta looks shocked when his eyes land on my date. The first thing he does upon reaching us is to greet Darian, much to my surprise. “Your—”

My date holds up his hand, a warning look in his eyes. “Stop. I’m here with somebody.”

Thomas’s eyes settle on me, and I see the barely restrained anger and disgust in them. I’ve seen him mad before, but never like this. It looks like he wants to skin me alive.

I shrink away from him, knowing he is capable of doing just that. My companion notices my fear, and he growls. “Why are you scared of him, Alice?”

Thomas immediately smooths out his expression. “Alice is a member of my pack. She has no reason to be scared of me. Right, Alice?”

His eyes dare me to say a word.

I shake my head, a wooden movement.

“A member of your pack?” Darian sneers. “Then why did I come across her so badly wounded the other day? Someone had beaten her to a pulp. Is this what is done to your pack members?”

“Alice must have picked a fight with someone,” Willow titters, covering her mouth to hide her smirk. “She does that a lot. She’s a little uncouth. Always getting in trouble.”

“That’s not how it looked to me,” Darian says darkly. “It looked more like she had been used as a punching bag by someone. It’s a pity she’s not talking; I guess I’ll have to investigate the matter myself.”

When Thomas freezes, I wonder about Darian’s identity. Who is he that even the beta of a pack is scared of him?

“Alice?” Willow’s voice is sweet but dripping with contempt. “What are you doing in a place like this, anyway?”

“She’s my date.” Darian gives her a cool look. “And who are you?”

Willow focuses on Darian as if assessing him, and when I see the interest in her eyes, my heart sinks. If she expresses her interest to her father, Thomas is going make sure I stay away from Darian. “I’m Willow Elvin. My father is the beta of the Moonlight Pack. And you are?”

A female indicating her father’s identity like this is usually a surefire way of seizing the interest of a male. After all, she has just told him that she has power and backing.

But Darian doesn’t look impressed, much to Willow’s annoyance.

“None of your business.” My date looks irritated now. “If you’re done interrupting us, you can leave.”

His arrogance shocks me, and to my surprise, Thomas puts his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Let’s go, Willow.”

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