Chapter 629
Jeniva froze, her hands slipping from his shoulders as her bottom lip began to tremble. Large tears pooled in her eyes. “I’ll complain about you to my father,” she whispered, sounding more like a wronged child than a royal aide.
Dominick broke into a genuine laugh, the sound rich and startling in the quiet of the room. It had been days since he had felt the urge to laugh like this. “You think your father can do something about this? I’m a prince, Jeniva. You’re forgetting who you are speaking to,” he remarked.
“That’s why you act so highly of yourself,” she shot back, ignoring his rank.
He had already gently unlatched her hands from his shoulders, shifting slightly to create a sliver of space between them. But Jeniva wasn’t finished. “Your Highness, your coat is drenched in that scent. You should definitely remove it. It makes me feel… Strange. And if you ask me to leave, I won’t. I feel good here. My room feels colder, even with the fireplace p>
Dominick stared at her, his expression hardening as the truth settled heavily in his chest. He didn’t want a second mate; he had never planned for this. Destiny had played a cruel hand, placing an Omega in his path whose senses were clearly reacting to his pheromones.
He knew he had to reject her. He had to end this before she could develop true feelings, but looking at her swaying slightly, eyes clouded by whiskey and heat, he realized she wasn’t even sober enough to understand a rejection, let alone offer one herself.
“The coat stays on, Jeniva,” he said firmly, though his heart hammered against his ribs. “And you are going to bed. Now p>
“Huh p>
Before Jeniva could even process the shift in the air, Dominick moved quickly and scooped her into his arms.
“No! Let me go!” Jeniva shrieked. She began thrashing her legs and flailing her arms in the air like a child throwing a full-blown tantrum. One of her hands accidentally clipped his chin, but Dominick didn’t let go, his grip tightening as he navigated the corridors.
“Gosh! What kind of woman is she in her drunk state?” Dominick muttered under his breath, his jaw set in irritation. “And why the fuck did Evan leave like that, knowing a snowstorm was coming p>
By the time they reached her room, Dominick’s patience had evaporated. He walked to the center of the room and dropped her onto the mattress, not caring if the landing was particularly soft.
“Ahh… my back,” Jeniva whimpered in pain, her body bouncing slightly on the bed. Her hair tumbled over her face in a messy curtain of silk. Before she could sit up to protest, the heavy quilt was whipped over her, pinning her down.
“Don’t come out of your room until you are sober. It’s better if you just fall asleep,” Dominick commanded. He didn’t wait for a reply; he turned on his heel and strode out, shutting the door behind him.
Standing in the hallway, he took a deep breath, trying to remove the scent of her, and the lingering warmth of her body, out of his system. But how could he even do it? He removed his coat and walked straight to the living room.
Gabriel returned to the palace with Noah in the stroller while Carlos walked beside him. They had dropped Karmen off at his residence on the way.
“Noah is exhausted today,” Carlos said, glancing down at the sleeping toddler. “But he’s a lot of fun p>
“Yes, he does,” Gabriel replied distractedly. He stopped the stroller and peered inside; where Noah was fast asleep.
“The woman in the temple Carlos began. “You knew her, didn’t you p>
Gabriel met his gaze. There was no point in denying it to his closest confidant, even if the truth sounded like madness. He gave a nod. “I’ll tell you everything soon,” he asserted.
“It’s fine, Gabriel,” Carlos remarked, a small, knowing smile touching his lips. “Some secrets are meant to stay buried p>
Gabriel froze. He looked at Carlos with a shocked gaze. “What did you just say p>
It was the exact phrase Cynthia had used, word for word.
Carlos simply smiled and shook his head, unaffected by Gabriel’s sudden intensity. “Nothing. Just a thought. Go ahead. Amelie must be waiting for you p>
Gabriel watched Carlos disappear, wondering if Carlos got a vision about them. Shaking the thought away, he pushed the stroller toward the royal wing.
When he entered their private bedroom, he found the air was warm and smelled of lavender. Amelie was sitting on the edge of the bed, neatly folding a stack of Noah’s tiny sweaters. She looked up, her face instantly brightening.
“Gabriel p>
She stood up quickly as he leaned down to carefully lift the sleeping boy from the stroller. Amelie moved the carriage aside, watching with a soft, maternal smile as Gabriel settled Noah into his crib with gentleness. He stood there for a silent moment before Gabriel finally turned his attention to his wife.
Amelie began pushing the empty stroller toward its place by the cupboard, but Gabriel caught up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her back against his chest in a firm hug. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his lips finding the sensitive skin of her nape to plant a lingering, soft kiss there.
“I met her, Amelie,” Gabriel said.
“The moon godddess?” Amelie asked, her brows furrowing together as she turned around slowly.
“She’s no longer the Moon Goddess. Heavens punished her for telling me about the weapon that could kill Ophelia. She’s now a mortal, living in the temple. I offered her everything a son should to his mother,” Gabriel stated. “But above all, I am so relieved to see her. I am truly happy that she didn’t disappear p>
Amelie smiled and cupped his cheeks. “You did right by offering her everything you wished to do once for your mother in the past life. I knew you were burdened with her disappearance. You weren’t saying it loudly, but your eyes couldn’t hide. It’s strange that the heavens decided to make her a mortal p>
“Yeah. But I’m just happy. At least, she’s alive,” Gabriel answered, hugging Amelie once again.