When dinner was finally finished and both she and Duke Romanov were stuck in contemplation of their own thoughts, she gathered courage and decided to speak up. Sophie cleared her throat and glanced at the duke.
"My lord… would you care to join me in my chambers?" Sophie asked nervously.
Leland, who was still concerned about the mask comment earlier, suddenly blinked and was quick to nod his head. "Yes, I was actually looking for Luciel and Jan. Normally they would have accompanied you for dinner, wouldn't they?"
The Alpha assumed that Sophie was inviting him to her chambers for the sake of her children. He didn't mind visiting those two cute cubs. The Alpha had softened up and warmed up to them immensely.
Luciel and Jan were really charming. Leland was sure that the other lycans would accept the boys once they opened up their hearts and minds by even just a little. The members of the Blood River Pack only needed to give the twins a chance.
Sophie shook her head and then looked down shyly on her empty plate. She couldn't look Duke Romanov in the eye without her cheeks warming up. "No, I mean… just the two of us?"
Leland's heart fluttered and he wondered if this was all an illusion or conjured by his imagination. Was this sudden emotion in his chest truly belonging to Sophie or was it his own?
The Alpha was overwhelmed by a feeling of love, shyness like the first blossoming of love, or the warmth and enjoyment of sweet romance under a beautiful golden sun. He was basking in emotions that quickly surfaced and were not of his own.
This love belonged to Sophie's and was directed at his?
Leland couldn't believe it as his eyes stung slightly but he refused to cry. He was so happy that he felt something was stuck in his throat as he thickly asked, "And what will we be doing, Sophia?"
"Ah… well, Dinah actually discussed with me earlier about your people having lycan wine?" Sophie swallowed hard and eventually looked the duke in the eye with a shy smile.
Her cheeks were a beautiful shade of red and Leland couldn't help but notice how she temptingly bit down on her lip as she spoke. "Oh, did you want to drink? I actually have one in my study. I will bring it to your room…"
"Yes."
***
Sophie's heart was pounding loudly as she waited for Duke Romanov to arrive inside of her chambers. It was almost the same situation as when they first got married and she waited for him.
"No. It's completely different this time," Sophie told herself.
Yes, it was different. Back then, Sophie was so afraid and nervous about their consummation and she even cried while waiting for the duke to come and actually sleep with him.
She did it out of obligation to officiate their marriage which she saw as a transaction. However, now she was actually fervently waiting for him.
She wanted to… give herself to him because… she realized he was such a good man and she wanted to show him that she no longer saw their marriage as a transaction.
That was… if he wanted the same thing.
"I wonder what's taking him so long?" she whispered to herself. "Do I look fine though?"
Sophie glanced at her reflection in the mirror and tried to fix her hair. She only asked Duke Romanov about the wine because she wanted to drink a little to gain the courage to speak with him.
"Ahhh… waiting is going to make me die of nervousness." Sophie sat on her bed and moved around anxiously.
How was Sophie going to confess her feelings?! Somehow it almost felt like she was back in Cawden Academy again like a young woman who was still unsure of how to confess and act with her crush.
Her feelings however ran far deeper than an ordinary crush.
She had no idea whatsoever of what lay behind Duke Romanov's mask except for the countless rumors of him being disfigured… However, whatever was beneath it, it didn't change the fact that Sophie's heart had finally opened up to him.
She loved him.
"Now that I have acknowledged it… I just feel it bursting more and more." Sophie's cheeks were warm as she eyed the door anxiously and waited for the man's arrival. Was she going to blurt it out once he arrived?
No, there was a perfect way to do it.
***
Leland was a nervous wreck as he held onto the wine bottle and headed for Sophie's chambers. Outwardly, his appearance as a cold and aloof Alpha was retained and even the guards who saw him were quick to bow their heads.
On the inside though?
The Alpha was running circles in his mind and was panicking hard. No, panic was not the right word for it. He was anxious and yet incredibly excited for their time in Sophie's chambers.
He was not expecting Sophie to invite him to her chambers to sleep with him. He didn't think that she would ask him to go meet with him for that… but it was about her feelings, right?
Leland was sure that the way that his heart was bursting out of his chest right now was as much as Sophie's feelings as it was his. He felt impressed that Sophie managed to hide it this long.
When did she fall for him? Did she really though? Was this a simple case of infatuation?
No, Leland thought it was love and well… Sophie might possibly confirm it with him in her room, right?
The Alpha arrived at her door and knocked gently.
Whatever happened tonight, there was one thing that Leland was completely sure of and it was this: things were never going to be the same again.
The Alpha was looking forward to that.
Leland took a deep breath and then finally made his way inside of her room. His steps were firm. His calm demeanor didn't betray his nervous self.
.
.
________________
From Missrealitybites:
I changed my mind at the last minute because it seems like I can write more and provide more chapters in the privilege (38 chapters, instead of 30).
So, I will edit and publish 3 chapters to fill Tier 2 at once, and then publish another 15 chapters to fill Tier 3 later today. Don't wait. It might take hours. Tier 4 will be available on Jan 2, and Tier 5 on Jan 3.
Regular chapters will resume on January 4.
Also... what do you think about the new cover? I had to go with this one (while I am waiting for a new and more sexy cover). Fellow authors told me the reason new readers don't really want to read this book is that the old cover looks like a group photo of three people... lol.
They said I should get a sexy man (with abs) and those werewolf's eyes for the cover, or the picture of the main characters in a steamy pose. What do you think?
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