Chapter 12
Danny had many expectations about Lucas King’s mansion.
None of them prepared him for this.
“It’s a palace.”
Lucas glanced at him calmly while they stood before the enormous estate gates.
“It’s a house.”
Danny looked personally offended.
“There’s literally a fountain shaped like a swan.”
The massive black gates slowly opened before them.
Beyond it stretched a breathtaking estate covered in fresh winter snow.
Elegant gardens.
Towering silver trees.
A driveway longer than most streets.
And in the distance-
A mansion glowing warmly beneath the pale evening sky.
Danny stared silently.
“…Rich people are terrifying.”
Lucas watched his reaction carefully.
His mate looked adorable bundled inside a huge hoodie while carrying a plush neck pillow like he was moving into a college dorm instead of an Alpha King’s estate.
Lucas had prepared everything personally.
Danny’s favorite snacks filled the kitchen.
A gaming room had been renovated beside their bedroom.
The mattress upstairs was softer than clouds.
He wanted Danny comfortable.
Safe.
Happy.
Mine.
The car stopped before the entrance.
The moment Lucas stepped out, every servant bowed instantly.
“Welcome home, my king.”
Danny blinked.
There it was again.
My king.
Not mister.
Not boss.
King.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Lucas opened Danny’s door himself.
Danny stared.
“…You know you have employees for this, right?”
“I wanted to.”
Danny’s ears warmed slightly again.
This man kept saying things that sounded unfairly affectionate.
Inside the mansion, warmth surrounded them immediately.
Crystal chandeliers glowed overhead.
Marble floors reflected golden light.
Massive staircases curved elegantly toward the upper floors.
Danny looked around slowly.
“…I’m gonna get lost.”
Lucas immediately answered-
“I’ll carry you.”
Several servants froze.
One maid silently looked ready to cry.
Their terrifying king sounded dangerously soft around this human.
Danny nodded thoughtfully.
“Good.”
Then he pointed toward the stairs dramatically.
“Actually carry me now.”
Lucas didn’t even hesitate.
He lifted Danny effortlessly into his arms.
Danny immediately wrapped his arms around Lucas’s neck comfortably while looking entirely pleased with himself.
The servants collectively experienced emotional damage.
Meanwhile Lucas’s wolf was delighted.
Carry mate.
Good.
Danny looked around curiously from his elevated position.
“Your house smells nice.”
Lucas walked upstairs carefully.
“What does it smell like?”
Danny thought seriously.
“Like expensive candles and emotional repression.”
Silence.
Then Ethan-who had appeared from nowhere-started laughing violently.
Lucas gave him a cold look.
Ethan continued laughing anyway.
Danny frowned slightly.
“Why’s he always here?”
“I ask myself the same question,” Lucas replied.
“Cruel,” Ethan sighed dramatically.
Upstairs, Lucas carried Danny through long elegant hallways before stopping before enormous double doors.
“Our room.”
Danny blinked.
“Our room sounds weird.”
Lucas opened the doors slowly.
And Danny froze.
The bedroom looked unreal.
Warm golden lighting.
Massive windows overlooking the snowy city.
Dark wood shelves lined with books.
A fireplace crackling softly nearby.
And at the center-
An enormous bed piled with blankets.
Danny gasped quietly.
“That bed looks life-changing.”
Lucas carefully set him down.
“It’s heated.”
Danny immediately ran toward it.
Then launched himself face-first onto the mattress.
Silence.
A muffled voice emerged from the blankets.
“I’m never leaving.”
Lucas stared helplessly.
Cute.
Dangerously cute.
Danny rolled onto his back dramatically.
“This is the nicest thing I’ve ever touched.”
Lucas walked closer slowly.
“You like it?”
“I would die for this mattress.”
Lucas sat beside him gently.
“You won’t have to.”
Danny blinked up at him.
The warm look in Lucas’s eyes appeared again.
Soft.
Protective.
Like Danny was precious.
His chest felt strange suddenly.
Before he could think deeper, another voice interrupted.
“My king.”
Danny looked toward the doorway.
And paused.
A beautiful silver-haired woman stood there elegantly.
Cold blue eyes immediately landed on Danny.
Serene.
Her gaze sharpened instantly.
So this was the human.
The one Lucas carried upstairs personally.
The one sleeping in his room.
Danny blinked lazily.
“…Hi.”
Serene’s eye twitched almost invisibly.
Lucas’s expression turned colder immediately.
“What is it?”
Serene stepped inside gracefully.
“The western pack leaders arrived earlier than expected.”
Pack leaders.
Danny frowned slightly.
Weird wording again.
Why did everyone around Lucas sound like medieval fantasy characters?
Lucas stood calmly.
“I’ll meet them later.”
Serene hesitated before speaking carefully.
“Your father also requested your presence.”
Danny noticed the subtle shift immediately.
Lucas’s expression hardened slightly at the mention of his father.
Interesting.
Lucas looked toward Danny afterward.
“I’ll return soon.”
Danny nodded while already disappearing back beneath blankets.
“Mhm.”
Lucas paused briefly.
Then he gently tucked the blanket higher around Danny’s shoulders before leaving.
Serene watched the interaction silently.
Jealousy twisted sharply inside her chest.
Lucas had never touched anyone so carefully before.
Never looked at anyone with such warmth.
And all for this human?
Ridiculous.
The moment Lucas disappeared downstairs, Serene stepped farther into the room.
Danny peeked out from the blankets.
“…Are you still here?”
Serene smiled coldly.
“You adapt quickly.”
Danny blinked.
“To the mansion.”
“Oh.”
Danny shrugged.
“The bed’s nice.”
Serene stared at him.
Was this human genuinely incapable of feeling intimidation?
“You should understand something,” she said quietly.
Danny yawned.
“Mhm?”
“This world is dangerous.”
Danny nodded sleepily.
“Okay.”
“You don’t belong here.”
Danny considered this seriously for three whole seconds.
“…Probably true.”
Serene froze slightly.
Danny looked entirely unbothered.
“I don’t even belong in meetings.”
That wasn’t the reaction she expected.
Serene narrowed her eyes.
“You think Lucas truly cares for you?”
Danny paused.
Then honestly answered-
“I dunno.”
The honesty startled her.
Danny stared at the ceiling lazily.
“He’s weirdly nice though.”
Downstairs, at that exact moment-
Lucas suddenly stopped mid-conversation.
His wolf growled low.
Serene.
Near mate.
His eyes darkened instantly.
And upstairs-
Danny remained completely unaware that the Wolf King was already becoming dangerously protective over him.
