Chapter 21
Danny did not like Serene.
This realization came to him three days later while sitting inside the mansion’s private lounge watching Serene stand too close to Lucas.
Too close.
Unreasonably close.
Danny narrowed his eyes from across the room.
Suspicious woman.
Lucas sat calmly on one of the velvet sofas discussing pack matters while Serene leaned beside him pointing at documents.
Her silver hair brushed Lucas’s shoulder lightly.
Danny felt something ugly twist suddenly inside his chest.
Unpleasant.
Very unpleasant.
He shoved another spoonful of cake into his mouth aggressively.
Across the room, Lucas immediately noticed.
Mate upset.
His wolf became alert instantly.
Interesting.
Danny stared harder.
Why was Serene smiling like that?
And why was Lucas listening so calmly?
Actually-
Why was Serene breathing near him at all?
Danny frowned deeply.
The feeling worsened when Serene suddenly touched Lucas’s arm lightly while speaking.
And for the first time in his life-
Daniel Reed felt jealous.
The realization horrified him.
Oh no.
Kai was going to be unbearable.
Lucas glanced toward Danny quietly.
Then his lips twitched faintly.
Ah.
There it was.
Mine.
Danny immediately stood.
Then marched dramatically across the room.
Every wolf present went silent instantly.
Because the human consort looked annoyed.
And an annoyed mate near an Alpha King was dangerous for everyone involved.
Danny stopped directly between Lucas and Serene.
Then sat down.
On Lucas’s lap.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Serene froze.
Lucas’s wolf nearly purred itself unconscious.
Mate choosing us publicly.
Good.
Danny wrapped one arm around Lucas’s neck lazily before looking toward Serene with fake politeness.
“Hi.”
Serene stared blankly.
“…Hello.”
Danny smiled sweetly.
“My husband didn’t tell me you were here.”
Lucas almost laughed.
Husband.
Danny never used that word this much before.
Interesting.
Serene’s expression tightened slightly.
“We were discussing pack territory mat__.”
“Serene”
Lucas interrupted.
Lucas eyes darkened and he glared at Serene.
“I mean we’re discussing business matters.”
Serene said
Danny nodded thoughtfully.
“With my husband?“
Lucas’s eyes darkened softly with amusement.
Again.
Husband.
Danny shifted closer deliberately against Lucas’s chest.
“Well my husband works too much.”
Serene looked ready to snap something.
Lucas meanwhile looked entirely too pleased.
Danny continued smiling innocently.
“So I came to spend time with my husband.“
Lucas finally spoke softly beside his ear-
“You’ve said husband four times in one minute.”
Danny immediately looked offended.
“Because you ARE my husband.“
Lucas’s wolf absolutely adored this.
Mine mine mine.
Serene noticed the possessive way Lucas’s hands settled around Danny’s waist automatically.
Protective.
Intimate.
Natural.
Jealousy burned sharply inside her chest.
The king never touched anyone else like that.
Danny looked toward the documents.
“What are you talking about anyway?”
Serene answered stiffly.
“Northern territ__ agh partnership disputes.”
Danny nodded.
“Sounds stressful. My husband hates stress.”
Lucas buried his smile against Danny’s shoulder briefly.
Cute.
Danny blinked suddenly.
Wait.
Why was Lucas’s neck so nice?
Distracted, Danny leaned down instinctively and pressed a small kiss there.
Silence.
Every wolf in the room froze.
Lucas went completely still beneath him.
Then slowly-
His eyes darkened.
Dangerously.
Danny only realized what he did afterward.
“…Oh.”
Lucas’s grip on his waist tightened slightly.
“You’re affectionate today.”
Danny’s face became warm immediately.
“It just happened.”
Lucas looked very interested in that answer.
Serene abruptly stood.
“I’ll continue this discussion another time.”
Lucas didn’t even look at her.
“As you wish.”
She left quickly afterward.
The moment the doors closed-
Lucas finally looked fully at Danny.
And immediately saw it.
The slight pout.
The annoyed expression.
The jealousy Danny clearly didn’t understand himself yet.
Lucas felt warmth spread slowly through his chest.
His mate was jealous.
Danny crossed his arms dramatically.
“She’s annoying.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“Is she?”
“She keeps touching you.”
Lucas stared silently for a second.
Then softly-
“You didn’t like that?”
Danny froze.
“…No.”
The honesty slipped out too quickly.
Lucas’s wolf looked smug immediately.
Mate jealous.
Mate cares.
Good.
Danny buried his burning face against Lucas’s shoulder.
“This is embarrassing.”
Lucas gently rubbed circles against his back.
“Why?”
“Because I think I’m failing my own tests.”
Lucas smiled faintly.
“You are.”
Danny groaned dramatically.
“I hate this.”
Lucas tilted Danny’s chin upward carefully.
“But you’re adorable while failing.”
Danny stared at him quietly now.
Lucas looked unfairly beautiful beneath the warm lounge lights.
Soft eyes.
Relaxed expression.
Hands holding Danny like he belonged there.
And suddenly-
Danny realized something terrifying.
He liked this.
The cuddles.
The kisses.
The way Lucas looked at him like he mattered more than everything else.
Even the jealousy felt strangely real.
Danny whispered softly before thinking-
“I don’t want her near you.”
Silence.
Lucas’s expression softened instantly.
Painfully soft.
Then he leaned forward and kissed Danny slowly right there in the middle of the lounge.
Possessive enough to leave no misunderstandings.
When he finally pulled away, Lucas rested his forehead lightly against Danny’s.
“There,” he murmured quietly.
Danny blinked dazedly.
“There what?”
Lucas’s thumb brushed gently against Danny’s cheek.
“Now everyone knows who I belong to.”
*****
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