"Order whatever you wish." Cruden tapped his finger upon the menu written in cursive, just as he excused himself to the farther end of the garden to pick up a phone call. Despite the distance that separated them, he watched her intently.
Buzzing phone in hand, Cruden could not look away from her. He could see the gears turn in her brain as she squinted. Confused? She studied everything intently, bringing the menu closer as if it'd help her understand. She tilted her curious head, her soft lips parting.
The things Cruden would do to that pretty little mouth of hers… Cruden loosened his tie, suddenly suffocated by the same tightness he always used.
"Took you long enough to pick up," Kallum growled on the other line.
"I'm busy." Cruden couldn't tear himself away from Roselia's visible disbelief. She turned a page, her brows coming together and rising in befuddlement. He gritted his teeth, feeling heat spread throughout his tensed body. She was reading a menu and he was a blink away from losing control.
"You turned off your mindlink, so I have to reach you this way," Kallum continued, ignoring his words. "I know you left with the Fiore girl and you haven't bedded her, so you're not as busy as you seem."
If Cruden didn't know any better, he'd feel like a husband being nagged by his wife. A soft breeze picked up strands of Roselia's raven locks, fluttering in the wind. He exhaled, but that didn't help his fingers twitching with need to touch her. To stroke her hair back in place.
"Are you listening to me?" Kallum demanded. "I said, we have a situation at our hands—"
"Not Fiore girl," Cruden finally corrected his brother. "She's a Tiberias now."
A heavy silence tugged between the phone line.
Roselia placed a finger on her mouth and ran it downwards, resting the tips on her small chin. His eyelids grew heavy as her lips slightly bounced. She was temptation wrapped in silk he longed to tear in two.
"Suit yourself," Kallum relented. "As long as you don't forget our plan, Cruden, I don't care what you call her—"
"She's your sister-in-law."
"..."
Cruden's patience was at its limits. The longer he watched Roselia, the more he suffocated he became.
Roselia brightened when she flipped to the last page. The dessert section. She was craving sweetness and he was itching to taste hers. Abruptly, she perked up, her head turning to him as if she felt his penetrating attention.
Cruden glanced away, turning his back to her. Finally. Some peace to cool his head.
"You said she won't get in our way," Kallum growled. "When you brought up marriage, we were hoping for a sensible woman that you'd never feel anything for, except maybe respect. Are you trailing from our mission? This wasn't the plan!"
"Just because you want to be single for life doesn't mean I should suffer with you," Cruden muttered, pinching a spot between his brow. When did the cute little Kallum become a nagger?
An image of a battered Kallum flashed before his mind, and instantly, Cruden straightened. Since Cruden became Alpha. Or, had it been years in advance?
"We need alliances if we're to make you the official ruler of this country, given our lack of a King here, in comparison to the West who already established a Vampire King and another Werewolf King," Kallum bit out. "I know Pack Fiore was a good choice, given their ancient lineage and—"
"Get to the point," Cruden said. "I don't have all day."
Kallum sharply exhaled, counting down from five to quell his fury. "We found Kerpan men lurking in our territory."
"We practically own half of this country," Cruden growled. "Our territory spans for miles on end. You're going to have to be more specific than that."
"Near the pack town," Kallum stated. "They've managed to slip in, but not out. We've captured a few of them trying to learn our street plans. You have to come back and interrogate—"
A wretched scream filled the air.
Cruden spun around.
"What's wrong?" Kallum demanded.
"Roselia is held at gunpoint." Cruden hung up the phone.
"Don't move!" Lennon demanded, snatching her into his arms, the pistol pointed at her temple. "Stay right where you are, Alpha Tiberias!"
Cruden clicked his tongue. What a tamper on their outing. Couldn't they have waited for her to at least taste the food before threatening her?
At least Roselia would've known if the food was truly to die for.
"What do you want?" Cruden asked, his voice monotone and irritated. He checked his watch, this whole thing beneath him. He had a wife to feed and people to torture.
Kallum wasn't a patient man. None of the Tiberias Trio was.
"Nothing actually," Lennon spoke, despite the tremble of his finger. "I'm only supposed to do this and—"
"Did Alpha Kerpan send you?" Cruden humored, tilting his head.
Roselia's pupils trembled at the realization. She gripped tightly onto Lennon's arm that pressed against her throat. She was the embodiment of fear, her life threatened and her husband too calm for everyone's liking.
"No," Lennon said instantly. "I work alone."
"So, Alpha Kerpan did send you," Cruden nodded in amusement. By now, the sniper should be ready.
Cruden chose this restaurant for a good reason. Various rooftops had the perfect view and opening of the garden. Rooftops filled with his men surveilling the two of them.
"He didn't!" Lennon cried out.
"I can hear you perfectly fine. There is no need to shout."
"Shut up!" Lennon demanded.
Cruden couldn't be more bored with the situation. And it was written all over his face. He watched in humor as a cold sweat trickled down Lennon's temples.
Cruden scowled. Lennon's fear was dripping all over Roselia who couldn't stop shaking. A strange itchiness scratched at his chest, threatening his patient. Tobias was pacing furiously at the idea of his prey escaping his clutches.
'Why are you so calm?' Tobias snarled. 'Do something!'
"I don't want any trouble," Lennon said.
The air was dense with Lennon's emotions. He was a horrible negotiator.
"I can see that." Cruden didn't have all day. And Roselia was going to faint any second now. He planned on remaining cold and composed. In a hostage situation, only the calmest people could be the victors.
"Shut up and quit being smart! I'll kill your wife right now!" Lennon seethed, furiously pressing the gun to Roselia's head, digging into her skin.
Roselia winced in pain.
Cruden's jaw ticked. "Alpha Kerpan must've offered you something to kill her," Cruden stated. "You didn't work this hard to be an employee of the month all for nothing, Lennon."
"Like I said, I'm not working for him," Lennon growled, unlocking the safety on the gun trigger. "I only want to kill whoever you love—"
"Love?" Cruden repeated, shaking his head. "I love no one, you fool."
Lennon's fingers trembled, attempting to process the information. "S-she's your wife, is she not?"
Cruden scoffed. The tiny sound put everyone on even more high-alert. Lennon's fingers curled around the trigger, but Cruden delivered the final blow.
"I especially do not love my wife."
A lone tear slipped from Roselia's eye, landing on Lennon's sleeves. Even Lennon exhaled in shock.
Cruden quirked a brow. What were they expecting? Did they mistake his responsibility to keep Roselia alive for something more?
"Don't f*ck with me!" Lennon roared, his face going red. "I'm going to kill her, I really will!"
So why haven't you pulled the trigger?
"If you didn't love her, why did you steal her from Alpha Kerpan? I saw it all over the news!" Lennon seethed.
No wonder Roselia was alive. Bruce Kerpan hired the stupidest assassin. That, or Lennon was instructed to get answers.
"I know you love her," Lennon decided.
Cruden chuckled. The sound sent chills down everyone's spine. He wasn't even rigid. His broad body was relaxed without a care in the world. He turned on his mind link. Instantly, the leader of one of the squadrons spoke up.
'All snipers are ready, Alpha. Say the word and he'll drop dead.' the captain mindlinked.
"Stop laughing!" Lennon seethed. "You—"
"You humor me," Cruden mused. "Not many people make me laugh. I'll give you a prize for your attempt. What would you like?"
Lennon gawked, shaking his pistol in emphasis. "I told you, I only want your f*cking wh*re dead—"
'Kill him.'
The air rippled. Lennon dropped to the floor, a bullet between his forehead before he could even blink. The force of the impact knocked him backward. From that distance, no audible bang of the sniper could be heard.
Roselia was frozen in terror, still on her two feet. She shakingly touched the top of her head and glanced down, squeezing out a choked gasp at the bits and pieces of flesh in her hands, blood dripping down her forehead.
"It's brain matter," Cruden explained. "Don't look behind you."
Roselia's knees gave out. She sank to the floor. She sucked in the air and exhaled, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head like a wild dog. She whimpered, furiously wiping her fingers on the grass to get rid of the remnants.
Cruden stopped in front of her directly. He squatted in front of her, aloof and annoyed by the situation. Roselia was a frightened mess. He expected her to start crying and throwing up. He wanted to see her cling to him and beg to leave.
Instead, Roselia hugged her paperclip necklace, clenching it tightly between her hands. She buried her face into it as if such a stupid thing could protect her. The metal of the paperclip had long shed, leaving behind rust that was a sorry shade of red. She cupped that necklace like prayer beads in church.
Cruden narrowed his eyes. Just exactly gave her that damn necklace? Of all the jewelry he tucked into her vanity, she still walked around with that cheap garbage.
Roselia hiccuped.
"Sorrows and prayers," Cruden lamented. "You're fine. Look, there's not even a scratch on you—"
"Give me a moment!" Roselia choked.
Cruden obliged. His expression didn't change. He continued observing. She knew how to comfort herself. Where did she develop these coping mechanisms? Even a blind and deaf man would know how much Cecil Fiore cherished his daughter.
Roselia was pampered with all the love in the world, lacking nothing when she decided to ruin her life. There was no need to develop any mechanisms to self-soothe. It was not like Cecil abused his daughter or Ronald bullied his sister. Cruden would know. His background check was thorough.
Cruden decided to wait. No one would be coming for a while, anyway. He had already mindlinked his men to completely shut the restaurant down, sending all the guests out with complimentary gift cards, and rounding up all of the employees.
There would be no stone untouched.
Cruden intended to get to the bottom of this stupid plan that Alpha Kerpan had. Killing Roselia because she was the woman Cruden loved? Cruden almost laughed.
"As if I'd ever love anything or anyone." Cruden shook his head, his mouth twisted in a smile.
Who was stupid enough to believe Cruden Tiberias could ever fall in love?
Cruden did not need an emotion that didn't benefit him, especially when it was a distraction—especially if it was this self-soothing and shaking wife of his.
"T-the….dress!" Roselia's eyes trembled. She was a blink away from losing her mind. The edges of her dress turned a dark, crimson red. The fabric had soaked up the blood of Lennon's corpse. She whimpered and kicked her legs furiously, which only made the material cling to her.
"Get it off of me, get it off!" Roselia screamed in her panic.
'Rooftop squadron, close your eyes and turn away,' Cruden commanded through mindlink, just as he reached for her.
From the ends of her skirt, Cruden ripped her clothes in two. Roselia flinched and squirmed as he tore through her dress until her mix-matched bra and underwear were revealed to him. The silk fell in a pile by her waist. She might as well have been naked.
Roselia was horrified, covering her chests, and then her underwear, but her flimsy hands could hide so much.
"Don't look!" Roselia bit out, her lips pulled back in a grimace. Goosebumps danced on her skin. She was beginning to lash out like a trapped animal in a cage.
For a split second, Cruden felt his emotions stir. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders which rattled like dead branches on a stormy night.
"Come here," Cruden muttered, opening his arms for her. "If you continue sitting in the grass, you're only going to get soaked further in the blood and—"
Roselia threw herself at him. Cruden caught her instantly.
Roselia clung to his neck, her legs wrapped tight around his torso, her butt off the air. She buried her face into the crook of his shoulders. Her breathing was erratic. He didn't know how to feel.
Cruden pressed the clothing tighter to her by sliding one palm on her upper back, and the other on her cute little behind.
Cruden lifted her with ease, rising to his full height. His jacket was huge on her, the material curving around her entire ass from his grip. She grew rigid as stone from his touch, but didn't pull away.
"You're safe now." Cruden's words were uttered through clenched teeth. "There is no need for you to remain terrified. I saved you."
'This is why you're single for so long,' Tobias snorted in the back of his mind. 'That's the worst thing you could have said to a traumatized woman.'
Roselia pressed herself tighter to him.
"I had the situation handled. You weren't going to die, regardless. There is no need for you to be this frightened." Cruden was always in control. He grew up his entire life telling himself fear was the mind-killer.
His life was as dark and dangerous as his childhood. He couldn't afford to be afraid. To be in love.
'Idiot,' Tobias muttered, angrily shutting of his mindlink.
Cruden frowned. What?
"I'm trying to comfort you." Cruden wondered if he was doing a good job at it. Comforting people wasn't his specialty. He seldom soothed anyone.
Cruden could feel her body pressed against his igniting a dangerous flame inside his chest. His blood roared, rushing to life, and his fingers twitched. She smelled delectable, her hair tickling his clenched jaw. So, she had chosen the rosehip body wash. He'd buy out the entire manufacturer if it meant being able to memorize every note of her scent.
"You might think I'm heartless for not being scared or angry during the situation," Cruden continued. "And you'd be right."
Roselia didn't respond. She sniffled. Her lips tickled his neck. She tempted him to madness, the softness of her skin against his bare throat sending him to the edge of sanity.
Cruden carried her out of the restaurant, where his men had already parted the crowd and paparazzi, forming a body barricade. The cameras flashed and clicked, which only frightened Roselia even more. She whimpered, burying her face into his neck.
'I want all cameras smashed and SD cards burned. Bill it to Tiberias Conglomerate.' Cruden growled through mindlink.
Cruden tightened his grip. His secretary, Sebastian, was already holding the doors open to their company car. Sebastian wore an emotionless mask as Cruden entered the vehicle with a woman on the verge of a meltdown.
Sebastian shut the doors, got into the passenger seat, and drove back to the pack house. The entire time, Roselia couldn't stop her trembling. She was no longer holding onto Cruden, but remained in his lap, her face blank and her mind scattered.
Cruden recalled Lennon's gun had been pressed too tightly against Roselia.
"Are you hurt?" Cruden murmured, curling his finger under her chin. She was limp as a doll.
Without warning, Roselia cupped her necklace with two hands, as if it were a cross. His brows shot up. She pressed her temple to the paperheart clip as if praying to the Moon Goddess.
"Hah." Cruden exhaled in irritation, the corner of his lip curling. Aggravated and annoyed, Cruden narrowed his eyes.
Now, Cruden knew. The cheap necklace held special meaning to her, but from who? And why?
Tell me you have low EQ without telling me you have low EQ... Cruden.
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