Free Web NovelChapter 170: A Torturous Dinner
[Third POV]
"Damon, what do you think of Delilah and Daniel?" Dahlia asked Damon over dinner with her father. On the dining table was a veritable spread of hearty meats and fresh vegetables, taunting Damon with their presence. If Damon dared to ruin this dinner, Fangborne would not be eating well at all.
He shoveled another mouthful of food into his mouth, willing himself to be nothing more than a consummate guest for the time being. He would be patient and polite until Blaise finally reported back.
"Huh?" Damon blinked in confusion. "Who are they?" He didn’t recall knowing anyone else with those names. As far as he knew, Dahlia only had a brother Darach, who was now out gallivanting with his fated mate and his brother.
Darach’s chair was left empty at dinner, and it didn’t escape Damon’s notice that his chair was at the very far end of the table, as though someone had simply slotted it in as an afterthought. It didn’t even seem used.
"Our future daughter and son of course!" Dahlia beamed, "I think it fits our names perfectly, doesn’t it? Oh, our names even start with the same letter― is that not a sign of our compatibility?"
Damon coughed, nearly choking on his braised pork. Moon Goddess save him, Dahlia was already planning to name their future children! freewёbnoνel.com
"I... how? That’s just a coincidence!" he exclaimed.
"There are no coincidences in this world," Dahlia said with a fervent look in her eyes. "You and I are meant to be!"
"Your brother also has a name that starts with a ’D’," Damon couldn’t help but point out. "Using your logic, I am also meant to be with him!"
Dahlia smacked a hand against the table and chortled loudly, nearly spraying food out from her mouth. Damon subtly shifted backward to avoid being sprayed with food. "You’re so funny! That’s why I like you."
"Alpha Damon has a sense of humor." Alpha Thorton’s lips were raised into a smile. "How could someone as frail as Darach possibly be meant for Damon? Even if Darach was a woman, that would never work. After all, they have gotten along so poorly in the past. Isn’t that right, Alpha Damon?"
Damon paused, before giving a short jerky nod, as he briefly recalled what he had done before. Of course, Alpha Thortone must have known how Damon treated his only son, which was why Damon was more than confused about his insistence on making him his son-in-law.
If it were him, and someone had picked on his son, he would have razed the other pack to the ground, not made them in-laws.
Something was wrong. There was a piece of the puzzle he wasn’t getting. He clenched his fist as he tried to focus on the food, but his mind was full of worries. Blaise and Harper had not replied yet.
He knew he shouldn’t have let them go without him, and with Darach out of all people. Damon had done many things that he wasn’t proud of, most of which included his abhorrent behavior towards Harper in the beginning,
Another thing he was not proud of was how he treated Darach in his youth. Damon had described him as a nitwit to Harper, but perhaps it was better to be a nitwit than a bully.
If Darach wanted to take revenge, he could simply use this chance to get rid of his beloved brother and his fated mate. He wasn’t too worried about Darach landing any blows on Blaise and Harper― the Darach that Damon remembered was a weakling that abhorred violence and Blaise could definitely defend Harper against any physical attack.
No, Darach’s ability to destroy came from his words. If Darach simply told them the truth about the things Damon did to him, all his progress with Harper would come crumbling down faster than a sandcastle at high tide.
Blaise might accept his past behavior, but he knew Harper would not be as understanding. Even if his marriage with Dahlia fell through, he might not have Harper either.
Just the very thought created anxious knots in Damon’s stomach, a feeling as foreign to him as guilt.
Even if Damon wanted to make amends, he had no idea where to even begin. He could only laugh ironically to himself.
Unlike Harper, Darach was not his fated mate; Damon could not count on the Moon Goddess’s grace and mercy, along with a helping of rabid lust, to smooth over his mistakes this time around. This, paired with his own impending nuptials, caused Damon to feel like a caged beast.
Would Darach actually keep his word? Was he going to bring Harper and Blaise on a wild goose chase until Damon tied the knot with his sister?
"Alpha Damon, is the food not to your liking?" Dahlia asked worriedly, placing her hand on his arm. "You’re making a very upset face."
Damon shook it off instinctively, goosebumps rising on his skin. Dahlia had a hurt, shocked look on her face at being rejected so vehemently, and her father was staring disapprovingly at Damon.
He sighed internally. "No, nothing is wrong, you just startled me."
"Have you heard any news from your brother and his mate yet, Alpha Damon?" Alpha Thorton asked. "It’s been nearly a day, I wasn’t expecting them to not even return for dinner. I must say, it makes me feel underappreciated as a host." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"What can I say? My brother has a fondness for travel," Damon replied easily, refusing to engage more than necessary. "He had recently returned from a long mission, so he wants to spend more time with his fated mate."
"It’s so romantic." Dahlia sighed wistfully, fluttering her eyelashes at Damon, her hand slowly but surely reaching out to hold his own. "Would we have time to go on travels together when we get married? Ah, but I suppose you would be too busy. You’re an alpha after all. That’s okay, I’ll support you!"
Damon averted his eyes, choosing to focus on his roasted meat. If he focused hard enough, the grill lines almost formed a picture of Blaise and Harper. Her touch made him feel like he was plunged into the depths of the ocean, a feast for the sharks.
Come to think of it, he would rather be eaten by sharks than to deal with her.
"Alpha Thorton! There’s an emergency!" One of the guards burst into the dining room, much to Dahlia’s dismay.
