Erica’s POV
The next meeting came sooner than I expected.
I sighed.
I was actually the one that set up the meeting with Dante but only because Javier kept pestering me about it. I had given it a lot of thought. The book could only be read by a purebred alpha wolf. To others, it was in a cryptic kind of writing.
Maybe, it wouldn’t hurt to show them.
I was dressed in my suit, ready to leave the house. The kids enjoyed the time they spent with me while I was home. They stayed away from Lorenzo but he didn’t seem to mind.
In fact, Lorenzo had changed quite a lot. He was locked in his room most of the time and his face was always grim and silky when he came out.
I had pestered himfor fiancee’s saketo tell me what was wrong but he never did. He only made a weird growling noise and retreated into the safety of his room.
I was grabbing my coat and the children were looking at me sadly. They didn’t want me to leave and I couldn’t blame them. They had still not warmed up to Lorenzo.
I sighed. I guess I was going to have to call Clarissa to come over and watch them.
Lorenzo was being distant and I had a feeling that he would watch them.
Lorenzo reappeared from out of his and we locked eyes again.
“Meeting?”
I gave a stiff nod.
“Yeah. It was impromptu.”
He said nothing more and neither did I.
He walked to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and went back to his room.
I sighed. I called Clarissa and she was more than happy to come over.
I smiled as I ended the call. I was happy that she had someone in her life. Deep down, I felt a little guilty. Keeping her with me would have kept her from her mate.
I shuddered. I could never be that kind of person. I didn’t want to be.
I smiled and hugged my kids and left. They clung tightly to me. Elma looked a little distressed.
“Sweetie, what is it?”
She squirmed a little and her face became red.
“Elma?”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Mr. Lorenzo and Miss Clarissa fight.”
My eyes flew wide open.
Fight? They fight?
“Sweetie, are you sure?”
She gave a nod and her little head bopped around.
I was confused but then again, I couldn’t jump to conclusions.
Maybe he was just scolding her for something and it seemed to her like they were fighting.
Elsa and Ethan looked at confused as I was and I relaxed. Elma probably misunderstood.
“There is nothing to worry about, sweetie. Sometimes Lorenzo can be in a bad mood and he scolds Clarissa sometimes. It’s perfectly normal. I don’t think he would hit her.”
Elma seemed dissatisfied but I would talk to Lorenzo later about it.
I left and stepped outside. The cool morning breeze whipped around me. I took a deep breath and held the bad that contained the book closed to me. This was it.
Rustle!
I turned my head sharply. The bushes moved. I eased it. It was probably the wind.
I peered closer and realized that the bushes were moving opposite to the wind’s direction.
That wasn’t right.
I was curious and scared at the same time as I inched closer. I paused and then pried the bushes apart.
I gasped.
Nothing. Except for a small clutch of rabbit kits.
They looked adorable. It was probably their mother who left to get food.
I arranged the bushes again to hide them properly.
I felt a shiver run down my spine and my hairs stood on end. I looked around. I felt I was being watched but I couldn’t find who it was. There was no one.
************************************
The conference room felt wider as Javier and I walked in.
Dante sat on his chair and glared at the both of us as we walked in.
My skin crawled but I kept walking with my head up high. His gaze wasn’t really on me, but rather on Javier who retaliated with an equally intense stare.
“Erica, why…”
“We have been over this, Dante. I don’t want to talk about it again or we will leave.”
He fell silent and I moved uncomfortably in his chair. He asked me not to bring Javier again but I did it anyway. He wasn’t going to tell me what to do.
I stood up and cleared my throat.
“This is a continuation of the last meeting that we had. I have thought it reasonable to bring the book that my father gave me so that we have more concrete assurance of the things I said in the last meeting.”
I reached into my bag but was hesitant. My hands shook.
I was scared. What if something bad happened to Dante and Javier?
What if they died? What if they were cursed? Would I be able to manage the consequences that came with non-pure breed Alphas reading the book?
Javier stood up and all eyes traveled to him.
He flashed me a polite smile.
“I’m sorry. You will have to excuse me. I had a bad breakfast.”
His hand slid to his stomach and he hurried out of the conference room while Dante’s intense gaze followed him.
The door opened and closed. I was alone with Dante.
He relaxed a little and when he turned to look at me, his green eyes were less acidly.
He seemed to be smirking.
My face flushed with color and I looked away. I had to focus. I was here on important business. I couldn’t afford to get carried away.
I took a deep breath and pulled out the book that was wrapped in its silk covering.
I saw Dante lean forward with intrigue as I placed the covered book gingerly on the table.
“This book was from my father. It is the book of the Living Gem.”
It was almost like a ceremonial affair and I pulled back the silk covering.
Dante’s eyes widened as his sight feasted on the beautiful leather coverer book on the table.
I had seen the book more than him but the superior craftsmanship still dazzled me.
“It’s beauti…”
Crash!
A loud noise startled both of us and I nearly tripped on my own two feet.
“Dante!”
I growled under my breath. It was Laura. What did she want now?
She stormed right past me and stood right in front of Dante who had stood up in alarm.
He was livid and his eyes were glaring hatefully at her.
“Laura, what are you doing…”
She didn’t let him finish and threw something like a plastic pen on the table.
“I’m pregnant, Dante! Pregnant for you!”
I gasped in shock but it barely made a sound. My face was white and my skin lost all its color.
She…she was pregnant? For him?
Dante looked at her stunned and in apparent disbelief. His eyes traveled from me to the test that was on the table.
“Laura, I…how…when?”
“You shouldn’t be asking me all this. Haven’t you been fucking me for a while now?!…”