He knew...
Desmond knew that I was getting irritated at Hazel's presence ever since the day I arrived here in his pack. I was very unhappy when I saw her getting to stick with him even though from the time Desmond and I met, I hadn't accepted him as my mate.
"What business did she have to do here, cinnamon?" I asked when I poured him some tea in his cup. Even though I knew that she presented herself as proper etiquette, I still wanted to know what she did. I wanted it to come from Desmond.
After I bestowed him his tea, Desmond guided my waist to have me sit on his lap before he wrapped his arms around my waist causing my heart to race rapidly. Especially when I came to smell his alluring scent of the combination of citrus, orange, and cedarwood.
He smelled exotic to me. And I found it attractive.
He planted a soft kiss on my shoulder before he answered, "She greeted me and told me that she would stay at Harvey's manor for two weeks. She said that she is looking forward to seeing me?" he said, unsure.
I glared at him, squinting my eyes. His eyes widened at my darkened expression.
"S-Seraphim, I only told you what she said. I am being honest here!" He raised both of his hands.
Since he didn't block his feelings, I could feel that he was feeling troubled and that he had yet to convince me that he was telling the truth.
"Are you certain?" I frowned.
He nodded. "I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess."
I stayed silent, glaring at him while he was starting to get annoyed. Not to me. Desmond looked like he wanted to summon Hazel and made her want to punish her for creating a new misunderstanding between us again.
Indeed, this wasn't the very first time that we had misunderstood each other due to Hazel's presence.
"I—"
"Forgiven," I butted in before he could spout some words that would lead us to have a bad day.
Desmond frowned but his expression softened the moment I buried my face to the crook of his neck. I felt his hands rubbed to my back as I purred under his touch.
"Cinnamon, if she ever touches you again, I swear, I am going to kill her." I planted a soft kiss on his neck. "I just want you to know that your Luna will murder her. You must be aware of that as the Alpha of our pack."
He chuckled. "Mmm... How scary you must be, Luna Seraphina?" He grazed his lips to my ear.
I clung to his neck. "I only learned this from my husband," I whispered seductively and caressed his sturdy chest.
I heard his ragged breath as his lips started to trace the slenderness of my neck. "Well... my wife is a fast learner then. I love it when my wife is being possessive just as I am to her," he whispered softly.
I leaned forward to kiss the corner of his lips. "Why don't you show me how possessive you are, cinnamon?" I smirked after whispering in my sultry pitch.
Desmond growled immaculately as he smirked back before he pinched my flank. "How do you want me to show it? Rough or gentle?"
I bit my lower lip, feeling aroused. "How about... a little force?" I gulped, wanting to moan.
He arched his eyebrow before he grazed his nose to my jaw. "Then, rough and force?" I cleared my throat as I nodded.
Before Desmond and I could descend our lips into each other, a knock from the door came to disturb us. But that didn't halt Desmond as he lowered his head and was about to capture my lips when the knocks were getting louder.
"Alpha, it's Oakley. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you."
"Damn it... That son of a bitch..." I chuckled when his expression darkened. He glared at me, growling. "You seemed to have fun, seraphim."
He groaned in protest when I stood up from sitting on his lap before I kissed his cheek. "We can have fun later. For now," I paused and compelled him to look up at me by placing my finger on his chin. "Do your duties as the Alpha of our pack." I winked.
Desmond frowned before he sighed. "I will have you for myself later, seraphim. I won't take no as an answer," he said as I was about to leave.
I turned my head at him and smirked. "Well... Make me, then," I challenged.
He growled when I opened the door while laughing. Oakley greeted me with a bow before I tapped him on his shoulder.
"Calm him down for me, will you, Oakley?" I teased Desmond before I waved my hand at him and left him a flying kiss causing him to frown more.
"Seraphina!"
I laughed after Desmond called my name when I was in the hallway.
I finished all my Luna duties as well when I returned to my study room. Desmond and I had a different study room. At first, he wanted us to be in the same room, however, I wished that we both had different rooms. He disagreed at first but eventually, he agreed.
I decided to retire by going outside and saw my husband having fun playing with the offspring of our pack members. I smiled gently seeing him chuckling and chasing them.
He wasn't fond of kids before until we got to meet each other. He was cruel for enlisting them to the draft until I spoke up and expressed my thoughts that I didn't want to accept him as my mate if he wasn't going to change his ways of ruling.
He changed. He changed for me. He slowly fell in love playing with the pups here the moment we married each other.
I could already imagine Desmond being a good father for our future pups. I bit my lower lip and mindlessly placed my hand on top of my stomach, sighing.
I could have wished I was pregnant, too...
"You have been sighing for the nth time? What is the problem, seraphim?"
I snapped back and gasped when Desmond dropped his hands on my shoulders. I looked at his reflection in the mirror as soon as we were done having our evening meal and retiring in our chamber.
I halted from combing my hair and compelled a smile. "I saw you enjoying playing with our pack members' pups. Don't you feel envy that until now, I am still not pregnant yet?" I asked and stood up, sighing one more time.
Desmond cupped my face and looked at me, concerned. "Seraphina—"
"We were married for five years already, Desmond. Am I the problem as until now we haven't conceived a pup?" I felt my eyes getting teary. "I know that even if you are not telling me, you also want us to have our pup already..."
He hugged me. "Seraphim, you know I am not pressured that we can have a pup. You know that already, right?" he asked in a soft tone which I nodded. "I am telling the truth. You can feel my feelings." I nodded.
He was right. I didn't feel any trouble with him or he wasn't making any issues about us not having a pup yet.
"Don't you feel envy from time to time?" I asked as he sat in the bed and made me straddle him. "That we are not a family?"
Desmond smiled and leaned his forehead to mine. "Why would I feel envy when I have you?" He tightened his hug. "I have you, Seraphina. We are still family."
I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "But we are husband and wife. Family is when you said that there is a pup," I retorted, sighing.
He forced me to look at him. His expression softened than before. "Seraphim, we are still family regardless if it is just the two of us as husband and wife. Perhaps, this is not the right moment to be granted us a pup."
"What if there is no right moment? That we are not blessed by the Moon Goddess to have a pup?"
"Then, there is no problem. We can have Daniel be trained as the next Alpha." He was indicating his nephew is the son of his younger brother, Declan. I snapped back when he gently pinched my flank. "We can still live happily after, Seraphina. Just as I promise."
I got teary-eyed from his words. Desmond wasn't bothered by not having a pup. I bit my lower lip thanking the Moon Goddess that She had made me fated to this cruel man who was so understanding.
"Desmond..." I hugged him so tight.
I accused him that he slept because I thought he wanted to have a pup. It was all because of the aphrodisiac that led me to be like that which almost caused the crumble down of our mate relationship. I thought that I wouldn't be able to trust Desmond anymore but I was wrong.
After we made love that night, Desmond said something in my ear. "I made Count Urba suffer for almost ruining my marriage with you."
I stiffened as my eyes widened. "You did not?" I said in disbelief.
His expression darkened as he sighed. "What happened to me... We almost broke apart, seraphim. Fret not since I spared his life. I am certain we will not cross paths anymore."
I creased my foreheads. "You killed him?"
"Almost." He shrugged and smiled darkly.
I didn't say a word. But I actually felt relieved that he thought Count Urba had some lessons he wouldn't forget so I wasn't complaining.
"Alright," I said and snuggled closer with him. "Let's sleep now. The harvest season is tomorrow."
"Hmm." Desmond nodded and smiled before he kissed my forehead. "Good night, seraphim."
I kissed his jaw and sniffed his alluring scent. "Good night, cinnamon."