Chapter 162: Chapter 162 

~ NYSSA

I stared at my phone for the rest of the day, patiently waiting to see if the person would call back but they never did. The number just sat in my call logs, staring at me, mocking me.

“Are you ready to leave?” Aria asked, poking her head into the office.

I jumped in my seat, my heart hammering in my chest from shock. She frowned, watching me carefully with barely concealed suspicion.

“Are you good? You were a bit… jumpy.”

I hummed, pulling myself to my feet. “I was just… thinking. I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” She opened her mouth to say more but I cut in quickly. “I’m starving, aren’t you?”

She eyed the empty plastic bags at the base of my desk. “Rowan literally sent you lunch a few hours ago.”

“And it’s been a few hours since then,” I shrugged, grabbing my bags as I brushed past her. “Aren’t you ready to leave?”

She pursed her lips but said nothing as she followed me out into the car. Eric was already seated in the driver’s seat, a bag of chips opened in his lap. Aria frowned as she saw him chewing.

“Don’t tell me you plan to eat and drive,” she drawled, eyeing him warily. “That’s unsafe.”

“You could always feed me if you’re that worried.”

Aria’s cheeks warmed, and a flush bloomed from the back of her neck to the tips of her ears. I watched their interaction with a raised brow, and an amused smile grew on my lips as she murmured something about him being an ass.

I don’t know why I never noticed it before. I’d been so caught up in my own shit that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.

“Just don’t let us crash,” Aria grumbled, turning her attention out the window.

I filed away the information for later use, biting back a small smile as we drove in silence all the way back to the palace.

When we got to the palace, Aria was the first one out. She didn’t glance back at Eric or me before disappearing through the front doors of the palace.

“What’s going on between you two?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

Eric wiped his stained fingers on his pants, his movements slow and precise. “I’ve never asked what’s going on between you and the King.”

“Rowan is my mate, that’s different.”

“Is it really?” he asked, turning to me slowly. “If I were to ask for a breakdown of why you smell like him would you tell me?”

My cheeks warmed as heat crawled up my skin. “Are you saying that you’re fucking Aria?”

“Of course not!” his answer came too quickly, and there was a defensive edge to it.

I raised a brow. “What are you hiding?”

“You’re a nosy little twat, do you know that?” he asked but I merely shrugged. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, and I knew that he meant no harm despite his eye roll. “Nothing is going on between Aria and I. We get along fine, and we’re just friends, that’s it.”

He did not look at me as he spoke, and he thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel the entire time in a steady three beat rhythm.

“There’s nothing wrong if there is,” I said softly.

“I’m a guard.”

I shrugged. “As of right now, I’m a rogue. It doesn’t matter… it shouldn’t.”

With one comforting pat on his shoulder, I hopped out of the car, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

After freshening up, I made my way into the dining room.

I wasn’t actually lying when I said I was hungry. Despite eating a very good lunch, my stomach felt empty and I needed a fucking snack.

I was surprised when I found Rowan seated at the table. “You’re here!”

He lowered his phone, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he saw me. “Yes, little wolf, I am. You seem surprised.”

“It isn’t time for dinner yet.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes I come here for the silence, and the coffee.”

He placed his phone on the table and held out a hand to me. Without hesitation, I crossed the length of the room, placing my hand in his.

He tugged me into his lap, burying his face into the crook of my neck as he dragged in a long inhale. My cheeks flushed pink and my thighs squeezed closed tightly. His arms wrapped tighter around me, his lips brushing over my flushed skin.

“You smell good,” he murmured against me, his warm breath fanning my ear.

I didn’t get the chance to respond because the door slammed open.

Aria walked into the dining room, still in her clothes from earlier. She’d ditched the jacket and her bag but she still wore her plain white shirt and blue jeans.

“Please don’t start fucking in the dining room,” she drawled, lowering herself into one of the chairs.

I tried to pull away from Rowan but he only held on tighter, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder before pulling back slightly to face his sister.

“Is there a reason you’re here?” he asked, annoyance lacing his tone.

“I wasn’t aware that I had to avoid the public dining room,” she snapped back, hands crossed over her chest as she leaned back into the chair.

“I thought you’d be in your room by now,” I said softly and she shrugged.

“I was, until I remembered that we have a mating ceremony to plan. There’s no better time than the present.”

Behind me, Rowan groaned. “Aria, fuck off.”

“Like hell.” She crossed her legs, getting comfortable in her chair. “You have all the time in the world to fuck like bunnies.”

My cheeks grew pink. “We weren’t—”

“Judging by the side eye my brother is giving me, you sure as fuck were,” she cut me off.

“Aria,” there was no mistaking the irritation in Rowan’s voice but Aria didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

“Rowan,” she shot back. “I need to speak with her and you’re getting in the way.”

It felt weird being between the two of them, especially when there were so many emotions in the way. I had no idea what the fuck was going on, but it seemed like some kind of power struggle and I was caught in the middle.

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