Page 255

Alpha Denzel instantly switched on the light, and the sight of the large painting in the living room stunned him.

’This must be Valerie and Alice’s doing,’ he thought to himself. It was a picture of Alpha Denzel and Valerie, painted and framed. There was also food on the dining table, which had most likely turned cold by now.

Valerie looked upset and refused to look at Alpha Denzel. She had wanted to surprise him, but he had arrived too late, and Alice had already fallen asleep.

Alice was sleeping on the sofa, indicating that the two women had been working on the painting and food together.

They must have fallen asleep while chatting with each other or while waiting in hopes that Alpha Denzel would return early enough to see the surprise.

Burke was hungry, but his concern at that moment was Alice and finding a way to avoid answering Valerie’s question.

"I will carry Alice to her room now," Burke said.

Before Burke’s hand could come into contact with Alice, he was stopped by Valerie’s demand. "Answer the question first."

Alpha Denzel was displeased by her involving Burke in the matter but did not address it immediately.

She must be tired, making her frustrated as well. "Val, it’s late. I thought you’d be asleep. Let’s go inside, and I will tell you everything," Denzel said softly.

His lack of enthusiasm for the meal was enough to aggravate Valerie. "Who gave you food? You should have asked for food when you came in and not slept."

Denzel was speechless. This female Alpha was also insecure. He would have gone to eat the food but wanted to talk with her first.

"It’s already late, so I did not want to disturb you with food," he explained.

Valerie stared at Burke, not satisfied with the response. "Burke, I repeat, how was the meeting with the rogues? What did you conclude?"

Alpha Denzel watched as Burke tried to answer vaguely.

"Well, one of the rogues got on my nerves, but Alpha Denzel took care of it. Then, our Alpha had a discussion with the rogue Alpha later. The details are best known to him," Burke replied.

"Was there a woman?" Valerie asked, rendering Burke speechless. Indeed, there was a woman, but he was not allowed to mention her.

Before Burke could say anything, Alpha Denzel forcefully lifted Valerie in his arms bridal style.

He had a way of caging her to restrict her movements, so her struggles were in vain. Burke heaved a sigh of relief and carried Alice to her room.

Inside Valerie and Alpha Denzel’s room, Denzel carried her along with him to the bathroom and turned on the shower for both of them.

It was unexpected, and Valerie gasped. "You. I already showered." She was upset, but Alpha Denzel watched her calmly. The water was warm, but they were still in their clothes.

Then he began to undress her. "Then you help me shower too."

Valerie feared the look in his eyes. It was dark and lustful, making her remember her sores, though she now felt better.

However, another day without sex would be even better. "Don’t think about touching me. You are grounded for seven days," Valerie snarled, covering her chest from being exposed to him.

Alpha Denzel pulled her half-naked body into his arms and turned off the faucet. His gaze was filled with compassion as he spoke to her softly.

"Val, please, it’s a long journey to the rogue community. They want us to take in some rogues as pack members."

He wanted to psych her to make things easier for the construction work to be done since the omegas’ way of life was a concern for her.

Awed, Valerie took a closer look at him, realizing that he was indeed tired. "What? What was your response?" she asked with concern.

Alpha Denzel stared tiredly at her. "My answer was inconclusive. I want to discuss it with you, my Luna."

The two rogues he was going to take in were dependent on Raven’s ability to heal Valerie’s father, so the final decision was indeed inconclusive.

Seeing remorse in her eyes, he began to point out her other wrongs to her.

"Then I get here and I see the beautiful painting on the wall and the food you cooked. I don’t mind eating even if it’s cold, but Val, can you just trust me?"

Valerie was offended by the accusation, speaking defensively. "I trust you."

Alpha Denzel shook his head, not believing it and not upset. He knew it wasn’t her fault and just had to take it slowly for it to sink in for her.

"No. You are still insecure. If you trusted me, you wouldn’t have asked Burke to come with me, and you sure would not have asked him for feedback rather than me."

An ’o’ expression rested on Valerie’s lips as regret showed in her eyes. "I’m sorry. Sometimes, I just feel that I’m not good enough."

Confirming that she did not trust him like she always said, he was rather surprised that she was looking down on herself.

Even with a female Alpha wolf, it seemed she was not able to get over the betrayal.

"No Val, I should be the one thinking that I’m not good enough for you. You are perfect just the way you are, and I will never look at another woman the way I look at you."

Alpha Denzel did not know how long they had to go around this, but he was ready to go on this journey with her, to build her trust in him once again.

Valerie felt guilty; she felt the need to explain. "I’m so sorry. Tristan..."

Denzel knew what she was about to say and cut her off. "Forget what Tristan did. He’s already paying the price for it. Please allow me to show you how much I love you, okay?"

He cupped her face in the palm of his hands, his honest gaze not leaving hers.

Valerie wrapped her arms around him. Why was she so worked up with little triggers?

She knew she had to work on it. Denzel’s happiness mattered to her, just as her happiness mattered to him.

"Okay, but you should eat, and Burke too. Oh, I ruined everything." Regret laced her voice once again, but Alpha Denzel only used it to his advantage.

"I will mindlink Burke to go eat, but as for me, I have my food right here." Valerie’s cheeks reddened instantly. It seemed she would not be able to escape tonight. "But..."