Chapter 322: Being Happy
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Chapter 322
~Valerie’s POV~
Before us lay a hidden spring, clear, rippling water cradled in smooth rocks, with sunlight breaking across its surface in molten gold patterns.
The air here carried the faint, calming scent of water lilies.
I inhaled deeply, feeling an odd peace settle over me.
Ace came up behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist in a gentle, unhurried hug. "This is my space," he murmured against my hair, "where I come to breathe when everything feels too loud."
I held my breath and let him do what he wanted.
Astra was also a constant reminder in my head that I needed this kind of calm, the type that the Lycans brought.
I wrapped my arms around his and let the moment pass.
After some time, Ace pulled away, gave that apologetic smile and stood beside me. Instinctively, I reached for his hand in mine.
"Who owns this mansion?" I asked out fo the blue.
Ace reached up, scratching the back of his hair as his lips pulled back in such child-like smile that warmed the heart.
"Mine."
"Yours? And not your family’s?"
"My family has estates in all five regions, but this one was built for me by Mum. It’s our little secret getaway."
I was speechless beyond words.
Ace went on to explain how his mother had made him and Ash pick a region, and they did, then she offered them the houses as their birthday gifts when they turned sixteen.
The only other person who could visit here at will was his mother.
"Hey, enough of all this talk, it makes it seem like I’m bragging to you. I brought you ere to have a nice time and take your mind off everything."
I tucked my ear behind my ear and looked at the morning sun first, before looking at him.
"Is this like a date?"
Ace did not say much, but he intertwined my hand in his and pulled me closer so I was standing facing him.
"My love, would you honour me by going out on a date with me?"
A giggle tore through my lips as I lowered my head. "You’re not proposing Ace."
"If I were, I’d be on one knee. But I’m not." I nodded. "Yet. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want you to be my better half in the future."
"And my other mates?"
"I’ve been born to share. I get jealous, but I think I can handle them. Who knows, you may grow tired of them and choose to be with me forever."
I couldn’t help the laughter that tore through my mouth. He was funny without even trying so much to please me.
Ace’s thumb brushed lightly over my knuckles, the warmth of his touch seeping deeper than I wanted to admit.
"You laugh like sunlight," he murmured suddenly. "I could spend hours just trying to make you do it again."
Heat pooled in my cheeks, and I looked away, suddenly too aware of how close we stood.
His hand lifted, fingertips skimming my jaw before tracing the outline of my lips with an almost reverent slowness.
"You don’t know what you do to me, Valerie," he whispered, as if the words were meant for the air between us alone.
"You make it very hard for a man to keep his hands to himself," he said softly, brushing his knuckles over my lower lip.
I didn’t trust my voice, so I stayed quiet, my heart doing an odd little sprint in my chest.
I should’ve stepped back. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to move on, not entirely.
I should’ve reminded myself that rushing into something new wasn’t wise. But when his impossibly tender gaze locked with mine, my resolve crumbled and all my reservations loosened.
So when Ace leaned in again and his lips pressed to mine, I didn’t stop him.
It wasn’t rushed. He didn’t consume me, he coaxed me.
Every stroke of his lips was slow, like he was memorising the shape of my lips.
I could feel the restraint in the way he held me, his hunger fighting to spiral, yet he refused to take more than I was ready to give.
It was almost more intoxicating than any heated kiss could have been.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were smouldering, and I could feel the heat of his desire even in the cool morning air. "Come on," he murmured, still holding my hand as he nodded toward the sparkling water.
"Would you like a dip in the lake? Or the swimming pool?"
I blinked at him. "Neither. I didn’t bring a change of clothes."
The corner of his mouth lifted, that princely mischief glinting through. "Then I’ll fix that. I’ll have a few outfits sent here from the boutique. Your size, your style. All you have to do is relax and enjoy today."
It was ridiculous—over the top even—but the sincerity in his tone made it impossible to roll my eyes.
For once, I let myself just smile. "You’re impossible."
"And yet," he said, brushing a strand of hair from my face, "you’re still here."
I shook my head but let him tug me toward the spring. The water was clearer up close, rippling like glass under the sunlight.
"Race you," he said suddenly.
Before I could answer, he tossed most of his clothes away and dove in, the splash soaking the hem of my jeans.
I gasped, laughing despite myself, and quickly kicked off my shoes, jeans and hoodie before sliding in after him.
The cold bite of the water made me squeal, but Ace’s boyish grin was worth it.
"You’re slow," he teased, darting away from me with a quick kick.
"Oh, you’re going to regret that."
I chased him, splashing water at his back until he turned sharply, catching me around the waist.
We laughed like children, the water lapping around us, the rest of the world blissfully far away.
By the time we finally climbed out, dripping and breathless, my cheeks ached from smiling.
Ace took my hand as we gathered our clothes and led me inside.
Inside the mansion, Ace walked me to his bedroom—a massive space with a bed big enough to swallow me whole and tall windows spilling light over polished wood floors.
"Shower’s through there," he said, nodding toward a sleek en suite bathroom. "Take your time. I’ll have the clothes waiting when you’re done."
The warm water cascaded over my skin, washing away the chill of the spring. For the first time since this morning, I felt... happy.
Steam curled around me as I stepped out of the shower, wrapping the thick towel around my body.
My damp hair clung to my shoulders, droplets trailing down my spine. The bathroom door creaked open just enough for the cooler air from the bedroom to touch my skin.
Ace was leaning casually against the edge of his desk at a corner of the room, arms folded, but his eyes... they were anything but casual.
They swept over me in one slow pass that made my toes curl against the plush rug.
"I was starting to think you drowned in there," he teased, though his voice was laced with something far more dangerous than humour.
I tilted my head, lips tugging up. "And if I had?"
He pushed away from the desk and crossed the space between us in five easy strides. "Then I’d have been forced to save you. And you’d owe me... badly."
His fingers brushed my damp hair back from my face, lingering against my cheek before trailing down my jaw.
The towel suddenly felt like the only barrier between us, and Ace’s proximity made me acutely aware of how thin that barrier was.
"You look..." he paused, his thumb grazing my collarbone, "better than I imagined in only a towel. No wonder everyone’s crazy about you."
Heat bloomed low in my stomach, and I had to bite back a smile. "And here I thought you didn’t imagine me at all."
"Oh, I do, my love." He grinned. "Probably more than I should."
The tension stretched when I couldn’t respond, until he finally stepped back, handing me the new clothes he’d ordered.
There were some I liked that he told his butler to keep in his car for me before saying, "Get dressed. We’ll be late for school."
By the time we were in his car heading back to PSA, Ace sat close enough that his arm brushed mine now and then as he drove, and I was all smiles.
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~Author’s POV~
The black gates of the mansion slid open as a sleek pearl-white limousine glided into the courtyard.
The driver stopped before the grand staircase, and a liveried footman was already hurrying to open the rear door.
The butler, a dignified man in his early fifties, stepped forward the moment the first slender leg in a jewel-toned heel appeared.
When the woman emerged, he bowed deeply, keeping his voice formal.
"Welcome, Your Majesty."
The Queen inclined her head, her flawless posture radiating authority. She inhaled subtly, her gaze sweeping the courtyard before settling on the butler with a faint, knowing smile.
"My son’s here." Her tone was soft but tinged with amusement. "He came with someone. And for him to do that... she must be special."
The butler’s head lowered further. "Apologies, Your Majesty, but His Highness Prince Ace has already returned to school with his visitor."
One perfectly arched brow lifted. The Queen’s hand rose slightly as though to gesture, then paused mid-air. "Was she beautiful? Did they look like they had a connection?"
The butler’s lips curved in a small, respectful smile. "Yes, My Queen."
Her smirk deepened, the glint in her eyes unmistakable. "Good." She stepped forward and added, "Arrange a surprise visit for me to see my sons at their school soon, before my return."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."