Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Your Turn
Freya
The Aspen Heights restaurant.
I smoothed down the crimson silk dress that hugged my curves as the maître d’ led me through the dimly lit restaurant. Artemis purred contentedly within me,enjoying the admiring glances from the other diners.
Silvano’s eyes darkened appreciatively as they traveled down my body,lingering on the plunging neckline that revealed just enough cleavage to be enticing without being inappropriate.
"You’re breathtaking," he murmured,taking my hand and bringing it to his lips. The simple gesture sent shivers down my spine as his wolf’s energy caressed mine.
"You clean up pretty well yourself,Alpha Moretti," I teased,taking in his tailored charcoal suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and powerful chest.
Silvano pulled out my chair,his fingers deliberately grazing the exposed skin of my back as I sat down. "After the day you’ve had,I thought you deserved something special," he said,nodding toward the bottle of vintage champagne already chilling in an ice bucket beside our table.
"News travels fast," I remarked,raising an eyebrow.
He grinned. "I have my sources. Heard you had quite the confrontation with Mia this morning."
"It was nothing I couldn’t handle," I replied,accepting a glass of champagne from him.
"I have no doubt about that." The pride in his voice made my wolf preen. "Still,I’d like to tear out Kane’s throat for letting his mate put her hands on you."
I laughed softly. "Get in line. Artemis wanted first crack at her."
Silvano leaned forward,his intense gaze capturing mine. "I meant what I said when I proposed,Freya. In Shadow Pack,you won’t be just the Alpha’s mate. You’ll be my equal in every way. My partner."
The stark contrast between his words and my years with Jasper made my chest tighten. "Careful,Silvano. You’re making promises a lot of Alphas wouldn’t keep once the mating bond is complete."
His expression turned serious,almost fierce. "I’m not like other Alphas."
"No," I agreed,holding his gaze. "You’re not."
"No," I agreed,holding his gaze. "You’re not."
Our waiter arrived with the first course,momentarily breaking the tension. As we sampled the exquisite food,Silvano kept finding reasons to touch me – his fingers brushing mine as he offered me a bite from his plate,his knee pressing against my thigh under the table,his thumb wiping a drop of sauce from the corner of my mouth.
"Tell me about your day," he prompted between courses. "The unfiltered version."
I hesitated. Most Alphas didn’t want to hear about their mate’s problems; they wanted to solve them or dismiss them.
"I want to know everything that bothers you," Silvano said,reading my hesitation correctly. "all of it."
So I told him – about Mia’s accusations,about Jasper’s strange dinner invitation,about the tension coiling through Silver Lake Pack as news of my departure spread.
Silvano listened intently,asking questions but never interrupting. When I finished,he reached across the table and took my hand.
"You know why Kane asked you to dinner,don’t you?" he asked,his thumb tracing circles on my palm.
"To discuss pack business," I said,though we both knew that wasn’t the whole truth.
Silvano’s eyes flashed,his wolf peeking through. "He’s finally realizing what he’s losing. What he threw away for a mate who doesn’t deserve him."
"It doesn’t matter," I said firmly. "I’ve made my choice."
"Have you?" Silvano challenged,his voice dropping to a husky timbre that made Artemis stir restlessly within me. "Because I need to know if there’s any part of you that’s still his,Freya. I want all of you – not just the parts Kane was too blind to claim."
The raw honesty in his voice caught me off guard. Most Alphas would demand,not ask. Would assume,not seek reassurance.
"Jasper had eight years to make me his," I said slowly. "He chose someone else. I’m not living in that shadow anymore."
Silvano’s expression softened with satisfaction. "Then let’s get out of here," he said,signaling for the check. "Because I’ve been thinking about peeling that dress off you since the moment you walked in."
Heat pooled low in my belly at his words,Artemis practically purring with anticipation. As Silvano paid the bill,his eyes never left mine,the intensity of his gaze making it clear exactly what he had planned for the rest of our evening.
The drive to Silvano’s penthouse was charged with electricity,his hand resting possessively on my thigh,occasionally sliding higher to tease the sensitive skin where the hem of my dress had ridden up. By the time we reached his building,my body was humming with need.
The elevator doors had barely closed before Silvano had me pressed against the wall,his mouth claiming mine in a kiss that was all dominance and hunger. I moaned against his lips,my hands clutching his shoulders as his tongue swept into my mouth,demanding a response I was all too eager to give.
"I’ve been thinking about this all day," he growled against my throat,his teeth grazing the sensitive spot where my pulse raced beneath my skin. "About making you forget every man who came before me."
"Big talk,Alpha," I challenged breathlessly,enjoying the flash of competitive desire in his eyes.
The elevator dinged as we reached the penthouse floor,and Silvano swept me into his arms,carrying me across the threshold as if I weighed nothing.
"You’re wearing too many clothes," he murmured,setting me down in his spacious bedroom. Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows,bathing everything in silver light.
"So are you," I countered,reaching for his tie and loosening it with practiced fingers.
Silvano’s hands found the zipper at the back of my dress,drawing it down with deliberate slowness. The silk whispered against my skin as it fell,pooling at my feet and leaving me in nothing but a black lace thong and matching stilettos.
"Fuck," he breathed,his eyes dilating as they took in my exposed breasts. "You’re perfect."
I felt powerful under his gaze,a sensation I’d rarely experienced in Jasper’s bed where our encounters had always been rushed,secretive things conducted in darkness and silence. Silvano made no effort to hide his appreciation,to stifle the growl of approval that rumbled from his chest.
"Your turn," I said,pushing his jacket off his broad shoulders and attacking the buttons of his shirt.