The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter

Chapter 269: A Wonderful Day Ruined

Jacob~

Tiger and I just sat in the dark for what felt like forever. The silence between us was heavy, like it had centuries of unspoken words packed into it. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, staring down at the dark wooden floor. My head was a mess – thoughts swirling around like a freaking hurricane, each one crashing harder than the last.

Finally, Tiger exhaled softly, like the rustle of old branches. He rose to his feet in one smooth, quiet motion. I looked up at him, pulled from my turmoil by his presence. His golden-brown hair seemed to glow in the dim lamp light of my living room, his eyes calm and knowing as always.

"I have business with the wood fairies," he rumbled, stretching out his broad shoulders like a big cat uncurling. "But... think about what I said, Jacob. Think deeply."

I swallowed hard and nodded, trying to put steel in my spine even though I felt like I was shaking apart on the inside. "I will," I said, my voice low and gruff. "Thank you, brother... for your wisdom... and your love."

Tiger’s lips curved slightly – the closest thing to a smile he ever gave. Before he turned to go, he paused, his gaze flicking sideways. Then he snapped his fingers.

A small crackle of light flickered in the air, and suddenly, a fat orange-and-white tabby cat appeared on the rug before us, blinking its round blue eyes in sleepy confusion. Its tail flicked once, annoyed at being summoned from wherever it had been napping. My heart clenched instantly.

Donut.

Easter’s cat.

Tiger looked at me meaningfully. "He keeps asking for her," he said in his quiet baritone. "Give him back to her, Jacob. He misses her."

I stared down at Donut as he waddled over to my foot and began pawing my shoelace, his soft mewl pulling something tight and painful in my chest.

I had made Easter forget Donut too when I erased her memories... It hadn’t even crossed my mind how it would affect him. The guilt was a heavy rock dropping into my gut.

"I... I’ll find a way to return him," I murmured, bending down to scratch behind Donut’s ears. He pressed his head eagerly into my palm, purring loud and deep like a tiny motorboat.

Tiger simply nodded, his hair catching the lamplight like molten bronze. Then he flickered out of existence with a whisper of leaves and earth-scent, leaving the room emptier than before.

The next morning dawned clear and quiet, the early sun brushing gold across my living room ceiling. I spent most of it pacing back and forth, my stomach knotted, until finally I heard the soft jingle of keys outside.

I moved to the window and peered through the blinds.

There she was.

Easter stepped out of her front door across the street, with Rose toddling at her side. She wore a simple blue sundress that floated around her knees and made her hair look even wilder and darker in contrast. The morning breeze caught the curls around her face, lifting them slightly. She tucked one stubborn strand behind her ear and glanced down at Rose with a small smile.

My chest burned just seeing that smile. Seeing her alive. Safe. Free.

She was about to walk down the pathway when I grabbed my car keys and walked out of my house, pretending I needed something from my car parked on the curb. The moment I stepped out, the morning air hit me – crisp, tinged with distant honeysuckle – but what really woke me up was the sight of Easter looking up and freezing when she saw me.

Her emerald eyes widened slightly. Her lips parted, like she’d forgotten how to breathe. I saw the way her delicate throat worked as she swallowed quickly, her cheeks going pink. The knowledge that I could affect her like that... it always did something dangerous to me. Something hungry and wild.

"Daddy, Jacob!" a small voice squealed.

Before Easter could blink again, Rose yanked her tiny hand free of her mother’s grip and sprinted across the street, her pink sandals slapping against the pavement.

"Rose!" Easter called in alarm.

But I was already moving. I reached her before she even reached the middle of the road, scooping her up with ease. She giggled as I lifted her high and then settled her against my hip, where she clung to my shirt with both hands and beamed at me.

"Morning, little blossom," I chuckled, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her hair smelled like strawberry shampoo.

"Morning, Daddy," she whispered back softly so only I could hear.

Easter approached us cautiously, a shy smile tugging at her lips, though I could see her fingers fidgeting with the strap of her purse. Her gaze kept flicking from Rose to me, then away again, her blush deepening by the second.

"Sorry about her," she murmured, clearing her throat. "She really likes you... I don’t know why."

I smiled down at Rose who was playing with the collar of my shirt, then back at Easter. "It’s fine. I like her too."

And you. Gods, I like you too.

I could sense the flutter in her belly, like the baby inside her was squirming happily to be close to me. My chest tightened painfully with yearning.

Before she could say anything else, I spoke. "I’m sorry about yesterday," I said, my voice low. "You promised to show me around, and I didn’t show up... Something important came up last minute, and I couldn’t dodge it."

She shook her head quickly, her curls bouncing. "No, it’s okay! Really. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t... waiting or anything," she finished lamely, her fingers twisting tighter around her purse strap.

She was lying. I could hear it in her quickened heartbeat. She had been waiting. Hoping. That knowledge felt like sunlight pouring into a cold place inside me.

Then to my surprise, she cleared her throat and asked, "Um... Are you... free today? I only need to drop Rose off at school. I don’t have any classes."

For a second, I could only stare at her. My pulse thundered in my ears.

She was asking me to spend the day with her.

My lips curved into a smile I couldn’t hold back. "Yeah. I’m free," I said softly. Then I shifted Rose higher in my arms and added, "Actually... why don’t I come with you? I can drive you both to Rose’s school."

Easter blinked, stunned, before she nodded shyly. "Okay... if you’re sure."

"I’m sure."

Dropping Rose off was a whirlwind of pink backpacks, small hugs, and squealed goodbyes. Easter stood by the classroom door, waving until her daughter disappeared into the sea of other toddlers. When she turned back to me, her face looked small and uncertain.

"So... what now?" she asked.

I didn’t hesitate. "Now," I said, brushing a stray curl from her cheek with my knuckle, "you’re going to help me fix my house."

"Fix your house?" she repeated, blinking.

I chuckled. "I just moved in, remember? My fridge is empty. I haven’t bought towels or plates or... anything, really. I need a lady’s touch to help me choose. What do you say?"

Her entire face lit up like sunrise. "Yes! Oh my gosh, yes. I’d love to."

We ended up spending hours at the supermarket. She walked beside me down every aisle, picking up plates to examine the designs, feeling towel textures against her cheek to test their softness, holding up forks and spoons to judge their weight in her palm.

At one point, I caught her staring longingly at a set of porcelain mugs painted with delicate blue wildflowers.

"You like them?" I asked, stepping closer behind her.noveldrama

She jumped a little, then nodded shyly. "They’re... beautiful. But too expensive."

I placed them in the cart without a word. She protested, but I only smiled at her. "I want my house to feel like home. Those mugs will help."

People in the supermarket kept glancing at us with smiles. Some of them even said, "You two make such a beautiful couple."

Easter’s cheeks burned bright pink every time. "Oh, um... we’re not... he’s not..." she stammered, but I never corrected them. I just smiled and gently placed my hand on the small of her back to guide her through crowded aisles.

It felt right.

So right it scared me.

After a while, I noticed she was rubbing her lower back, her shoulders drooping with exhaustion. "Sit down," I ordered softly, leading her to a small bench near the bakery section.

"I’m fine—"

"Sit, Easter."

She did as I said, her cheeks turning pink. I handed her a giant brown teddy bear I had bought in secret because its big green eyes reminded me of hers. Her expression melted as soon as she saw it, and she immediately hugged it close, squeezing it like she never wanted to let go. I told her I’d be back in a minute, then headed off to grab her some fresh mango juice and a warm cinnamon pastry

It couldn’t have been more than two minutes, but when I returned, everything in me went still.

A man was sitting beside her. Tall. Handsome in an arrogant way. Dark brown hair, perfect jawline, wearing an expensive watch. He was leaning forward, smiling at her like she was something he already owned.

Then I heard her say his name softly.

"Brandon...what are you doing here?"

My jaws clenched.

The world tilted sideways.

I watched as he reached out to tuck a curl behind her ear, his touch lingering just a moment too long, and something primal and possessive and devastating roared to life inside me, rattling every bone in my body.

Brandon.

The other man.

The man fated to her.

The mango juice bottle in my grip crinkled under my tightening fingers. For the first time in centuries, fear and rage and pain burned all together so brightly that I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

The only thing I knew was that Easter was looking up at him with wide green eyes, and he was looking down at her like she already belonged to him.

And I... I was standing there frozen, feeling my entire world begin to crumble around me.