He knew...
Desmond was well aware of my growing irritation with Hazel's presence since the day I arrived in his pack. I felt uneasy seeing her stick so closely to him, especially given that I hadn't fully accepted him as my mate.
"What business does she have here, cinnamon?" I inquired as I poured him some tea into his cup. Even though I knew she was following proper etiquette, I wanted to hear the details from Desmond himself.
After I bestowed him his tea, Desmond guided my waist to have me sit on his lap before he wrapped his arms around my waist causing my heart to race rapidly. Especially when I came to smell his alluring scent of the combination of citrus, orange, and cedarwood. He smelled exotic to me. And I found it attractive.
He planted a soft kiss on my shoulder before he answered, "She greeted me and mentioned that she would stay at Harvey's manor for two weeks. She expressed her excitement about seeing me." His response was hesitant.
I glared at him, narrowing my eyes. His eyes widened in response to my darkened expression.
"S-Seraphim, I'm only relaying what she told me. I'm being honest," he insisted, raising both his hands in a defensive gesture.
Since he didn't block his feelings, I could sense his genuine concern and the trouble he was going through to convince me that he was telling the truth.
"Are you certain?" I inquired, my frown lingering.
He nodded. "I swear on the name of the Moon Goddess."
I remained silent, continuing to glare at him, though he was beginning to grow annoyed—not with me, but with the situation. It wasn't the first time we had misunderstood each other due to Hazel's presence.
"I—"
"Forgiven," I interrupted before he could say anything that might sour our mood for the day.
Desmond frowned, but his expression softened as soon as I buried my face in the crook of his neck. I felt his hands caressing my back as I purred softly under his touch.
"Cinnamon, if she ever crosses the line with you again, I swear I will take action against her," I teased, provoking Desmond before I gave him a flying kiss, making him frown even more.
"Seraphina!"
I laughed after Desmond called my name when I was in the hallway.
I finished my Luna duties before heading to our study room. Desmond and I had separate study rooms; he initially wanted us to share one, but I preferred having our own. He disagreed at first but eventually conceded.
I decided to retire to the courtyard and saw my husband having a great time playing with the offspring of our pack members. I smiled gently as I watched him laugh and chase the young ones around.
Desmond hadn't been fond of kids before, but that changed when we met. He used to be harsh, enlisting even the youngest members into military drafts, until I spoke up and made it clear that I wouldn't accept him as my mate unless he changed his ways.
He did change—for me. He slowly fell in love with playing with the pups in our pack after we got married. I could already envision Desmond being a loving father to our future pups. I bit my lower lip, feeling a pang of longing.
"What's been bothering you, seraphim? You've been sighing quite a bit," Desmond asked as he approached me.
I snapped back and gasped when he placed his hands on my shoulders, looking at me through the mirror. We had just finished our evening meal and had retired to our chambers.
I stopped combing my hair and forced a smile. "I saw you enjoying your time with the pack members' pups. Don't you ever feel a tinge of envy that we haven't had a pup yet?" I asked, sighing.
Desmond cupped my face and gazed at me, concerned. "Seraphina—"
"We've been married for five years now, Desmond. Is there something wrong with me that we haven't conceived a pup?" I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "I know that you want a pup just as much as I do..."
He hugged me tightly. "Seraphim, you know I'm not pressuring you to have a pup. You know that, right?" he asked gently, and I nodded. "I'm telling the truth. You can sense my feelings." I nodded.
He was right. He hadn't been making an issue out of our childlessness.
"Do you never feel envious at all?" I asked, sitting in his lap as he sat on the bed. "Do you never wish we were already a family?"
Desmond smiled and leaned his forehead against mine. "Why should I feel envious when I have you?" He tightened his embrace. "I have you, Seraphina. We are still a family."
I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "But we are husband and wife. Family implies the presence of a pup," I countered, sighing.
He compelled me to look into his eyes by gently lifting my chin. His expression softened even more. "Seraphim, we are still a family, even if it's just the two of us as husband and wife. Perhaps, this isn't the right time for us to have a pup."
"What if there's never a right time? What if the Moon Goddess hasn't blessed us with a pup?" I asked, my voice quivering.
"Then, it's not a problem. We can have Daniel trained to be the next Alpha," he suggested, referring to his nephew, the son of his younger brother, Declan. I snapped back when he playfully pinched my flank. "We can still live happily, Seraphina. Just as I promised."
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I hugged him tightly.
I had accused him of infidelity, thinking he had slept with another woman because he wanted to have a pup. It was all due to the aphrodisiac's influence, which nearly caused our mate bond to crumble. I thought I couldn't trust Desmond anymore, but I was mistaken.
After we made love that night, Desmond whispered in my ear, "I made Count Urba suffer for almost ruining my marriage with you."
I stiffened, my eyes widening. "You didn't," I said in disbelief.
His expression darkened, and he sighed. "What happened between us... We almost fell apart, seraphim. Rest assured, I spared his life. I doubt we'll cross paths again."
I furrowed my brow. "You spared him?"
"Almost," he shrugged, smiling darkly.
I didn't say anything, but secretly, I felt relieved. It seemed that Desmond had given Count Urba a lesson he wouldn't forget, and I wasn't complaining.
"All right," I said, snuggling closer to him. "Let's go to sleep now. Tomorrow is the harvest season."
"Hmm." Desmond nodded and smiled before he kissed my forehead. "Good night, seraphim."
I kissed his jaw and inhaled his alluring scent. "Good night, cinnamon."