Elena''s POV


    Shit! What in the world did 1 just say?


    I closed my eyes in embarrassment, hands discreetly pinching the side of my legs at how my reply to him ended up sounding more excited and desperate than what I was intending to show which was annoyed and frustrated.


    Without a doubt, his proposal was the best solution so far for this matter regarding marriage. Besides, every time I found a reason to reject him, he always managed to refutet and turn the tables in such a way that everything became favorable to us getting married.


    If it wasn''t obvious how much devoted he was to that one girl he loved, I would be feeling all over the moon right now. I don''t love him. I''m sure I didn''t.


    At least, not right now. But the attraction was there. And hopefully, I won''t be biting my own head off for agreeing to this marriage without room for divorce despite knowing had no room in his heart.


    The good thing was that we had talked about this marriage like a business matter, making everything clear to me right from the start and having those clear lines would keep me from thinking and acting in a rational matter. Hence, that attraction would etiehr always be just like that a mere attraction, or would even vanish in the long


    run.


    I heard a muffledugh beside me, and that''s when I jolted back to reality, realizing how stupid I probably looked right now.


    Looking up at him, I narrowed my eyes and hid my humiliation with a re and frown. "I... I can''t believe I just agreed to marry you."


    Grinning from ear to ear, he raised the refilled wine ss, its rim teasingly touching his soft lips. Pleasure radiated all over him, he nodded his head in affirmation to my words. "You did. And rather eas,y I must say."


    To add effect to his mocking, he raised his hand and looked at his wrist watch. "Not even half a day." Staring at me pointedly, he smirked, "I was expecting a bit more resistance."


    With that, as if to celebrate his victory, he took a sip of wine with his eyes not leaving mine and his smirk getting even bigger through the wine ss.


    Bitting the side of my cheek, I crossed my arms and stood up. Looking down at him, I sent him a sharp gaze. "Do you want me to take it back?"


    "Now, hey! Don''t y dirty." He rushed to put down the wine ss and stood up. Raising his hands up in mock surrender, he shook his head with determination. "Absolutely not! We''re now engaged. No take-backs."


    I couldn''t help but let out a chuckle from his actions. He looked like he was joking around and mocking, but there was something in his eyes that was filled with so much emotion and genuineness that I couldn''t help but feel like there was more to what he was saying.


    "Lucky for you, you got a lifetime to know whatever that is," Ava uttered,ing out of the dark as she went in a zoomies in my head, happy that we''re engaged again.


    He''s not our mate, but she likes teasing me, so here she was, being all giddy.


    Princess... Prince..." Zara came outside and greeted us. Standing on the side, she motioned inside, informing, " The lunch has been prepared in the dining.”


    "It''s already lunchtime?" I asked in surprise, but Deaconughed beside me, taking the opportunity to tease me


    further.


    "You mean, only lunch time?" he asked, emphasizing how he managed to make me agree so fast.


    Rolling my eyes, I walked past him and to the dining table.


    Right after the servants served us drinks and left, Deacon grabbed his utensils as did I. While cutting his steak, he gave me nces as he seriously spoke, "But now that we''re engaged, we should set some rules. It''s after all, a marriage for convenience."


    "Fair enough. Now, we''re talking properly," Imented as serious as he was.


    Being clear with each other and knowing what our roles were would be helpful for us to live in a harmonious


    manner.


    In the middle of the meal, we kept brainstorming andying our cards on the table, establishing boundaries that would affect both our personal and business lives.


    Wiping his lips with the towel napkin after taking hisst bite of steak, he concluded, "So, that''s it. I''ll take care of external matters, which meant military, politics, and anything beyond our residence. While you''ll handle all the pack matters."


    I raised an eyebrow and acted offended. "So, I''m in charge of making sure the house doesn''t burn down?"


    Smirking, he nodded his head. "Essentially. Though, given your track record on the battlefield, I''d be more worried about it burning down because of you."


    "Excuse me?" I asked, dramatically cing a hand over my chest.


    He shook his head in amusement, but then his smile vanished when something seemingly crossed his mind. "I have to warn you, though. My mom and cousin are currently in my residence, and they might stay to lie with us."


    "And..." I said in a hanging manner, feeling like there was more to what he wanted to say.


    Cautiously, he continued, "And... they can be quite... Well... He shrugged. "Challenging."


    +25 BOXES