64 Chapter 64
64 Chapter 64
Seraphina’s POV 1
Caleb immediately shifted his attention from Damien’s death re to Ophelia, and his entire demeanor transformed. The polite but guarded expression he’d been wearing melted into genuine warmth as he stepped forward with that easy smile that had charmed half
the pack.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ophelia,” he said, offering his hand with old-fashioned courtesy. “Sera has told me so much about you during our drive. She’s incredibly lucky to have such a devoted friend.”
Ophelia practically glowed under the attention, her cheeks pinking with delight as she epted his handshake and held it just a beat
longer than strictly necessary.
“Has she now?” she said, her voice taking on that slightly breathless quality it got when she encountered an attractive male. “And here I
thought she was keeping all the good-looking men to herself. Though I can see why,” she added, ncing meaningfully at Damien before
turning back to Caleb with renewed interest. “You have the most incredible eyes.”
I watched in fascination as Caleb’s smile became even more genuine, crinkling the corners of those ice-colored eyes Ophelia was
admiring.
“You’re very kind,” he said with just the right amount of modest charm. “Though I have to say, yours are absolutely stunning. That shade
of brown is extraordinary.”
Damien made a sound that might have been a growl, but Caleb and Ophelia were too busy gazing at each other to notice. I could
practically see Ophelia melting under thepliment, her whole face lighting up with pleasure.
“Oh, you tter me,” she said, but she was clearly eating up every word. “Tell me, Caleb, what do you do up in the northern territories?
Besides rescuing damsels in distress and driving them safely home, of course.”
“I work in repair shop,” Caleb replied, his voice taking on an enthusiastic note as he spoke about something he clearly loved. “My family
has been stewarding the northern territories. It’s challenging work, but incredibly rewarding.”
That sounds fascinating,” Ophelia breathed, and I could tell she actually meant it. “You must be incredibly strong to do that kind of
physicalbor.”
I bit back a smile as I watched my best friend work her magic. Within minutes, she had Caleb describing his work with passionate
enthusiasm while she hung on his every word, asking intelligent questions and making appropriately impressed sounds at all the right
moments.
Meanwhile, Damien was standing beside me like a barely contained storm cloud, his jaw clenched so tight I was surprised his teeth didn’t
crack.
“So, Caleb said eventually, his gaze reluctantly leaving Ophelia to include the rest of us, “I hate to interrupt such lovelypany, but 1 should probably start thinking about finding a ce to stay for the night. I’ll need to head back north first thing in the morning.”
“You’re staying in the city overnight?” Ophelia asked, her disappointment clear in her voice.
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64 Chapter 64
“Just tonight,” Caleb confirmed with what looked like genuine regret. “I have meetings with suppliers first thing tomorrow morning
before I head home.”
That’s when the idea struck me. Caleb and his family had weed me into their home when I was a stranger in need. They’d fed me,
sheltered me, and helped me discover truths about my heritage that I might never have learned otherwise. The least I could do was
return the favor.
“Caleb,” I said, stepping forward before I could second-guess myself, “you should stay here tonight. It’s the least I can do after everything your family did for me up north.”
The effect was immediate and dramatic. Both Damien and Caleb spoke at exactly the same time, their voices ovepping in perfect synchronization:
“No.”
The unified rejection was so emphatic and so perfectly timed that it would have beenical under different circumstances. As it was, I
found myself staring at both men in confusion.
Caleb was the first to recover, his expression smoothing into polite refusal. “That’s very generous of you, Sera, but I wouldn’t want to
impose. You’ve already dealt with enough disruption, and I’m sure you just want to get back to your normal routine.”
His smile was warm and genuine, the kind that made it clear he truly didn’t want to be a burden. But beside him, Damien’s reaction was
entirely different. Where Caleb was politely declining, Damien looked like he was about thirty seconds away from bodily throwing his
perceived rival out the nearest window.
“Absolutely not,” Damien said, his voice carrying that dangerous alpha authority that made my wolf want to bare her throat in
submission. “If Caleb needs amodations, I’m sure there are plenty of hotels in the city.”
“But that’s so impersonal,” I protested, looking between them in bewilderment. “Caleb, your parents opened their home to me when I
was aplete stranger. Letting you sleep in our home for one night is nothingpared to that kindness.”
“If Caleb is staying,” Damien said, his silver-blue eyes never leaving the other man’s face, “then so am I.”
“Damien,” I said carefully, “my apartment is tiny. We can’t possibly fit everyone-”
“Then perhaps we should reconsider the entire arrangement,” he said smoothly, though I could hear the steel beneath his polite tone.
“I’m sure Caleb would be morefortable in a hotel,”
“Actually,” I said, warming to the idea despite the obviousplications, “it could work. Caleb could share Adrian’s room-there’s a trundle bed we never use. And Ophelia could stay with me in my room. It would be like a sleepover.”
“You know what, Damien said, his voice taking on a suspiciously reasonable tone that immediately put me on high alert, “if space is such an issue, why don’t I offer an alternative solution?”
He turned to Caleb with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, all sharp edges and dangerous charm.
“My house has six bedrooms and more guest space than I know what to do with,” he said with mock generosity. “Plenty of room for a weary traveler to stretch out and get a good night’s rest before his long journey home, I insist.”
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