Dumped Omega? Now Their Alpha King Begs at My Feet novel Chapter 60

Valerie's POV

I followed him through the tall glass doors and out onto a wide stone balcony.

The air was cool and clean. We were very high up, and below us, the mountains fell away into a deep, dark valley. The sky was clear and filled with stars.

We stood there for a moment without speaking, just looking out at the view. The silence wasn't awkward. It was comfortable.

He leaned against the stone railing, looking out at the valley. He wasn't looking at me, but I could feel his presence beside me, solid and warm in the cool night.

"My grandfather used to bring me up here when I was a boy," he said, his voice a low rumble that didn't disturb the quiet. "He said that if you want to lead, you need to remember how small you are."

I looked from the stars back to him. "Is that what you see?"

He turned his head, his dark eyes meeting mine. "No. I see territory. And all the threats that lie beyond it."

He held my gaze for a long moment, then he looked up at the sky and gave a single, almost unnoticeable nod.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then, a bright red light shot up into the sky from the valley below. It climbed higher and higher, then burst, completely silent. It spread out into a huge circle of red sparks, lighting up the entire mountain peak.

My breath caught in my throat. I let out a small, involuntary gasp.

He wasn't looking at me like an Alpha assessing an ally. He wasn't looking at a future mate. He was just… looking at me.

The last firework, a massive burst of pure gold, faded from the sky. The final sparks drifted down toward the valley and disappeared.

The silence that followed was absolute.

He pushed himself off the railing and turned to face me fully.

He took a slow, deliberate step closer, closing the small space between us.