Fated to the Alpha Who Killed Me (by Sherry) novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon when I finally exited the sanctuary. I was halfway to my bike when a figure stepped out from the shadows of a large oak tree, blocking my path.

Evan Thorne was dressed in casual dark clothes, his expression clinical and unyielding. He looked at me with sharp green eyes, analyzing me like a specimen under a microscope.

“Why did you send it?” he asked, his voice low and demanding.

I didn’t need to ask what he meant. The photo. Daemon on his knees, looking at Celeste as if she were the

only star in the sky.

I looked at Evan’s serious, uncomprehending face. God, you are slow, I thought. In the life I left behind, you fell for her too, Evan. You just don’t know it yet.

I yanked my wrist free.

“Nothing,” I said lightly. “Just thought I’d share what your best friend is up to.”

I want you to watch, I added silently, studying his confused expression. I want you to witness every step of

their great romance. I want you to see it happen.

Evan frowned, his brows knitting together in genuine confusion. “I don’t understand you, Violet.”

“You don’t have to.”

I straddled the bike and kicked the stand up. I ignited the engine, the roar drowning out the silence

between us.

***

The following week was a blur of logistics as I threw myself into helping Lily plan her party. I micromanaged catering lists and decoration themes. Daemon hadn’t returned for days. I told myself he was with her, wooing Celeste and breaking down her defenses just as Lucian had suggested.

14:01 Mon, Jun 8

Chapter 41

On the evening before Lily’s party, I sat alone at the long mahogany dining table, picking at a salad. The house was quiet, the servants having retreated to their quarters hours ago.

Then, the front door opened.

The heavy footsteps were unmistakable as Daemon strode into the dining room. He brought with him a gust of cold night air and the scent of rain and exhaustion. He didn’t smell like jasmine or vanilla; he smelled of old paper, ozone, and the metallic tang of long–distance travel. He looked ragged, his jaw shadowed with stubble and his eyes underscored by dark circles.

He hadn’t been with Celeste; he had been working.

My heart gave a traitorous little jump, which I immediately ruthlessly crushed. He tossed his keys onto the sideboard and loosened his tie, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that pinned me to my chair.

“You’re back,” I said, stating the obvious. “I assumed you were… occupied.”

“Border disputes in the north,” he said, his voice raspy. “Father couldn’t handle the negotiations.”

He walked to the table, pulling out the chair at the head directly opposite me. He didn’t sit immediately, instead leaning his hands on the table and looming over the wood.

“I saw the invitation from the Price family,” he said, breaking the silence.

I didn’t look up from my plate, keeping my tone casual. “Yes. Lily is celebrating her upcoming bonding ceremony. It’s going to be loud, chaotic, and full of people you find annoying.”

“I cleared my schedule,” he stated flatly.

I froze, my fork hovering halfway to my mouth. I looked up, genuine shock cracking my mask. “What?”

“The party. Tomorrow night. I’m going.”

He’s coming?

The thought refused to compute. Lily had sent that invitation to his office purely out of protocol. She knew, just as everyone else did, that Daemon Blackwood and I lived in separate orbits. Our social circles never mixed. While everyone knew each other, his group of arrogant elites and my circle of friends were

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14:01 Mon, Jun 8

Chapter 41

like oil and water–they barely tolerated being in the same room, let alone partying together. In my previous life, that invitation had gone straight into his shredder without a second glance.

“Why?” he asked, his voice cutting through my stunned silence. “Is there a problem?”

I realized I was staring at him, my fork suspended in mid–air.

“No,” I lied, forcing my shoulders to relax. I stood up abruptly, abandoning my unfinished meal. “No problem at all. I’m full.”

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I turned and hurried toward the stairs, feeling his gaze burning into my back like a brand.

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