The Messenge (Iva and Nick) novel Chapter 446

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Breakfast

Na had always believed that the most dangerous thing about a man was his ability to make

promises he had no intention of keeping.

Caleb Adama, however, was proving to be dangerous in an entirely different way.

He was making her breakfast.

And not just any breakfast.

Standing in the penthouse kitchen, wearing a dark T-shirt with the sleeves pushed up his muscular forearms, the future king of the Lycans was arranging sliced strawberries, blueberries, and pieces of mango on a plate as though preparing a royal banquet. A pan rested on the stove, the smell of warm pancakes filling the air, while two cups of freshly brewed coffee stood beside a small bow!

of honey.

Iva remained in the doorway, watching him with growing disbelief.

She had expected to wake up to awkwardness after their heated moments from the previous night, perhaps a polite greeting and another round of confusing questions and probing about their bond. Instead, she had found Caleb moving around the kitchen with an ease that suggested he

had done this countless times before.

How did he know that she preferred her coffee with a little milk.

How was that possible?

“Are you planning to stand there all morning?” he asked without turning around.

Iva blinked.

“How did you know I was here?”

A quiet laugh escaped him as he transferred the pancakes onto a plate.

“I have excellent hearing.”

“Of course you do.”

“And an excellent sense of smell.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Are you saying I smell?”

Caleb finally turned, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.

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S Breakfast

“And who decides when it’s necessary?”

“do.”

She rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.

Caleb leaned back in his chair, looking entirely pleased with himself.

“Good. You’re smiling. I was beginning to worry that I had forgotten how to make you do that

The words slipped out so naturally that neither of them immediately reacted.

Then Caleb’s expression changed for the briefest moment, as though he had almost said something he hadn’t intended to reveal.

Iva noticed.

!

She was beginning to realise that beneath his teasing manner lay a complicated.

Before she could ask about it, he pushed the fruit bowl towards her.

“Have some more of these, too.”

She glanced down at the strawberries.

“Caleb, I have enough food to feed an entire pack.”

“You need your strength.”

“For what?”

He lifted his coffee cup, hiding the beginnings of a smile.

“Being a Messenger is apparently demanding work.”

Iva gave him a suspicious look.

“Apparently?”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

“From whom?”

“Very reliable sources.”

She studied him for another second before the meaning of his words suddenly caught up with her.

Her eyes widened.

“Caleb!”

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< Breakfast

He burst out laughing.

The sound was so genuine, so unexpectedly boyish, that Iva could only stare at him in disbelief.

“You are absolutely shameless,” she declared, her cheeks burning.

“I haven’t done anything!”

“You know exactly what you meant.”

“I suggested you eat fruit. Is that a crime?”

“You-”

She stopped, unable to find a suitable response while he continued smiling at her with the infuriating confidence of a man who knew precisely how much he was affecting her.

“Eat your breakfast, sweetheart,” he said again, his voice softening. “Please.”

That final word disarmed her more effectively than any teasing could have.

Iva lowered her gaze and picked up a strawberry.

“You’re enjoying this far too much.”

“Perhaps.”

“And you’re still impossible.”

“Yet here you are, having breakfast with me.”

She tried not to smile.

She failed.

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For a little while, they ate in comfortable conversation. Caleb asked about her favourite foods, her childhood, and the things she enjoyed doing when she wasn’t training or dealing with the strange responsibilities that came with being the Messenger.

He listened to her answers with an attentiveness that made her feel strangely important, never

interrupting, never dismissing her opinions, and occasionally asking questions that revealed he

wanted to understand more than the surface of what she was saying.

It was a small thing, perhaps.

But Iva had known enough people who listened only until they could speak again to recognise the

difference.

When they finished, Caleb collected the plates despite her protest that she could help. He rinsed

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them, placed them beside the sink, and returned to the island.

The warmth in his expression remained, but something in his posture had changed.

He sat down opposite her and folded his hands on the table.

“Iva, there’s something we need to discuss.”

She straightened immediately.

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His voice had become more serious, and the playful man who had teased her about strawberries seemed to have stepped aside for someone accustomed to carrying difficult responsibilities.

“All right.”

Caleb took a moment to choose his words.

“I want you to meet my family.”

Iva stared at him.

“Your family?”

“My parents.”

She blinked several times.

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