Agnes

I stood outside Elijah’s office door the next morning, taking a deep breath before knocking lightly. The muffled sounds of conversation ceased, and his deep voice called out, “Come in.”

Pushing the door open, I found him seated behind his massive mahogany desk, papers strewn about. He looked up, a hint of surprise flickering across his features. I never walked into his office, especially not out of nowhere during work hours. “Agnes, is everything alright?”

“Yes,” I replied, stepping inside. “I was hoping to take some personal time today. I thought I might go shopping at the mall.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Shopping?”

I nodded. “Yes. I need a few things, and I thought it would be nice to get out for a bit.”

Elijah leaned back in his chair, considering for a moment. “Of course. Take as much time as you need. I’ll have the driver take you.”

“Thank you,” I said, relieved. “I appreciate it.”

He offered a small smile. “Enjoy your day.”

As I turned to leave, I hesitated. “Actually, would it be alright if I went alone? I was hoping for some... personal time.”

His expression hardened slightly. “Agnes, you’re my Luna now, which means it’s not safe for you to be out without an escort. The driver stays. I’m sorry.”

My heart sank a little, but I forced a smile. “I understand,” I said, not wanting him to become too suspicious of what I was really planning on doing today.

“Be careful,” he added, his gaze softening just a fraction.

“I will,” I assured him before slipping out of the room.

A little while later, the car pulled up to the bustling shopping center downtown, and the driver opened the door for me.

“I’ll be waiting right here, Luna,” he said with a nod.

“Thank you, Thomas,” I replied, stepping onto the sidewalk and heading into the mall. Thankfully, Elijah hadn’t insisted on a bodyguard following me inside, so that was a relief.

As soon as I was out of sight, I beelined through the mall and made my way toward one of the back entrances. I slipped back out onto the sunny sidewalk, checking in both directions before I hurried in the direction of the DNA testing center a few blocks away.

It didn’t take long for me to find it, since I had been there before. I made my way inside without a hitch, clutching my purse—which contained the hair samples I had taken from Thea’s hairbrush last night—to my chest.

“Good morning,” the receptionist greeted with a warm smile. “How can I help you today?”

“I’d like to drop off a sample for testing,” I said quietly, reaching into my purse and sliding the envelope containing Thea’s hair across the counter.

The receptionist took the sample and my information. Her brow furrowed as she looked at her computer screen. “It says here you already completed a test just last week,” she said, confused. “Is this a new sample, or…?”

I swallowed hard. “I, uh… I wanted a second test performed,” I replied.

The receptionist eyed me for a moment, realizing who I was. By now, people around the pack were beginning to recognize me as well as Thea. The new Luna, performing a DNA test not once, but twice to find out if the Alpha’s daughter was biologically hers. It was certainly going to raise some eyebrows.

But I held her gaze, recalling one of my Luna lessons with Elijah. He had made it clear that I never had to explain myself, especially not to people like her.

Finally, the receptionist nodded and typed something into her keyboard. When she was finished, she looked back up at me with a smile. “The sample will be tested and your results will be ready within a few days, Luna.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, grabbing my purse and leaving.

As I slipped back out onto the sunlit street, my shoulders felt a little lighter. If Thea was my daughter and the first test had just been a fluke, then this would provide so many answers. And not just when it came to her.

Was it possible… that Elijah was the man I had slept with all those years ago?

The thought made my heart pound for reasons I wasn’t quite willing to admit. But I pushed those thoughts away, instead focusing on the present.

Retracing my steps, I headed back toward the shopping center and made my way inside. There was nothing I really wanted, but to maintain appearances, I decided to purchase something anyway. Spotting a pretzel kiosk near the entrance, I joined the short line.

“One salted pretzel, please,” I ordered when it was my turn.

As the vendor prepared my order, my gaze drifted to a nearby stand displaying an assortment of books and trinkets. Without much thought, I picked up a book with a colorful cover and added it to my purchase, just to make my little shopping trip more believable. I didn’t look at the title, and barely even glanced at the cover. I didn’t read much these days, anyway.

“Have a great day,” the vendor said, handing me the pretzel and my bag.

“Thank you,” I replied, clutching the items as I made my way back to where the driver was parked on the street. I took a big bite of my pretzel, savoring the salty taste. A little treat like this was welcome after everything, to be honest.

But as I approached the car, I nearly dropped my pretzel on the sidewalk. There, leaning casually against the sleek black vehicle, was Elijah. He was engaged in conversation with Thomas, his expression relaxed and his arms folded.

“Elijah?” I blurted out, my heart hammering in my chest. Did he follow me, I wondered? Did he know that I went to the DNA testing center?

Elijah turned at the sound of my voice. “Agnes. Fancy meeting you here.”

“What... what are you doing here?” I stammered, trying to steady my racing heart.

“I was passing by and spotted the car,” he explained with a shrug. “Thought I’d check in.”

“Oh,” I said, forcing a smile. Thank the Goddess; he didn’t seem to know what I had really been up to. “That’s... thoughtful.”

He glanced at the bag in my hand. “Find anything interesting?”

“Just a snack,” I replied, holding up the pretzel. “Care for a bite?”

He shook his head. “No, thank you.”

An awkward silence settled between us. Finally, he gestured toward his car. “Ready to head back? We can go together.”

“Sure,” I agreed.

We made our way over to Elijah’s car, which was parked nearby. I avoided his gaze as he opened the door for me and I settled into the passenger seat. A moment later, he circled around and climbed into the driver’s seat. The soft hum of the engine filled the quiet as we pulled away from the curb.

“So, what else did you buy?” he asked, glancing at my bag as we pulled up to a nearby traffic light and came to a stop.

“Just a few things,” I said nonchalantly, taking a small bite of my pretzel. “I really just wanted to walk around more than anything.

He nodded slowly. “Mind if I see?”

Before I could protest, he reached over and gently took the bag from my lap. Not that I cared; it was just a book.

He pulled out the book, his eyes scanning the cover. Suddenly, his ears turned a deep shade of red, and he quickly looked away, clearing his throat.

Perplexed, I frowned. “What is it?”

He handed the book back to me without meeting my gaze. “Nothing. Just... interesting choice.”

Confused, I looked down at the book in my hands. My eyes widened in horror as I took in the image: a shirtless man with rippling muscles, a woman draped over him, their lips locked passionately.

The bold title on the cover read: “Desire’s Embrace.”

Instantly, I felt my face turn beet red. I’d purchased… a smut novel.