Agnes

Even by the time we returned to the hotel room later, I could still feel the buzz of adrenaline coursing through me. I had won. Somehow, I had won against Olivia in front of a crowd of onlookers. The thought left a strangely bittersweet taste in my mouth. Although it was mostly sweet, if I was being honest.

The door clicked shut behind us, and Elijah’s voice broke the silence.

“Well done,” he said as he loosened his tie. “You completely outplayed Olivia. Are you sure that was your first time?”

I let out a small laugh, brushing off the compliment as I slipped off my shoes. “It was pure luck, honestly. I barely knew what I was doing.”

Elijah crossed his arms, leaning against the wall with an expression that told me he wasn’t buying it. “Luck had nothing to do with it. You read her like a book.”

I blinked at him, caught off guard by his words.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me. “How did you know when she was bluffing? It didn’t seem like it was just a lucky guess.”

I hesitated, then shrugged, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “I’ve spent years working in restaurants, Elijah. You learn to read people when half your job is figuring out who’s going to complain about their meal or stiff you on the tip.”

That earned a small chuckle from him, his sharp features softening ever so slightly in the dim light of the suite. “So, restaurant work made you a card shark,” he said with a slight nod. “I’ll try to keep that in mind for the future.”

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. “Hardly. It’s just paying attention to the little things—how someone’s voice changes, the way they fidget. Olivia’s tells were... obvious, once I started looking.”

Elijah’s expression shifted slightly, his smile fading into something softer, almost contemplative. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Agnes. It’s more than just observation. You’re quick on your feet, adaptable. That’s why you won tonight.”

His words left me momentarily speechless, and I focused on setting my bag down near the closet to avoid meeting his gaze. Compliments from Elijah always felt strange, almost wrong. Or maybe I just wasn’t used to receiving compliments from anyone, let alone an Alpha.

“Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “let’s just hope I don’t have to do that again anytime soon.”

He didn’t reply, and when I glanced up, I found him watching me with an intensity that made my chest tighten. But before I could say anything, Thea burst into the room like a tornado.

“Mommy! Did you see me in the kids' area? They had a giant playhouse!” she exclaimed, bounding toward me with all the energy of someone who hadn’t just spent hours running around.

I laughed and scooped her up into a hug, brushing her messy hair out of her face. Somehow, she had chocolate all over her lips, although I didn’t recall giving her any. “I did see, sweetheart. Did you have fun?”

“The best!” she declared, then wiggled free to dart toward the couch. “Is this where I’m sleeping?”

I turned to Elijah, frowning slightly. “Wait, how many rooms did you book?” I asked. I assumed he had booked two.

“One,” he replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“One?” I echoed, my voice coming out as hardly more than a croak.

“There’s a pull-out sofa for Thea,” he said, gesturing toward the couch, “and a king bed for us.”

My stomach flipped at the casual way he said it. Us. The word hung in the air, heavy with implication. We didn’t share a bed at the house—why would this vacation be any different?

Noticing my hesitation, Elijah added, “Or I can take the couch. You and Thea can have the bed.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Thea had already flopped onto the sofa, giggling. “This is comfy! I wanna sleep here!”

Elijah smirked, clearly amused. “Looks like the decision’s been made.”

I shot him a look, but his gaze was as steady and unbothered as ever. “Fine,” I muttered, grabbing my pajamas and quickly heading toward the bathroom before he could notice the red tinge to my cheeks. “I’m taking a bath.”

The water in the large jacuzzi was warm, soothing the tension that had built up in my shoulders throughout the day. But even as I let myself relax, my mind wandered back to the bed waiting outside, to the weight of Elijah’s gaze earlier. I didn’t know what to make of it—or of the strange pull I felt whenever we were too close for too long.

When I finally emerged, Thea was already asleep, curled up under the covers of the bed. I supposed she climbed into the bed instead of the sofa after all. Did that mean Elijah was taking the couch tonight?

I looked over to see Elijah standing on the balcony with a glass of wine in hand. The soft breeze carried the faint sounds of the ocean through the open door, and for a moment, I considered just slipping into bed and avoiding any more conversations for the night.

But something drew me to him—maybe the quiet, or the fact that I wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet. Grabbing a spare blanket, I stepped outside.

Elijah glanced at me, his expression unreadable as he gestured to the small table where an open bottle of wine sat. “Care to join me?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “Sure.”

He poured me a glass and slid it across the table as I sat down. The wine was rich and velvety, and it warmed me from the inside as I sipped it, staring out at the view. The city lights looked like a shimmering sea of gold below us.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured.

Elijah nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Sometimes it’s nice to just... stop for a moment. To take it in.”

I glanced at him, surprised by the softness in his tone. He wasn’t always this open, this unguarded.

For a while, we sat in comfortable silence, the only sounds between us the distant hum of the city and the occasional clink of our glasses. But my eyes kept drifting to the mark on his neck, the faint scar that symbolized a bond I could never compete with.

I didn’t realize I was staring until Elijah spoke.

“What’s wrong?”

I jolted, nearly spilling my wine. “What?”

He turned to me, his dark eyes searching mine. “You’ve been quiet. And you keep looking at...” He trailed off, although I didn’t need him to finish to know that he had caught me staring at his mark.

My throat tightened, and I quickly looked away, gripping the stem of my glass a little tighter. “It’s nothing,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”

He didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he didn’t press me, either. “Alright,” he said finally, leaning back in his chair. He cleared his throat and added, “Thea wanted to sleep with you after all, so I’ll take the couch. It’s probably better that way.”

My cheeks flushed, but I nodded, slightly relieved. I stood, wrapping the blanket tighter around myself. “Goodnight, Elijah.”

“Goodnight, Agnes.”

Inside, I climbed into bed beside Thea, pulling her close against me. A little while later, Elijah came in and quietly prepared his sofa bed. I could hear him shifting on the couch as he settled in.

And eventually, I fell asleep to the strangely comforting sound of his movements across the room.