Chapter 145

Caro’s POV

The color drained from my face when I heard the knocking on the bathroom door.

“I need to clean up,” I said in a hushed whisper as I tried to get off the counter. Aiden held me in place, his eyes still dark with desires and I knew he was fighting to keep himself under control.

“I want my cum dripping down your thighs so you can remember that I was there,” he said, kissing my swollen lips.

My cheeks warmed from his words and all I could manage was a nod. He helped me down from the counter. I fixed my dress while he tucked himself back into his pants. I turned to look at myself in the mirror and I gasped in horror. My hair was now a mess, and my makeup was kind of smeared from the sweat. I looked like I just had sex with how red my face was and puffy my lips were. Bit my lower lip, feeling a wave of embarrassment.

The knocking continued and panic consumed my chest.

“I’ll do the talking,” Aiden said, winking at me.

Before I could stop him, he opened the door. My breathing got caught in my throat and I thought about hiding somewhere, but I was too frozen to move. I could hardly feel my body.

“So, this is where you ran off to?” Fiona asked, amusement clear in her voice.

Relief flooded me; it was only Fiona.

She stood on the other side of the door, amusement in her eyes and her arms folded across her chest.

“We had to take care of some stuff,” Aiden said, running his fingers through his hair.

She shoved her way past him and into the bathroom so she could look at me. A bark of laughter escaped her as she shook her head. She held up her purse.

“Good thing I brought extra makeup,” she muttered. She turned toward Aiden and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Get out,” she ordered. “This is the lady's room and the last thing we need is to to explain why you are in here.”

He gave her a pointed look.

“I don’t need to explain anything; I’m the Alpha of this pack,” he retorted.

“I don’t care who you are; you are in the ladies' room,” she told him, her brows furrowed. “Now, leave.”

He gave her a puzzled look at first, but then I could see the humor in his eyes. He gazed over at me, and my cheeks warmed. After what we had just done in here, I don’t think I was going to be able to walk straight for the rest of the evening.

“I’ll see you out there,” he told me, then he winked which sent my heart into turmoil. He closed the door behind him.

Fiona shook her head, biting back a laugh as she rummaged through her purse for her makeup. She grabbed some concealer and powder and began to get to work.

“Were we gone long?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“The waitress brought the appetizers and took our orders,” she told me. “Your parents are hogging the calamari, but I managed to get one. They are delicious.”

I smiled; she was avoiding my gaze while she applied the makeup to my face.

“And what about you and Oliver?” I finally asked her. “Have you talked anymore?”

“Well, I agreed to interview for that fashion franchise he suggested,” she said, shrugging. “And he asked if I’d like to go to dinner with him tomorrow night… just us.”

I raised my brows at her.

“And?” I urged.

She shrugged, biting her lower lip nervously.

“And I said sure,” she told me.

I all but squealed.

“Fiona, that’s amazing!” I said, my smile taking over my entire face.

Her cheeks reddened.

“Is it?” She asked, finally meeting my eyes. “I’m nervous.”

“You have nothing to be nervous about. Oliver is a great guy,” I assured her.

“Isn’t he like a womanizer?” She asked. So, she did remember me telling her that at one point.

“He hasn’t been with anyone in months,” I told her. “He’s been so busy being the Beta and adapting to his new role with everything going on here, I don’t think he had much time for anything else.”

“And you think he’ll have time for me?”

“With Aiden returning to the Capitol, yes,” I answered. “He wouldn’t have asked you out if he didn’t have the time and if he didn’t actually want to go out with you, Fi,” I assured her. “Give him a chance and see what happens.”

“You don’t think I’m in over my head?” She asked. “I’m only a human after all.”

“You never let me feel less than what I was even before we found out I was actually the Alpha King’s daughter and some High Priestess being. For the first few months of being with Aiden, we all thought I was human too, remember?”

She nodded and took a deep breath.

“You’re right. Maybe I’m just overthinking,” she relented.

“Give it a shot and if it’s something you don’t want, then we will figure it out once we get to that bridge. But I can tell that Oliver already likes you and it’s not easy for him just like it’s not easy for you. So, maybe don’t make it harder for him than it has to be,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

She nodded and gave me a small smile as she finished putting my lipstick on.

“Okay, you look as good as new,” she told me.

I smiled my thanks to her and helped her clean up her makeup.

“We should get back out there before my parents eat our dinners too,” I told her, making her laugh.

By the time we got back to the table, our dinner was being served.

I thanked the waitress and took my seat next to Aiden.

As we ate, we fell into a small conversation about the mating ceremony.

“So, this mating ceremony. It’s like a wedding, right?” My mother asked, looking at Aiden as she asked that question.

He nodded as he took a bite of his steak.

“Yes, but also different,” he explained. “It’s even more permanent than a wedding because your daughter will have my mark on her skin.”

“Will there be an aisle that her father can walk her down?”

I raised my brows; I hadn’t even thought about that. I looked at Aiden, not sure what to say or how to answer.

He nodded and gave my mother a kind smile.

“If that’s what you wish. I’ll let Madison know to add that to the itinerary for the evening,” he told them, surprising me.

“This really is like a wedding, isn’t it?” I asked, biting my lower lip.

He looked at me, a small frown marring his lips.

“Yes,” he answered. “Is that okay?”

I nodded, a bit sheepishly.

“Did you even ask her to marry you?” Fiona asked, giving him a pointed look.

His eyes widened as he looked at my best friend and then at me. It was a bit rushed, and I hadn’t even thought about an actual proposal. In my mind, this was a mating ceremony which was completely different than a wedding. But the more I got to know and understand, the more I started to realize this was a wedding and Aiden hadn’t even asked. I wasn’t upset because I would have said yes regardless, but it was a little strange.

“I guess I didn’t,” he admitted, meeting my eyes. “Did you want a proposal?”

Before I could answer, Fiona answered for me.

“Every female wants a proposal,” she said her brows pinching together. “I can’t believe you didn’t even ask. There’s not even a ring.”

“She will have something more permanent than a ring…” Aiden started to protest.

“Yeah yeah… she will have your mark. But still,” she huffed. “Carol is a female and deserves to have a ring. Something pretty to show off.”

“Is that something you’d like?” Oliver, who had been quiet up until that point, asked her. Her face turned crimson as she looked at him.

“I… uh…” she stammered, making me hide a smirk.

“Carol, you know Fiona isn’t materialistic,” my saint of a mother chimed in, bringing the attention back to me and off Fiona.

“My mother is right,” I said hurriedly, not wanting anyone to feel awkward. “I don’t need a proposal or a ring. I’m happy with how things are. I don’t have to do anything other than show up. Madison is taking care of everything for us.”

Aiden wrapped an arm around me.

“If you want a proposal…”

“I don’t,” I snapped, glaring up at him. “It’s fine.”

He nodded, but he didn’t look convinced.

The subject soon changed and we talked about other, less heavy, things. When dinner concluded, Aiden used his black card to pay and then we went back to the penthouse.

“Do you think we can talk for a bit longer?” Oliver asked Fiona before she could retreat to her room.

She looked over her shoulder at me and I smiled and nodded.

She took a deep breath and turned back to him.

“Sure,” she agreed.

To my surprise, he took her hand and guided her away. They went to talk outside. I hugged and kissed my parents before they went off to their room to sleep.

Aiden’s phone rang and he glanced down at the screen, frowning.

“Hey, mom,” he said, answering the phone.

He pressed the speaker button so I could hear the conversation.

“Aiden, we need to talk immediately,” she said sounding distressed.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his brows pinched together.

“I just got word that the Alpha King will be attending your mating ceremony. This is bad, Aiden. Really bad. He can’t find out that one of his Alpha’s is mating a mere human!!”