Chapter 36

Elara

Alaric stood in the garden with the late afternoon sun framing his figure, the small box in his hand held out between us. I blinked, unsure if I was imagining it. But when he extended it toward me without a word, and my heart stuttered in response, I knew it was real.

Slowly, I reached for it, my fingers brushing against his as he handed it over. Upon closer inspection, I couldn’t stop the soft gasp that escaped me.

The ring was perhaps the loveliest thing I’d ever seen. The grain was polished to a shine, and it was adorned with faint etchings—a flower, I realized as I looked more closely, surrounded by tiny carved leaves that wound all the way around the ring. The craftsmanship was astonishing.

“I hope you like it,” Alaric said quietly. “I made it for you.”

My head snapped up, my eyes going wide as they searched his face. “You… made this?”

He nodded. “You said yesterday that the thought behind something was more important than the cost. So, I thought…” He trailed off, glancing down at the ring. “I thought this might be meaningful for you.”

I stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. My fingers brushed over the carved petals, and as they did, my chest tightened for reasons I couldn’t comprehend just yet.

“It’s beautiful,” I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “You said you made this yourself?”

Alaric gave a small shrug and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I used to whittle when I was younger. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything like this, though.”

I tilted my head, curious. “You know how to whittle?” I looked down at the ring again, taking in the craftsmanship. This seemed like more than a fleeting hobby. He was really good at it.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” he said, the faintest smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. “It was something I enjoyed as a kid. It kept my hands busy.”

“Why did you stop?”

The smirk faded instantly, and for a moment, he hesitated. I bit my lip, worried that I’d brought up something he didn’t want to talk about.

Then he sighed, glancing away. “My mother hated it. She said it was a waste of time, that it wasn’t something a Donovan, especially the future Alpha, should be spending his time doing. Eventually, I realized she was right and stopped.”

My chest tightened at his words, especially when he said that his mother was ‘right’. As a mother myself, I could never imagine telling Zoe or Ella that their hobbies were a waste of time.

“Well, I disagree with her,” I said firmly. “You’re clearly talented, and you seem to enjoy the craft. Don’t let her stop you.”

Alaric raised an eyebrow. “So you like the ring, then?”

“It’s lovely,” I said with a smile. I quickly slipped it on; it fit perfectly, and the polished wood caught the light as I moved my hand. Alaric’s gaze drifted to my finger, and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought that a faint blush colored his cheeks.

Before either of us could say another word, Zoe’s voice piped up from behind us. “Daddy, can you make us something too?”

We both turned to see Zoe and Ella standing a few feet away, their wide eyes fixed on the ring on my finger.

Alaric cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable under their expectant gazes. “What do you want me to make?”

“A pony!” Zoe said immediately, bouncing on her toes. “A wooden pony, just like the one in my book!”

“And a bunny for me,” Ella added somewhat shyly. “A little bunny with long ears.”

I bit back a smile as Alaric shifted on his feet, looking genuinely flustered by the girls’ requests. “We’ll see,” he said after a moment, clearing his throat. “I can’t promise anything, but… I’ll think about it.”

Both girls practically squealed with delight, rushing forward to hug him around the waist. He stiffened at first, but then his hands came to rest gently on their backs, his expression softening ever so slightly.

“Thank you, Daddy!” Zoe chirped before letting go and dragging Ella back toward the garden to play.

Alaric watched them go, his hands slipping back into his pockets. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then he glanced at me again.

“I should get back to work,” he said quietly, nodding his head toward the house. “Enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”

I nodded, watching as he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, I glanced down at the ring, turning my hand to watch the carvings catch the light.

That night, Alaric was still in his office by the time I got ready for sleep. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the ring still snug on my finger. I turned it absently with my thumb and forefinger, feeling the tiny flowers and leaves. Sleep felt impossible. My mind was running nonstop, mulling over the entire day.

The ring Alaric had made me was the second ring I had ever received from a man. The first had been from Mason, of course. He had taken the diamond ring back after the divorce, not that I cared. It had always felt more like a burden than a gift.

I still remembered the day Mason had given it to me, though. It was as if it were an afterthought, a necessary step toward marriage. He didn’t even get down on one knee, just thrust it into my hands and told me to put it on.

Mason hadn’t left physical scars, but the emotional wounds that he’d left were deeper than any scars could have been.

His betrayal had taught me to guard my heart, to never let anyone get close enough to hurt me again. And yet here I was, wearing a ring Alaric had made with his own hands, feeling things I wasn’t supposed to feel.

I knew, of course, that this ring wasn’t an engagement ring. It was likely just a sweet little bauble, Alaric’s way of softening the blow from everything his mother had put me through.

But I couldn’t help but stare at it and wonder what my heart would feel like if it had been real.

I clenched my jaw, frustrated. This was supposed to be a transaction, a temporary arrangement with no strings attached. Alaric and I didn’t have a future, and I couldn’t afford to forget that. But he certainly had a way of getting under my skin and making me feel things I didn’t want to feel, didn’t he?

With a huff, I threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. I needed a distraction, something to quiet the storm in my mind. Padding downstairs, I made my way to the kitchen and opened the wine cabinet.

I found a bottle of red wine, then grabbed a glass before hopping up onto the counter.

The first sip was dry and a little bitter, but it warmed me from the inside out. I stared out the window at the darkened garden, swirling the crimson liquid around in my glass as I mulled over the events of the day.

Soon enough, I had somehow finished the entire bottle and opened another. My head was swimming, but I didn’t care, and I was still leagues away from being tired. No matter how much I drank, I couldn’t seem to stop staring at that ring, wondering what I had done in a past life to be so unworthy of true love in this one.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when the sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts.

My head snapped up, and I froze as Alaric appeared in the doorway, his expression blank.