How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 110: Dinner...

"Think it’s time we head back for dinner?"

Emerald’s voice broke the comfortable quiet between them. She stretched her arms out above her head, still lying on the soft patch of moss beside the brook.

Lucien tilted his head lazily to the side, eyes half-lidded. "What, you’re finally admitting you’re hungry?"

"I’m admitting I don’t want to get ambushed out here smelling like pine bark and river stones."

Lucien chuckled, sitting up. "Fair enough."

They stood, brushing stray leaves from their clothes. Lucien reached over and frowned slightly. "Hold still."

Emerald blinked. "What?"

He stepped closer, reaching toward her hair. "There’s a leaf stuck in your hair... right there." He gestured vaguely near her temple.

She brushed her hand through the wrong side. "Did I get it?"

"Nope," he replied, amused. "You’re just rearranging chaos."

He leaned in and gently plucked the small yellow leaf from her hair. "There. Nature’s crown," he murmured.

Emerald laughed softly. "Thanks."

But her voice caught a little when she looked up and found his face much closer than before.

His hand still hovered beside her cheek, and his oncfe playful gaze shifted. It flickered to her lips, then back to her eyes, then down again.

The forest was quiet, and the stream still trickled softly nearby. For a second, it felt like the whole world had narrowed to just this: his breath on her skin, the tension humming between them.

He didn’t move; he just stood there, like he was waiting for permission.

Emerald remembered their first kiss: the one he’d stolen like a challenge. This one... he was giving her the choice.

And for once, Emerald wasn’t fighting it.

She leaned in slowly, heartbeat climbing.

Snap.

The sound of a twig breaking shattered the moment.

Lucien’s head snapped toward the trees. Emerald stiffened, pulling back instinctively.

Another rustle. Then movement.

Lucien’s voice dropped to a whisper. "We’re not alone."

Emerald’s fingers brushed over the dagger at her hip. "Great. Just once, I’d like to have one peaceful night that doesn’t involve attempted murder."

Lucien’s jaw tightened. "Someone’s angry Pierce got caught."

A beat later, five wolves—large, lean, and feral-eyed—emerged from the trees, their fur matted and teeth bared. They paced slowly in a wide circle around them.

Emerald sighed. "So we’re doing this again."

No more talking.

The rogues leapt.

Three lunged at Lucien in a coordinated blur, claws and teeth flashing. He met them head-on, silver dagger flashing as he spun low, dodging the first bite and driving the blade into the nearest wolf’s side. It yelped and recoiled.

The second slammed into his side. Lucien grunted, rolling with the force and kicking out to throw the rogue off. His shirt tore as claws scraped across his ribs, blood blooming in thin lines.

The third one lunged for his neck, but Lucien ducked and slammed his fist into its snout, following with a brutal elbow to its jaw. As it staggered, he plunged the dagger into its throat.

Meanwhile, Emerald darted to the side, drawing her twin blades in a fluid motion. One rogue lunged, but she sidestepped and slashed across its flank. The second came in low, trying to knock her off balance, but she leapt over it and landed in a crouch behind them.

"You picked the wrong wolves tonight," she muttered.

The injured one lunged again. She spun, parried its bite with the flat of her blade, then drove her dagger up beneath its jaw with precision. Blood sprayed as it dropped.

The second rogue hesitated, but not for long. It rushed her in a blur.

She ducked, rolled under it, then sprang up, slicing across its back as it passed.

Lucien dispatched his final opponent with a clean slash to the spine, and together, they turned to the last remaining rogue. It crouched low, snarling—but didn’t attack.

Lucien circled slowly. "We need this one alive."

Emerald nodded. "You think he’ll talk?"

Lucien didn’t answer. He moved quickly, leapt forward, and tackled the wolf to the ground. With a grunt, he slammed the hilt of his dagger into its head. Once. Twice.

The wolf whined and shifted, forced into human form through pain.

The man beneath was gaunt and sneering, lip split and eyes wild.

Lucien grabbed him by the collar. "Who sent you?"

The rogue spat blood. "Screw you."

Lucien slammed him back against the ground. "How did you get past the borders?"

"I didn’t," he sneered. "I never left."

Emerald frowned. "They were already inside."

Lucien looked at her. "They’ve been here the whole time."

She shook her head. "Pierce was just a messenger."

"There’s someone else."

Lucien pressed the blade against the rogue’s neck. "Tell us who."

But the rogue only grinned.

Emerald took a step forward, unease rising. "Lucien. Something’s wrong."

Lucien’s eyes flicked to her. "What?"

"We have to go. Now. I don’t know why, I just... something’s not right."

Lucien hesitated, then nodded.

They turned.

And the rogue was gone.

Lucien cursed, drawing his blade again. "He was just here—"

"No," Emerald snapped. "Forget him. Something’s happened. I can feel it."

Lucien didn’t question her again. He grabbed her wrist, and they ran.

—

By the time they reached the estate, the scent hit them first—blood. Heavy, coppery, fresh.

Guards lay injured at the gates, some clutching their wounds, others unconscious.

Lucien sprinted forward. "What happened?"

A younger guard stumbled to his feet. "Attack. They came from inside. They were waiting. We pushed them back, but there might still be some—"

Emerald’s blood ran cold.

She didn’t wait for the rest.

She ran.

Down the hall, past the scorched wall, through the maze of corridors.

Lucien caught up quickly. "Emerald! Where are you—?"

She didn’t answer.

Until they rounded the final corner and she skidded to a stop outside the dungeons.

The door was open.

And inside, blood painted the floor.

Pierce lay sprawled in the centre of his cell, eyes wide, mouth slack.

A dagger jutted from his chest.

A dagger jutted from his chest.

"Think it’s time we head back for dinner?"

Emerald’s voice broke the comfortable quiet between them. She stretched her arms out above her head, still lying on the soft patch of moss beside the brook.

Lucien tilted his head lazily to the side, eyes half-lidded. "What, you’re finally admitting you’re hungry?"

"I’m admitting I don’t want to get ambushed out here smelling like pine bark and river stones."

Lucien chuckled, sitting up. "Fair enough."

They stood, brushing stray leaves from their clothes. Lucien reached over and frowned slightly. "Hold still."

Emerald blinked. "What?"

He stepped closer, reaching toward her hair. "There’s a leaf stuck in your hair... right there." He gestured vaguely near her temple.

She brushed her hand through the wrong side. "Did I get it?"

Emerald nodded. "You think he’ll talk?"

Lucien didn’t answer. He moved quickly, leapt forward, and tackled the wolf to the ground. With a grunt, he slammed the hilt of his dagger into its head. Once. Twice.

The wolf whined and shifted, forced into human form through pain.

The man beneath was gaunt and sneering, lip split and eyes wild.

Lucien grabbed him by the collar. "Who sent you?"

The rogue spat blood. "Screw you."

Lucien slammed him back against the ground. "How did you get past the borders?"

"I didn’t," he sneered. "I never left."

Emerald frowned. "They were already inside."

Lucien looked at her. "They’ve been here the whole time."

She shook her head. "Pierce was just a messenger."

"There’s someone else."

"I was actually gonna ask if you wanted to go out after the Sports Wrap-Up tomorrow night," he said. "Just..."

He trailed off.

I followed his gaze, straight to Kyle, who had stopped mid-stride to glance back. Our eyes met. He winked, then blew me a kiss. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Ryan laughed once, short and quiet. "Right. Got it."

I smiled, feeling weirdly guilty. "Let’s just focus on surviving the rest of today?"

He nodded. "Deal."

Later that night, Kyle was at my house.

The music was low. My room was lit with the soft glow of fairy lights, the air thick with the scent of lavender and warm skin. I was on top of him, straddling his lap on my bed, my bra strap slipping slightly as his hands slid down to cup my ass.

He was shirtless. So was I, mostly.

Our kisses were deeper now, heavier, less of a question and more of an answer.

Amy was quiet, for once, watching, maybe, savouring.

But just as Kyle’s hand grazed the band of my jeans, just as my mouth trailed from his lips to the corner of his jaw...

We heard a soft scratch against the glass.

Amy growled, disappointed. "Are you kidding me?"

Kyle shifted, eyes narrowing. "Did you hear—?"

"I did."

We broke apart instantly.

Kyle stood, pulling his shirt back over his head, his entire posture tensing. I ran to the window and tugged back the curtain.

Drawn on the glass in what looked like ash and faint claw marks was a crude, slashed symbol.

Kyle’s face went still.

"What is it?" I asked, heart thudding.

He stared for a long second before answering in a low and serious voice. The Alpha Pack," e muttered. "That’s their symbol."

"What does it mean?" I whispered.

He didn’t look at me. "It means... they’re coming."