Page 24 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

"I know," I said, standing beside him, forcing myself to tell him. "But I wanted to."

He looked up at me. Lamplight hit his face from the side, casting the shadow of his nose across his cheek. Those gray eyes locked on mine. I held my breath without meaning to. Mate, my wolf whispered, but Lucifer couldn't hear it. I had no scent. The spell blocked his ability to sense the bond between us. So he just watched me for a few seconds, then dropped his gaze back to the papers.

But I could feel it.

I could feel the bond pulling at me, calling me closer to my mate.

I stood in front of the desk. Didn't move. I wondered—did he still remember me? Or rather, did he remember the woman from that one-night stand?

"Lucifer."

He didn't answer. His jaw tightened. I could feel his irritation rising. Because of me.

"Liam's birth mother," I said. "Do you still remember her?"

His fingers stopped turning the page. Just for a beat. Less than half a second. Then he flipped to the next one, voice flat and emotionless. "Why are you asking?"

"I just... wanted to know."

"That's none of your business." His voice went cold. "Is it? Don't bring it up again!"

I clasped my hands together in front of me.

Lucifer put the file down. "You should go," he said, exhaling slowly, like he was keeping himself from saying something harsher. "This isn't where you belong."

My wolf curled up inside me. Our mate was pushing us away. It broke her heart.

I steadied myself, curtsied, and rushed out of the study. His cold expression echoed in my mind. Don't bring it up again. He... didn't want to talk about me. Made sense. That night was probably a disgrace to him—sleeping with a waitress.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let any passing maid sense my vulnerability. I kept my chin high all the way back to my room.

I ate lunch alone. Ever since Liam's scene in the dining room, Lucifer stopped letting me join them.

"Liam doesn't want to see you," he'd said matter-of-factly, businesslike. "Lina will take care of him."

I'd wanted to say—wanted to remind him I was Luna, Liam's mother—but I didn't. As Alpha, Lucifer's orders weren't up for debate. And besides, Liam really did resist me.

Kids need time to adjust to a stranger, my wolf said. We could go see him ourselves? Maybe bake some treats as a peace offering?

She had a point.

I went to the kitchen. Four maids were cleaning up. They curtsied when they saw me. I asked them what kind of desserts Liam liked. The maids exchanged awkward glances until one in the corner spoke up. Liam liked sweets, especially the walnut almond cake Lina made—fragrant and soft.

"If you add some almond flour, the texture gets even better," the maid added. "Lina does that all the time."

All the time. The words stung a little. She'd been making food for my child, acting like his mother.

It's okay, my wolf sensed my hurt. Now you can make it for him.

"Liam's picky. This is about the only thing he'll eat more than a bite of." The maid kept talking. I was already sold. Didn't notice the other maids trying to say something.

I grabbed flour, eggs, butter, and a jar of almond flour. I opened the jar and sniffed it, then the flour. All fresh. At some point, the kitchen had emptied out. I pulled out the tools. I'd never made a cake before, but I'd watched Jenny do it. Every Saturday, she'd bake one in the kitchen. Thinking of Jenny made my chest ache. How was she doing? After Mother took me in as a Gray, she wouldn't let me see my old friends. "They're beneath you," Mother had said.

I recalled Jenny's steps, carefully mixing everything like I was blending a perfume. Sunlight poured into the kitchen. The first batch collapsed. The second burned around the edges. The third finally rose, golden on top with a beautiful crack down the center.

I cut the cake into small pieces and arranged them on a porcelain plate painted with lilies. Made the cake look even better.

My wolf whistled.