Page 38 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

I looked down. He stared up at me, lashes still damp. He glanced at me, then at Elena. His small hand gripped her finger tightly.

"Lucifer—" Lina came over and forced a smile. "You take Luna to rest. I'll look after Liam."

She reached for Liam.

But Liam pulled away. "I wanna come too." He repeated it, this time gripping Elena with both hands. Today he'd avoided Lina three times.

Lina stared at her empty fingers. Her smile finally cracked, froze, then dissolved.

"Lina," I said, "in that case, go rest."

I carried Elena toward the exit. Liam followed closely. Lina didn't chase us. She just stood there, watching us leave.

Chapter Eleven

Elena

The first time I made anything after my wound healed, I dug out the small leather case that held my fragrance tools.

The wolf wagged its tail curiously. You're making fragrance? It said. Didn't Cecilia tell you not to? It always called her by name, even though she was our mother.

I took out each tool one by one, wiping them down with alcohol. "Because back then she thought it didn't fit my status, that it would make the Hales look down on me, but now—"

Now it's different.

Lucifer was accepting me. He was starting to care. And I kept thinking about Lucifer's dark circles, about how these past days he'd been staying with me while handling his duties. He was exhausted, and I couldn't help him with anything. I'd finished the Luna training right after the wedding, but Lina still handled most of the affairs.

Besides fragrance—sleep-aid fragrance—more useful than food or words.

"Even if he thinks it's stupid," I muttered to myself, "I'm doing it." I wanted this to show Lucifer I cared about him.

Uh, the wolf whistled teasingly, our shy, quiet Elena's getting bold. That's the power of love.

I flushed but didn't argue. All the tools were clean now, arranged neatly on the table, gleaming in the sunlight. On a plate sat the rosemary, mint leaves, and lavender I'd had the maids prepare. Rosemary could invigorate, but in the right amount, it helped you relax. Mint and lavender together could slow your breathing down.

Even though I hadn't touched them in over five years, the process had been drilled into my body through countless repetitions. Soon, I'd poured the liquid into molds, let them set, then carefully turned them out.

Perfect.

I'd even made a decoration—two wolves, pressed together.

I hoped he wouldn't laugh at my little gesture.

I picked up the fragrance and hurried toward Lucifer's study, my heart pounding. I knocked twice, and the moment I heard him say "Come in," I pushed through the door and rushed to his side.

Lucifer looked up. When he saw it was me, he immediately set down his papers and reached for my hand. "What brings you here?" A faint smile played at his lips. When his nose caught the scent, he raised an eyebrow. "Is that... aromatherapy product?"

"Yes." I suppressed my excitement and placed it on his desk along with the holder. "I made it. It helps with sleep. You haven't been sleeping well lately, and I've been worried about you."

The scent of rosemary and lavender slowly spread—not strong, only noticeable up close. I added, "Put it by your bedside or desk. When the scent diffuses, it helps you relax."

He looked down at the pale green squares on the dish, picked one up, rubbed it between his fingers, then brought it to his nose. He set it back on the dish, looked up at me, his gaze lingering on my face for two seconds, eyes narrowing.

"You can make this?"

My prepared explanation turned over in my mouth. "A long time ago... just for fun. I stopped later."

I clenched my fingers—to be safe, I hadn't used the same spices I'd worn that night. I was afraid he'd remember, that my identity would be exposed, and that wouldn't be good for Liam.