Chapter 46: Dimples and Danger

Chapter 46: Dimples and DangerAriana held her breath as the silence stretched between them. She didn’t know why, but her heartbeat had slowed—not in fear, but in a strange sense of calm—as she stared into his eyes. She waited for a smirk, a teasing comment... but none came. His seriousness was unwavering. H... he was telling the truth. Her lips curled into a soft smile as she nodded, and for the first time in a while, her heart felt lighter—like a weight she hadn’t realized she was carrying had finally lifted. She lowered her gaze and began to write. Zavren watched her hands, the delicate way she moved the pen across the paper. There was something calming about her handwriting—graceful, neat, almost elegant. It was rare, soothing to read. Thank you. His pupils dilated slightly as his cool grey eyes lifted to hers. Just as he opened his mouth to ask why she was thanking him, she began to write again. A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Was she really thanking him for not sleeping with— His thought was cut off as she turned the notebook around. For the horse. Zavren cleared his throat, suddenly feeling... stupid. Of course.. "Oh, you..." he muttered under his breath. She looked so cluelessly sincere. And here he was, thinking— Meanwhile, Ariana was caught off guard by his struggle for words—very rare, coming from the Alpha King himself. "Do you like it?" he asked, a bit more composed. Ariana nodded quickly, her smile bright and genuine. Zavren’s body stiffened as his gaze locked on her dimples. "Smile again," he said, tilting her face toward him gently. Ariana blinked. Was something wrong? Why had he said that? "Go on, sweetheart. Smile for me," he said, voice calm but intense. He had never seen her smile so deeply—and definitely not with those cute dimples. She nodded shyly—and smiled again. Zavren went completely still. His eyes lingered on her dimples, his lips parting slightly. Her smile had stirred something deep in him, something he couldn’t name but couldn’t ignore either. "You are gorgeous, my wife," he murmured, leaning forward to rest his face against her shoulder. Ariana tensed slightly, eyes widening as she stared at his ear—was it turning... pink? Was he blushing? Impossible. She blinked again. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her. After everything today, she wouldn’t be surprised. Still... she couldn’t stop the soft smile that crept back onto her lips. He pulled away slowly, and Ariana stared at him, stunned. The word ’gorgeous’ finally echoed in her mind. Her lips curved once more, warmth blooming in her cheeks. He had just... complimented her. One moment, he was the most terrifying man she’d ever met—and the next, he was gentle, almost tender. She lowered her gaze and began writing again. Thanks to my instructor who guided me—I rode her today. Zavren’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Would you like to see my horse?" To his surprise, her eyes lit up immediately, sparkling with excitement as she nodded without hesitation. He watched her, something shifting beneath his usually unreadable expression. "You’re really something," he murmured, more to himself than to her. She quickly scribbled on the book. "What’s his name?" Zavren’s lips curled into a slow smirk. "His name is Ryly," he replied. Ariana nodded, her lower lip jutting out slightly in thought. The name... it was unique. She liked it. She was already eager to meet the horse. Zavren’s gaze sharpened. His jaw ticked slightly as his eyes dropped to that lower lip. Before Ariana could react, he leaned in—and pressed his lips to hers. Her breath caught. His lips moved slowly, grazing hers before catching her bottom lip in a soft, almost teasing suck. Then came the gentle scrape of his teeth, sending a shiver up her spine. And just like that, he pulled away. Ariana sat frozen, her heart pounding wildly. What had just happened? She could still feel the tingling on her lips, and his gaze hadn’t left her face—particularly her mouth. Trying to shake the feeling, she bit her lower lip out of habit—then quickly released it, remembering exactly what he had just done with it. Zavren chuckled darkly, the sound echoing through the stillness of the room. "Oh, Snowflake... what should I do with you, hmm?" Desperate to change the subject, she scribbled something quickly, though her fingers fumbled and the words jumbled together. Yuo can join us tomrrow. Tutor John won’t mind. The mix of words didn’t escape him, but Zavren ignored them—until his eyes landed on a single name. John. His expression shifted instantly. The calm vanished, replaced by a sharp edge of ice. "John?" he repeated, his tone flat and cold. Ariana, oblivious at first to the sudden change, nodded innocently. She wrote again: "Yes. He’s my tutor for horse riding." Zavren’s jaw clenched. "He?" he echoed, his voice colder than before. The tension thickened in the room. She nodded, still unaware of the shift in his tone. Zavren simply said, "I see." His voice was unreadable, face blank—emotionless. Only if Raven were present would he know he was now in serious trouble. Ariana moved beside him, nibbling softly on her upper lip in excitement as she scribbled something down that sparked Zavren even more, yet he remained silent. When she turned the notebook toward him, her lips were curved into a small smile. He can also understand sign language. Zavren’s stormy gaze locked onto her lips first—not the words. His eyes turned grave instantly with displeasure. Without a word, his hand shot up, gripping her jaw gently but firmly, tilting her face toward him. Ariana’s eyes widened, lips parting in shock. "These lips belong to me," he said, low and cold. "Even the slightest tilt of a smile for another man is unacceptable—unless you want to be punished... or want that man dead." His lips curled into a sinister smile as he added, "After all, it wouldn’t hurt to remove a species of such kind from this world." Ariana’s breath hitched as her gaze met his. W...Was he serious? Rationally, she couldn’t understand it. Why would he go that far over a smile? That was... insane. And yet, his gaze left no room for doubt. "Do I make myself clear?" he repeated. She nodded slowly. His lips pulled into a satisfied smile. "Good girl," he said as he patted her head softly before pushing a strand behind her ear. Ariana didn’t know how strong this man was. She had been sitting on his lap for a long time now and yet—no flinch. Her body froze, stunned by the sudden shift. Before she could respond, he scooped her up in his arms. She gasped softly as he carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. "You look tired, darling. Rest a little," he said calmly. "Your personal maid will bring your meal once you wake." Ariana blinked up at him. After all the emotional chaos, she realized she was exhausted. A whole night of worrying, barely any sleep, and now—he was here. Safe, present. It was like her body finally gave permission to relax. Just as Zavren turned to leave, she reached out and gently tugged on his shirt. He paused. "You don’t have to worry," he said, reading her expression. "I won’t kill anyone... at least not yet. I have more important matters to handle." Ariana nodded silently, and he gave one last glance before walking away. The door clicked shut quietly behind him. As she lay there, her breathing began to even out. Sleep crept in slowly, like waves washing over her. For the first time in a long while, her heart was—if only slightly—at ease. **** "Y-Your Majesty... I-I apologize if you’re displeased by my decision to bring him in as her tutor," Raven stammered, hands trembling slightly at his sides as sweat filled his palms. "I only did it because of his potential." The moment those words left his lips, Zavren let out a dry, chiming laugh that sent a shiver crawling down Raven’s spine. He’d heard that laugh before. And it never meant anything good. "Potential, you say?" Zavren repeated slowly, scribbling something on a sheet of paper. His stormy eyes remained downcast, but the tension in the room grew unbearable. When his gaze finally lifted, it landed on Raven with sharp precision. "Enlighten me on this... topic." The blackness swirling in Zavren’s eyes wasn’t anger. It was worse—boredom. Raven swallowed hard and began speaking quickly. "H-He has five years of experience at the Royal School of Horse Riding... Two gold medals from last year’s competitions, along with two bronze and a silver from the three years before that. We—we only wanted the best for Queen Ar—I mean, for the queen." Zavren tapped the end of his pen against his chin, a slow devilish smile curling on his lips. "Gold medals, hmm?" he mused. "And you’re suggesting this man is a match... for the Alpha King?" Raven’s eyes widened in panic. He immediately bowed, shaking his head. "Of course not, Your Majesty! He’s—he’s nothing compared to the king himself." "Shut up," Zavren said flatly. Lucas clamped his mouth shut instantly. Anything to keep his head connected to his body. He was still too young to die—he hadn’t even enjoyed life yet. "I hear he understands sign language as well," Zavren murmured, voice deceptively quiet as he shifted his gaze. His hands moved gracefully, signing his name with practiced ease on the letter. Then, his steel eyes turned back to Raven, unwavering. Raven scratched the back of his head nervously. "Eh... Y-Yes, Your Majesty. He studied sign language as part of the requirement for his fourth paper in Resilience." "Where is it?" It took Raven a moment to realize what Zavren meant. He quickly scrambled to the side, grabbing the specified book and placing it gently on the table with a respectful bow. "Your Majesty... should I replace him?" "No, Raven," Zavren spoke, still calmly signing papers. "Your stupidity hasn’t reached the level that requires a royal psychiatrist, has it?" "N... no, Your Majesty," Raven spoke quietly. Raven’s breath caught in his throat. Zavren’s hand stilled on the page as he looked up again, voice as cold as frost. "We wouldn’t want Snowflake suspecting that her dear tutor’s disappearance was arranged by the king." His emotionless gaze fell once more to the book before him. With a slow, steady hand, he opened the sign language textbook. The room fell into silence again—oppressive and chilling—as Zavren calmly turned the page.