Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrack whoever was behind the attack last night. Set an example want everyone to know what will happen to anyone who tries to mess with me.\u201d It was those exact words of Hunter that woke me up that morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pain was radiating all over my body. I lost count of how many times we did it last night. Hunter was insatiable, and I\u2019m not complaining.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last night was the first time that I felt like a woman, an attractive and desirable woman. He was looking at me like I was the most beautiful woman in his eyes. He couldn\u2019t get his hands off toe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was married to Beckett for three years, yet never once did he hold me like I was the most fragile thing in the world. Never once did he look at me with passion and desire burning in his eyes. I never felt anything like this before. How could I not fall for a man like this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slowly opened my eyes, and I was immediately greeted by his broad heavily tattooed back. He was holding his phone, and his eyes were too focused on it. I took the liberty of admiring this view for a little while. It was my first time seeing him naked in broad daylight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know what got into me, but I suddenly had an urge to touch him. I wanted to explore every inch of his body. Despite us being in the same room, I had this sudden feeling that he was out of reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gently slipped out of bed, careful not to make a sound. The sheets barely rustled as I padded barefoot across the concrete floor, drawn toward him like a moth to a flame.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter stood by the open window, bathed in the early morning light. His back was to me, bare and strong, shoulders relaxed in a way I hadn\u2019t seen before. He wasn\u2019t tense or coiled like he usually was with his men. The usual sharp edge he wore like armor was gone\u2013softened, somehow. The air around him felt quieter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wondered if it had anything to do with last night. If maybe, even for a fleeting moment, I had been the cause of that rare peace in him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t turn and didn\u2019t acknowledge my approach. That surprised me. For the past few days that I\u2019d spent with him, I noticed that he is sharp\u2013eyed and always alert\u2013never missed a single movement in the room. He always watched everything, like a hawk ready to strike.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now? He seemed too deep in his thoughts as he continued pressing his phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I paused just a few inches behind him, close enough to feel the faint heat radiating from his skin. My breath caught in my throat as my gaze swept down his back. What I saw made my chest tighten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Faint, pale lines stretched across his skin\u2013some long, others jagged\u2013hidden beneath the bold, inked curves of his tattoo. Scars. So many of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some looked old, faded with time. Others, not so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lifted my hand slowly, almost instinctively, but hesitated before making contact. My fingers hovered over one of the longer scars near his spine. It cut right through the center of the tattoo, disrupting the design like a wound that refused to heal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What kind of pain had he endured to carry these marks? What kind of life does he have?\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened with emotion I didn\u2019t quite understand. The man who seemed indestructible, invincible even\u2013was covered in battle stories inked into his skin. And somehow, knowing that made me want to reach for him even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I was about to touch his bare back, he suddenly shifted and turned his back as he caught my wrist, stopping me from touching him. But what surprised me the most is when I felt a cold, hard metal pressing against my forehead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
271%0\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes were dark as he aimed the gun straight at me. The barre gleaned under the faint morning light, a silent threat between us. My heart should have leapt into my throat. My instincts should have been screaming at me to run, to scream, to duck, to do anything but just stand there like I was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Strangely, I wasn\u2019t afraid. I should have been terrified\u2013any sane person would be. But there was a strange stillness inside me, a quiet that wrapped around my nerves like armor. Maybe was foolish. Maybe it was reckless. But I stared him down, unwavering, and something in my chest said he won\u2019t pull the trigger. Not on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was far from the man last night who had held me close, whispered my name against my skin, and kissed me like I was his salvation. That man\u2013the one I had shared a bed with just hours ago\u2013was not here. In his place stood a stranger. Ruthless. Cold. Calculated. His face was a mask, sharp and unreadable. It was the same look he wore when giving commands to his men, when making decisions that danced between life and death\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t your parents teach you,\u201d he said, his voice like ice scraping against steel, \u201cthat it\u2019s rude to sneak up on someone?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my chin upward, my hands still at my sides. I wouldn\u2019t flinch. Not now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd didn\u2019t yours teach you it\u2019s rude to point a gun at someone\u2019s head?\u201d I shot back, my voice steady even as adrenaline pumped through my veins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something flickered in his gaze. A twitch in the corner of his jaw A split second of hesitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tension between us crackled like a live wire. There was a fire beneath the ice, a war he was clearly fighting within himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it didn\u2019t take long before he finally lowered his gun. Softness was wrapped on his handsome face this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t trust people who can walk without making a sound,\u201d he muttered, his eyes narrowing on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t blame me just because your ears are retiring before you do,\u201d I retorted, arms folded. Any trace of kindness I was planning? Poof. Out the window.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my fists and spun around, storming out of the room, my bare feet hitting the cold floor with sharp, angry steps. My blood was boiling\u2013not just because of his smug little comments, but because he had this way of slipping under my skin like a splinter. A beautiful, infuriating splinter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I made a beeline for the kitchen, muttering curses under my breath as I yanked the fridge open. I didn\u2019t even know what I was looking for\u2013something cold, anything to cool me down before I did something stupid. I grabbed a glass and poured water with a little more force than necessary, then took a long, deep sip, hoping it would calm the storm swirling inside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I could feel it. His eyes. Watching me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned slightly, and there he was\u2013Hunter\u2013leaning against the doorway like he hadn\u2019t just driven me up the wall. His arms were crossed, his gaze calm and maddening, like none of this was his fault. Like he wasn\u2019t the reason I was seconds away from screaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you just going to stand there and stare like a creep?\u201d I snapped, slamming the glass down on the counter harder than I\u00a0<\/p>\n
meant to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer right away. His eyes moved over me slowly\u2013lazy, unreadable, making heat rise in my cheeks. Then he took a step toward me. Then another. Until he was right there, so close I could feel the shift in the air between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re cute when you\u2019re mad,\u201d he said softly, his voice low and dangerous, like silk laced with fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I narrowed my eyes, nostrils flaring. \u201cYou\u2019re annoying.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd yet,\u201d he said, that smirk tugging at his lips, \u201cyou still ended up in my bed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
71%\u00a0<\/p>\n
10 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw dropped slightly\u2014not just because of the words, but because of the way his gaze dropped to my lips. He looked at them like he already missed the taste of them. Like he was seconds away from pulling me back in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away quickly, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest. Iocused on my glass like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t flatter yourself,\u201d I muttered under my breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToo late,\u201d he said, his voice closer now. \u201cYou already did that forme last night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my back to him, gripping the edge of the counter as if it could anchor me. I wasn\u2019t going to fall for his smooth words again\u2013not when my emotions were still tangled from last night Not when the heat of his presence was still burning on my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I needed space. Just a little breathing room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he wasn\u2019t moving. I could feel him behind me like a magnet ugging at my spine. And the worst part? Some traitorous part of me wanted to turn around and fall right back into that heat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. Not this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and faced him\u2013keeping a safe distance between us, even if it wasn\u2019t much. I folded my arms, hoping it would make me look more composed than I felt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re going to keep standing there like that,\u201d I said, my voice as firm as I could make it, \u201cyou might as well make yourself useful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His brow lifted, clearly amused. \u201cUseful?\u201d he said before leaning his hands against the counter, imprisoning me in between his well\u2013sculpted biceps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cY\u2013Yes,\u201d I said, clearing my throat, gesturing toward the stove. \u201cBreakfast. Go cook something. You can\u2019t expect me to deal with your ego on an empty stomach.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A ghost of a grin tugged at his lips. \u201cSo you\u2019re saying I exhaust you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m saying you\u2019re less irritating when your mouth is too busy chewing to talk,\u201d I replied with a glare that didn\u2019t land as sharply as I wanted\u2013especially not when his eyes sparkled with that teasing light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a better idea on how to keep my mouth busy,\u201d he teased, voice low and dripping with mischief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart skipped several beats, and my eyes flew wide in panic the moment I saw his head start to dip down\u2013his intentions written all over his wicked smirk and darkened gaze. He was aiming straight for my lips, like it was the most natural thing in the world, like we hadn\u2019t just gone through a storm of tangled sheets and tangled emotions hours ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Panic sparked in my chest like wildfire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNope!\u201d I blurted, ducking quickly under his arms like a startled cat, nearly knocking over the chair behind me in my mad scramble to escape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I spun around, breathless and clutching my chest, putting the kitchen island between us as if it were some sacred barrier he couldn\u2019t cross.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFood!\u201d I barked, pointing toward the fridge with all the authority I could muster. \u201cI want food. Not your charming kisses nor that devilish grin of yours. Just food!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He blinked, clearly amused, and leaned his elbows on the counter, unbothered by my dramatic retreat. His eyes sparkled with that unbearable confidence, like he knew exactly what kind of effect he had on me. And maybe he did\u2013worse, maybe he liked it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:22 Fri, Dec 26 DG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you always this adorable when you\u2019re trying to be assertive he asked, lips twitching\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear, Hunter, one more word and I\u2019ll th\u00a0<\/p>\n
71%\u00a0<\/p>\n
an egg at you,\u201d I reatened, snatching one from the carton for emphasis\u00a0<\/p>\n
He raised his hands in surrender, still grinning. \u201cAlright, alright Breakfast it is. But just so we\u2019re clear.\u201d he said, moving toward the stove with a lazy swagger, \u201cI\u2019m not done with you, Dyan\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach flipped\u2013and not because I was hungry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gulped and turned away quickly, trying to hide the blush creeping up my neck. If I was going to survive this morning, I needed bacon, coffee\u2026 and maybe a priest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or at least some duct tape for his mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0aae\u0aa8\u0ac7 \u0a9c \u0a86 \u0aa5\u0ab0\u00a0<\/p>\n
#\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 37 Chapter 37\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 \u201cTrack whoever was behind the attack last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24388\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}