Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 20: Allow me to kiss you

Chapter 20: Allow me to kiss you

Adeline stood before him as he shifted his chair slightly.

"Your mother wouldn’t have chosen someone like me for you if she were alive, would she?" Gideon asked, one eyebrow arched in amusement.

"Why?" Adeline asked. She reached out to fasten the chain, leaning down to focus on the clasp. She was entirely unaware of how close she was or that Gideon’s eyes were tracing the soft lines of her face with intense focus.

"Because no mother would voluntarily sacrifice her daughter the way your stepmother did," Gideon stated. "You were terrified of me, too, until you saw me protecting you."

Adeline secured the hook and let her hands drop, the pendant resting against his strong neck. As she pulled back, she frowned slightly, looking at how the chain sat on him. "It seems a little tight. You are quite... big," she murmured, not realizing what she just said.

"Quite big? Where, exactly?" Gideon smirked, his eyes glinting with a dangerous sort of amusement.

Adeline blushed, her finger hovering momentarily before she poked at the solid muscle of his throat. "Your neck. It’s... thick, I mean. The chain is choking you. I should just take it back and have it resized when I have enough money." She reached for the clasp, but before she could undo it, Gideon’s hand shot out, anchoring her by the waist. With a seamless, powerful movement, he drew her down onto his lap.

"Gideon!" She gasped, her hands splaying against his chest as she tried to shift away, heart hammering. She was breathless, completely flustered as he deftly plucked the chain from her fumbling fingers.

"Why don’t you wear it?" he suggested. "Stay still."

He didn’t wait for her permission. He brushed her hair aside, exposing the delicate curve of her neck. Adeline froze, barely daring to breathe as his knuckles grazed her skin.

"But my mother intended this for you," she whispered, her voice wavering.

Gideon’s fingers lingered against her pulse point. "You were the one who called me ’big,’" he murmured, the vibration of his voice fanning against her ear as he fastened the pendant around her throat. "And I think it suits you much better."

Once he fastened the clasp, he leaned back, keeping her trapped within his hold.

"I should go," Adeline stammered, her breath hitching. "You have work to attend to."

"I have no work," Gideon countered with a slow, predatory grin. He reached up, tracing the line of her jaw until his fingertip settled near the corner of her mouth. "You have a tiny mole right here."

Adeline swallowed hard, her heart drumming a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She desperately wished for Micah to burst in, but when she tried to avert her gaze, Gideon’s hand cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his intense stare.

"I’m right in front of you," he murmured. "Where are you looking?"

"I... I think someone is coming," she lied, her voice trembling. "I heard footsteps."

"But all I hear is your frantic heartbeat," Gideon replied. His eyes shone deep and golden, holding her completely captive. She couldn’t comprehend how he could hear the thrum of her pulse, nor could she figure out how to escape him, until a sharp announcement cut through the tension.

"The Luna Queen requests an audience with the Alpha Prince!"

"Her Majesty," Adeline breathed, alarm spiking in her chest as she tried to pull away.

Gideon’s grip didn’t loosen; his expression merely turned cold. "So? This is my wing. I decide who crosses this threshold, and who remains outside."

"It’s the Luna Queen, Gideon! We need to show some decency. What if she walks in and sees us like this?" Adeline whispered, panic clouding her gaze.

"That is her problem, not mine," Gideon replied, his tone chillingly indifferent.

Adeline prayed he would release her when the heavy doors suddenly swung open. Instead, as the Luna Queen entered, Gideon leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. The audacity shocked Adeline into silence and caused a collective gasp to ripple through the Luna Queen and the servants trailing behind her.

Adeline went numb, her mind reeling; she could only squeeze her eyes shut as the world around her faded into the intensity of his hold.

"Kiss me," Gideon growled against her mouth, demanding the presence of his wolf surging through the connection to override her hesitation.

"What is the meaning of this?" Presley hissed, her face contorting with disgust and fury as she pointedly averted her gaze.

Adeline pressed her hands against his chest, pushing until he finally broke the contact. Gideon pulled away, his expression shifting to a dangerous one as he turned his head to glare at the intruder.

"Did I grant you permission to enter, Your Majesty?" Gideon’s voice was a low, dangerous drawl that echoed in the sudden silence.

Presley didn’t flinch, her gaze fixed on the room, entirely unbothered by the sight before her. "The Alpha King requires Adeline’s presence. I am here to escort her myself."

Gideon scoffed, an amusement coloring his tone. "Since when did you begin performing the chores of a servant?"

Adeline felt the heat flush her cheeks; her gaze locked firmly on the floorboards. She felt entirely exposed, paralyzed by the weight of the humiliation.

Presley ignored the barb, her eyes narrowing as she turned to leave. "The Royal Priestess has arrived. Bring her to the main hall immediately." She paused at the threshold, throwing a scathing look over her shoulder. "And do try to maintain some semblance of decency. You are a prince with royal blood in your veins, Gideon, not a wild beast."

His grip tightened on Adeline’s waist, who finally looked up at him, and the doors shut close.

"Gideon, you should let me go," Adeline stated. He released his hold from her waist immediately.

She quickly stood up and maintained a distance between them. "Next time you want to kiss me, ask for my permission," she said.

"Sure," Gideon stated. "Can I kiss you then?"

Her eyes widened at his shamelessness. "I am serious."

"I am serious too." He rose to his feet, bridging the gap between in a single stride. "Will you allow me to kiss you, Adeline?"