Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 26: Until you fall in love

Chapter 26: Until you fall in love

"I won’t be headed to my grave anytime soon, Gideon, nor will my mother," Ensley said, his lips curling into a mocking grin. "If anyone is marked for death, it’s Adeline. After all, that curse you carry demands a price."

In an instant, Gideon had him by the collar, shoving him violently against a stone pillar. The impact echoed through the hall. Gideon’s wolf surged toward the surface, his eyes darkening and his canines elongating into a predatory snarl.

Ensley groaned as his spine collided with the stone, but the sinister smile never wavered. "Still so easily provoked," he wheezed. "It turns out bringing about your doom is simpler than I imagined."

"I won’t give you the satisfaction of watching me suffer," Gideon rasped, forcing his grip to release. He stepped back, reigning in the beast.

Ensley’s laughter was full of coldness. "Your true suffering won’t even begin until you fall in love, brother. Oh, I heard you’re departing for the Western borders tomorrow. I truly hope you never return."

"That will only happen in your dreams," Gideon countered.

Ensley retreated a few steps into the shadowy corridor and continued, "Sometimes, brother, dreams have a way of coming true."

Gideon ran his fingers through his hair, a dark chuckle escaping him as he headed toward his chamber. "He truly thinks he can rule after I’m gone," he muttered, his voice laced with cold amusement. He pulled his car keys from the drawer, the metal cold against his palm.

Clenching them tightly, he returned to Adeline.

The moment he stepped back into the room, he caught her admiring her reflection in the mirror, her eyes bright as she took in the shimmering black fabric.

Seeing him, she immediately smoothed her dress, bracing herself as her composure returned. Lila bowed low and slipped out of the room.

"Why did you stop?" Gideon questioned, his gaze traveling over her. "You seemed to be enjoying the view."

"The dress... it’s beautiful," Adeline admitted, a small, genuine smile gracing her lips.

"The one wearing it is even more so," Gideon countered, his lips quirking into a teasing smirk. He extended his hand toward her. "Come."

She crossed the room and placed her hand in his palm. As they stepped out into the corridor, Gideon’s tone shifted, becoming casual yet dangerously sharp. "You met my half-brother earlier, didn’t you?"

"Yes. I was in the garden," Adeline replied, her voice steady. "He seems quite pretentious."

"Well, he is. He mentioned your mole," Gideon said, his grip on her hand tightening ever so slightly. The thought of Ensley being close enough to notice such a detail made him want to snap the man’s neck. "Just how close were the two of you standing?"

Adeline tilted her head, meeting his gaze for a moment before looking straight ahead.

"If you’re worried that I showed any interest in him, I didn’t," she asserted. "In fact, I put him in his place. I probably shouldn’t have been so sharp with my words, but I felt I should take advantage of being your bride."

Gideon’s smirk widened, a glint of genuine admiration in his eyes. "The more I learn about you, the more intriguing you become," he remarked. They reached the foyer where the cars were waiting in a neat line.

As she reached down to lift the hem of her shimmering dress to navigate the stairs, Gideon moved without warning. He swept her off her feet, catching her in a bridal carry that left her startlingly close to him.

"Gideon, I could have walked," Adeline said, her face only an inch from his, her breath hitching at the proximity.

He didn’t look down, keeping his focus on the path ahead with a steady stride. "I know. But I like it when I carry you like this," he stated simply.

As they reached the car, he pressed the key fob, and the locks clicked open. With ease, he maneuvered to open the passenger door and carefully lowered her onto the seat. As he leaned in to ensure she was settled, his lips brushed against her cheek, a touch so light it was almost like a feather.

Instinctively, Adeline’s hand flew to her face, her fingers tracing the spot as she tilted her head to look at him, but the door had already clicked shut, leaving her alone with her racing heart.

’What is wrong with me? Why does my heart react in such a manner?’ she thought

Gideon started the engine as he navigated the vehicle through the heavy gates and onto the open road.

"What prompted Prince Gideon to suddenly think of a date?" Adeline asked, breaking the silence as she watched the palace lights recede in the rearview mirror.

"Because the restaurants at the borders won’t exactly be suited for a proper dinner," Gideon answered. "Since I’ve officially accepted you as my bride, I felt taking you out before our departure was a necessity."

"It’s my first time," Adeline admitted softly. "Back in high school and then college, I used to watch others being asked out. I always wondered what it felt like, to actually be the one going."

Gideon arched an eyebrow, casting a brief, amused glance her way. "You speak as if your life is over. You’re only what, twenty-five or twenty-six?"

"I’m twenty-five," she confirmed.

"You’re still young. And we are each other’s first," Gideon asserted, his grip tightening comfortably on the steering wheel. A sharp grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "No one else was capable enough to stand by my side. Tomorrow’s newspapers will be flooded with the news of our dinner date."

Adeline gazed at him for a long moment. The question about his curse sat on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t find the courage to voice it.

"You didn’t bring any bodyguards," she whispered, her voice laced with genuine concern. "What if someone attacks us? You’ve made so many enemies."

Gideon didn’t even flinch, his eyes remaining fixed on the road ahead as he accelerated. "That would be nothing more than an invitation to their own deaths," he asserted. "They know better than to strike when I have something worth protecting in the car."