Chapter Twenty-Two

IVY’S POV

I didn’t know the movie I chose was this erotic.

Leo was sitting a little distance away from me on the large living room couch. Since the movie started, he had not said a single word. I had read the quick synopsis earlier and picked what was supposed to be a funny action film, but I certainly didn't expect it to have any explicit scenes. I desperately hoped it wouldn't last long.

I tried focusing on the screen, but I felt my face instantly heat up as I watched the male lead lift the female character into his arms and carry her aggressively toward the bed.

I turned to look at Leo, only to find that he was already looking at me.

My cheeks burned fiercely, and I quickly turned away, staring back at the screen. I gasped in shock as the male character began removing her clothes right there. This was getting so much worse.

A low, deep chuckle echoed beside me.

"You didn’t know when you chose the movie, right?" Leo asked, his voice filled with amusement.

I buried my face in my hands, blushing in pure embarrassment. "Yes... I'm so sorry."

"You don’t need to be sorry," Leo said softly. A playful glint lit up his dark eyes as he added, "I mean... one day, I would want us to watch movies like this together. But I think it's a bit too early for us right now."

"What?" I turned to look at him in absolute shock, my mouth hanging open.

Leo burst out laughing, the rich, deep sound filling the quiet room. "You’re so cute, Ivy." He picked up the remote and paused the movie on the screen.

"Stop making fun of me!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest, though my heart was fluttering wildly.

"I'm not," he smiled warmly, his gaze soft and gentle. "You really are cute. Do you want to do something else?"

I thought for a minute, tapping my chin, but I couldn't think of any other activity on my list. "Let's... maybe go for a stroll?"

"Okay," he agreed instantly, standing up.

We headed outside into the cool evening air. During our stroll through the compound, Leo still kept a respectful distance, walking a step or two behind me so I wouldn't feel cornered. As we walked under the dim garden lights, we talked about my health and our baby.

"Doctor Rachel said in three months, my belly will start to show," I shared, touching my stomach softly over my dress.

"Are you excited?" Leo asked from behind me, his voice carrying a tender warmth.

"A little bit," I admitted, looking up at the night sky. "I'm a bit scared... but I'm ready for this journey. And I'm definitely going to need more clothes soon."

Leo laughed softly, a comforting sound in the night breeze. "Whatever you need, my love, just let me know."

We slowed our pace as the stone path wound deeper into the moonlit gardens, surrounded by the sweet fragrance of blooming night-jessamine. The initial awkwardness from the movie theater room was slowly melting away, replaced by the peaceful hum of the night.

"You know," Leo began, taking a quiet step closer to match my stride while still maintaining a comfortable cushion of space, "Since we are taking a stroll like two old friends, how about we play a game?"

I turned my head slightly, tilting my chin to look up at him. "A game? What kind of game?"

"A question game," he said, a boyish grin curving his lips that made him look disarmingly handsome. "Simple rules. We take turns asking each other random questions. It's high time we actually got to know the little things about each other."

A soft smile tugged at my mouth as I looked back toward the cobblestone path. "Okay. That sounds fun. Who goes first?"

"I'll start," Leo said, tapping his chest dramatically. "If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "That’s so easy! Freshly baked vanilla pastries with sweet almond glaze. I could eat a dozen of them without getting tired."

Leo feigned horror, clutching his chest. "Pastries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Your wolf would riot over the lack of meat, Ivy."

"Hey, it's my life!" I giggled, nudging my elbow playfully in his direction, careful not to make full contact, though my heart leaped at how close we were. "My turn now. If you weren't a Crown Prince, what would you be doing right now?"

Leo grew quiet for a second, his dark eyes gazing out over the silver leaves of the garden. A surprisingly soft, reflective expression crossed his face. "Honestly? A carpenter or an architect. I like building things with my hands. Raw wood, clean lines, creating something sturdy from scratch that lasts for generations."

I stared at him in quiet surprise, trying to picture the powerful, intimidating Alpha of the Varian Kingdom covered in sawdust with a hammer in hand. The image was unexpectedly endearing. "A carpenter Prince. I didn't see that coming."

"There's a lot you don't know about me yet, my love," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave as he stared at me intently. He cleared his throat playfully, shifting the mood back before I could blush too hard. "Alright, my turn. What is your absolute biggest, most embarrassing pet peeve?"

"Oh, no," I groaned, hiding my face in my hands for a brief second before looking back up at him. "People who chew loudly, Geez its so annoying"

Leo burst out laughing, the rich, deep melody echoing off the stone garden archways. "Good to know. I'll make sure not to chew loudly around you to avoiding getting smacked"

"You better," I teased, feeling a warm, bubbly sensation blooming in my chest. It felt so natural, so light. For the first time since I woke up in his palace, I wasn't thinking about my missing past, my broken memories, or the fear of what was coming. I was just Ivy, walking in a garden, laughing with a man who looked at me like I held the stars in my eyes.

"Okay, my turn," I said, a playful spark igniting in my eyes. "If you had a superpower, besides being a terrifying, powerful Alpha wolf, what would it be?"

Leo didn't even hesitate. "Telepathy."

"Telepathy?" I raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit dangerous for a ruler?"

"Maybe," he admitted, his gaze slowing down, locking onto mine with an intensity that made the breath catch in my throat. "But right now, I'd use it solely to read your mind. Just so I could know every little thought running through your head when you look at me like that."

My heart hammered wildly against my ribs, a sudden, scorching wave of heat flushing up my neck to my cheeks. I quickly looked down at my slippers, trying to catch my breath as my fingers twisted into the fabric of my dress.

Leo chuckled softly, a tender, apologetic sound. "Sorry. I promised light topics."

"It's... it's fine," I whispered, a shy smile breaking through despite my burning face. "It was a good answer."

We reached the center of the garden, where a large marble fountain bubbled softly under the moonlight. The water sparkled like crushed diamonds, reflecting the clear night sky above. I stepped closer to the edge, mesmerized by the ripples, feeling lighter than I had in months.

"Leo?" I asked softly, turning back to face him.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For tonight. I really..."

The sudden, loud ring of Leo's phone made us both freeze.

In less than a second, the happy, laughing man beside me was gone. Leo’s body went stiff, his shoulders broad as his strong Alpha energy spread out like a heavy, protective wave around us. He stepped smoothly in front of me, hiding me completely from the dark woods around the house.

He picked up the call and put it on speaker.

"Sam," Leo growled, his deep voice sharp and dangerous. "I said I did not want to be disturbed tonight."

"I am so sorry, Your Highness," Beta Sam’s worried voice came through the speaker. "I would never call, but an official messenger just drove through our main gates. A letter came marked maximum emergency... straight from the Ashworth territory."

The moment I heard the name Ashworth, my body went cold. A wave of fear hit my chest, washing away all the peace I had felt just moments ago. My hands began to shake.

Leo saw me panic right away. Without looking away from his phone, he reached back and gently rested his hand against mine, letting his warm, comforting scent fill the air to calm my fast heartbeat.

"What does it say, Sam?" Leo asked, his voice cold and hard.

"It is an official warning letter signed by Alpha Marcus Ashworth himself," Sam read aloud over the phone. "He says the Crown Prince is hiding a runaway from his pack... his daughter, Ivy. He demands that you hand her back immediately, or bring her to the high court at the Apex Gathering in two weeks for questioning under pack law."

A heavy silence filled the garden.

My knees felt weak, and the ground under my feet seemed to shake. My father. He knew where I was. He was coming for me. He was going to use pack rules to drag me back to that terrible place I was trying so hard to forget.

"Alpha? What should we do?" Sam asked through the speaker.

"Keep the messenger there, lock the letter in my office, Leo ordered coldly. "I will handle it in the morning."

"Yes, my Lord."

The call ended, leaving only the sound of the soft night wind.

Before fear could completely take over, Leo turned around and put his phone away.

The angry, scary look in his eyes completely vanished the second he looked at my scared face. He did not care about the warning letter. He did not care about the trouble it would cause. In two quick steps, he came closer to me, his big hands held out gently near my shoulders, waiting for me to step in.

"Look at me, Ivy," he said softly, his dark eyes filled with pure love and strength. "Look at me, my love."

I forced my teary eyes to look up at him.

"No one is taking you anywhere," Leo promised, his voice strong and firm. "He can send a hundred letters. He can bring his whole army to my gates. You are safe with me, in my house, and carrying my baby. You belong only to yourself, and I will destroy the whole Ashworth pack before I let anyone touch a single hair on your head."