Chocolate Diplomacy and The Alpha's Warning

The sun hadn't fully risen when Elaina's eyes fluttered open.

The ceiling fan spun lazily above her bed, humming a soft tune, but her mind was already racing.

Lucien.

She'd dreamed of him again. Not in a romantic haze, but a strange, magnetic pull—like his presence haunted her even when he wasn't there. His cold, unreadable eyes. The way he looked at her like he wanted to devour her soul—or maybe lock it away.

And somehow, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

She groaned and rolled over, clutching her pillow.

"I'm getting more and more obsessed with him.Sometimes I think he is either a magician or a vampire.But wherever he is,he is only mine."[proud evil face]

Her fingers absentmindedly traced invisible patterns on the bedsheet as she whispered, "I just can't stop thinking about him.He barely looked at me. I mean, yes—he's stupidly gorgeous, probably allergic to smiling, and built like a vampire king from one of those W******l novels, but still—why doesn't he look at me properly and fall in love with me?"

Her heart thudded as a thought sparked.

Maybe I just need to crack his shell.

Show him some... warmth. Something simple. Like chocolate.

She shot up, her blanket falling to the floor as she made a decision.

"Yup. Chocolate diplomacy. That's it."

She scrambled out of bed, ran to her little kitchen drawer, and pulled out the fancy black and gold box of chocolates she'd bought for herself last week.

"Well, Lucien Blackthorn," she said with mock drama, "you better appreciate this. This stuff was imported."

She grabbed a sticky note and scribbled:

> "For your inner marshmallow. I'm convinced it exists. Somewhere.

—Your favorite human."

She stared at it. Then underlined "favorite."

Twice.

---

Later that morning...

Lucien's company, The Blackthorn Industry, loomed like a dark monolith in the middle of the city. Sleek glass walls, armed security, a lobby so sterile it could perform surgery. Elaina stepped in wearing her most charming smile—and her stethoscope still around her neck from her morning rounds.

"I'm here to see Kade. Kade something. The Beta. Assistant. Whatever his job title is."

The front desk woman blinked at her.

"And your name?"

"Elaina Rivers. I brought treats."

She held up the chocolate box.

Two guards flinched, clearly alarmed at the idea of someone trying to bribe their way into the alpha's territory with candy.

Luckily, Kade appeared from the elevator just then, a phone pressed to his ear and his eyes immediately spotting her.

"You are not serious," he muttered, slipping the phone into his pocket.

"Oh, but I am," she said brightly, walking up to him. "Good morning, Beta Boy."

"That's not my title."

"It is in my heart."

He sighed, exasperated but amused. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a dream. A vision. A divine message from the universe."

"You want to see Lucien again."

She held up the box. "Chocolates and a note. That's all. I figured you'd be my delivery wolf."

"Wolf?" he choked. "Seriously?"

She winked. "Come on, it suits you."

[nobody knows that Lucien and Kade both are werewolves.Lucien is an Alpha and Kade is a beta. Both are from the same pack and childhood playmates.That's why, Lucien bears all the clumsiness of Kade.They are living in the modern society hiding their truths.Their past generations had also done that.And as like as others, Elaina also doesn't know about this truth]

Elaina was holding a small box—wrapped in black and gold paper—with a red ribbon tied clumsily around it.

"Elaina," he greeted, amused. "Still illegally smuggling sugar into the King's diet?"

"It's not illegal if I do it with love," she chirped, holding the box up. "These are handmade. Well, handmade by someone else, but I paid for them, which is almost as romantic."

Kade chuckled. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?"

She grinned. "Nope. That's why I need your help."

He raised a brow. "This feels like a trap."

"Oh come on, you like me now. A little."

He hesitated, then sighed. "A little."

"Perfect. Then you'll give this to him?" She handed over the box, then pulled a small note from her coat pocket and slapped it on top. It read:

> "For your inner marshmallow. I'm convinced it exists. Somewhere.

—Your favorite human."

Kade snorted. "You know he's going to destroy this with his eyeballs, right?"

"Let him try," Elaina said proudly. "I won't stop until he smiles. Or growls with 50% less murder."

Kade looked at her, genuinely curious now. "Why him? Of all the men in this massive city?"

Elaina's expression softened just a little, mischief fading into something deeper. "Because when I look at him, it feels like I've seen him before. Like my soul recognizes something ancient in him."

Kade studied her. "You don't even know what he is, do you?"

"Nope," she replied cheerfully. "But I'm dying to find out."

Kade shook his head, tucking the box under his arm. "You're going to be the death of me, Doc."

"Maybe. But at least you'll go out with chocolate."

"I think I can't win against you ."

" Yes,you can't.By the way,thank you, my noble steed!" she called as he turned.

"Call me that again, and I'll make sure he feeds you to security.

Lucien's office loomed in still silence, the kind that crackled with restrained power. He stood at the window, a shadow against the morning skyline, dressed in a sharply tailored black suit, eyes narrowed on nothing in particular.He was deeply Thinking about something when Kade came.

"Sir?"

Lucien didn't turn. He didn't need to. Kade's voice was unmistakable—too casual, always carrying a trace of amusement that never failed to irritate him.

"She left chocolates ," Kade said, clearly biting back a grin. "And a sticky note that says—and I quote—'For your inner marshmallow, which I'm convinced exists. Somewhere.'"

Lucien's jaw flexed. "Throw it out."

Kade walked deeper into the office, holding the box up like a trophy. "Are you sure? These ones are shaped like little wolves. Very on-brand."

Lucien turned, his expression colder than frostbite. "Do you think this is a joke?"

Kade blinked innocently. "I think she does."

"Keep her away from this building."

"She's currently volunteering in the hospital wing on the fifth floor. It's technically your building."

Lucien's power surged, a crackle of dark energy making the glass ripple faintly behind him.

Kade wisely backed up. "Alright, alright. But you might want to stop glancing at the elevators every time you hear footsteps. People are starting to notice."

Lucien said nothing. But later that night, when the office was empty, and darkness cloaked the world outside… he didn't throw the chocolates away.

He opened the box. Slowly.

And ate one.

---

Meanwhile, in Elaina's apartment...

"He ignored my compliment," Elaina complained to Daisy, who sat cross-legged on the couch eating noodles.

"Who?"

"Lucien Blackthorn," she said, flopping onto her bed dramatically. "I told him he had 'great bone structure with emotional villain potential.' Nothing. Not even a smirk. What kind of man doesn't react to being called a sexy villain?"

"A man who's emotionally unavailable, allergic to affection, and possibly plotting your disappearance as we speak," Daisy replied, deadpan.

Elaina smiled dreamily. "He smells like expensive cologne and unsolved trauma."

"You need therapy."

"I need him to pin me to a wall and growl."

"Elaina!"

"What?! I'm just saying, he has this look like he'd ruin your life but buy you a castle afterward."

Daisy shoved a pillow at her face. "Stop falling for emotionally damaged men in suits. He literally glared at you like he wanted to throw you into a void."

"I know," Elaina whispered through the pillow, "and I've never felt more alive."

---

The next morning

Lucien sat at the head of the boardroom table, motionless as his executives buzzed with presentations and nervous chatter. His presence was oppressive—cold and commanding, like winter in human form.

One of the men fumbled with a chart. Another spilled his coffee. No one dared breathe too loud.

Kade, of course, was relaxed as ever.

"The Paris branch is requesting a personal appearance," one executive said.

Lucien didn't blink. "Denied."

"The Roth Group also sent—"

"Denied."

"They offered a dinner—"

"I'm not interested in socializing."

Kade snorted. "What are you interested in, boss?"

Lucien's eyes flicked toward him, ice and warning in one look. "Power. Silence. And peace."

"Interesting. Because lately, you've been staring at the hospital directory in your free time."

Lucien didn't dignify that with an answer.

Kade leaned closer. "She's going to keep showing up, you know. You looked at her like she cracked a code you didn't want cracked."

"I looked at her like she was a mistake," Lucien said quietly.

Kade raised an eyebrow. "And yet... you still remember her."

---

Later that night

Elaina was heading home from a late shift when she found it—an envelope taped to her apartment door.

Cream parchment. Her name written in black ink, smooth and sharp.

Inside, a note:

> Curiosity is a dangerous game, Doctor Rivers. There are places your smile cannot protect you. Walk away.

—L.B.

Elaina stared at it, heart thudding.

No threats. No return address. Just a warning. A whisper in ink.

And yet…

A slow smile curved on her lips.

"You're thinking about me," she whispered, brushing a finger over the letters. "You wouldn't have sent this if I didn't matter."

Daisy poked her head out from the kitchen. "What's that?"

"Proof that I'm getting under his skin."

"Elaina—"

"I know, I know." She tucked the note into a drawer like a secret treasure. "He's dangerous. He's cold. He's warning me away."

She looked out her window, across the sleeping city.

"But he's watching. That means I've already won. I think I'm being haunted , haunted by the sexiest villian archetype I've ever met."

She rolled over and whispered to herself,"He warned me away that means he is thinking about me."

That's when she knew what she had to do.