Chapter 4: I Want a Pup, Samuel

"Miss, let's get you checked in. Please show me your identification."

Arabella couldn't even remember how she managed to walk out of the estate or how she ended up at the hotel.

Hearing the desk clerk speak, she finally snapped out of her daze and reached into her bag for her ID card.

She searched for a long time, but found nothing. That was when she remembered she had left it tucked inside her marriage certificate folder back at the house.

Arabella pressed her lips together, a deep wave of reluctance washing over her at the thought of going back.

"I'm sorry, I left my ID behind. Let me have someone bring it over."

With that, she pulled out her phone, ready to call the estate housekeeper.

The moment the call went through, a long, clean hand reached out, plucked the phone right out of her grip, and ended the call on the spot.

Immediately, a cool, crisp scent unique to Samuel drifted over, wrapping strongly around her senses.

His wicked, smooth voice murmured right beside her ear.

"No ID needed. She's my family. She's staying with me."

Recognizing him as the infamous younger master of the high-ranking family, the clerk immediately printed out a room card without a second thought.

"Right away, Second Young Master Samuel."

Within ten seconds, the card was ready.

The clerk smiled politely. "Here is your key card, sir. Please enjoy your stay, and I wish you and this lady a wonderful evening."

Samuel raised a brow, holding the card between two fingers as he casually slid it forward right in front of Arabella.

"Here you go."

It looked entirely like an open invitation to spend the night.

Arabella’s gaze followed the card up Samuel's hand, meeting his striking, dangerous eyes.

"Uncle Samuel, I am your nephew's mate, not your girlfriend. You can keep this room all to yourself."

Saying that, she snatched her phone back and turned on her heel, walking right out of the hotel.

She decided to go back to the estate and grab her ID herself, pack a few bags, and find a completely different hotel to stay in.

When Arabella reached the estate, the sun had already set.

The house was brightly lit, but none of the pack servants were anywhere in sight.

She didn't pay it any mind, heading straight to her bedroom to pull her marriage certificate and ID out of the wall safe.

Looking down at the photo printed on the marriage document, her gaze grew blank for a moment.

Three years ago, the day she and Richard registered their bond, they had taken a rushed photo inside a hospital room, leaving the rest of the paperwork to the estate managers.

Even now, she still remembered taking that picture. She had spent days running on zero sleep while caring for a badly injured Richard, leaving her face pale and utterly exhausted.

But the moment she thought about officially becoming his mate, she forgot all her fatigue, grinning from ear to ear with pure happiness.

And feeling her joy, Richard had reached out, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers tightly through hers, a genuine smile breaking across his weak face.

Back then, Richard only had love for her.

Unlike now, where love was entirely gone, replaced by pure betrayal.

*“Ah~ Richard, slower, be careful with the baby~”*

Suddenly, a soft, pathetic moan pierced through the thick walls, stabbing straight into Arabella's ears.

She recognized Celeste's voice instantly.

Her hand clenched hard around the marriage certificate, crumpling the edges as sharp pain spiked through her chest.

Arabella had spent three full years married to Richard, and they had never once shared a bed. At first, she told herself it was because of his severe border injuries, believing he physically couldn't. Later on, she assumed he was just trying to spare her body and protect her health.

Only now, hearing the raw sounds of Richard and Celeste together behind closed doors, did she realize how utterly foolish she had been!

Arabella shoved the crumpled certificate back into her bag, grabbed her light suitcase, and hurried toward the front door, desperate to escape a house that now made her sick to her stomach.

Just as she stepped into the hallway, she ran straight into a returning servant.

The servant gasped loudly, staring at her in confusion. "Luna Arabella, I thought you went to stay at a hotel? Why are you back?"

The voice was loud enough to carry straight into the adjacent guest room.

The next second, Celeste's breathless whimpers turned even louder and higher.

Arabella's expression twisted in disgust. She flagged down a cab outside and left the estate behind.

This time, she went straight back to the first hotel and walked right up to Samuel's door, lifting her hand to knock.

The door swung open almost immediately.

Arabella looked up, her eyes red and burning, having made a massive, reckless decision.

"Samuel... do you want to try this with me?"

Samuel took in her tear-stained face and bloodshot eyes, narrowing his gaze.

"Are you completely sure about this, Arabella?"

On the drive over, Arabella had downed several drinks to give herself courage. Her voice shook with a bitter sob, but her words were crystal clear.

"Uncle Samuel, I'm completely serious."

"You were right. Richard cheated on me right to my face and got another woman pregnant. Why shouldn't I sleep with someone else to get back at him? I want a pup of my own."

"And more than that... I'm going to divorce him!"

Catching the strong smell of alcohol on her breath and seeing her sway on her feet, Samuel reached out instantly to pull her slender waist steady, his eyes turning dark and dangerous.

"Arabella, I'll give you one last chance. Walk out that door right now, and I'll pretend you never came. But the second you cross this threshold, there is no turning back."

"Are you completely sure?"

He stopped calling her his sister-in-law, using her actual name instead.

Arabella heard it clearly, and her mind was entirely made up.

She reached up, grabbed the lapels of Samuel's shirt, pulled him down, and stood on her tiptoes to press her lips against his. She didn't even want to call him Uncle right now.

"Samuel, stop asking so many questions and just do it."

The taste of sweet alcohol mixed with her natural scent hit Samuel all at once. He didn't hesitate anymore, deepening the kiss instantly before sweeping her off her feet into his arms and carrying her deep into the room.

Desperate kisses rained down without pause.

The physical pressure grew heavier with every second.

Samuel bit lightly against the back of her neck, his voice rumbling low against her skin. "Are you thinking about my little nephew right now, little mate? He's busy taking care of his pregnant mistress—why waste your mind on him when you should be focusing completely on me?"

Arabella snapped back to reality, her eyes flushing deep red as a soft gasp escaped her lips.

Thinking of everything Richard had put her through, a fierce wave of defiance took over. She wrapped her arms tightly around Samuel's neck, breathing heavily against his ear.

"Samuel... I want a pup. Give me a pup."

If Richard was going to have a child with someone else, then she deserved a child of her own!

A dark, blazing spark flared deep in Samuel's pitch-black eyes. A slow, wicked grin curved his lips.

"Then don't go crying when you regret this, little mate."

He answered her plea with an intensity that left no room for retreat.