Chapter 362: Holy Water And Chocolate Cake

Gingerly, Aliana swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet onto the soft rug before slipping into her slippers.

Rising to her full height, she walked toward the walk-in closet to grab her robe, only to pause at the sight of her own reflection in the full-length mirror.

She wore a luxurious midnight-blue satin nightgown with slender straps, detailed with delicate pale-blue floral embroidery spanning the neckline and bodice.

Her eyes drifted lower to her flat stomach, and she absentmindedly lifted a hand to caress it.

"A child..." she whispered softly.

Her light grey eyes lost focus as they remained fixed at her stomach until something dawned on her.

Turning abruptly, she rushed toward one of the closet drawers and pulled out a small pink box.

She stared blankly at the box for a few quiet seconds before Cillian’s haunting words echoed in her mind...

’A human womb cannot sustain a demon’s child.’

Her fingers tightened around the box containing the birth-control pills she had been taking ever since she and Gavriel had begun engaging in reckless and insatiable sex.

It was true that she hadn’t planned on having a child at this stage of her life, especially given the ambiguous beginning of her marriage to Gavriel. That was precisely why she had taken precautions from the start, determined not to complicate things should something go wrong in the future.

So why... why did a sharp ache of emptiness hollow out her chest the moment she heard those words?

Her grip tightened around the box until her knuckles turned white.

’I guess I never needed these in the first place,’ she thought bitterly before tossing the small box into the bin.

Letting out a shaky exhale, she felt an overwhelming urge to leave the room. Quickly throwing on her silk robe, she marched downstairs.

She didn’t have a specific destination in mind, but her feet naturally guided her toward the vast, quiet kitchen of the estate.

She had rarely stepped foot into the kitchen, as Winston usually took care of all her meals.

But late at night, with silvery beams of moonlight streaming through the tall glass windows, the stillness provided her with a strange sense of comfort. Slowly, she made her way to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of chilled water.

After quenching her thirst, she placed the bottle back in the fridge, only for her eyes to land on the perfectly decorated chocolate cake with strawberries that she hadn’t touched during dinner.

Carefully, she took it out, fetched herself a fork, and settled onto one of the stools at the vast white kitchen counter before digging in.

She closed her eyes briefly as the rich flavours melted on her tongue. Opening her eyes, she took another mouthful, then another, barely pausing between bites.

Aliana had never been one to crave sugar, unlike her husband, who possessed an alarming level of weakness for it. Yet tonight, she reached for it, as if desperate for anything to mask the bitter thoughts that were threatening to consume her.

Fated mates.

’What does that even mean?’

’Is it like... having a soulmate?’

A sudden, sharp sting of vulnerability pierced her heart as another bitter thought crept into her mind. ’If that’s true... does it mean there is someone else out there meant solely for Gavriel? Someone chosen by the universe itself? Someone who...’

Her gaze drifted down to the half-eaten slice of cake. ’Someone... who isn’t me?’

Her hand trembled around her fork as the air grew heavy in her lungs.

’What happens when his true mate appears to claim him? What becomes of our...’

Before her mind could complete the dark train of thought, a faint noise shattered the silence, causing her to jump in her chair.

Her gaze snapped toward the kitchen entrance, where pale amber light leaked in from the main gallery.

Aliana froze, straining her ears to discern if she had imagined it.

But her brows furrowed when she heard faint whispers not too far from the hallway.

Curious and slightly scatterbrained, she made her way towards the entrance of the kitchen, still carrying the plate of cake in her hand, and peered out into the corridor.

There was no one there.

But then she realised the whispers were coming from much farther down the hallway. Thanks to her enhanced hearing, she could pick up every faint word.

Aliana padded quietly through the dark corridor, following the voices.

"Now, young lady... reveal to this priest what torments your fragile heart," a deep, velvety voice coaxed.

"Oh, Father... I am plagued by dreadful nights that leave me breathless because of a big, bad demon," a woman purred in response.

’Wait... who on earth is that?’ Aliana crept closer, peeking around the corner of the guest wing, only for her eyes to nearly bulge out of her sockets.

Standing in front of one of the guest suites were two painfully familiar figures.

’No way...’ Aliana’s eye twitched in pure disbelief.

Right there, Cillian was dressed in full priest vestments. He had Jade pinned against the door and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Judging by your feverish skin, this demon has absolute dominance over your body."

"Are you going to exorcise him, Father, or just talk?" Jade teased, hooking her fingers into his collar.

"It seems your body requires a generous dose of holy water. Allow me to cleanse you," Cillian murmured back before capturing her lips in a deep, ravenous kiss.

’What the actual fuck?!’ Aliana slapped her hand over her face, barely suppressing a squeal of sheer horror.

"Oh, Daniel..." Jade whimpered, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Time for a private confession, Red," Cillian murmured, lifting her effortlessly to carry her over the threshold.

However, before he could step inside, Cillian’s head snapped sharply toward the dark end of the hallway... right toward where Aliana was hiding.

Sensing the danger a split second in advance, Aliana stepped backwards just before his gaze landed on her spot.

With panic taking over, she continued to back away on silent feet before sprinting toward her master bedroom as fast as her legs could carry her, still clutching her half-eaten cake.

She was so traumatized by the scandalous scene she had just witnessed that when she shoved the suite door open, she failed to notice someone opening it from the inside. Inevitably, she ran straight into a solid wall of muscle.

"Ow!"

She bounced backwards, her feet tangling beneath her. Before she could crash onto the floor, a pair of arms locked around her waist, instantly pulling her against a warm chest.

Aliana whipped her head up, meeting the utterly confused gaze of her husband.

"Ana... what happened?"

He immediately scanned her from her head to her feet, checking her for injuries before shifting his gaze behind her, clearly expecting to find someone chasing his wife.

"I... that... p-priest..." Aliana managed, her brain short-circuiting. She shut her mouth, wincing at the absurd vivid image burned into her mind.

"Priest?" Gavriel raised a single brow.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she adjusted her grip on the plate that had somehow survived the crash, mumbling quickly, "I just witnessed something I will never be able to unsee."

Gavriel stared at her in silence, clearly waiting for an explanation.

The silence stretched between them. Aliana’s cheeks burned hotter under his intense scrutiny, until Gavriel’s eyes slowly tracked down to her hands, landing on the half-eaten chocolate cake pressed against his ribs.

Aliana’s gaze followed his before she cleared her throat lightly. "Would you... like some?"