One Night

Chapter 180

Audrey

I felt a shiver run through me as those cold gray eyes assessed me. Appraised me. Flicked up and down me like I was a prize

mare

Not even so much as a “hello”

Before I could respond to his less-than-welcoming greeting, a blur of motion caught my eye.

“Eddie!” Eliza squeaked again, bounding around the bar and throwing her arms around Edwin’s neck. “Give your big sister a hug!”

She smelled faintly of gin and flowers as she pulled away from Edwin and turned to me with a bright smile. Indeed, this was the same woman from the picture in Edwin’s apartment, only a little older now, “And you must be Audrey! Welcome to the family!”

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I gladly returned the hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Eliza,” I said, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. “Edwin has told me a lot about you”

“Oh, I’m sure you have. Eddie and I were thick as thieves growing up…”

As Eliza chattered animatedly, neatly curled blonde hair bobbing as she moved, my gaze drifted back to the two men lounging on the plush sofa. The brown-haired one, seemingly lost in thought, still picked at that loose thread on the arm of the chair.

“That’s Malakai.” Edwin said through our Mindlink, his fingers tightening around my lower back. “He’s a morose jack**. Don’t even bother trying to engage him in conversation.”

suppressed a frown. I recalled Peter mentioning that Malakai had a mate, but she didn’t appear to be here. Despite his apparent disinterest. I noticed his eyes flicking toward Edwin and me, a hint of something-jealousy, maybe?-in his gaze.

The other man, closer to my age, was eyeing me with undisguised curiosity. His sharp chin and blue eyes marked him with a strong resemblance to their mother.

“Axel,” Edwin explained. “When we sit down for dinner, I’d bet my last dollar that he has some grandiose story that never actually happened.”

Axel, unlike Malakai, rose from the sofa and crossed over to me. He shook my hand, his grip firm. His gaze lingered on the silver streak in my hair. “Hm. Interesting.” he said, gesturing towards it. “Born with that?”

I nodded, touching the strand self-consciously. “Yes, I was.”

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, taking another sip of his martini and turning away as if I’d just exhausted the extent of his interest.

From her seat by the window, Stella inclined her head in our direction. “A pleasure to meet my son’s mate,” she said, her voice cool and detached. She made no move to stand or approach us

“Mom, Audrey brought fruitcake, Peter said, still holding the box. “It looks delicious.”

“Hm. Get a plate for it,” was all she said. I tried to hide my disappointment that she didn’t so much as c**k a smile.

Edwin’s father stepped closer, his eyes raking over me with the same intensity as before. “I must say, I expected someone a

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Chapter 180

bit more… regal,” he said, towering over me. “She’s so small.”

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Edwin growled low in his throat, his arm tightening around my waist. His father didn’t so much as flinch, and it was all I could do to not shrink beneath his gaze.

But before the situation could escalate, Eliza swooped in, linking her arm through mine.

“Come on, Audrey,” she said brightly, tugging me toward the bar “Let me fix you a drink. What’s

your poison?”

Grateful for the intervention, I allowed Eliza to lead me away. “Gin and tonic,” I said.

Eliza’s eyes lit up. “A woman after my own heart!” She busied herself behind the bar, chattering away. “So, tell me everything about you. How did you and Eddie meet? What’s it like being the Silver Star? Do you have any cool powers yet?”

I laughed, feeling myself relax in the face of her bubbly personality-so much unlike Edwin’s usual stoic demeanor. Although I supposed the c**ks in that facade of his had been growing wider these days.

“Well, we met at Grayspring University…

As I recounted a sanitized version of our meeting and budding relationship, Peter sidled up to the bar. His lazy smile seemed more strained now, more practiced. He slid onto the barstool beside me with a soft sigh.

“I need a shot.

I was surprised to see him throw back the shot of whiskey Eliza provided, hanging his head slightly as it washed down his throat. I glanced over my shoulder at Edwin, who was stuck in the middle of what looked to be a heated, but hushed, conversation with his father.

“Another,” Peter groaned when he saw me looking. “And one for her, too. She’ll need it.”

Eliza’s eyes flicked up first at me, then over my shoulder. She poured two more shots, paused to consider, then poured a

third for herself.

While Eliza, Peter, and I drank, I noticed Malakai and Axel keeping their distance, occasionally whispering to each other and casting suspicious glances our way. I wanted to ask what their deal was, but Peter and Eliza had slipped into a conversation about something unrelated and Edwin was still talking to his father, so I hopped down off the barstool.

I made my way over to where Stella sat, still by herself. Up close, her beauty was even more apparent, but there was a hardness to her features that was somewhat unsettling.

“That’s a lovely outfit,” she said as I approached, surprising me.

“Oh. Thank you,” I replied, smoothing my hands over the skirt. “Edwin made it for me, actually.”

Stella’s eyebrows shot up, and she let out a derisive laugh. “Oh? I thought he’d given up that little hobby long ago.”

Hobby? I wanted to say. He owns one of the most successful fashion houses in the world.

But before I could utter those words, I felt a gentle touch through our mate bond, like silk-pressing against the backs of my eyes. Edwin’s calming presence washed over me, and I took a deep breath, swallowing my anger.

“He’s quite talented,” I said evenly. “I hope he’ll make me plenty more.

Stella merely hummed noncommittally and turned her attention back to her drink.

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Chapter 180

As we moved to the dining room for dinner, I found myself **el between Edwin and Eliza, with Peter across from us. Edwin’s father at the head of the table, Stella at the other end, I was glad to be sandwiched between the three least

in the room.

offensive p

Just as Edwin had predicted, as the meal progressed, I noticed a pattern emerging. Edwin’s brothers, particularly Axel, seemed to be in constant competition, each trying to outdo the others with tales of their recent exploits.

“…and then,” Axel was saying, gesticulating wildly, “I had to carry my hiking partner down the entire face of Mount Everest after he twisted his ankle. It was touch and go for a while, but we made it.”

I exchanged a skeptical glance with Edwin, but before either of us could comment, Stella chimed in.

“Now that is how a true Alpha should act,” she said, her gaze sliding dismissively over Edwin. “A hero, not some pencil pusher sitting behind a desk.”

Edwin’s jaw clenched, but he remained silent. I placed my hand on his knee under the table, offering what comfort I could. Although I doubted it was enough.

Axel, emboldened by his mother’s praise, launched into another tale. “Oh, and did I tell you about the time I saved that girl from a shark attack? Bare-handed, mind you…

As the increasingly outrageous stories continued-peppered with snide remarks from Stella, who always felt the need to mention that Axel would have made a better Alpha than Edwin Eliza, who had been steadily working her way through several glasses of wine, finally snapped.

“Oh, give it a rest, Mother,” she slurred, slamming her glass down. “We all know Axel is full o*, Stop encouraging him just to make Eddie look bad.” *

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table, broken only by Erik clearing his throat. He turned his piercing gaze to me. “So, Audrey,” he began, his tone deceptively casual, “has my son honed your skills yet? The Silver Star should be quite formidable by now. Mind reading, healing, fighting-all of these are second nature to you, I assume.”

1 swallowed hard, feeling the weight of everyone’s attention suddenly on me. “Well, I’m working on mind reading and fighting,” I said carefully. “But I haven’t managed healing just yet

Erik’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What about shifting? Surely you’ve mastered that basic skill.”

I felt Edwin stiffen beside me, fingers tightening around his knife. But before he could intervene, the words tumbled out of my mouth: “Actually, I can’t shift yet.”

The room went suddenly, deafeningly silent.

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