Chapter 198


    J almost cried out.


    But then she saw it clearly-


    The red drops on the ground were not blood, but wine.


    The wooden box was shattered by the bullet, and so was the ss bottle containing the wine.


    The precious wine was spilled, not a single drop left.


    Daran stood on his stop, holding the mouth of that ss bottle, and looked back at Westin icily.


    …You are fucking insane,” he said after a while.


    Westin chuckled and put his gun away.


    “I was actually aiming at your head,” he replied breezily with a shrug. “My shooting became a bit


    rusty. You should feel lucky.”


    A vein popped furiously on Daran’s forehead.


    “When J finds out about this-“he hissed.


    “J won’t find out a damn thing because I am telling her that the bottle that she asked for is sold


    out. At the end of the day, it is going to be my word against yours.”


    Daran’s face darkened, which pleased Westin greatly.


    Westin blew a whistle, looking to be in a wonderful mood.


    “Oh and whom do you think J will believe?”


    Westin paced over to Daran, enjoying his anger–filled face, “Me? The person whom she finds very


    charming or attractive. Or you? The jealous old ex who has betrayed her once already? The answer


    seems pretty obvious to me, doesn’t it?


    Daran’s eyes were slits of burning rage.


    Blood trickled down his handsome face he got injured by a flying piece of ss earlier.


    …Sooner orter, J will find out about who you really are,” he said in a harsh


    tone.


    Westin’s lips curved, “Possibly. But by that time, you will be long gone.”


    Mr. Larkin heard the explosive noise and rushed out of the house.


    “My–My wine!!!”


    He cried at the top of his lungs.


    “Oh my god, it is all ruined! What did you do you manic


    Westin looked back at him with a leisurely look on his face, “Bring me another bottle. I want the


    most expensive kind in this vineyard.”


    Mr. Larkin red at him, “Forget it! This vineyard won’t sell a single drop to you-”


    “Really?”


    Westin raised an eyebrow and pulled out his gun again, ying it between his long fingers.


    “Now you see, I can shoot a bottle of wine from 10 feet away. It is going to be a lot easier if I were to


    aim at your head, don’t you think?”


    Mr. Larkin’s face became pale instantly.


    “What is the answer now, Mr. Larkin? Your princess is expecting me back home. It is rude to keep a


    lady waiting,” Westin smiled.


    Mr. Larking gulped, looking reluctant.


    “Do as he said,” Daran said coolly.


    “But Alpha Daran-


    “It is fine.”


    Mr. Larkin cast a resentful look at Westin and mumbled, “…There are staff at the reception desk.


    You can ask them for any wine you want.


    “Fabulous!”


    Westin stepped on the broken ss of spilled wine and strode forward. He halted briefly by Daran’s


    side and gave Daran a condescending smile:


    “I guess I will see you back at the packhouse…Or don’t.”


    He left.


    Mr. Larkin waited till he was gone and rushed over to Daran’s side, “That devil is fighting for our


    princess?! Alpha Daran! You can’t let him have his way! You have to warn Princess J about


    him!”


    Daran rubbed his face, looking exhausted, “…J won’t believe me.‘


    “I will voucher for you! That Lycan is way too dangerous-”


    “I know.” Daran took in a deep breath, “I will protect her the best I can. Now, I still need a bottle of


    wine before going back.”


    “Of course! Of course! I can give you one of our oldest collections, something worth more than


    thousands of dors on the market-


    “It is not about how much it values, but about its taste.”


    Daran interrupted Mr. Larkin and said, “Balvina wanted that particr bottle because she likes the


    taste of it. Now do you have any wine that tastes simr?”


    Mr. Larkin rubbed his chin, pondering, “Well…the wine that Luna Balvina requested is light–bodied


    and bright, with a rich vor of raspberry and cinnamon. I think I have a simr barrel in storage, but


    we haven’t bottled it yet…”


    “Can you bottle it tonight?” Daran asked.


    “We can but that will put you behind the Lycan-


    “Do not worry about thepetition for now,” Daran said calmly. “Balvina deserves a wine that she


    likes at her wedding.”


    “Certainly. You can rest in your room, Alpha Daran. I will put my staff to work immediately and bring


    the bottle to you tomorrow morning…”


    They walked down the trail together and soon disappeared into the darkness.


    When all of them were gone, J and Morgana finally stepped out of the garden where they were


    hiding.


    “Holy fuck!


    Morgana gasped by J’s side, sounding angry and shocked, “Do you know that Westin is like


    that? He looks like apletely different personpared to when he was in front of you!”


    J shook her head stiffly, “L…I have no idea.”


    The Westin that she knew would never shoot something randomly just because he couldn’t have it


    himself.


    And he would never threaten an innocent vineyard owner.


    Or maybe that was who he was….all along.


    She was just fooled by him before.


    “What are you going to do J?” Morgana asked hastily, “You can’t be with him, J! He is just


    being nice to you because you haven’t recognized your mate bond yet! But when you do that and


    go to the Lycan’snd with him, he will totally change! And by then you will have no one by your


    side to help you! That is terrible!”


    J held her head down in silence.


    “J? Wake up! I know that Daran is a jerk, but this Lycan is totally fucked–up….”


    “I have to go,” J raised her head and said abruptly.


    “What…Go where?!”


    J didn’t have the time to answer and rushed down the trail that Daran had taken earlier.


    “Don’t wait up for me Morgana!” she cried.


    Morgana called her name again, but she was gone within seconds.


    The moon hung low in the velvety sky, casting a gentle glow over the sprawling vineyard that


    stretched as far as the eye could see.


    J’s breath misted in the cool night air as she raced down the narrow trail between rows of


    grapevines.


    Their leaves shimmered in the soft moonlight.


    J rounded a curve.


    She caught a glimpse of Daran up ahead.


    His silhouette was framed by the silver glow.


    She quickened her pace, her footsteps crunching on the gravel path. The distant murmur of a gentle


    breeze through the vines created a soothing symphony, almost drowning out the racing of her


    heart.


    “-Daran!”


    She called, her voice echoing through the quiet night.


    He stopped abruptly and turned to face her.


    The moonlight revealed the shock in his eyes.


    “J?!” he gasped with rounded eyes, “What are you doing here?”


    J got up to him, slightly out of breath.


    …I am here to see Westin,” she said.


    The gleam in his eyes when he first saw her dimmed out gradually.


    “He has already left,” he said deeply. “You are one stepte.”


    J took another step further, looking straight into his eyes, “And I saw. everything…how he shot


    the wine. How he threatened the Mr. Larkin.”


    Daran held his breath. There was clear tension in his eyes.


    Π


    “…So.”


    He spoke up in a strained voice, “So what are you going to do?”


    J took a deep breath, the scent of grapes filling her lungs, grounding her,


    “Morgana and I did a lightning round the other day. She asked me, Daran or Westin? I said Westin,”


    she said.


    Daran pressed his lips into a thin line in silence.


    “Do you know why I said Westin?” she pursued, almost brutally.


    He lowered his eyelids. His gorgeous eyes met with hers.


    “…Because I lost you.”


    He said hoarsely.


    “I had my chance with you and I blew it. You are now moving onto a future without me in it. It is… It


    ispletely my fault.”


    She gritted.


    A wave of strong emotions washed over her as she cried, “Yes, it is your fault! And you know what I


    hated the most? I hate that my brain stopped me before I could speak out Westin’s full name! I hate


    that my first reaction after finding out that Westin is a fucked–up guy was a relief!”


    His eyes widened.


    He suddenly cupped her face with both of his hands and asked, breathing very fast, “What are you


    saying, J…”


    Her lips led.


    She looked back at him, her eyes watery, “I hate myself the most….for still loving your


    after everything that happened…”


    He froze,pletely.


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    “…Tell me that this isn’t a dream…” he murmured in a daze.


    She grabbed his cor and whispered into his ears, “Promise to me that you will never let me down,


    ever again.


    ”


    His eyes were brighter than the starry night sky.


    “I promise…with my entire soul,” he said hoarsely.


    J stood on tiptoes and kissed him urgently.