Lavenia's POV
Hero wasn't lying when he said that his pack was the most peaceful place on earth. When we entered the pack's territory, several people bowed to him in respect. Sincere, warm smiles were etched on their faces. Even their speech and intonation were so calm.
Just like Hero, so I wasn't surprised to see that.
"Do you wanna wait in the living room or in my room?" he asked. I chuckled softly.
"In the living room," I replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I don't want you to take advantage of me if I wait in your private room," I replied, making him laugh.
"Smart!" he replied. "However, you're wrong. In my room, you might find many interesting things. Things you like—books, of course."
"Seriously?" I asked, then got up and followed him into a magnificent room.
I was stunned for a moment, then stepped inside and froze in the middle of the room. Around me were classic wooden shelves with various books neatly arranged.
Hero pressed a button and the cabinet rotated, becoming a door through which he then entered.
I took a quick peek at the layout inside. There was a very large round bed, and the rest of the room was empty. He seemed to be a follower of mindfulness life. When he went to sleep, he did nothing else but prepare for bed.
Interesting.
I was still in the same place, waiting for my host to invite me to take any book I liked. He came out of the room wearing more casual clothes—a turtleneck sweater and a training pants that made me hold my breath for a split second—amazed to see him looking different and younger.
Surprisingly, he was almost forty, but he still looked so young, as if he were my age or maybe even younger.
Truly... he looked fresh and... look at him, with his half-wet hair dripping on his forehead, the clay-like contours formed and visible through the fabric wrapping his body, his milk-white skin... almost everything was captivating and flawless.
"Lav? Are you daydreaming?" he asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face. I gasped and scratched my eyebrow, which suddenly felt itchy.
He didn't realize that I had been watching him all this time, did he?
"Do you wanna eat something? I mean, besides the main meal, of course," he asked, but I didn't have time to answer because my mind was still scattered somewhere. "I mean... aren't you craving anything? Usually, pregnant women crave certain foods or things that are unusual."
Cravings... nope, I don't think I feel that. Or maybe not yet.
I shook my head. "I don't know. I eat as usual, sleep, and do activities without any problems. What are cravings like?" I asked back and he looked confused.
"Are you seriously asking me that?" He laughed and I immediately realized that I had just asked him something he would never be able to answer, even with repeated research. "Okay, I think that's enough joking around. Do you want me to make you something?"
"Can you cook?"
"Just watch!"
He held out his hand, which I hesitantly took, leading me to a room dominated by silver colors. He lifted me up and sat me on the kitchen island, then locked eyes with me for a long moment.
"Test me," he said. "Tell me what food you really wanna eat right now."
I looked into his dark eyes for a long time while thinking. "Uhm... I had no idea. But if you ask, I want something fresh, unique, light, and a little spicy."
"Hmm... let me think," he said. "Would you like to try Hawaiian spring rolls?"
"Does that food really exist?"
"I don't know. I always make it at noon," he said. "Now, let me make it for you."
I nodded and he began to prepare the dish he wanted to show me. When he was done, he cut the food into several pieces and serve the colorful food—contains several types of vegetables and chicken slices—in front of me.
"This is so you can easily put it in your tiny mouth." He then picked up a piece with chopsticks and fed it to me. "How is it?"
Fragrant and savory chicken slices, fresh vegetables and a little fruit, sour and sweet, mixed together, combined with garlic powder, and like a thick sauce that was sour, sweet, and spicy.
I murmured with delight and Hero smiled at me.
"Do you like it?" I nodded. "Then eat up. After that, I'll show you something you'll like."
"Another surprise?" I asked. He nodded.
"Since there aren't many beautiful places here, I'll show you my childhood hideout." He got up when he saw that I had finished the delicious food he had made.
He held out his hand and I quickly took it. Slowly, he walked, helping me carefully.
"You're pregnant, don't move suddenly," he said.
A strange feeling instantly crept into my heart because of his gentle attitude. It was so natural. He was mature and grown up. He knew how to treat women properly. So I couldn't let myself fall for him too quickly.
He could do that to all women, couldn't he? Just like Damien.
As we walked, Hero grabbed a bottle of wine. "For our dishes later."
"Can I drink? I'm pregnant," I asked.
"You can have a little taste," he said with a smile. We walked a little further and arrived at a yard with a large tree in it. "This is my headquarters."
I laughed, then looked at him with pursed lips. "I'm not sure the tree house can support both of us," I said. "I'm fat."
"You're not fat. It's ideal and beautiful. I like you as you are. Come on." He reached out his hand, helping me climb up just a few steps to the top.
At first I thought it was too small for us, but I was wrong. This house could fit four adults in a sitting position.
"How did you make it?" I asked when Hero arrived at the top. He pouted, then laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't make this."
"I didn't," he replied. "I was a very rebellious only child. I used to run away from home every time my father asked me to study or practice. They had a hard time finding me because I would hide in the forest or by the lake. Finally, he asked one of the workers to build this place. He wanted me to come here with friends to study. Since this house was built, I always come here, sometimes alone, other times with friends. And indeed, I always study when I'm here."
I smiled at his words. "Have you been here with your girlfriend?" I asked. "Don't say no. All the students talk about you. You've been close to several women. One of the lecturers and several other students."
He fell silent, looking at me as if he wanted to study me. But then he sighed.
"Will talking about this upset you?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Like you said, we're in the exploration phase. So the past is the past. I just wanna know what kind of woman you like or make you fall in love."
He motioned for me to wait, then he grabbed two small glasses from the corner of the room, cleaned them, and poured wine into them.
"I'll tell you, but this... don't take too much." He handed me a small glass containing a quarter of wine, before sipping his own glass, then began to tell his story.
"So it's true that you were close to them?" I asked to confirm.
"Just close, at first. However, what happened was quite aggressive, and I think it's natural for that to happen... like you and me. We spent the night together, just to convince me whether I wanted them enough."
"That means you were playing with them."
"Not really. We agreed from the start. You saw for yourself, I couldn't let you go after that night. Isn't that proof that I'm not the kind of man who likes to play with women?"
I shrugged.
There was truth and perhaps lies hidden behind his every word. But strangely, I believed him.
Tonight we spent time getting to know each other. Without us realizing it, someone who also had a claim to the baby in my womb knew that Hero had crossed the line and sparked a rivalry with the others.