Chapter 9 - The Alpha's Scent

Charlotte was so tired that she accidentally fell asleep in Damon's arms. The worst part was that he didn't wake her up and carry her to his bedroom.

When she woke up, the day had changed. She rubbed her temple as she slowly opened her eyelids, feeling a little dizzy from sleeping too long.

The unfamiliar surroundings immediately caught her attention and made her sit up abruptly. 

Charlotte turned her head, taking in every detail of the room. It was large and luxurious, decorated in shades of black and silver.

As she breathed in the air, she noticed that the room was filled with the scent of cedarwood.

Her heart skipped a beat.

It was Damon's pheromone.

She lowered her head and smelled his scent on the sheets and blanket. Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment because she acted like a pervert.

However, his pheromone was able to make her feel so safe and comfortable that Charlotte was reluctant to leave the room.

Knock. Knock.

Charlotte was startled to hear someone knocking on the door. She was reluctant to get out of bed, but she didn't want to be rude in someone else's house.

In the end, Charlotte dragged the blanket with her as she walked to the door.

She slowly opened the door and saw a middle-aged housemaid standing at the door. She was carrying a neat pile of folded clothes.

"Good morning, Mrs. Dawson," the housemaid greeted her with a warm smile. "I brought you some clothes. Mrs. Vera let you borrow her clothes for a while."

Charlotte blinked several times. She couldn't believe that Vera Sullivan--Louis's wife--would be so kind as to lend her clothes.

Charlotte had only met Vera a few times since she had married Julian. However, their brief encounters were enough to convince Charlotte that Vera was a truly gentle and kind person.

"Thank you," Charlotte said quietly.

The maid quickly added. "This is only temporary. Mr. Sullivan has already instructed us to buy new clothes for you later today."

Charlotte bit her inner lips, feeling uncomfortable because Damon had bought her a lot of luxury items yesterday.

She probably wouldn't be able to pay him back by now.

The maid continued, "Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes. Please take your time to freshen up before you go to the dining room."

Charlotte nodded. Before the maid left, she asked, "Is Damon home?"

"Yes. Leader has returned an hour ago and is resting in another room."

Charlotte's heart sank when she heard that. The idea that he was resting somewhere else because of her felt wrong, especially after everything he had already done.

Charlotte nodded slowly, her emotions a mixture of gratitude and guilt. "Thank you for letting me know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

As the door closed, Charlotte left the clothes on the bed and entered the bathroom. She approached the sink and her eyes fell on the neatly arranged amenities on the counter.

To her surprise, there were items clearly meant for a woman: floral-scented shampoo, a soft pink loofah, lotions, and even makeup wipes.

Charlotte blinked in disbelief. Did Damon always keep these in his bathroom?

She immediately shook her head. "No ... he doesn't smell like flowers."

When she took the shampoo, she noticed the product was still new and sealed.

It turned out that he had asked the housemaids to prepare these products for her.

"Really ... how can I repay him?"

She then took a quick bath, using all of those floral-scent products that made her skin emit strong flower fragrance.

Charlotte even thought she didn't need perfume anymore.

Half an hour later, she came out of the room wearing a soft pink sweater and comfortable white pants. Although the outfit looked simple, it accentuated her beauty.

What should she say when she meets Damon? She still felt a little awkward interacting with him.

The longest interaction they had was on the bed and the only thing Charlotte did was moan and scream his name.

What a shame.

"Charlotte," a low voice called her name, making her jolt in surprise. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Charlotte turned and looked at Damon who had just come out of the room next to her bedroom. 

She gulped as her eyes took in his casual appearance. He was only wearing a black T-shirt and black baggy pants, but how could he look more handsome than ever?

And oh, his hair ... It was messy, but it made him look sexier.

Charlotte bit her inner lips and wanted to slap her face.

Since when did she become a pervert?

Is this the effect of her bonds?

"I slept too well." Charlotte played with her hair when she felt awkward. "I'm sorry to bother you."

"You are no trouble at all, Charlotte," Damon said, "I had marked you, so you are my responsibility from now on."

Charlotte smiled faintly because no man had ever spoiled her like this before. With Julian, she had been the one who had arranged everything and provided for their marriage before Julian had drained all of her money.

At that time, she didn't think it was a problem for a woman to provide for her husband. 

However, after spending a few days with Damon, there was something deep in her heart that felt happy when she got expensive things without breaking her wallet.

"Then thank you for taking care of me," Charlotte said with a smile.

"Always." Damon raised his hand to pat her head, but his hand stopped in mid-air and patted her shoulder instead. "Let's go to the dining room. My mother and Carmen are staying at the villa on the outskirts, so it's just us and Louis' family."

Charlotte lowered her head, feeling upset. She knew Carmen had not approved of her relationship with Damon and probably despised her for it. Besides, her attitude had shown that she did not want to see their faces for a while.

But there was nothing she could do about it. If someone didn't like her, then Charlotte just had to endure their existence.

As they walked into the dining room, a little girl of about six years old exclaimed happily when she saw Charlotte. "Hello, are you going to marry my uncle?!"