Chapter 53

Alpha Kanen’s POV

I couldn’t fathom what had come over me when I kissed Hilda. It was a strange impulse, one that I couldn’t attribute to logic or reason. The scent of her perfume lingered, and the memory of her lips against mine was like an echo in my mind.

A surprised yelp followed by the clatter of a broom drew our attention. Rose, our maid, stood there, wide-eyed and flustered. She stammered out an apology, quickly bending to retrieve her fallen broom before hurrying out of the living room.

Hilda looked at me, her eyes wide with astonishment. There was no anger in them, only a bemused curiosity. “Well, I must say, Alpha, you do have a flair for surprises,” she teased.

I tried to regain my composure, my voice firm. “Let’s not read too much into that, Hilda. It was a momentary lapse.”

She chuckled lightly. “If you say so, Alpha. But you missed me as much as I missed you, didn’t you?”

I scowled, my tone sharp. “Don’t assign meaning to some