Fallen 38

Fallen 38 Summary

Meadow reflects on Alaric’s mysterious desire to feel emotions, and how she might be the key to that. Despite the surreal offer of a hundred million dollars just for touching him, she recognizes that she stands to gain the most from their unusual arrangement. She contemplates discussing the deeper reasons behind Alaric’s request with him later.

 

In a tense morning scene, Meadow observes the strained relationship between Alaric and his brother Nolan. Nolan’s usual playful demeanor is replaced by cold indifference, and their banter hints at unresolved family conflicts. Meadow tries to hide the pain from a recent whipping, while Nolan surprisingly shows concern for her well-being.

 

The conversation shifts to Alaric’s secretive marriage and his reluctance to introduce Meadow to their mother. Nolan presses for answers, teasing about family secrets and past incidents, but Alaric remains guarded and defensive. Meadow senses the awkwardness but is intrigued by the glimpse into Alaric’s complicated family dynamics.

 

Tensions rise when Nolan reveals their mother is hosting an elite party and wants Meadow to attend as Alaric’s wife. Alaric’s anger flares, and Meadow’s touch unexpectedly calms him, surprising Nolan who realizes Meadow can physically affect Alaric in a way no one else can. This revelation leads to a violent outburst from Alaric, who fiercely silences Nolan, emphasizing the volatile nature of their relationship.

CHAPTER 0038

Meadow’s Perspective:

Alaric had only told me one thing: he wanted to feel, and somehow, I was the one who could make him feel. But surely, there had to be more to it than that.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

The man was willing to offer me a hundred million dollars just because I could touch him? It sounded surreal. Sure, I knew what I wanted—losing my virginity was high on that list. And he made it clear that revenge was something I needed as well.

Still, at the end of the day, I was the one benefiting the most from this strange arrangement.

Maybe I’d bring it up with him later, try to understand what was really going on.

For now, though…

“Yes,” I whispered softly, turning in his arms and wrapping my hands gently around his neck. It was a subtle movement, but I caught the flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Alaric always reacted when I touched him—sometimes it was the tension in his muscles, the tightening of his jaw, and now, it was his eyes that betrayed him. “I don’t think I like your brother very much,” I said, loud enough for Nolan to hear.

I had to stand on my tiptoes to peer over Alaric’s shoulder. The mischievous sparkle that usually danced in Nolan’s eyes was gone, replaced by a colder, more indifferent look.

But still, Nolan’s gaze never left his brother’s back.

Alaric let out a breath that sounded amused, stepping away from me, much to my disappointment.

“He’s just cranky because someone stole his bike after he left it abandoned on the road last night,” Alaric explained casually.

“Thanks for reminding me, Ric,” Nolan drawled, tossing an apple into the air and catching it with a lazy grin. “Not like you could’ve answered my calls or come to pick up your drunk brother.”

“Whose fault is it you got wasted?” Alaric shot back, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.

I grabbed my coffee mug and shuffled to the far end of the counter.

I eased myself onto a stool, but as soon as I sat down, I hissed sharply.

Okay… that hurt.

“You good?” Nolan asked, surprising me with the concern in his voice.

I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore the sting in my backside—still tender from Alaric’s whipping earlier.

“Uh—yeah,” I stammered. “Just my foot. You know, from stepping on that glass you broke last night?”

That was a lie. My foot barely hurt anymore, but it was a better excuse than admitting I’d taken a few lashes.

I risked a glance at Alaric just in time to see him close the bottle cap and wipe the amused smirk off his face with the back of his hand.

Heat flushed my neck, and I lifted my mug to my lips, taking a small sip.

“Right,” Nolan muttered, looking away. “Sorry about that.”

Huh. Maybe he wasn’t a total jerk after all.

“So, when are you going to introduce your wife to Mom?” Nolan asked Alaric, the playful glint back in his eyes.

I didn’t quite understand Nolan. He didn’t seem scared of getting punched again, even though I knew Alaric hated those kinds of questions.

But I didn’t mind.

I wanted to understand what kind of relationship Alaric had with his family—even if it wasn’t really my place. I needed to know why he hadn’t told them about the wedding. Not even his mother.

And Nolan seemed pretty close to her.

I shifted my gaze back to Alaric, waiting for his answer.

He’d been focused on his phone, and for a moment, it seemed like he hadn’t even heard his brother’s question.

But then I noticed a subtle shift—the way his shoulders tensed, the twitch of his jaw.

And the cold flicker in his eyes when he finally looked up.

Yeah, he definitely heard Nolan. And he was pissed.

“Come on,” Nolan pressed, chuckling. “You may have hidden her from Mom, but she knows now. And she had to hear it from someone else. You know how she gets when we keep secrets. Remember what happened when she found out about my sneaky Berlin fling?”

Alaric’s expression didn’t change, but he shoved his phone into his pocket and glanced at me for a brief moment before finally replying.

“She’s not ready yet.”

“You guys keep talking about me like I’m invisible,” I muttered under my breath, though I was pretty sure at least one of them had caught it.

But they didn’t break their stare.

“She?” Nolan echoed, flicking his gaze between me and Alaric. “Or you?”

Alaric didn’t flinch. “Both.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. This whole conversation was awkward and uncomfortable, but for some reason, I wanted to stay and listen. I was curious.

Nolan made a low sound in the back of his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s rich, considering you married her without warning any of us. But yeah, sure—tell yourself it’s about timing and readiness.”

Alaric shot Nolan a deadly glare. “Don’t push me, Nolan. Just do whatever the hell you came here for and get out of my house before I throw you out.”

And then, as if he hadn’t just threatened his own brother in front of me, he walked over to where I sat and picked up my mug. I swallowed hard as I watched him bring it to his lips and take a slow sip, his dark eyes locked on mine.

How could he be angry at Nolan one moment and then do something so effortlessly sexy the next—like press his lips to the very spot where mine had just been?

His control over his emotions was something I’d never seen before.

Nolan let out a sharp breath. “Yeah, but that’s exactly why I’m here.”

He leaned forward. “Mom’s throwing some fancy party for the elites, and she wants you to be there.” He paused, grabbing another apple and raising it like a toast. “With your wife.”

Alaric slammed the mug down on the counter so hard I jumped. His jaw twitched, and his fingers tightened around the mug.

I wasn’t sure he even realized how hard he was gripping it.

Taking a slow breath, I reached out and touched his hand resting on the mug. The instant my fingers brushed his knuckles, he looked down and loosened his grip.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“What the…” Nolan whispered, eyes fixed on my hand. Slowly, they moved to my face, then back to Alaric.

“Holy shit,” he cursed. “She can touch you?”

Alaric didn’t say a word, but Nolan—being Nolan—didn’t take that as a cue to stop talking.

“Well, now I see why you married her. This hasn’t happened since—”

He didn’t get to finish.

In a flash, Alaric was standing beside me, then suddenly on Nolan.

The stool screeched loudly as Alaric grabbed his brother by the collar, yanking him up and slamming him against the nearest wall with such force that it knocked the breath out of me.

“Shut your goddamn mouth!” Alaric growled fiercely.

CHAPTER 0039