Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince-Chapter 708: Merry Christmas, Juniper

"Who are you?" Juniper managed to rasp as a doctor entered the room, followed closely by a nurse. The man standing by her bedside stepped back immediately, granting them space to check her vitals and inspect the bandaging on her leg.

Once the medical staff finished their rounds and slipped out of the room, Juniper turned her wary gaze back to the stranger. He looked strangely familiar. "I know I’ve seen you somewhere," she whispered. "But I can’t quite place you."

"I’m Denzel Warner," he replied. "The real question is, what are you doing in a place like this, Juniper? Last I heard, you were in the capital."

"How do you even know my name?" Juniper’s brows furrowed, a throbbing pain to shoot up from her right leg. She winced, clutching the bedsheets. "Have we... have we met before?"

Denzel let out a chuckle. "You have a remarkably short memory. I’m Denzel Warner, Prince Gabriel’s Gamma." He lowered himself into the chair beside her bed, his movements fluid and precise, and picked up the bottle of painkillers from the bedside table.

"So, I’ll ask again," he said as he checked the label before putting it back. "What exactly are you doing all the way out here in San Ravendale?"

"I found work here," Juniper replied shortly, her voice tight. She watched him for a moment before her gaze hardened. "How much was the treatment? Tell me the cost. I have no intention of maintaining any kind of connection with people associated with Prince Gabriel or the royal family."

"Fair enough," Denzel answered easily. He reached into the pocket of his jacket.

"And how did you even find me?" she pressed, her suspicion growing. "Did Gabriel order you to keep an eye on me? Am I being followed?"

"No," Denzel replied, meeting her eyes directly. "A young boy ran to me, frantic, saying that a pack of wolves was tearing into a woman in the alleyways. I simply happened to be the one nearby." He shifted his gaze down to her heavily bandaged limb. "That wound is deep. It’s going to take at least three days for an Alpha’s healing factor to fully close it up."

Juniper felt a sting of shame at her own hostility. "Thank you," she said softly, bowing her head in a small, reluctant gesture of gratitude. "Thank you for helping me."

"You’re welcome. I must take my leave now; my family is waiting for me," Denzel said, rising from the chair. He paused, looking back at her with a neutral but not unkind expression. "Merry Christmas, Juniper. And for what it’s worth, you’re no longer being chased. No one is looking for you anymore."

He pulled a pen from his pocket, jotted his number onto a scrap of paper, and handed it to her. "I’ve placed the hospital bills on the table there. Don’t worry about it now; you can wire me the money once you’re back on your feet."

Juniper watched in silence as he left and disappeared through the door. She looked down at the paper in her hand.

"I thought I would die today," she murmured.

~~~~~

Dominick cut the steaks into pieces and pushed the plate toward Jeniva, who looked at him in a stunned gaze. He held the plate that was placed in front of Jeniva. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Jeniva bit her bottom lip, her gaze sweeping across the opulent dining hall. The floor was eerily, beautifully silent, not a single soul, not even a waiter lingering in the shadows. It felt impossible for a place this grand to be so desolate. She took a bite of the steak, and her eyes fluttered shut as the meat practically melted on her tongue. The rich, smoky flavor and buttery texture were like nothing she had ever experienced.

"It’s too soft... and unimaginably delicious," Jeniva said, her smile reaching her eyes.

Dominick simply watched her, a serene smile playing on his lips while his inner wolf practically howled with satisfaction at her happiness. He lifted his wine glass, the red liquid catching the light as he took a slow sip, savoring the sight of her enjoying the meal far more than he had even anticipated.

"Why is this entire floor empty, though?" Jeniva asked suddenly, her curiosity finally overtaking her appetite as she reached for her own glass of wine.

"Because I booked the entire floor for us," Dominick answered.

Jeniva froze midway, her hand hovering over the stem of her glass as her eyes widened in shock. "Really? The entire floor?"

"Yes. The last time we ended up in the newspaper," Dominick said. "And we agreed to keep this a secret."

"Yes. The last time we went out, we ended up as the headline of the morning newspaper," Dominick reminded her. "And we agreed to keep this relationship a secret for as long as possible."

"True," Jeniva replied, though she still looked a bit dazed by the scale of the gesture. "But booking a whole floor... it must have been incredibly expensive."

Dominick didn’t answer with words; he simply offered a small smile and focused back on his plate.

"I forgot," Jeniva murmured, a playful edge returning to her voice as she took another steak into her mouth. "There’s no such thing as ’expensive’ for a prince."

"Yeah," Dominick agreed.

As the dinner drew to a close, a server appeared, almost as if by magic, to set down the final course. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple, classic cheesecake. However, the first bite revealed something far more complex. The creamy base was infused with a hint of citrus and a rich, velvety undertone that made the traditional dessert feel like a royal delicacy.

"I’ve really never eaten anything like this ever in my life," Jeniva said, enjoying the cheesecake. Once she finished, she set the dessert spoon down and dabbed the napkin across her mouth.

"Umm... There’s something I’ve to give you as well," Jeniva said.

"Hmm? What is it?" Dominick got curious.

Jeniva reached out to her purse and asked him to close his eyes.