Chapter 179

DELILAH

I slowly opened my eyes and smiled, seeing Luca peacefully sleeping beside me. They must have convinced the witches to remove their spell.

I wrapped my arms tighter around his waist and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Good morning," he murmured, his voice deep with sleep, without opening his eyes.

"I hope you slept well?" I asked, caressing his face. He groaned, flipped me onto my back, and rested his head on my breast.

"I want to sleep some more. Let me lay here a while," he replied. I smiled, gently stroking his back.

We remained in that position until I heard Mia cry on the baby monitor.

"I better get her," I murmured. He nodded, slowly lifting his head.

"I'll come with you," he replied. After getting dressed, we went to Mia's room. She stopped crying immediately upon seeing us and began to laugh.

"You're so mischievous, my little princess. You just like worrying Mummy, don't you?" Luca said, picking Mia from her crib and kissing her cheek. Mia grabbed his face in return.

My eyes welled up at the look in his eyes. I immediately regretted thinking he didn't care or love us anymore. If Clara hadn't confronted him, I might never have found out, and that saddened me.

"I'll make breakfast while you look after her," I said, kissing Mia's head and then Luca's lips before leaving the room. While preparing breakfast, I felt Luca's arms wrap around my waist from behind, his head resting on my shoulder.

"Mia's back to sleep. Why won't you let me hire a cook and a nanny to lessen your workload?" he asked, nibbling my earlobe.

"Because I want the full experience of being a wife and mother. All my life, I've had someone caring for me, making me a little dependent. I want to be a good example for Mia, so she can grow up independent," I explained. He hummed, kissing my cheek.

"I'm proud of you, but you can't overexert yourself, okay? Everyone gets tired. You might need help. I'll help as much as I can, but still… I'll get you a cook and a nanny, okay?" he said, and I sighed, knowing he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Okay, fine, but only a cook. I want to care for Mia myself," I said. He nodded.

"Very well then," he murmured, burying his nose in my neck.

"Don't you have to go to work today?" I asked, turning off the stove.

"No, I want to spend as much time with you and Mia as possible," he replied. I giggled.

"You have a whole lifetime to do that, don't you?" I asked, getting plates from the drawer.

"Yes, but we need to cherish the little moments we have together," he replied, making me frown.

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Of course I'm okay. Don't I look okay?" he asked. I took the opportunity to properly examine him. He did look okay, better than before he left.

"You haven't told me how your conversation with the witches went," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"There's nothing to talk about. Damon and I spoke to them, and now I'm fine, so I guess they listened to our threats. Let's eat, I'm starving," he murmured, pulling me close. I giggled as he kissed my face.

I plated his food and went upstairs to feed Mia when I heard her cry on the monitor. Afterward, I went downstairs and put her in her playpen while I sat down to eat breakfast with Luca, who had been waiting.

"Come here," he murmured. I stood up, walked to him, and sat on his lap.

"Damon and Clara are planning a short vacation soon," he said, kissing my arm.

"That means you'll be even busier?" I asked, frowning. Ever since Damon passed his Alpha title to Luca, he'd been busier than usual. Luca wasn't like Damon, who took long breaks and prioritized himself. I knew Mia and I were his priorities, but sometimes it didn't feel that way.

"Yes, but I'll make sure to spend as much time with Mia and you. Also, I was thinking, when Damon and Clara return, you and I could take a short vacation. Just you and me," he suggested. I frowned.

"What about Mia?"

"I'm sure Clara would happily watch her, plus she can be with her cousins. You know how much they love her," he said, and I sighed.

"Just think about it, okay? We can plan it later, but I want a vacation with just you and me. I can't remember the last time we spent time together without being busy hiding our feelings, hiding our relationship from Damon, or dealing with Sebastian. I don't think I've ever taken you on a proper date. Have I ever made you feel special?" His question made me turn to him sharply. The look in his eyes almost made me cry.

"Of course you have…"

"It doesn't feel like it. I've been thinking, and I've never really done anything for you," he interrupted. I frowned.

"Where is this coming from? Look, I love you so much, Luca, and dates aren't what make me feel special. Being with you, being loved by you, does. Our relationship doesn't have to be like everyone else's. As long as we're both happy, that's all that matters," I said, kissing his lips.

"And you're happy with me?" he asked softly. I nodded without hesitation.

"Even when you act like a jerk sometimes, you still make me happy. Even when I cry over you or a misunderstanding, I wouldn't change a thing. We're not perfect, but we work. We've always worked," I told him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as his tightened around my waist.

"When did my baby get so wise?" he joked. I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly.

"I'll clear the table," I said, standing and gathering plates.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Luca stand with the glasses, about to walk toward me, when he stumbled. The glasses fell, shattering.

"Luca!" I cried, running to Mia's playpen and picking her up. Luckily, none of the shattered glass reached her.

"I'm sorry… I'll clean this up," he muttered. Before he could move, his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.