The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Thirty-Six - Carrie from The Pack

I wiped my tears with my t-shirt after I'd pulled into the garage that evening.

Taking a few deep breaths, I composed myself outside in the breezeway before I opened the door to go inside.

As soon as I walked in, I was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of something delicious.

I walked into the kitchen to see Luca standing over the stove, stirring something in a pot.

"Are you making... actual food?" I asked, eyes wide.

He laughed at this.

"This is a recipe my mom used to make for us; reserved only for special occasions. Her grandmother, who was from Sorrento, used to make it for her."

He looked down anxiously at whatever was simmering in the pot.

"I feel like I've probably fucked it up," he admitted, laughing.

"It smells amazing," I said assuringly.

"It should be almost done. I figured we could eat out on the deck, if that's okay."

I turned to look outside and my jaw dropped.

I slowly walked towards the open deck doors, seeing the table laid out with a white table cloth, candles, silverware, and a vase of red roses. There was music playing softly from a speaker I couldn't see and dimmed Edison string lights were strung up along the ceiling over the deck, adding to the romantic ambiance.

Turning back to Luca, I stared at him at a complete loss for words.

"I felt a little guilty about proposing to you in my closet," he admitted, ladling what looked like gnocchi into two dishes.

"I didn't mind," I stuttered out, watching as he approached and set the plates down on the table at each place setting.

"I know you didn't," he assured me, standing back up. "But I feel like I've got groveling to do for more than just that."

Before I could tell him otherwise, Luca reached out and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me in to plant a prolonged kiss on my forehead.

I didn't realize I had leaned into him until he pulled away and I nearly fell forward.

"Take a seat, I'll get the wine," he said.

I did as instructed and Luca returned to the table shortly, carrying a bottle of red wine boasting an expensive-looking label and two glasses.

Luca sat down in front of me and began to pour the wine, stopping as he put my glass down in front of me.

"Are you okay? Have you been crying?" He asked, suddenly very concerned as he noticed my puffy eyes.

Don't ruin this moment, please, I begged myself.

"I'm okay," I said quickly. "I just came from the Lincoln's office. I talked to Mady for a while. I miss her a lot."

Luca nodded slowly.

"How is she?" He asked.

"About the same."

I looked down at my plate and picked up a spoon.

"This looks amazing," I said, staring down at what I had correctly guessed to be gnocchi, which swam in some kind of tomato sauce.