99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 188

“The rules are clear, you don’t refuse! You don’t initiate! And above all, you don’t act responsibly!” Liyah enunciated each word clearly.

“Huh? But, wouldn’t that make me a total jerk?” I gasped sharply.

“A jerk? Don’t be ridiculous!” Liyah tapped her own forehead in frustration, as if wishing I would wise up.

“Confessing feelings is the man’s job, his battlefield, because he is the pursuer in this! Unless he explicitly says the words ‘be my girlfriend,’ you play dumb! Act like you know nothing!”

Liyah paused, then flashed a deeply suggestive smile.

“He wants to sleep with you? Well, if that’s mutual consent, then it’s perfectly natural! You’re single, he’s unmated—what’s wrong with sleeping with a top-tier Alpha? Think about it carefully. Someone on Lucien’s level can afford you so so much. And let’s be honest, you haven’t even slept with him yet, and he’s already draped a diamond around your neck worth a small fortune! Do the math however you want—you’re the one coming out ahead here.”

Despite how twisted her reasoning was, I had to admit it sounded pretty convincing.

“But…” I hesitated, my heart tugging me in a different direction.

Liyah cut me off with a dismissive wave. “But what? Listen, seal the deal tonight! I have a feeling our dazzling Alpha might even be a virgin. You should be the one to pop his cherry and claim him as yours!”

I waved my hands frantically, panic rising in me. “Not now! If it’s going to happen, it needs to be at least a month from now. I want it to mean something—something real. I don’t want to lead Lucien on when I’m still so uncertain.”

Liyah looked at me like I’d just grown a second head. “Seriously?”

Biting my lip, a quiet resolve settled over me. “I can hold back. Lucien means too much to me to mess with his feelings when my own thoughts are this tangled.”

Though Liyah’s rebellious advice was tempting, deep inside, I guarded one final, sacred boundary. Even if it was only physical intimacy, without the soul’s deep connection, it had to be on a day that mattered—a day worth remembering.

And as Liyah said, what if it really was his first time? If I were to be that special ‘first,’ then I owed him a little responsibility, didn’t I?

Our private girl talk was interrupted by the arrival of the dishes we had ordered, each plate placed in front of us with a clatter.

I had just lifted my fork, ready to dive in, when a sudden warmth brushed the side of my head.

Before I could even register what was happening, a hand slid beneath my chin, tilting my face upward. My lips were captured in a kiss so profound it seemed to stir my very soul.

Lucien.

I didn’t need to see him to know—it was his lips, the ones my body recognized by heart now.

“Mmph!” I tried to respond, but the sound was swallowed as our mouths met.

“Wow!” Liyah’s voice rang out, dripping with envy.

“You—what are you doing here?” I blurted, startled.

Had he overheard everything we just said?

“Alpha Lucien, sit down! Since you and Claire are like this now, you definitely owe us dinner!” Liyah said, practically bouncing with excitement as she urged him to take a seat, clearly eager to watch the unfolding scene.

I wondered how Lucien had shown up so suddenly. It turned out Liyah had called him and asked him to come.

“Did I come at a bad time? I think I might have heard something I wasn’t supposed to,” Lucien said as he settled into the chair, his hand sneaking under the table to gently grasp mine. His tone was teasing, his expression relaxed—he looked perfectly at ease.

“You—” I turned to him, cheeks flushing. “Eavesdropping on private conversations is rude! If you’d arrived earlier, you should’ve made yourself known. Especially when it’s girl talk. These are things boys shouldn’t hear—just like how guys have their own secret talks.”

Lucien’s lips curled into a sly smile. “If I’d shown up earlier, I wouldn’t have heard you praising my first-class kissing skills—and other… assets.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify