49

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
ASTRID’S POV
Dinner was a bit scanty, but fun. but not all that fun because Alpha Asher was absent. Just Rowan, Arya and I ate together. News reached us that Freya was staying the night at her father’s house and I wish she was staying there forever.
Rowan told Arya and I all about Alpha Adolph’s plan to get Alpha Asher and Freya married sooner, but Alpha Asher declined and I couldn’t be any more excited.
It will break me to see him marry Freya or any other girl.
Right now, I’m in my bedroom, reading one of the Harry Potter books, but I can hardly focus because I haven’t seen Alpha Asher tonight. It’s either we meet at dinner, or he checks on me before going to bed, but right now, it’s already midnight and he hasn’t come to check on me.
I swear I won’t get any sleep if I don’t see him.
I gently close the book and throw it on the bed as I make a quick judgement whether to forget it and sleep or go check on him.
My legs make the decision for me.
I quickly jump down from the bed and slid on the pair of oversized flip-flops lying before my bed. I check myself to make sure that I look decent enough to stand before the Alpha and I think I do.
I have on a pair of oversized trousers and a singlet. These will do.
I gently make my way out of my bedroom and walk over to the room door next to mine.
That’s his original bedroom and it will be good for me to check in here first. I gently creak the door open and poke my head inside to see what’s going on and everywhere looks so dark and calm, as usual.
I open the door wider and step into the dark room, hoping that he is inside. The idea of going into the bedroom he shares with Freya to check on him doesn’t sound really pleasant to me. I’d be grateful if I could see him here. I place my hand on the wall and try to search for the switch and when I find it, I switch on the light.
A wide smile spreads across my lips when I see the Adonis, sleeping peacefully on the king sized bed at the centre of the room. I take slow, steady steps over to him and when I take a closer look, I notice that there’s something wrong.
The only part of the body that’s not covered with the duvet is his head and I can see beats of sweet all over his forehead.
He is suffocating.
Without thinking twice, I quickly pull off the duvet from his body and almost screamed at what I see. His entire body is drenched with sweat, he’s breathing hard and he looks so ill. I put down the duvet and sit by his side on the bed as I touch his forehead and I notice that he is burning.
“Alpha asher” I call calmly as I give him a gentle tap on his shoulder and immediately, his eyes shoot open as he abruptly sits up from the bed and looks around as if he was having a nightmare.
“It’s fine, it’s just me” I assure him and he looks at me long and hard.
“Astrid” he calls in a whisper.
“Alpha”
“Please can you get me some water to drink?”
“Of course, I will be right back” I rush over to the fridge that’s sited at the other side of the bed and get a bottle of water from it. Once I hand it over to him, he opens it up and drinks it all.
“Are you alright?” I ask concerned and he just keeps staring at me. I muster a great deal of courage and sit closer to him. His entire t-shirt is drenched with sweat, but the irony is that his forehead is still burning when I touch it.
Some first aid and hot soup will make him feel better.
“Your shirt is totally drenched, can you please take it off while I get a towel and some cold water so I can use it to make your temperature step down a bit?”
“I don’t have the slightest energy to take off my shirt, can you please help me?” Both my ears start itching from nervousness and I blush hard when he says that.
He wants me to take off his shirt.
That’s so hot!
“Ar… are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I an”
“Alright then ” I place the empty bottle I’m holding on the nightstand as I rise up from the bed and stand tall over him. He raises both hands straight and I stoop down a bit so I can hold the hem of the t-shirt and carefully pull over his head.
I die five times in the second when my eyes land on his huge triceps and well formed abs.
God he’s huge and hard!
I quickly turn my head away and walk into the bathroom, but what i just saw keeps raiding my mind. I can’t even breathe properly and my heart is palpating in my chest.
Am I going to survive tonight?
With trembling hands, I pick up a little bowl and walk over to the sink where I half-fill the bowl with some fresh water.
I take a clean white towel from the towel rack and make my way out of the bathroom. When I get into the bedroom, I see him still sitting on the same spot, with his back leaning against the wall and he seems to be staring at the ceiling. I can bet my life that he is thinking about something and I wonder what it is.
“I’m back” I announce as I sit by his side and place the bowl on the nightstand.
“There’s a first aid box in the second drawer of the nightstand, can you please get it for me?” he asks weakly.
“Of course” I hastily open the second drawer and take out the first aid box from it and hand it over to him. I watch in silence as he opens it up and takes out the only pill that’s in it and puts it in his mouth. “Water?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Okay then” I take the first aid box from him and place it in the drawer.
Right now, I don’t even have the courage to look him in the eye, so I just stare at the wall.
“You were about to do something with the towel” He points out and I turn to face him.
“I… I… I… just…” I stutter like an idiot.
“Please go ahead” he pleads and I proceed with what I was about to do. I dip the hand towel into the bowl of water and gentle squeeze. When water is not dripping from it, I gently place it on his forehead, hoping it helps. He lets out a heavy sigh as he relaxes his muscles and closes his eyes.
That means he likes it.
A tiny smile creeps at the side of my lips and the most brilliant idea crosses my mind.
“There’s this soup my mum taught me how to make when I was quite tender. I always make it for myself when I’m ill. If you don’t mind, I can do it for you. it will drive away the fever” I explain and he opens his eyes once more.
“I would really love to have that soup, Astrid, but right now, what I need is for you to stay by my side all night. I don’t want you gone even for a minute ” I pause and stare down at his face and the look in his eyes tells me that he means what he just said.
My heart instantly swells up with emotions and I blush so hard that my cheeks heat up. I purse my lips together to stop myself from smiling, but fail woefully and not only does the smile break away, but a laugh follows.
I laugh hard and even harder when Alpha Asher joins me. Still in fits of laughter, I gently place the wet towel on his forehead and playfully scrunch his nose.
“You bring out the absolute worst in me, Alpha Asher” I say once I’m stable again.
My heart does a series of somersaults when he takes my right hand in his and places a gentle kiss on it.
“I meant every word i just said Astrid”
“You can definitely survive a few minutes without me. I have to make that soup so you regain your energy. Don’t fall asleep!” I instruct with a bossy tone as I try to rise from the bed, but Ii feel his big palm wrap around my arm and when I turn around to look, he pulls me towards him and I yelp in fear as fall hard on his body. I feel his arm wrap around my waist and when I try to raise my head up, that’s when I realize that my face is directly over his. We can actually feel each other’s breaths right now and our lips are just a few inches away from touching.
There is a long moment of pin-dropping silence and right now, the only thing
audible, is the sound of us breathing. Our eyes are locked in each other’s and right now, his intoxicating smell is doing wonders to my nerves and hormones.
Why the hell does this man affect me so much?
“Alpha Asher… the soup…”
“shhh… forget about the soup. You will be my soup tonight” he says with a husky voice as he sticks the chunks of hair covering my face behind my ears.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m still lying on this very huge man’s body and he just told me I will be his soup tonight.
What the hell does that mean?
“Your heart is beating so hard that I can feel it on my body. Why is that?”
“I… well… you…” I stutter nervously and he bursts into laughter. I frown and playfully hit him on his chest.
I take the towel from his head and put it in the bowl on the nightstand.
My subconscious mind keeps screaming for me to get off him, but I don’t want to. It’s not everyday that I get to lie on the chest of the man I love. Now that I’ve got the opportunity, I won’t waste it.
A girl needs to feel elated sometimes.
Without warning, he gently turns me to the bed and holds me tight in his arms.
“How did you know I was in here?”
“I didn’t know, i was just checking, then I found you”
“I’m glad you came,” he says with a sweet smile as he kisses my forehead.
I want him to kiss me on my lips so bad!
I just wish he could.
“You are still going to make that soup for me tomorrow”
“No problem” I say with a sweet smile as I snuggle closer to him.
“Hmm, I can see someone like cuddles”
“It’s been more that fifteen years since I got cuddled by anyone, you can’t blame me”
“Henceforth, you will be getting lots of cuddles from me” He plants another kiss on my forehead and I smile like an idiot.
Right now that I’m in his arms, I feel like nothing in the world can hurt me.
I feel like I’m floating and I never want this feeling to go away.
In less than no time, I drift to sleep and when I wake up the next morning, he is long gone.