Emily’s POV
I was in heat for three freaking days.
Three days!
I wasn’t impressed, but it seemed to be over now.
Alex stayed with me, locking the door to ensure no one could enter unexpectedly. He made sure to feed me, and Julie was our chef.
I licked my lips, thinking of all the beautiful and delicious food she had made for us.
Now that my heat is over, I can focus and think more clearly.
I sighed.
Something was still occupying Alex’s attention. He even sneaked off in the early hours last night, and I was pondering whether to ask him what was going on.
During my heat, Alex refused to go all the way and mate with me. It surprised me; I was then certain that something was bothering him.
My thoughts raced back to that evening. Alex had carried me back to his quarters and sat me on my bed.
If I had my way, I would have had him f*ck me in his office, but Alex had other ideas.
He smiled down at me as he helped me out of my shirt and pants. Then he squatted to my level, taking both of my hands in his.
“Emily,” he said, his eyes a beautiful, liquid silver. “I am going to help you through your heat, but I am not going to make love to you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, and my heart pinched hurtfully in my chest.
Was he rejecting me?
Wasn’t I good enough for him anymore?
Was he now saving himself for Angelica?
I turned my face away, trying to hide my feelings and emotions, but Alex seemed to notice and turned my face back to him, searching for my gaze.
“I want you,” he said tenderly. “More than anything in the world, I promise.”
“Then what did I do wrong?” I whispered, feeling tears escape my eyes and run down the side of my face.
“You have done nothing wrong, my love,” he said, pulling me to his chest. “I just need you to trust and love me without the mate bond telling you to do so. I want you to follow your heart and not do what others tell you to do. I will not make love to you until you are 100 percent sure that is what you want.”
Was this because of the duel?
I swallowed my tears and nodded. There was no point in arguing. I couldn’t even think straight. I just wanted the burning feeling in my core to be relieved, and Alex was the only one who could help me with that.
I had gone into heat sixteen times over the three days. Alex did everything he could to relieve that pain.
A smile followed on my lips, remembering how worried he was. My latest wave of heat had me in excruciating pain, and I was burning up.
Alex tried everything, but nothing worked; he just could not break the wave.
Exhausted and out of ideas, he lay next to me and pulled my burning body to his rock-hard chest.
Miraculously, the pain eased, and I eventually calmed down just enough to fall asleep.
A smile followed on my lips as the smell of bacon hit my nose, bringing me back out of my thoughts.
Breakfast must have arrived, and I was starving! I suddenly wondered what Julie had prepared for us.
I rushed through my daily routine and ended up in front of the mirror. I took a quick peek and rushed out the door toward the patio.
Alex lifted his gaze from his newspaper when he saw me open the glass door.
“I was wondering if you were about to skip breakfast,” Alex teased.
“And leave you with all this delicious food?” I huffed, rolling my eyes, and took a seat at the table.
Alex chuckled, amused, yet returned to reading his newspaper.
My gaze moved over the food laid out on the table, and my mouth watered to taste it.
We mostly had our meals outside on the patio, overlooking the garden and forest. The scenery from atop was breathtaking, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I could now understand why Alex had moved his home.
My stomach suddenly growled, and Alex moved the paper out of the way and narrowed his eyes, looking at me.
“I thought you said you were hungry?” He asked.
“I am,” I said, stretching out my hand and taking a pancake and some bacon from the plate. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to taste first; everything looked deliciously good.
“So,” I said casually as I poured some syrup on the pancake. “Any reason why your room looks like a hurricane has passed through it?”
Alex noticeably flinched, folded the newspaper, and placed it on the table.
“I lost control,” he said, rubbing his head nervously.
“You lost control?” I asked skeptically. “When did that happen?”
Alex sighed and looked away, embarrassed.
“The night of the council meeting,” Alex said, looking over the forest. “I thought you left without saying goodbye. I-”
“Oh, I am sorry about that,” I said, cutting him off.
I didn’t mean to scare Alex, and I was stupid not to leave him a note.
He didn’t need to explain to me what had happened. I felt responsible for his actions.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to say goodbye to Mila,” I said.
“Don’t be sorry about it,” he said, reaching out and taking my hand in his. “It is not your fault that I overreacted. I should have trusted you and believed in you, not jumped to conclusions.”
“I don’t want to see you lose control when somebody hurts your family,” I said, taking a bite of my pancake.
“I would probably go on a rampage and burn down the pack,” he said with a straight face.
I paused wide-eyed with the pancake in my hand.
Is he serious right now?
“I am joking, Emily,” he said, chuckling. “I would never burn down the pack.”
“But will you go on a rampage?” I asked.
“How did you manage to find out my bedroom was destroyed?” He asked, changing the subject. “Were you spying on me?”
I chuckled, shaking my head.
“No,” I said. “I have never been a very deep sleeper.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, challenging that statement.
“Okay, fine,” I said, embarrassed. “I felt a hit of cold when you left my side.”
“And?” Alex asked, and a teasing smile followed on his lips.
“I went looking for you,” I said. “I thought maybe you had gone to bed.”
“I guess that was a major surprise when you walked into that and did not find me in my room,” he said.
“It was,” I admitted.
“So tell me,” Alex said. “When did Mila have pups?”
I almost choked on my food after hearing his question.
Sh*t! How did he find out about the kids? And what should I tell him?
****