The Silver Throne

Chapter 31

[ edited on June 26, 2020 ]

She stirred awake at some point in the night. Alexandra laid there for a moment as she realized that someone had properly tucked her in without waking her. She threw the covers off and swung her legs off the bed. Nicholas' scent was clear and she knew then that he must have entered her room and found her asleep. He had turned the lights off, save for the lampshade situated at her bedside table. They were supposed to talk, she remembered.

Alexandra stood and wondered why his scent was so strong. She paced. Of course, they were mates, but she didn't expect it would be this prominent. She was stopped in her tracks when she saw a large slumbering black wolf blocking the door. That must be why the room smelt of him. It seemed that Nicholas didn't trust any of the guards and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Figuring it would be best not to wake him, she crept back to her bed. As always, on the exact moment silence is needed, the bedsprings creaked a little too loudly. She winced and glanced at her sleeping mate. She apologetically smiled upon seeing that he had woken. His golden eyes assessed her before he stretched himself and stood.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she said softly, watching him pad towards the bathroom. He nudged the slightly open door open, went inside, and kicked it close before she could say anything else. Alexandra pulled herself back from her crawling position and sat down on the edge of the bed.

After a few seconds, she heard a switch being flipped. A sheet of light seeped through the space underneath the door. She glanced at the clock, her heightened senses allowing her to make out the numbers even with the low light. It was past two in the morning. He emerged afterward with some shorts and a shirt.

Nicholas sat down beside her. "I had your brother moved to one of the guest rooms." Alexandra nodded and thanked him. "It was already late when I came to talk to you. You were already asleep. I thought we could have this conversation in the morning but now seems like a good time."

Alexandra nodded again. She looked at her hands, wringing them together, as she thought of where she should start. There were so many things she had to explain. She came to the ball with the intention of making herself known to the kingdom. The fact that they overlooked the odds of him being her mate now sounded so stupid.

"Let's start with your disappearance a year ago," he said, clearly sensing her indecision about where to begin. She drew her attention from her hands to him. She told him everything that happened except for the fact that she got herself kidnapped after kissing Christian under the stars. Nicholas didn't need to know about that.

By the end of her summary, which she ended at the moment she was allowed to return to her pack, he had rested his hands at his sides and had leaned back against them, assuming a more relaxed position. "It's strange," he began, "that they didn't want you to at least send a message to reassure your family and friends while you stayed with them."

"They were just protecting their own. We couldn't risk word getting out. If your father knew, he would have ended their pack as soon as he finds out about it." Alexandra watched his face for any trace of reaction against her last statement. He only looked away and shrugged.

"Things would have been completely different if we weren't mates," he quietly said. She nodded even though she knew he wouldn't see it. "What were you planning to do tonight? I'm sure there's a hidden motive behind reappearing to your pack shortly before the ball."

"Angelina thought this would be the opportunity to let the rest of the kingdom know about my existence." She watched him turn his gaze from the wall to the ceiling. "We came to my pack to ask for assistance and for them to serve as our ticket. We were only supposed to..." her words faltered and she pursed her lips, worried about his reaction if she continued. He looked at her and urged her to go on. She told him about the poppyjuice and supposedly putting both him and the king to sleep.