The King (Alpha Trilogy #3)

Chapter 30

Ivy

I wake up in horrible pain and I immediately know Lorenzo's not with me. The spot he would occupy every night is cold and neatly made. He didn't sleep here.

"Hey girl. How are you feeling?" I turn slowly to the source of the voice, only to be met with Lia sitting in the armchair by the window with a book in her hands.

"Were you here all this time?" I ask quietly, turning over to face her. My neck still hurts a little, but I'm feeling better than yesterday.

"Yeah. Your man left last night, saying you're getting into heat and he can't bear to be here." She shrugs casually, but only one thing catches my attention. She said 'your man'.

"He's not my man." I mumble quietly.

"Isn't he though? You're his mate and he's yours. You guys share one soul, as weird as it sounds." She says as she puts away her book and gets up from her seat. I watch silently as she walks to the closet and brings out a loose thin pajama.

"Let's get you ready for the day." She smiles when she notices my confused look.

"I can do it myself." I sit up on the bed, only to fall back down when a sudden dizzy spell hits me.

"Woah, woah, woah! Easy, tiger." Lia puts her arms around me and helps me slowly sit up and lean against the headboard.

"Thank you."

"It's fine. I promised to take care of you during this whole 'heat' thing, didn't I?" She chuckles, quoting the word 'heat' with her fingers.

"You did, but I didn't expect you to go through with it."

"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend, Ivy! Even if you don't remember me." She murmurs the last part quietly and I feel bad for using her like this. "Hey, don't worry about it. I don't mind that you forgot everything. – she shrugs – The only thing that matters is that you're getting better." She glances pointedly at my neck, where Wolfie bit me. The bite is throbbing a little, but it's not hurting as much as Jake's one.

"How does it look? Can I see?" I plead.

"Sure. But first, let's get you to the bathroom." Lia gently puts her arm around my waist and helps me walk to the en suite. She sits me on the toilet then leaves the room for a while, giving me the privacy to do my business. As much as I'm comfortable with her helping me bathe, I'm not sure I can pee with her in the same room.

I wish my legs started listening to my brain and work properly, but my muscles still refuse to carry my weight. It's embarrassing to have someone literally help me walk, but I can't really do anything about it.

After I'm done with my business, I knock on the door to let Lia know she can enter. As soon as she does, she starts filling up the tub and even throws some bath bombs inside, making the scent of strawberries waft through the room. I sit patiently on the toilet as she prepares my bath then let her undress me and lead me to the tub.

A sigh of pure content leaves my mouth as I submerge myself in the hot water. There's nothing better than a hot bath. As I sit in the bathtub, I stare at myself through the huge mirror in front of me. I have no idea what was Lorenzo thinking when he put a big mirror right in front of a bathtub, but I can't help but appreciate it now.

I reach to the bite on my neck with my hand, tracing my fingers over it carefully. The dark marks from Jake's bite are much less prominent than they were yesterday. They're no longer spread around my whole chest, they're not black anymore and they're not so painful. Lorenzo's – or should I say Wolfie's – bite really is healing me. I feel more invigorated, lighter, stronger...