Chapter 71: Chapter 71

~ NYSSA

I woke up with a gasp, my cheeks burned a bright shade of red as my dream cemented itself inside of my brain instead of fleeing with the morning light as most dreams did.

After snapping at Rowan yesterday, he didn’t stop or leave. Instead, he was surprisingly gentle, helping me learn to keep my balance and hold all the new weight. By the end of the night I was confidently walking and even breaking out into small jogs.

We were out there for hours and by the time the exhaustion began to weight deeply on me, he told me to go to bed and took off deeper into the woods.

In my dream however, he didn’t leave. Instead, we shifted back, both naked in front of each other. The pull was undeniable, and it felt so real as his hands glided over my skin. I could still feel it now if I closed my eyes.

“Stop it!” I snapped to myself, dragging my body out of bed.

My skin was warm and my sheets were soaked with sweat.

I brushed a hand down my face, trying to ignore the sticky feeling between my thighs as I rushed into the bathroom.

Of all the times to have a dream about Rowan… this was not it. Things were already complicated enough, the last thing I needed was to be fantasizing about him.

Just like yesterday, Leah walked in while I was in the middle of dressing.

She took in my clothes with a concerned look. “Are you sure you want to wear this out today?”

I looked down at my shorts and tank top. “Yes, is there a problem?”

“You might get a little cold later on.”

Cold?

It was burning hot as it was. My skin was sticky with sweat and my face felt like it was on fire.

Still, I figured she knew the palace weather better than I did so I grabbed a jacket and threw it over my shoulder.

“Is that better?” I asked but she shrugged, turning away from me and busying herself with work.

The dining table was empty when I walked in and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit relieved. The thought of seeing him right after my dream last night was not very appealing.

I was so caught up in my own relief that I didn’t notice someone standing in the middle of the dining room until they cleared their throat.

My eyes snapped over to the side, widening at the sight of a familiar guard with that mischievous smirk. “Took you long enough.”

“Eric!” I exclaimed, rushing over to him. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since—”

“Since you’ve been shacked up with your man?” he teased. “Don’t worry, I take no offense.”

My cheeks heated up at his words but I couldn’t even deny it. I’d been so caught up with everything happening with Rowan that I’d forgotten about the guy who kept me company every day back home.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him. “It’s not that I’m not excited to see you, but is everything okay?”

“You still need a guard, and the King asked me. I guess you can’t get rid of me so easily.”

I wrapped my arms around him, unable to help myself. A bark of laughter left his lips as he patted my back gently.

I realized then that I’d never truly hugged him before.

“Are you alright though?” he asked, pulling back to look at me. “You feel warm.”

Before I could respond, the door behind us opened and Aria walked in. She looked between Eric and I, and the little distance between us, her face carefully impassive as a perfectly arched brow rose.

I couldn’t help but shuffle awkwardly on my feet and feel guilty despite knowing I was doing nothing wrong.

“You’re lucky it was me and not Rowan,” she drawled. “I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t go into a murderous rage seeing you hold his mate like that.”

Eric stepped back immediately, an apology leaving his lips, but Aria barely paid him any heed. Instead, she turned to me. “Can you take your breakfast to go? We have to be at work early.”

“Of course, I’ll just—”

“I’ll do it,” Eric cut me off. “It’s my job after all.”

After asking if he was sure, I left him to get my breakfast while I returned upstairs to grab my phone. I hadn’t realized I’d left it on the bed.

When I returned, Eric and Aria were standing by the car. She was whispering something to him and his expression was stony.

Once they saw me approaching, they both went silent. I couldn’t help but look between the two of them warily.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

It was Aria who nodded with a smile. “Everything is perfect, come on or we’ll be late.”

She got into the passenger seat of the car, leaving Eric and I standing out.

His expression hadnt shifted a little and that worried me. Eric was many things, but broody was not one of them… at least not with me.

“Did she say something to you?” I asked softly. “I can talk to her—”

“Don’t worry about it,” he cut me off, a small but forced smile on his lips. “It isn’t anything I don’t already know.”

“Eric—”

He grasped my shoulders in a comforting grip. “It’s alright, I promise. I just forgot for a moment that in here, you’re the King’s mate.”

“I’m still the girl whose house you ate in. I’m just Nyssa.”

He gave me a sad and almost pitying look. “Not in public, no. You’ll never be just Nyssa.”

“What about in private then?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Nyssa—”

“I need someone who doesn’t look at me as the Alpha’s mate, okay? I need a friend here, and you’re all I’ve got, so suck it up and act like it, got it?”

The corner of his lips tugged into that familiar smirk I’d grown accustomed to. “Got it.”

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