The Alpha King's Wrath

12 Warming up

The bed dips beside me and Chris' addictive scent washes over me. My eyes flutter against the soft light as I stretch and roll over, curling into his side.

"Hello beautiful," he chuckles as I nestle against him.

"Hi... What time is it?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes.

"Mmmm, almost eight," he sighs.

"I slept over twelve hours again!?" I gasp, shooting upright.

"Relax baby," Chris laughs, amusement dancing in his gold and green eyes. "Just the afternoon."

"What happened to off early?" I question with a raised brow.

"I was done just before dinner, but you were sleeping so I took care of something first," Chris shrugs. "You sure you're okay?" He tenderly runs the back of his knuckles across my cheek as his golden-green eyes search mine, full of concern.

"Yeah," I reply, flashing him a reassuring smile. "This place... it's a lot. Between that and my parasite, I'm just feeling a bit run down." Chris grumbles and rolls his eyes at the use of parasite but doesn't fuss over it.

"What does Doc say?" He asks with a frown, clearly he's not buying my version.

"That this can happen," I reply with a shrug. "He said to watch for bleeding, cramping, fever or dizziness... so far none of that. If it makes you feel any better, I'm scheduled for a check up soon?" I cock my head and flutter my lashes, trying to lighten his mood and am rewarded with a roll of his eyes and snort of laughter.

"Hungry at all?" He asks, changing the topic.

"Very," I admit.

"I happen to have all night free. Why don't you go clean up and we'll go from there?" He nods toward the bathroom with a crooked grin. I raise a brow but get up and head to the bathroom, freezing when I open the door.

Soft candle light dances around the dimly lit, gigantic bathroom. The earthy tones and mix of stone and timber make this room look completely different from the rest of the palace. My eyes skim across the counters with scattered candles reflecting in the mirrors, to the back where a raised platform is decked out with more candles.

"What's going on?" I mumble, unblinking.

"You, me, and nothing else," Chris replies huskily. "I've told them the place can burn down for all I care tonight and I will personally end anyone who bothers us." His tone hints at joking but the dark glint in his eyes warns it's not really a joke.

"Big plans?" I ask with a small smirk.

"Yeah, spending the night with my well rested, beautiful mate..." His words and virile tone have my stomach knotting in anticipation.

"I like this plan," I muse, turning to face him. Chris grins, wraps his arms around me, and pulls me tightly to him, before bringing his lips to mine.

"Then you're really going to like this," he murmurs, leading me to the back of the bathroom to the platform with the candles.

"A hot tub?! We have our own indoor hot tub?!" I gape, looking down at the bubbling water with steam rising.

"Our own PRIVATE hot tub with a view," Chris murmurs against my ear, as my eyes drift up to the sky lights showing a stunning view of the starry night.

His lips graze my neck, sending a delightful shiver down my spine and feeding a tightening in my core as he wraps his arms around me. That simple contact lights my body up as the sparks travel freely between our skin. I melt against his chest, baring my neck fully to his attention.