From Substitute To Queen Chapter 31

"I can wait—"

"Don't. Please." She laughed bitterly. "Caelan, my entire life just imploded! My boyfriend has been cheating on me. I found out I'm some kind of placeholder for his ex. And now you're telling me you've been in love with me this whole time?"

"Yes."

My simple honesty seemed to deflate her fury. She slumped back against the driver's seat, looking exhausted.

"I can't do this." Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "I can't handle loving someone again. Getting my heart broken again."

*Loving someone again.*

Did that mean she could love me? Or just that she was afraid to try?

"I would never hurt you."

"Everyone says that." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "And then they do it anyway."

***

The elevator ride to our floor felt endless. We stood at opposite corners, both staring at the digital display showing our slow ascent.

Twenty-third floor. Twenty-fourth. Twenty-fifth.

I kept stealing glances at Sable's profile. Her jaw was set in stubborn lines, but I could see the tremor in her hands.

*She's terrified.*

Not of me physically. She was terrified of trusting someone with her heart again.

The elevator dinged softly as we reached the penthouse level.

Sable moved toward the suite's entrance like she was walking to her execution. Her key card trembled as she held it to the sensor.

The door opened with a soft click.

"Sabi—"

"Please don't." She finally met my eyes. "I just... I need time to think."

I watched her disappear into the master bedroom. The door closed with finality.

I stood in the middle of the suite's living room, staring at that closed door.

*You fucked this up completely.*

Storm paced restlessly in my mind. "She's our mate. Why aren't we going after her?"

Because she asked for space.

"Since when do kings ask permission?"

Since always, when it comes to her.

I sank onto the leather sofa and buried my face in my hands.

Three years of waiting for the perfect moment to tell her how I felt.

And I'd blown it all in a hospital parking garage.

An hour later, I knocked softly on her door.

"Sabi? I ordered lunch."

Silence.

"I'll leave it on the counter."

I heard movement inside, but she didn't respond. The containers sat untouched for two hours before I finally put them in the refrigerator.

The afternoon crawled by. I handled pack business emails, reviewed territorial reports, anything to keep my hands busy. Every few minutes, my eyes drifted to that closed door.

At six, I tried again.

"Dinner's here. That Italian place downtown."

This time the door opened a crack. Sable's amber eyes appeared in the gap, red-rimmed but determined.

"Thank you." Her voice came out hoarse. "Just... leave it outside."

The door closed before I could respond.

I set the bag down and retreated to the living room. Twenty minutes later, I heard her door open briefly. The bag disappeared.

At least she was eating.

***

I must have dozed off on the couch. The sound of distressed crying pulled me from uneasy sleep.

At first, I thought it was coming from outside. Then I realized it was much closer.

Sable's voice, muffled by the bedroom door but clearly audible in the quiet suite.

"No... mama... don't leave me..."

My blood went cold. She was having a nightmare.

"Mama... I'm sorry... so sorry..."

The anguish in her voice tore through my chest. I was on my feet before I'd fully processed the decision.

*She asked for space.*

Another sob came through the door, this one raw with pain.

*Fuck space.*

I turned the handle slowly, praying it wasn't locked.

It wasn't.

The master bedroom was dark except for the city lights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sable lay tangled in the white sheets, her body twisting as she fought invisible demons.

"Please don't go..." she whispered to the empty air. "I'll be good, I promise..."

Cold sweat had soaked through her thin cotton pajama top. Her hair stuck to her neck in damp tendrils.

I approached the bed carefully, not wanting to startle her.

"Sabi." I kept my voice gentle. "You're dreaming. Wake up."

She didn't respond. If anything, her distress seemed to increase.

"I'm sorry, mama... I couldn't save you..."

The broken words shattered what was left of my restraint. I sat on the edge of the mattress and placed a careful hand on her shoulder.

"Sabi, it's just a dream."

Her skin was burning hot beneath my palm. She leaned into the touch unconsciously, her body seeking comfort even in sleep.

*She's looking for her mother.*

Isabella's death had devastated fifteen-year-old Sable. I remembered finding her crying in the stables for weeks afterward, refusing comfort from anyone.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." I shook her gently. "You're safe."

Instead of waking, she turned toward me. Her arms reached out blindly, searching for comfort.

"Don't leave," she mumbled. "Please don't leave me too."

I hesitated for a moment, then carefully lied onto the bed beside her. She immediately curled against my side, her head finding my shoulder.

*This is wrong. She's asleep. She doesn't know what she's doing.*

But I couldn't bring myself to pull away. Not when she was clinging to me like I was her lifeline.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered against her hair.

She sighed softly. Her body relaxed as the nightmare faded, but in her sleep, she pressed closer. Her leg draped over mine. Her cotton pajama top, already loose from her restless movements, shifted as she settled against me.

That's when I became aware of the warmth of her body against mine.

The thin fabric of her pajamas did nothing to hide the soft curves beneath. I could feel every breath she took, the rise and fall of her chest.

My body responded before my mind could stop it. Heat pooled low in my belly.

*She's asleep, you sick fuck.*

But my cock didn't care about my moral objections. Blood rushed south, making my jeans uncomfortably tight.

Sable shifted restlessly in her sleep. "Hot..." she mumbled, her voice thick with dreams. "Too hot..."

Her hands moved to her pajama top, tugging at the fabric. In her unconscious state, she pulled at the neckline, trying to cool herself down. The loose cotton slipped completely off one side, exposing her entire breast.

My mouth went dry.