The Alpha King's Mistress Chapter 124: Talk, Talk

**Florence's POV**

My jaw slacked as the heavy iron gate creaked open, revealing Nicholas on the other side. He wasn't dressed in his usual regal attire, but in simple brown trousers and a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal toned forearms. In his hands, he carried a small, foldable table and a wicker basket overflowing with what looked like… food.

His intoxicating scent quickly filled the room. This couldn't be real. Sunlight streamed through the barred window, illuminating the spread he was setting up on the table. There were even flowers – delicate white lilies – in a crystal vase. Even though my prison cell doesn't stink and is only filled with dust, I didn't think he would come here to…eat.

"Nicholas?” I asked in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He straightened, his gaze locking onto mine. He gestured to the makeshift table. "My wolf seems restless. Mates are supposed to meet, are they not?"

Mate. The word felt foreign on my tongue, a cruel joke in my current predicament. He might claim me as his mate, but I was still a prisoner, albeit a seemingly well-provisioned one.

I as one cannot deny that my wolf has been silent since we are locked here. But I can feel Nasya’s sadness reflecting on me. She misses her mate and so was I.

Hesitantly, I approached the table. The food – roasted chicken, fluffy bread rolls, and fresh fruit – smells incredible.

Nicholas pulled out a chair for me, "Eat. You look famished."

His words held a hint of… concern? Maybe it was the unfamiliar setting or the upcoming Moon Festival, but a strange sense of unease settled in my stomach. Regardless, the aroma of the food proved too tempting. I sat down and took a tentative bite of the chicken. It was delicious.

We ate in silence for a while, the only sound was the clinking of silverware. Then, Nicholas spoke, breaking the silence, "I'm willing to grant you one wish," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Anything you desire."

I nearly choked on my bread. "What? Why? What are you playing at?"

"No game, Florence. Perhaps a gesture of… generosity? It is the Moon Festival tomorrow, after all."

A bittersweet pang stabbed at my heart. "I don't want anything”

Nicholas leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Interesting," he murmured. "I was expecting something…"

A tense silence descended upon us once more.

He continued a silent challenge hanging in the air. "Why not freedom, Florence?" he finally asked. "Surely that's what any prisoner would wish for."

"I don't deserve freedom," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper. "Not after what I've done."

His jaw clenched as he took a deep breath. “You can wish anything regardless of what you did”

"Why are you being so… kind?"

A ghost of a smile played on his lips. "Kind? Perhaps seeing the truth alters one's perspective." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded paper. "You see, Florence, I wasn't completely blind these past few weeks. I saw some proof regarding the truth of your claim that you didn't kill my cousin—Baron. One of those was a message about the raid on the facility where Baron was being held."

"And," he continued, "I saw the picture. The one that marked you as the target on the same day Baron died. My wolf—Berion also tells me you are telling the truth. We are Lycans, we believe in centuries told by our ancestors and I believed when they said our inner beasts can feel and tell the emotions of each other"

A wave of dizziness washed over me. But the next words that tumbled from his lips made me almost sigh of relief.

"The last words Baron uttered—I unraveled the veils, Nick," he revealed, his voice grim, "were the exact phrase, from my grandmother. It translated to one thing: 'I found the Luna.'"

Speechlessness gripped me. He believed me. He finally believed that I didn't kill his cousin.

A hint of warmth softened his features. "I won't kill you, Florence," he stated, his voice firm, “But you would need to stay here sometime”

Relief washed over me, so intense it almost made me weak. But even with this information, a part of me knew staying near him would only endanger him and his pack. I had to find a way to protect them, even from myself.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered the courage to speak, my voice surprisingly steady, "Then I have a wish,"

He raised an eyebrow, "A wish? Do elaborate."

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "For tomorrow," I said, "I wish to eat the food you cooked. For morning"

A surprised chuckle escaped his lips, the sound rich and unexpected. "That's your wish?" he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Yes," I confirmed, a sad smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

He regarded me for a long moment, a strange intensity in his emerald eyes. Then, with a nod, he agreed. "Very well. You shall have your wish."

We continued eating in comfortable silence. But as the minutes passed, my heart got heavy knowing that I needed to betray him again one last time.

As we finished the last bite of our meal, Nicholas cleared his throat, "I heard you seemed hesitant about meeting with Sara."

"Just… because," I weakly replied. "I don't want her to meet me in this condition, you know"

He seemed to see through my flimsy excuse. "I spoke with Sara," he revealed, surprising me further. "She reveals everything she knows of what happened on the Swiftmane Pack. We also managed to make a sketch of Austin Bates''

A sense of gratitude washed over me. He was taking action, protecting not just me but the entire pack from a potential threat.

"Thank you," I whispered, the words heartfelt.

Nicholas seemed surprised by my show of appreciation. He studied me for a moment, then spoke in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"You can speak your mind. Whatever troubles you, don't hesitate to share."

"I'm fine," I lied, my voice thin. "Just a little… sleepy."

He pressed his lips in a thin line, "Alpha Percival talk to me. They will leave tonight. And they wish to speak with you. They have been trying for days now but you keep telling the guards no. why?”

I shrugged casually even though my heart broke for lying again. “There’s no reason for me to meet them”

“Flore—”

“Did you just meet me because you wanted to know what’s bothering me? Are you worried for me?”

He took a deep breath, staring at me, “Yes, I am worried about you, Florence. We might have a complicated relationship and I am tired of whatever gap we have. That’s why I am starting to try. To try again from the start”

Now that he knew and believed that I didn't kill Baron—he was willing to forgive me. I appreciated it and was happy to hear it. But building attachments and agreeing to start over again at this time would only lead to more heartaches knowing I couldn't keep my word.

He reached for my hand but I pulled away, “We cannot start anything until something doesn't end. We both know that, Nicholas”

He shakes his head and stands up, gathering the remnants of our meal. “Think about what I said”

With his expression and body tense, he left the prison cell without sparing me a glance. I bit my lip to stop the sob from escaping me as tears started to well in my eyes.