The Alpha King's Mistress Chapter 62: Sleeper

He suddenly stopped walking, making me pause as well. I looked at him confused.

“What?”

“What did you just say?”

I frowned, “Uhm…you did great?”

Surprisingly, he chuckled, still holding my hand. “Thanks. You're the first person who's said that to me in decades.”

I rolled my eyes, and we continued walking, a faint smile lingering on my lips. “Well, I suppose I should consider it an honor then.”

Nicholas suddenly entwined our fingers and pulled me along. Confusion and a rush of overwhelming emotions flooded my mind.

“We're here” he suddenly announced as we got out at a field of flowers, leading toward a cliff.

“Woah!” I instinctively pulled my hand away and bolted towards the expansive field of flowers. “This is paradise!”

The wind brushed against my skin, and with a deep breath, I closed my eyes, feeling the cold breeze against my skin and the floral scent of the flowers. I glanced to my left and spotted Nicholas heading towards the cliff, finding a bench nearby and settling onto it. I walked over and plopped down next to him.

He glanced toward the cliff and said, "This is close to the path you took when you tried to escape."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment at the information, but I managed to muster a comeback, saying, "Well, looks like my escape plans have been foiled since you brought me back"

His laughter filled the air once more.

"Hey, why do you keep laughing at me lately?" It slipped out before I could think twice.

Nicholas turned to me, "Can't I laugh now?"

"No…..but it's just that you don't laugh often when you're around me," I pointed out. Then came my slightly awkward realization. "I mean, usually, you're all smiles when you're with Samantha,"

He sighed and looked away, "Sam was different"

I felt a pang of ache registering in my heart but I ignored it and glanced towards the sea. Out of the blue, a tune popped into my head—the song my mom used to sing to me when I was just a toddler, barely three years old.

Hearing that tune in my head, I found myself humming it aloud, kind of out of nowhere.

Realizing that I had just started humming the song out loud, I abruptly stopped, glancing over at Nicholas. To my surprise, he had leaned back on the bench, arms casually resting on the armrests, and sported a smirk.

"Next time there's a mini-concert, you should take the stage. You've got quite a good voice there."

While the sun catches his face and with the flower field behind him, he looks like a work of art. He was so gorgeous that it almost hurt.

I wanted to go along with his jokes but I didn't have any energy all of sudden for it. His comment about Samantha being different hit me harder than I expected. He could effortlessly laugh with her because she wasn't like me. It stung, but I wasn't about to show him that.

"Why'd you bring me here?" I asked instead.

"Well, you've been working hard for a few weeks straight now, and I thought you could use a breather," he explained casually. "Plus, this place is my go-to when I need to unwind."

I quickly averted my gaze, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, but what if Samantha finds out you brought me here?"

“It doesn't matter. Samantha had no say in what I did”

I sighed quietly, nodding. Suddenly, Nicholas got up.

“Where are you going?”

“I forgot something in the car”

Something…..something close to fear made me blurt out, “You would not leave me here don't you?”

My heart was beating so fast, waiting for his answer. He looked a little puzzled but eventually nodded.

“I brought you here in the first place, I don't have any intention of leaving you”

I forced a smile, "That's good to hear...uhm...it'd be a pain to walk all the way back home."

He nodded and walked away. Facing the vast sea, I took a deep breath, feeling a sudden chill in my hands. I don't know why I suddenly felt that fear again. The fear of being abandoned.

I gazed at the breathtaking view, the wind gently tousling my hair. With a sense of calm washing over me, I closed my eyes, savoring the refreshing touch of the cool breeze.

……..

**Nicholas**

It was a surprising sight to return and find Florence sprawled across the bench, her dark blonde hair cascading over its surface. Her head rested at an awkward angle, and despite my initial shock, a smile tugged at my lips.

“A sleeper then” I whispered to myself.

Setting down the plastic containing the sandwiches I had brought, I carefully lifted her head and settled it on my lap, hoping for a more comfortable position. As I adjusted her sleeping form, she stirred slightly, causing me to freeze in place, fearing that I might wake her. She needed rest and I have no intention to disrupt her from it.

I cautiously tucked a stray strand of hair behind Florence's ear, my other arm instinctively encircling her small waist in a protective gesture. A sense of rare calmness washed over me. It was as if my inner wolf purred with contentment, a sensation I hadn't experienced before.

Gazing down at Florence sleeping soundly on my lap, I couldn't help but run my fingers gently over her soft cheek.

My gaze went from her closed eyes down to her nose until it settled on her pink lips, “It was starting to scare me, Florence, your power over me was scaring me”

It was the truth. The days, hours, and seconds I spent on my castle, meetings, my mind, and wolf were always urging me to see her but I always held myself down. I thought it was better to make myself used to control the urge, that intense feeling of wanting to see her, to smell her intoxicating scent. But the more I resist it, the more I get restless, and the desire to see her gets stronger. That's why I found myself coming over to her house that night.

It's like I can't function without seeing her.