The Alpha King Call Boy: Chap 1-46: Chapter 40

I woke to a fresh wave of disappointment in the morning, shivering awake in the cold, realizing as I came to consciousness that I was still alone.

Before I could forget, I sat up and took another pill immediately. I took a bath next, letting myself soak in the lavender-scented, piping hot water until I felt alive again.

I resolved to take my mind off Alexander today, and that meant getting out of the palace. I still hadn’t seen Grandfather since the day of the wedding, considering how my father had abducted me the last time that I tried to visit the nursing home. I felt fearful as I considered making the trip there once again.

But I am not a person who makes decisions based on fear. I was not going to hide out in the palace for the rest of my life, and my father could find me anywhere. I could not let fear of him keep me from living my life.

I got myself ready and called for a car to take me to town. And on the way out, I passed through the kitchen to collect a basket of assorted pastries to take with me.

But once the car pulled up to the nursing home, I was struck with a fresh surge of fear. The driver opened my door and I stepped out, looking around nervously.

“Do you mind walking me to the door?” I asked the driver.

He nodded without question and escorted me to the front of the building, where he stood to the side and held the big glass door open for me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the front desk. I signed the visitor’s log and told the smiling receptionist that I knew where I was going. She happily returned to her paperwork without further conversation.

Grandfather was snoozing when I entered his room. I closed the door carefully behind me, so as to not make a sound and wake him. The white drapes were still closed over the big windows that lined his room, and the room smelled stale, like sleep.

I went to Grandfather’s bedside. He was breathing noisily through his mouth. Sound asleep.

I smiled, happy just to see him. It was my mistake, coming here too early in the morning. I set the pastries on his bedside table and fished a pen out of my purse.

I found an old receipt on the bedside table that I pressed flat, turned over, and wrote a note on the back of it:

A gift for you, Grandfather. With love from Fiona.

I tucked the note into the basket then tiptoed to his side and planted a gentle kiss on his temple. His skin was cold to the touch. I took an extra blanket that was folded at the foot of his bed and laid it flat over the bed, tucking it in tightly around his shoulders. Grandfather did not wake, but he sighed heavily, and his body seemed to relax under the fresh warmth of the extra blanket.

I made it to the door before I remembered my promise to myself: I was going to take better care of my body, and that meant eating. I went back to the table and carefully extracted a cinnamon roll from the basket of pastries, trying hard not to make a sound. Then I crept away, closing the door delicately behind me.

I strolled down to the garden and sat on a bench to eat my treat. My appetite was better than I expected, and I gobbled down the cinnamon roll with pleasure, smiling as I licked icing off my fingers.

On the way back to the palace, we passed through a downtown area. I asked the driver to make a quick stop when I spotted a newsstand, where I bought a stack of business and finance magazines.

I may have resigned my position with my father’s business, but that just meant I was ready for something new. I needed to start brushing up on what was happening in the market before I could even consider applying for a position with a new firm.

I collected some more food from the kitchen and took it back to the room with me. I sat in bed and created a nest of pillows around me for support. Then I lay on my side comfortably, snacking idly while studying stock reports.

Of course, after reading through most of one magazine, I drifted off. It was dark when I woke, and my magazine was splayed on the floor next to the bed. I eased upright and started to tidy up. I was probably just going to clean up and get myself properly dressed for bed, then go right back to sleep. My body needed the rest.

Feeling averse to turning the lights on, I opted to light some candles instead. They were fragrant, scented with lavender, vanilla, and spices, and would lend the cold room some warmth with their relaxing smells and gentle light.

I performed my nighttime ablutions quietly, taking a short, hot shower, then brushing out my hair and cleaning my teeth. I picked up the magazines that had fallen to the floor and stacked them neatly on the table in the corner of the room. The remaining food I’d been snacking on, I packaged up neatly and set aside.

That completed, I lay back into my nest of pillows, hoping for a quick return to sleep.

But sleep did not come.

I was wide awake now. And my body felt tight, like I needed to get up and stretch. I stood and paced the room, deciding to blow out most of the candles. Telling myself I must be needing more darkness to fall asleep.

But it did not help. In the dark, my imagination came to life. And suddenly all I could think about was Alexander. When I closed my eyes, all I could see was his face. His intense, honey-colored eyes. The way he looked at me when we were in bed together.

Finally, I admitted to myself – I was aching for him. I was in pain after these days away from him. And I was craving some release.

A thought occurred to me and my eyes flashed to my nightstand, where I spotted the orange pill bottle. I cursed under my breath, realizing I had not taken any medication since the morning.

That had to be why I was feeling like this. I was back in heat. It wasn’t that my desire for Alexander was so strong I could not take two days and nights without him. I did not miss him… It was just the estrus cycle.

I closed my eyes and began to touch myself, feeling my body getting wetter as I stroked it. A vision of Alexander flooded my mind once again. I imagined it was his hand on me instead of my own… but no, it just did not feel the same.

I clutched a soft pillow to my chest and groaned, frustrated. Then I threw the pillow aside, into the empty space where my Alpha should have been.

All I wanted was a little relief. I slid my hand between my thighs again, touching the most sensitive part of me lightly. Eyes closed tight, I thought about the way that Alexander’s hands felt when they were on me. Big, rough, and full of pulsing heat.

I licked my lips, picturing his broad shoulders and strong, hard chest. My heart was racing, but I still couldn’t come. I leaned back, falling into a fantasy in which he was here, and getting on top of me… just teasing me…

“Alexander…”

I had called out his name unconsciously, in something between a cry and a whisper.