The Royal Alpha King's Witch Prince

Chapter Eight

IÑIGO’S POV

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I went to my study, which was on the third floor of the three-storey house. I liked to work in a place from where I could have a good and faraway view. The third floor was exactly like that in the house; a view of the forest and the faraway mountains.

I could find peace and also work calmly. I was only working for two hours, reading contracts and agreements, when I heard the front door. I removed my reading glasses and left them along with my file to go and check downstairs.

It was Sofia who had come back and, luckily, she was all alone because I needed to talk to her privately. I smiled at her and we both settled in the living room.

“Now tell me, how is your mate?” Sofia asked and I chuckled. She knew exactly what was going on with me. That was why Sofia was special. Since she had seen all of us since our childhood, she understood all of us so well that we found comfort with her.

“You didn’t ask early in the morning.” I taunted her, instead of answering her question.

“Everyone was here and also, Gabby had no idea about him.” She explained and I nodded. Sofia liked to have a one-on-one talk when it was serious. She wasn’t the gossiper kind. That’s why I liked her company.

“He is still sleeping. Menzan told me that he’ll be sleeping for three days and he is fine, just recovering.” I answered her question and she nodded.

“Are you disappointed to find your mate or to find a man as your mate?” She asked me. It was a question no one dared to ask me. I was worried about it because I hadn’t come across anyone who had a male mate yet. It was quite new, but since I had varied preferences, I was willing to accept him and protect him if he was a good one.

“I’m not disappointed, Sof. You already know my preferences. My mate is too beautiful to regret but…” I trailed off. My heart lurched to articulate the words ahead.

“You can’t stop when you describe someone as beautiful for the first time in your life, Kieran,” Sofia commented, and I had a sad expression morphed on my face.

“I had to. In the situation I found him, I’m not sure what he is. I don’t know if he is good or bad. As a King, I have to carry out my responsibilities,” I explained, and she nodded.

“If he is not what you expected, then what?” She asked, straight to the point. I gulped down because hearing the question Eliphas was pacing in my mind. He wanted to know about my response, too, even after I had told him a thousand times.

“I’ll reject him or execute him. He is a human, so the bond won’t make much of a difference to him,” I answered, and then looked ahead with a blank expression on my face.

“I didn’t think you’d want to punish yourself for your mate’s doings,” Sofia commented, and I turned to her with a glare in my eyes. She didn’t cower back in fear but had a satisfied look on her face.

“If you can’t hear a subtle insult of your mate, I wonder how you will reject or execute him.” Sofia made her point known and I knew she was right. Eliphas also agreed with Sofia and was satisfied with the way she educated me. This action put me into turmoil.

“I’m not in a position to be selfish and we both know it,” I told her and she shut her mouth.

“Let me see him.” Sofia expressed and I nodded.

We both hiked up the stairs to the first floor and reached my room. Sofia entered first and then I followed her in. She studied my mate and a soft smile formed on her face.

“I could understand why you were praising him so much.” She remarked and I chuckled with a proud look on my face. My mate being praised made me feel delighted.

“I know. His every feature is a piece of art, making him an entire masterpiece.” I expressed, gazing at my beautiful asleep man.

“Oh, the amount you are whipped! I can barely see you with those emotions in your eyes. Now I know what face Nico was chattering about.” Sofia professed and laughed. I chucked in annoyance and glared at her.

“You both have made my life a living hell and then there is Dio, the cherry on the top.” I contended and she only laughed.

“Oh, now the cherry even has a leaf of a mate,” Sofia retorted, continuing to laugh harder, and I groaned.

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After Sofia had witnessed my mate’s beauty, she couldn’t stop but tease me every time. I was done with her, so when she decided to go and cook, I went back to my study.

I heard the door open and then there was chattering downstairs. I recognised by the scent that it was Gabriella. I let them enjoy it for a while and went down only when Sofia mind-linked me to come down.

“As an Alpha, you should be faster than that.” Sofia teased as I got down. She and Gabriella were in the dining room. It was rarely used by me, so it was a good thing they were here.

“I come whenever I want, Beta Female.” I retorted and she chucked. Once I sat, they both took their seats.

“I still can’t understand why you insist on cooking here,” Gabriella commented, and we both looked at her. Sofia didn’t know what to say but I gave her a blank look.

“Until your transfer papers are here, you have to be under my review. You are still a visitor from a different packland.” I conveyed to her a matter which wasn’t a complete lie.

“Oh. That is so lovely that you are all adjusting so much for me.” She cooed and I just nodded. Sofia had an awkward expression but she smiled. If only she knew the truth, but we would have to review her anyway.

“Not to worry much, but my parents will be here by the end of this week, with transfer papers signed by Alpha King.” She informed me and I nodded. I was happy to finish the task sooner, so at least that would give Diego the satisfaction of having his mate.

Unlike me.

“That’s good to know,” I told her and she smiled. She sure was a child amongst us. I can’t believe her enthusiasm sometimes. She was so energetic that I felt tired looking at her energy. And then I feel like I’ve grown old.

“Kieran, I suggest you’ve worked enough and you should go to your room after lunch and rest.” Sofia hinted, pressing that I should go to my room.

“But…” I started, but she shook her head. I have been away from my mate for almost five hours now. He needed my touch to heal faster and I had to be a good mate to him.

“I agree with you. I need to take a break.” I affirmed and she smiled.

“So, Gabby, why don’t you tell us about your school life and all,” Sofia asked Gabriella as she served lunch to me and Gabriella.

Nevertheless, we had a running Gabby-telly for the whole lunchtime.

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“She chatters a lot,” I commented as I put my plate in the sink. Sofia laughed and shook her head.

“She is still a child. You go and do what you’re asked to do. Your mate needs you.” Sofia said, patting my arm and urging me to go up.

“Be alert with her. She shouldn’t learn about it yet.” I cautioned Sofia and she nodded.

“I know. I won’t send her up and if you need anything, mind-link me. I will personally bring it.” Sofia assured me and I nodded. Having her here was already a great help.

“Where are these two?” I asked and Sofia folded her arms.

“Their Alpha King gives them too much work to enjoy lunch on time.” She taunted me right on my face and I scrunched my eyes at her.

“Oh, what a cruel Alpha! I wonder if he would strip his Beta’s rank for his mate’s actions,” I muttered, and she chuckled.

“He can, maybe. It depends on his mood, but I’m hoping it will be fine since…his mate has arrived.” Sofia whispered the last part in my ear, careful that Gabriella wouldn’t hear.

Since my mate was human, he didn’t have a scent on him and my scent covered the whole place, which made it already hard to find the other scents, so Gabriella wouldn’t notice.

“He needs to move to his mate now. Clean up well, I’m warning you.” I said to her before quickly making an exit. I knew she’d have an entire lecture about how well she worked.

I immediately went to my study and brought a file to read while I stayed in the room. Once done with that, I went back to my room and opened the door. I smelled my mate’s scent of lavender and it was quite strong.

“Wake up soon.” I greeted my mate and went close to him. I wanted to see expressions on his blank face and hear his voice calling my name.

I sat next to him and opened my file, while I kept reading the file and holding one of my mate’s hands in mine.

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Nicolas and Diego didn’t return for lunch, so Sofia sent lunch for them with Steven. While I sat in my room, I was quite distracted by my mate’s strong scent enclasping me.

There was a knock on the door and I allowed the person to enter since I knew who it was. I looked up and Sofia entered with a big smile on her face.

“You should ask who it was before you allow anyone in.” She commented and I gave her a funny look.

“I’m an Alpha and this is my room, in my house, and my scent senses are quite strong.” I retorted and she laughed.

“But you still can’t smell your mate’s stench.” She responded and I looked at her, then looked at my mate. She was right that I didn’t know it.

“How…?” I trailed off. She only laughed in response.

“I know it, Kieran. A mate’s scent is so strong and mesmerizing that you can hardly smell their stench.” She informed me and went into the bathroom.

I ignored her and let her do whatever while I glanced at my mate. Our hands were still intact and it felt like nothing could bring my mood down.

I kept the file on the side and bent close to my mate, but I still couldn’t smell any stench on him. I moved even closer but nothing. My face moved closer and closer, only to find my nose in the crook of his neck.

This was the place where I would mark him. I felt ecstatic just being there for some odd reason. I pulled myself away before a very wild Eliphas would do something unexpected.

My thoughts were scattered and I let out a shaky breath. I wanted to control myself but it proved difficult as I kept thinking about it again and again.

“Kieran, why are you so red?” I heard Sofia’s voice question me and I perked up at her, touching my face, only to feel the heat that covered my face along with the redness that I couldn’t see.

“It’s just too hot.” I lied and she gave me an evil smirk.

“You definitely did something because we don't feel very cold but it's chilly tonight.” She wriggled her brows and I glared at her. She cleared her throat and then I noticed a small tub in her hands.

“Why is that in your hands?” I asked her and it was like she only then remembered that she had a small tub in her hands.

“I completely forgot. Since he is smelling a bit, and also, he’s resting, we should wipe him clean so he'll feel better.” She informed me and I then understood.

She put the tub on the table and then revealed a small towel inside it. She pulled the towel up and squeezed it, handing it to me.

“What?” I questioned, suddenly not understanding the situation.

“You want me to wipe your mate clean?” She asked and my eyes widened. I didn’t have to answer because it was a rhetorical question, so I just kept my mouth shut.

“Just do what I just did and wipe him clean once. Then you refill the tub and do the process. After you’ve done all that, do come down for dinner.” Sofia instructed, and I narrowed my eyes on her.

“Who is the Alpha over here?” I asked her and she gave me a sweet smile.

“You are. And that’s your mate; our Luna Queen, lying on the bed, who needs to be cleaned. I’m just helping, Alpha King.” She clarified and when she said the word, ‘Luna’, I gulped down.

“I’ll come down soon,” I told her and she gave me a small nod before leaving my room. I turned to face my mate.

I was summoning him as my mate this whole time, but not once did I summon him as the Luna Queen. Only then did I realize that I had already accepted him as my mate and the only position I was bothered to accept him was as the Luna Queen.

All this time, I was waiting for him to wake up, only to know if he was a good person who would lead the packs to a bright future. I’ve only been concerned that if he was the wrong person, I couldn’t be selfish but I had accepted him in my heart.

The revelation was making it difficult for me, but I was very fazed by it because I had internally known it and now I was facing it.

I shook all my thoughts and decided to focus on wiping on my mate. I kept the towel back in the warm water and sat by my mate’s waist on the bed.

I pulled the comforter down and then unbuttoned his shirt. It took every ounce of me to push the shirt away and control myself. My hand brushed his skin and it was just as soft on the outside, but he had a well-built body.

Such a beautiful chest and eight-pack abs had me right there but I knew I wasn’t allowed to do all that. I had to focus on something else.

I turned my eyes to the towel and did the process Sofia had told me. I softly wiped his face, then his neck, followed by his chest and hands. I rinsed the cloth in the tub and squeezed water every time.

Once I had cleaned all of him, I went and changed the water just as Sofia had told me to. I filled it up with warm water and re-did the entire process.

Surely, my mate’s skin shone and looked even more beautiful. It was so hard for me to wait for him to wake up.

All this time when I wasn’t waiting for my mate, it was alright, but now, three days felt like three eternities. It would only be tomorrow that he’d wake up sometime.

I was eagerly waiting for my mate to wake up so I could gaze into his forest green eyes and get lost in them, at least for a while.