The Alpha King and His Human Queen

I Say No

Alexandra

I am pacing impatiently around, biting the nail of my thumb. I pinch it harder than expected and flinch.

“Ouch. “

But then I continue doing it.

Opal is looking at me from the top shelf he’s perched on.

“I am not waiting for him,” I tell Opal as if the looks he’s been giving me are somehow accusatory. I hear Nathaniel’s voice from outside the door.

He speaks to the guards and one of them laughs. What’s with everyone laughing WITH Nathaniel? He is not that funny.

Maybe they are afraid that if they don’t laugh at what he says he will kill them too. I hear the press on the door handle and quickly rush toward the armchair. I stumble but manage to regain balance and flop in the armchair. Then I picked up the nearest book, one of the many, piled at the end of the table, hoping Nathaniel didn’t hear what I was doing. I open the book at a random page and pretend to be reading.

He comes in and I am still catching my breath. I try not to look at him. Opal jumps from his position and goes to him but Nathaniel doesn’t touch him.

I am secretly looking at them so when Nathaniel turns to me I glue my eyes back to the page, colour rising to my face because I got caught.

“He doesn’t like you much,” I mutter, pointing my chin to Opal, thinking this might deceive Nathaniel that I was looking at the raven and not him.

“That makes two of you, right?” Nathaniel says lightly.

“I saw you fighting today.” I begin from afar, trying to sound casual.

“Did you miss me that much?”

I grit my teeth.

“I didn't come because I wanted to see you.”

Nathaniel sits opposite me.

“No?”

“Of course not. “

“Then why were you staring at me?”

“Ughhhh.” I clench my hand around the book. I have to do this, come on.

“What do you think of the story?” Nathaniel asks when I look down at the page and discover it’s written in a language I don’t know.

“It’s great.” I hissed.

“Oh?” He gasps, mocking, “I didn’t know you spoke the southern dialect.

“Of course I do.” I lie, stupidly then he says something in this southern dialect I know NOTHING about.

When I don’t respond he grins and I want to cry with embarrassment.

“By the way,” I begin again, taking a deep breath “I can’t stay here all day so I was thinking I could, you know… “

He is waiting. Nathaniel’s hair is wet and under the light which the fire burning in the fireplace casts he looks gorgeous. There’s something seductive about the wet strands, the reddish shade from the flames, his dark clothes.

I pause at his lips and imagine them on my body and I blush like an i***t. I imagine him undressing me carefully then lifting me and laying me down right in front of the fireplace. Then kissing me everywhere.

Nathaniel leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Are you all right?”

He asks, frowning. I’m insane.

“Umm, yes.” I press my lips together. “Fine, yes. “

My hands are still closed around the book and my palms are wet. I clear my throat and hope he thinks I am nervous because of what I am going to tell him next.

“I want to learn how to fight.” I say, “So I will have something to do. Besides - as I said- I can’t stay here all day, right?”

Nathaniel’s face is blank. Then he says, shortly.

“No.”

“What?” I gasp and Opal croaks. “Why not?”

“Because I say so.”

“What kind of answer is this?” I protest and he gets up abruptly.

“I just said no.”

I get up too.

“I won’t run away if that's what you think.”

Nathaniel snorts.

“Of course not. You are too clumsy for this.”

I open my mouth to protest but he is right. I cross my arms at my chest and glare at him.

“Fine. And if you are so great at fighting, maybe you can teach me. Prove me I am clumsy and I can’t do it.”

“No.” He says again and turns his back on me. Then he goes to the table and pours his glass with wine from the decanter.

“No.” He repeats after he finishes it. “Besides, women in your lands don’t fight, right?”

“Did Lave tell you?”

“Everyone knows you don’t fight in Gelidora.”

He says flatly.

“Not everyone.” I argue, “and this can change. Besides - I am ok longer there, right?”

“Still. “ Nathaniel places the glass heavily on the table.

“I am not going to discuss this further,” His tone suggests finality. Then he starts taking his coat off, “You can do whatever you want, just not this…”

“But…”

I try to speak but he removes his coat, throws it on the armchair and removes his shirt too.

This is too difficult, I think to myself and close my eyes. I look away as he walks around half-naked. Then I hear the sound of his shoes as he takes them off and his trousers as they land on the floor.

Nathaniel is only in his underwear and I can’t look at him. Then he pulls the bed over and lies down.

“What are you doing?” I ask dumbly and finally look up at him. And regret my decision instantly.

Nathan’s covered only from his waist down and my eyes are roaming his naked torso. He has scars over his chest and some on his shoulders.

I see claw marks right where his heart is. He has scars on his forearms, some of which I had seen earlier when he rolled his sleeves.

And then I see the strong hard muscles, the lines that run from his belly and disappear under the sheet.

I’ve seen Eliot but he is nothing like Nathaniel and my heart speeds up again.

“I am going to bed as you can see,” Nathaniel says indifferently and I had completely forgotten I asked a question.

“I sleep in the bed,” I approach him, standing on the other side of the wide bedroom.

“Last night.” He corrects, “Because I let you. But tonight’s my turn.”

“What?” I exclaim, “Where do you expect me to sleep?”

“You are a bed slave, right? That’s self-explanatory.”

I glare at him.

“But you brought me here because you need me. Not because you are actually going to use me this way.”

Then something flashes on his eyes and they turn bright red. It happens so fast, like something snapped in him and he is not the same man as the one from a minute ago.

Before I know it, he’s already closed his arms around my shoulders and I find myself lying on my back on the bed, Nathaniel is on top of me. He places his hands on both sides of my head and bends over me.

“Don’t test me,” Nathaniel says, his voice lowered to a growl.