The King's Return

47| GIVE HER THE SPACE SHE NEEDS

LOGAN'S POV

Sleep eluded me after my conversation with Amira. The weight of our interaction hung heavy in the air, and I realized that my attempts to convince her to stay with me had backfired. I never intended to frighten her away, but it seemed that’s exactly what I had done.

Restless, I tossed and turned, grappling with the precarious state of our relationship. It felt as though we were walking on a tightrope, and any misstep might send us tumbling into irreparable darkness. How could I mend something that seemed irreparably broken?

In my human life, before I even knew I was a werewolf, I’d avoided dating. No one had ever captured my interest enough to pursue a relationship. Even after discovering my true nature, my focus remained fixed on finding my destined mate. I’d cherished the idea—that is, until now. Now, my lack of dating experience seemed more like a handicap, leaving me ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of a romantic relationship, especially with my own mate.

If only I had some semblance of experience to draw upon, perhaps I could approach this with more confidence and finesse. Maybe then, Amira wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed by my intentions.

Despite the fracture in our bond, I clung to hope. The mate bond between us, blessed by the Moon Goddess herself, couldn’t be denied. Yet, it was fragile, like a spider’s silk caught in a storm.

Connor’s reproach weighed heavily on me, and I couldn’t fault him for it. I’d allowed things to spiral out of control. If I’d been forthcoming with Amira from the start, perhaps we would be in a better place now—maybe even fully mated, with the promise of a future together, possibly even a child.

The thought of Amira carrying my child stirred emotions I couldn’t quite identify. I pictured her, radiant, entering my castle office, her hands cradling the beginnings of new life. The vision filled me with a longing I hadn’t known before.

Hours dragged by in the darkness as I stared at the ceiling, searching for answers that eluded me. Finally, in the pre-dawn stillness, I reached for my phone, my resolve crystallizing. If I couldn’t sleep, perhaps I could seek someone to counsel me and I know just the right person for that.

I texted Connor, unsure if he would be awake. Minutes passed like hours until my phone buzzed, breaking the silence.

"Connor."

‘Please tell me whatever you want to talk about is very important, Your Majesty.’ I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes.

“Well, you could have asked that directly on w******p, you didn’t have to call.” I countered.

‘The reason I called you is because even though I still don’t understand why, I love you and my wife is currently too tired to care who I’m talking to at three in the morning.

‘Now, please tell me, Your Majesty, why are you awake at this hour?’

I sighed. “I need a friend, Connor, not a subject.”

'Fair enough, Morningstar,' Connor teased, and I couldn’t help but smile despite myself.

After a moment, he spoke again. ‘What happened? I thought you were there to grovel.’

“I came here to take care of my business.”

‘And to grovel.’ He said matter-of-factly.

“Well, yes. I came here to grovel as well. The problem is, I am so bad at it.”

‘And you wanted to ask for some advice from your best friend because he is a professional?’

“You don’t have to be smug about, Black.”

‘Well, you can’t blame me. It’s not every day that I get to get a call from the king of werewolves himself to ask me for some dating advice.’

“I shouldn’t have called you. This was a huge mistake.”

‘OK, don’t kick me for trying to lighten your mood. Now tell me, what really happened?’

“I might have rushed Amira into moving with me again. I know it’s early but I just wanted her to be near me. The fact that she is out there, unmated is not sitting well with me or my wolf but at the same time, I know being with her here might be the biggest mistake of my life.”

‘It’s understandable that you want her near you but I do agree with you. After leaving you, I am sure she might have convinced herself that you don’t love her and asking her to move in with you might seem like you’re doing it out of guilt to her.’ He didn't have to be so honest.

“I didn’t think of it like that.”

‘I know that but she doesn't. It’s okay, understanding women is a very difficult thing and despite what I said earlier, I am no professional either.

‘But, having spent these years with my wife, I know she overthinks a lot. It might not be the same because we are talking about two different women here but the issue is just the same.

‘It’s not too bad in my wife’s case because she knows how much I love and trust her. Your mate might love you but she doesn’t trust you and after everything that happened with Kiera coming to Manchester, she is insecure.

‘Now, I know your mate is beautiful but I also know Kiera and my wife has always thought she is the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen but she doesn’t like it when I’m the one saying it.

‘I’m talking about my wife, the woman I told you knows how much I love her and then there’s your mate, who had been hearing all about Kiera before she even met the woman in question.

‘She’s seen your pictures with her on i********: and f*******: and you can’t blame the poor girl for overthinking. You have never given her the reassurance that she needed from you.

‘You brushed everything off, allowed her to believe that you and Kiera were childhood sweethearts who couldn’t be separated by the arrival of your fated mate.

‘I already told you that your plan was a big mistake so I’m not going to make you feel any more guiltier than you are right now but I will give you the advice I know you need.

‘If you want your mate to accept your proposition, you need to give her space and allow her to make the decision on her own.

‘The only way she is going to do that is if she trusts you and that’s why you need to build that trust again. Make her feel loved, beautiful and trusted. I swear, that will make a huge difference.’

I nodded, though he couldn’t see it. “I never intended for her to doubt me.”

'Trust takes time,' Connor offered softly.

“I want her to trust me,” I admitted, the weight of my own uncertainty pressing down on me. “But I’m afraid I’ll only make things worse.”

'Patience, my friend,' Connor said, his tone reassuring. 'Give her the space she needs to make her own decision. Be there for her, but let her come to you.

'I don't know her that much but I do know she is a reasonable person. She won't keep you waiting for too long. Now get some sleep, you'll decide what you have to do when you wake up with a fresh mind. Good night.'

"Good night, Connor."

I felt like I had a newfound resolve after talking to Connor. Even if it meant taking a step back and allowing Amira the space she needed, I would follow his advice and work to earn back the trust she once had.

I rested in bed and thought about what I would do first to fix the harm I had accidentally caused. Maybe if I gave it some time and compassion, I could repair our relationship and give Amira a sense of value again.

As dawn approached, I found a measure of peace. Though the path ahead was uncertain, I knew I couldn’t give up—not when our future, hung in the balance.

The first light of dawn peeked through the curtains as I closed my eyes, resolving to face the challenges ahead with unwavering commitment.

A beam of sunlight peeking through the curtains gave my bedroom a pleasant warmth when I woke up. I blinked, processing Connor's words as the turbulence of the previous night began to gradually fade. Space, patience, and trust. Those words kept repeating themselves in my head like a mantra.

Sitting up in bed, I stretched and ran a hand through my tangled hair. As I glanced at the wall-mounted watch, I noticed it was already the afternoon.

I took my phone from the nightstand and Amira’s name glowed on the screen, a reminder of the rift between us. I hesitated for a moment before composing a message.

"Amira,

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to apologize for rushing things yesterday. I understand that I made you uncomfortable. Please know that I care about you deeply, and I want to give you the space you need. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here. I love you.

Take care.

Logan"

Satisfied with the message, I hit send and set my phone aside. Now, it was a waiting game—a test of patience and restraint. I couldn’t rush this, not if I wanted to salvage what remained of our fragile relationship.

I tried to keep my thoughts occupied by busily doing little things around my apartment while the minutes felt like they were extending into hours. Still, my mind kept returning to Amira—her warm touch, her dazzling smile. How could I have let everything fall apart so easily?

After what felt like forever, a reply came, and my heart skipped a beat as I read her words.

"Logan,

Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate your apology. We will talk soon, but please don't skip work because of me. I also wanted to ask you for a favour. Trey needs to leave work early because he has a doctor's appointment with his mate. I wanted to ask if it's okay if he leaves. I will cover his work for today.

Amira"

Relief washed over me like a cool breeze on a sweltering day. She was willing to talk—there was hope yet.

I don't know what I would do if I lost her. I remember how my sister was when Aiden had left her here and went to Kensington. She was miserable and I know I would be just like her, if not worse if Amira decides to leave me.

When I found out that she had left the castle, I was beside myself. I couldn't do anything right and I was even shouting at everyone for even minor things.

If it wasn't for Kiera and Jake, I think I would have lost my mind. And Alex. That little guy gives me a purpose in this life. Seeing him happy makes me happy and I'm grateful for having him in my life.

Sam and Aiden raised him well and I know he misses his nieces and nephews so much because he grew up with them. He is very young but he is very mature. I know one of the reasons he insisted that he comes to live with me is because he knew I was alone in the castle.

I might have made a promise to my sister that I would take care of him when he turned five but he wouldn't have come if he didn't want to.

My mother no longer lives with me and my father is always restless so he rarely comes home and even if he did come home, being with him has never been the same after finding out that we are werewolves and the death of my stepmother.

It feels like he is a living dead, a shell of himself. Sam's case when Aiden left is nothing to compared to what my father is going through and I know it's because he and his wolf know they have lost their mate forever.

I don't want that sorrow and I will make sure that I do everything I can to escape from it.