Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 14 After we were out of the sight of others, I stormed away from Blake and the castle. I didn’t need him parading me around like some trophy, using me to assert his authority over his people and to get a rise out of the women that threw themselves at him. “Nora!” I heard Blake call out behind me. I ignored him, huffing and walking faster.. Blake caught up to me quickly and grabbed my elbow. He pulled me so I was forced to face him. “Let me go!” I hissed, yanking my arm away. Blake tightened his fingers, my elbow grinding in his grasp. “What’s going on with you now?” he asked, glancing back at the castle. We were far enough away that no one could hear us. As far as I could tell, the crowd was dispersing now that the drama was over. “I’m not your pawn.” I tried to pull away again. Blake’s fingers had loosened and my arm sl*pped out of his grasp.. “You’re not,” he agreed, his words slow and deliberate. He crossed his arms and looked me over carefully. “You should have informed me ahead. That big public display,” I narrowed my eyes. “So, it was me that you were running from Blake looked down at the ground, his l*ps in a thin frown. “Yes.” “Am I really that annoying to you?” he asked, his voice unusually gentle.. “If you mean shouting at me, locking me up, and demanding me to stay quiet. Yes.” I instinctively fought back immediately. The moment I realized what I’d said, I paused, waiting for Blake’s anger. But he said nothing, only his eyes looking deep in mine. Silence grew. I sighed. “I don’t understand w you want from me. Or why you’d choose me to be a contractual bride if you have women like Kelly waiting for you,” I admitted. Blake didn’t reply, and instead. ned silent, still. Neither did I. The second I threw out my question, I regretted it. The intimacy performed before the public must have impacted my judgment and I forgot what kind of person Blake was. It was much better to endure the silence now than to be squeezed and shouted, “obey the order, don’t ask why!” Thus, my eyes funnily widened when his voice came from behind. “I grew up with everyone throwing themselves at me. They all wanted to flatter me, please me, and do whatever it took to get my attention.” Blake slowly gazed at me. “What does that have to do with me?” 1 arched an eyebrow, couldn’t help but be sarcastic. “You don’t need to explain, Master No–why. It’s a deal, I will play my role.” “It is hard to know who really cares when everyone wants something from you. So, I chose to show them indifference. It didn’t matter. They still pawed at me with empty flattery,” he continued, and looked into my eyes. “I never wanted anything from you,” I pointed out, “except my wolf” Blake stepped closer. I could almost feel his breath. “That’s why I didn’t expect you to be so upset by the way I treat you. If you don’t want anything from me and don’t feel anything for me, how can my indifference upset you?” “Are you serious? Just because we aren’t really married doesn’t mean I want to be treated like I don’t matter or like I’m just a thing to use in your political campaigns.” I scoffed. Blake and I shared a long look. His eyes were deep. There was no hidden sarcasm or mocking in them. He wasn’t looking at me in any way that was inappropriate to the relationship we had. He was just looking at me like I was a peer, an equal. It had been a few days since our last argument and it seemed that something had changed…. “It was not my intention to make you feel that way” he looked away. “I’ve had very few people in my life who aren’t using me for something. It’ll take some getting used to not seeing you like that.” Blake’s shoulders slumped slightly and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. I tilted my head at him, surprised by his admission. It was like he was really trying to meet me halfway on this. We may not be mates or in love, but we’d still have to work together to make it through our contract. Blake hadn’t seemed to realize that before or hadn’t wanted to admit it. “I think this is going to take getting used to by both of us. It isn’t like I’ve ever done this before,” I blinked. “But we are supposed to be in this together, right? That’s the point of a contract. I’m here to help but not if you just want to use me whenever it suits you” “I understand, Nora,” Blake murmured. He reached out and took my hand, running his thumb over my knuckles. “I will try to get better at this teamwork, thing,” he chuckled as he released my hand. “Well, now that you’ve announced who I am to the whole kingdom, what happens next?” I looked back at the castle. After weeks in the Rogue Zone, I was really looking forward to staying in a real home again with comfortable beds, running water, and hopefully even a bathtub.. The curse my uncle had a witch cast on me won’t be broken until we get officially married. Not just before the Moon Goddess, but before my kingdom and with me as the king,” Blake said. I creased my brow. “Weird. What was the curse?” Blake lowered his eyelids, and turned away from me. I grabbed his arm and kept him from walking away. “Wait. Don’t run off. If we’re going to officially get married, it would be necessary to know more about you.” I held him tighter, “right, Hubby?” Blake’s eyes slightly widened. He sighed heavily and waited a minute before speaking as if deciding whether or not to reveal more about himself “My uncle had me cursed so that if I wasn’t crowned king and married before I was twenty–five, I’d die,” he said. His eyes were distant as he spoke. That’s why he wanted his own heir, so you could never be crowned king.” I nodded.

“And I’d never be able to break the curse,” Blake scoffed. “Okay, so, we’ll get married, again,” I said, giving him a confident look. Blake smirked. “It won’t be as easy as all that,” he said. He held his arm out to me. I looped my arm through his and started walking back toward the castle. My desire to bathe and change was renewed. I had to hope that as Blake’s wife. I’d be allowed to indulge in some of the luxuries of living in a castle. “What won’t be so easy?” I asked. “The wedding itself will be a breeze but the reception is where things get tricky. See, as my wife, you’re going to be expected to portray a certain level of competence,” Blake chuckled He flexed, squeezing my hand in the crook of his arm. “Oh, you mean with music, dancing, fine dining, and languages?” I asked, thinking back to all the things that he’d had Charles drill me on over and over again. “I told you there would be expectations,” he reminded me. “I know,” I muttered. I looked down at the ground as we got closer to the castle. I’d spent days in the basement reading books and being taught by Charles. I still couldn’t play the harp or piano very well. I only knew a few words in other languages, not nearly enough to carry on a conversation, and I was positive Charles still thought I was holding my fork wrong when eating. As for dancing… well, the one and only time Blake and I had danced, I’d practically crushed his feet. I didn’t think I’d improved much. “I… um… well, I don’t know if I’ll live up to your expectations,” I admitted, my cheeks warming as I kept my eyes on the ground. “Then double your efforts, sweetheart, because this is the final test,” Blake tweaked my car playfully. “You’ll be approached by people of all classes and stations. They’ll want to talk to you and if you don’t play the part perfectly, it won’t end well for either of us,” his mood switching in an instant. “I know I’m an embarrassment, but I’m not royalty like you. I wasn’t raised the same way,” I hissed. “Nora. it isn’t about that. This is a delicate situation because you aren’t royalty. It is a little unorthodox,” he elaborated. “What do you mean? Once we are officially married, they won’t be able to get in the way, will they?” I asked. I chanced a glance at Blake. He didn’t look happy at all. He must have expected my confinement in the basement to have sped my training along. “You saw Kelly’s reaction. There are plenty of others who would turn your lack of knowledge into a reason that you. shouldn’t be my wife. I don’t want them making you feel like you aren’t worthy,” he said. “You really worry about that?” I asked, giving him a sidelong glance. Something I couldn’t read flashed in Blake’s eyes. “Regardless of how long you are here….for our contract, I want you to be comfortable in this place. As you said, we have to work together.” I sighed and nodded. “Blake, I appreciate it but I’m not worried about what they think of me.” “You’re not?” he questioned. He stopped dead, pulling me to a halt too. We were still a ways off from the castle. I looked longingly at the massive building, hoping Blake wouldn’t hold us up too long. He probably wanted to shower and change, too. It was one of the first ‘real‘ conversations we’ve had, where Blake was answering my questions and not shutting me down. I didn’t want to end that too soon. There was still so much I needed to learn from him. “I am who I am.” I said, shrugging. “I’m not going to change or worry about how others see me.” “That’s.” I faced Blake as he trailed off. His brow was creased and he pulled his arm from mine, relaxing them at his sides. “What is it?” I asked.   “I didn’t expect that kind of attitude from you.” His eyes are fixed on mine. I laughed. “Did you think I was some insecure weirdo that would change just because of what other people think of me?” The crease in his brow deepened. “I guess I don’t know that much about you, either. Though, I admit, I am intrigued.” Placing his hand on the small of my back, Blake guided me toward the castle again. I sucked my lower l*p into my mouth as the warmth and power of his hand spread over my skin. He could so easily break me with his strength, but for now, he was being gentle. “Intrigued?” I pressed. “I can already tell I’ve never met anyone like you before. It’s intriguing to me and I want to know more.” he grinned and mudged me along so I had to pick up my pace. When we got to the castle, I thought about everything Blake had said. He was being genuine and honest with me for the first. time and it made everything feel easier. “I will do my best not to embarrass you at the reception,” I said, pausing when we reached the castle doors. Blake turned to me and cupped my cheeks in his hands. He brushed his thumb against my skin gently. His mouth was curved up slightly and my eyes fixated on his l*ps. They looked so warm and inviting. My heart hammered and my stomach. fluttered. Did I want him to k*ss me? “Let’s see.” he smirked. I bit the inside of my check as Blake tipped my face forward. He k*ssed my forehead quickly and released me. When I looked up, he was gone.