Chapter 13. Thinking

*Isla*

I lay awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, pondering what it is that Poppy has told me about the Alpha King. It’s hard to believe it could possibly be true.

Yet, how can I doubt it?

Back home, I never knew much about him. I had too much to worry about to ever spend much time thinking about the Alpha King. Whenever anyone mentioned King Maddox, it was always in one of two contexts—how unbelievably good-looking he was.

Or how unbelievably cruel he was.

Now… Poppy has revealed to me that everyone in the castle believes he is responsible for the death of his mate, Luna Rebecca, the woman everyone says is the sweetest, kindest, gentlest soul any of them has ever met.

How is that possible?

I don’t know, but as I lay here on my back, staring at the ceiling, I have to wonder… will a similar fate befall me?

I’m to be his breeder.

What will that entail exactly?

A shudder begins at the top of my neck and travels down my spine. I know the gist of it. I understand that it will be my job to lay with the king, to spread my legs for him, to pleasure him.

He is an attractive man, and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t find myself experiencing sensations I never had before when he was in my room.

Even though I had no idea who he was, just being in his presence made my muscles clench in ways they never had before.

I felt a tightening in my core that I never had until that moment.

My hand slides down between my legs just thinking of it now, and I’m glad I’m alone, lying in this massive bed with these plush, comfortable blankets. I press my fingers against the outside of my most sensitive area, hoping that doing so will make the ache I’m feeling go away.

It doesn’t seem to help. Just thinking about the king makes my flesh bead up with a sheen of sweat. I need to push the blankets down away from my face so I can breathe.

I wonder what it would feel like if it was his hand on me and if these pajamas were not in the way.

This certainly isn’t making the ache go away…

“Knock it off, Isla,” I whisper to myself. “You’re just making it worse.”

I try rolling over and remind myself that I’m in a strange place, away from my family, and I have no idea when I might see them again.

That’s enough to make the ache dissipate. I miss my parents and my brothers so much. How I wish that I could’ve stayed at home and paid off my parents’ debt from there.

Alpha Ernest should’ve been more straightforward with me.

But now, the damage was done, and here I am.

I hope that Alpha Maddox will allow me to go home for a visit soon. I imagine my mother’s face. I hope she’s not crying. I miss her so much, and I know she has to miss me, too.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and try to go to sleep. Otherwise, I might start to cry.

Since it’s been such a long day, I am exhausted, and I am just about to doze off when I get the sensation that someone is standing outside my door. Not the one right across the room from me, but the other one, the outer door.

It’s so far away from me, I really shouldn’t be able to tell, but I get the idea that someone is there just the same.

And I know who it is.

I hold my breath, not moving at all, as I wonder what might happen if he enters the room.

It’s too soon, isn’t it? This is my first night here. Surely, he won’t come in and want me to have sex with him on my very first night in the castle, will he?

Won’t he at least give me one night to get settled?

It’s not as if I’m so beautiful that just catching one glimpse of me earlier will leave him so intrigued he won’t be able to forget about me.

He’s the king! He can have any woman he wants. Is he in that big of a hurry to make an heir?

After a moment, I get the feeling that he has moved on, and I allow myself to breathe again.

A wave of relief washes over me, and I thank the Moon Goddess that I won’t be called upon to service the king tonight.

“What a relief,” I whisper. “I’m so glad that didn’t happen.”

At least, that’s what I’m trying to convince myself.

The ache is back between my legs, and something tells me that when I fall asleep tonight, I won’t be dreaming about my family.

I’ll be dreaming of the Alpha King—and he’ll be on top of me.