Charles

Chapter 23

"You're safe now…" Lucas whispered by Alpha Charles's bedside, wondering what could have led to his sudden breakdown. He didn't know Alpha Charles to be someone so weak and easily brought to his knees, but in the past few days, a lot of had changed.

Lucas stared at Alpha Charles's body, as he lay still. He hadn't moved a bit since he had passed out, but he was still breathing.

"Get yourself together," Lucas stilled himself with a cautionary whisper, each time his hands were itching to give into the temptation of reaching out to grab Alpha Charles's body.

Being all alone with his long-time crush made it hard for him to think reasonably at that point. Each moment didn't pass without him thinking of throwing caution to the wind.

But he feared the consequences, and what other people would say if he was caught in the act. He was aware that other guards outside the door could be suspicious of the fact that he chose to stay in there to watch the alpha all alone.

Not only that, he had given the orders that no one was allowed into the alpha's room, except it was really important. It was only a matter of time before one of those pesky Lunas would come trying to know what was wrong, and how he was doing.

That made him want to act quickly, as he wasn't sure when he would be afforded the opportunity to be all alone with the Alpha. He had to think it through properly, as he felt pressured to do something drastic.

"No… I can't," he reminded himself of the angry look that was always on Alpha Charles's face each time he got close to him, but that wasn't enough to keep him away.

Before he could get a hold of himself, he found himself leaning forward to kiss the alpha. His head drew closer to Charles's head from the alpha's right side.

He decided even if he wouldn't kiss the alpha's lips, he would at least give him a smooch on the cheeks. He did it all just so he could get a taste of what it could be like if the both of them had been together.

Just when his dreams were about coming true for him, there was a loud, seemingly angry banging on the door. He was rudely shocked and dragged back into reality.

Who the heck could it have been, bothering him and the alpha at that point? He got up, took a deep breath and took a look at Alpha Charles, who was yet to regain consciousness.

Lucas made for the door, as he could hear some words of the argument that was going on outside. The angry, insistent feminine voice he heard surely belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

"What does she want?" he questioned angrily, as he unlocked the door and slowly pulled it open. The door was half open when Elizabeth pushed it in his face. He was hit in the nose by the door, and had the most unimaginable words for her, but he swallowed them up.

"My queen…" he forced himself to say, as he held his nose, which he hoped hadn't been injured.

"What are you doing here?" Queen Elizabeth asked angrily and impatiently.

You bitch… he wanted to say that to her, but he could get killed for that. He immediately called himself back to order.

"Are you deaf?" Queen Elizabeth repeated her question in an even angrier tone. "What are you doing here?"

"The alpha commanded that no one should come in and disturb his peace like you are doing right now…" he was walking the thin line between being polite to the queen and communicating his displeasure towards her attitude. "You could disturb him."

"Shut up!" she retorted, without caring that the alpha could possibly wake from her elevated tone.

Lucas could do nothing but remain speechless as he rubbed his nose, which was still hurting. He took glances at Alpha Charles to be aware of his disposition.

"Since you're here all alone with the alpha, what is being done about his current predicament?" she went on to ask.

"He ordered that we send for Edna. She's on her way here as we speak," Lucas narrated, as his pride had been hurt beyond repair. He wished for a way to get even, but he knew it was nearly impossible.

"Just that?"

"Yes, my queen," he replied, hating the fact that he had to still answer politely despite the way she had jammed the door against his nose.

"Alright then," she said. "You may leave now."

"What?" he was sure that he hadn't heard her properly.

"You heard me right!" she fumed. "Get out of here."

Lucas scurried out of the room, with a solemn vow that he would find a way to get even. He had been disgraced in front of his subordinates in the most unimaginable way.

***

"Prepare…"

That word was all it took to rouse Alpha Charles from his deep slumber. He suddenly jerked himself up, and was breathing hard, until he discovered that the chest tightening pain was still there, although not as painful as it had been at first.

"Alpha…" Elizabeth called out to him from the right side of his bed, but he ignored.

Straightaway, he recalled how he ended up in bed, and how he had sent for Edna— the witch who was standing before him. He turned to Elizabeth.

"Leave us," he said to her and his other men who were in the room. The men left immediately, but Elizabeth was a bit hesitant to act. "Leave now!" He couldn't care less about what his words made her feel.

When the door shut after she had left, he let out a relieved sigh as he was all alone with Edna. He looked up at the witch, his eyes scanning from the top of her gray hair down to the black dress she was clothed in.

She gazed at him with a pitiful glance, and shook her head slightly as she spoke.

"What's happening?" he asked, as her gestures and her silence had him frightened. "What's wrong?"

"Everything…"