Trapped with the Alpha King-Chapter 250: One Sheep

A soft laugh escaped Gavriel, low and controlled, though every instinct in him stirred at the invitation in her voice. He stepped closer, close enough to feel her warmth, close enough to notice the faint scent of wine and snow clinging to her hair.

“Careful what you ask for,” he murmured.

She smiled, slow and sleepy, trusting. “Help me change. Then we sleep.”

Sleep.

The word should have steadied him. Instead, it tightened something deep in his chest.

He reached for her hands, fingers closing gently around hers, as if anchoring himself as much as her. “As you wish.”

The chamber was quiet, wrapped in warmth and firelight. Beyond the tall windows, snow drifted lazily from the sky. Gavriel moved with deliberate care, every step measured, every breath controlled. He loosened the ties of her sleeves slowly, his fingers brushing only fabric, never skin, though the temptation burned fiercely beneath his restraint.

She swayed, leaning into him without thought, trusting him completely. That trust was what nearly undid him.

‘If I let myself forget, even for a heartbeat, I wouldn’t stop,’ he thought, reminding himself of the promise he had made to Althea, that he would wait until she was ready. And besides, she was drunk tonight, not fully in her right mind.

He could feel her warmth through the thin space between them, the quiet rhythm of her breathing. Each layer he removed felt less like undressing and more like walking a blade’s edge. Before, he would have torn her clothes away without a second thought. Now, he barely dared to brush his fingers against her skin, afraid that his control would shatter if he did.

When he was finished, Gavriel let out a heavy sigh. In the end, he even turned his back as he sat on their bed, giving her space as she slipped into her nightgown on her own. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

When she was finally changed into something simple and comfortable, she hovered before him, blinking up with a small, pleased smile, blissfully unaware of the storm he kept locked behind calm eyes.

“Tired,” she murmured again.

Before he could respond, she leaned up on her toes and pressed a playful kiss to his lips. Then another. And another. Light, teasing, unguarded. As if she were testing something she trusted would not break.

His breath hitched.

“Althea,” he warned softly, though his hands were already lifting, settling at her waist to steady her.

She smiled, hovering just before him, eyes half-lidded, lips brushing his once more. “Just a little,” she whispered.

That was all it took.

Gavriel shifted his weight and, in one smooth motion, rolled them gently onto the bed, careful not to startle her, ending with his body braced above hers, supported on his arms. Her laugh was soft and breathless.

“Gav—”

He lowered his head, pressing a kiss to her jaw, then her throat, slow and controlled. His lips traced her skin, reverent rather than demanding, as if committing the moment to memory rather than claiming it. Her hands curled lightly into his shirt, her breathing quickening for just a second.

Then it stilled.

He froze.

Her grip loosened. Her lashes fluttered once, twice. And then her body softened completely beneath him, the tension leaving her all at once.

Asleep.

Gavriel let out a quiet, disbelieving breath and lifted himself just enough to look at her face.

“What a pure torture,” He exhaled, long and slow, then carefully shifted to her side, drawing her against his chest. One arm curved around her, holding her close without pressure, without intent.

He stared at the ceiling, counting sheep in his head like a fool, trying to will his body into stillness, into rest. One sheep. Two. Three.

None of it worked. Her warmth, her scent and the steady rise and fall of her breathing against him. It all made sleep feel like a distant, impossible thing.

‘How many nights like this will there be?’ he wondered faintly. How many sleepless hours, lying awake beside her, choosing restraint again and again?

He smiled despite himself, tightening his arm just slightly around her. However many it takes.

And with that thought, Gavriel lay awake in the quiet, holding his wife as snow continued to fall outside, already knowing that loving her would be the hardest and most worthwhile battle of his life.

*****

Meanwhile, outside, the celebration had already ended, and Melva had retired to her bedchamber. She smiled softly when she saw Ash sleeping peacefully in the corner of the room.

“I suppose it will often be just the two of us now,” she murmured fondly.

She had forgotten to bring Ash along earlier when Althea awakened. Melva was certain the wolf would have been delighted to see Althea finally awake, even if Althea herself would not remember the encounter yet.

In her excitement, Melva had been too focused on telling Althea about herself, about everything that had happened, and especially about their Alpha King, that Ash had completely slipped her mind.

She walked towards the window and admired the snow falls. “It would be nice to experience this first snow with Simon,” she mumbled with a frustrated sigh. She missed him so much but mindlink was no longer working so she couldn’t even talk to him through their matebond.

So many things had happened, and she was relieved that they would finally be going home.

She let out another quiet sigh and murmured, “I hope he’s waiting for my return. That’s what he said.”

Yet at the back of her mind, worry lingered.

Simon. And Princess Riela.

Knowing that she had been Simon’s first love was a truth she could not forget. No matter how hard she tried to push it aside, the thought returned, persistent and unsettling.

What if Simon and Princess Riela spent more time together? What if those old feelings remained... or worse, grew stronger?

What if, in the end, he realized that Princess Riela carried more weight in his heart than she ever could?

The possibility sat heavy in her chest, impossible to ignore.