Chapter 24

[Third-Person’s POV]

Alexander couldn’t exactly put his feelings into words at that moment. As he gazed down at the delicate form of his Luna, he was struck with several conflicting emotions.

He was still, somewhat, angry at her for being so neglectful toward her own needs. But that anger melded into concern real quick when he caught sight of just how exhausted she truly was. He felt defensive of her earlier behavior toward him when Claire was there to take her measurements.

The more his thought lingered, the more he was able to understand that what she was feeling was anxiety and, perhaps, a bit of self-consciousness.

His theory was clearly proven when he noticed the types of books that were towering around her. They were all about etiquette and how one should properly carry themselves in and out of the house. Alexander could briefly recall what few lessons he was taught when he was young.

The very thought was enough to make him cringe.

No one gets very far in life when they’re told to sit back and be quiet.

Better still, he knew that Evelyn was going to soon be surrounded by a bunch of other Lunas who were properly taught how to carry themselves out in public society. Obviously, the dress wasn’t enough to give her the confidence boost she needed.

Alexander had a hard time imagining Evelyn reposed and quiet. It wasn’t as though he thought she was ill-mannered, she just happened to have the ability to speak out when it came to some kind of injustice. And as far as her appearance went...

Evelyn was normally put together. Although, in this instance, he couldn’t exactly say the same. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was wildly sticking out of the bun she’d originally put it up in.

She was a mess but Alexander had never seen her look more relaxed and at peace since she’s officially moved into his home. There was an easy delicateness about her features that he had a hard time pulling his eyes away from.

Why can’t she look this relaxed all the time?

Of course, Alexander was wise enough to know the answer to that question. The likelihood of Evelyn ever appearing calm and tranquil while awake was slim to none. She was always on her guard, even more so whenever the two of them happened to share the same space.

He was used to people fearing him, if not feeling heavily intimidated in his presence. But did that necessarily mean that he wanted his own wife to feel that way too?

Alexander was wary, yes. He was deeply skeptical of Evelyn’s decision to basically shackle herself to his side—hell, he’d put her through various trials to see if she was true to her word. And thus far, she had been.

When he saw Oliver reach out to Evelyn, something in the back of his mind snapped. From what he could personally attest to, Alexander would consider himself to be a strong fighter, a fierce strategist, and a ruthless competitor.

But what many didn’t fully realize was that Alexander Kingston also happened to be insanely possessive. No one was allowed to touch what essentially belonged to him. It didn’t matter that he and Oliver had known each other for several years, he fully trusted the man with his own life.

But the mere thought of anyone touching his Luna was unthinkable. Without a second thought, he stopped Oliver from moving any closer.

“No,” he whispered tightly.

The Beta gave him an objective look. “Sir—”

“I’m taking her back myself,” he said quietly.

Of course, Alexander knew the risk of handling Evelyn back to their room. She could wake up at any given moment and discover the truth about his actual physical state. He watched her breathing pattern and looked for any signs of possible disruption.

She’s completely out cold.

Without any further delay, Alexander bent down and curled his arms under Evelyn, lifting her out of her chair. Her limp form pressed into his firm chest; her head lolled to the side until he carefully pulled her closer and let her press into the crook of his neck.

He left the library behind and headed back to the bedroom. Only once did Evelyn move. She gently stretched her muscles out before curling back into Alexander’s warm, secure embrace. A small smile threatened to curve the corner of his mouth.

When they entered the room, he stopped. The Alpha was then struck with another decision. To place Evelyn back into her own separate bed...Or keep her tucked close to his side for the remainder of the night.

Alexander wasn’t about to lie over the fact that the one night he and Evelyn had slept next to one another he had, essentially, slept soundly. Did he miss the feel of her soft, plush body beside him? In a way, yes. He liked the peace that it brought him, knowing that his Luna was being protected.

But then why did he keep their beds separate still?

Perhaps, this was his own bout of self-consciousness toying around with his head. Evelyn had claimed to have admired Alexander, but could she ever love him? Truly love him?

Wanting to keep her close only seemed to feel like a torturous game that would very likely end up with him getting hurt. Again.

Against his wishes, Alexander paced over to Evelyn’s side of the room, and gently placed her down onto the mattress. He fixed the blankets and casually draped the comforter over her body. He brushed the few thick locks of hair out of her face and turned to head back to his bed.

[Evelyn’s POV]

What the hell...

When my eyes had snapped open, I hadn’t expected to find myself tucked beneath the fluffy blankets of my bed. No.

I highly anticipated walking up on the cold, hard surface of the table in the library where I had recently taken up residency. I was expecting both my neck and my back to be sore beyond possible movement. But no.

Instead, my head was pressed into my pillow...

A weird sensation flooded over my body as I tried to recall the previous night’s events. I’d been researching as hard as I could to find the material I needed. I recalled feeling frustrated and so, so tired. I remember letting my eyes drift closed for just a few minutes.

I couldn’t remember finding the energy to drag myself back to the bed which only begged the question...How the hell did I get back here?!

And if things couldn’t have gotten any more strange, I glanced down to find that I was still wearing the same clothes that I had on from the night before. Slowly, I lifted myself up and planted my feet on to the floor. Once I gained my balance, I got myself ready for the day.

I knew I should have headed down to the dining room for breakfast considering that I hadn’t eaten dinner last night. But I really didn’t have any appetite.

I decided I might as well head back to the library in hopes of continuing my research.

“Oh, Evelyn!” Nina called out.

“Good morning,” I said.

Her cheerful smile dulled as she tilted her head. “Are you not heading down for breakfast?”

“I don’t think so. I need to get back to the library,” I told her.

Nina gave me a disapproving look but didn’t speak out to stop me.

“Nina. This may sound like an odd question, but...Do you happen to know how I got back to the room last night? I can’t seem to remember what happened.”

All I knew was that I felt warm and safe.

Giving me no more than a dubious look, she shook her head. “Maybe you’re sleepwalking.”

I’ve never walked in my sleep in my entire life.

“Yeah...Maybe.”