Chapter 176

“You are being ridiculous, Harper.”

I don’t want to be in bed with this man anymore, even if that meant I had to stand in the room naked to be away from him. So be it.

Rolling out of bed, I place some space between us. Fortunately, I have a robe draped over a chair nearby. I quickly shuck it on.

Caleb has no such aversion to being naked. He follows me out of bed and then stands there in all of his bare glory. In any other moment, with so many muscles on display, I would have given in instantly to desire and fallen under his spell once more. But right now, any lust I might have felt otherwise is immediately smothered by my overwhelming pain.

“What do you want me to do?” he asks.

“Leave,” I say once more.

He ignores that. “With Annabelle. What do you want me to do?”

Not get married, is my first thought, followed quickly by, Marry me instead.

It’s such a foolish notion that I don’t dare saying it out loud. Caleb would never be able marry a member of his consort, not without breaking all kinds of traditions and rules.

When his brother Evan tried to marry someone outside of the court, Caleb’s father had him killed. In that case, Evan wanted to marry Summer, an omega – the lowest class but still above a harem consort.

Any attempt Caleb might make to marry me would be regarded even more distastefully.

I still want him to try.

I should be okay with the way things are. I’ve had more than enough time to consider my situation and what it would mean for Caleb to be married. Though I never had much choice in the matter, I decided to stay with Caleb despite everything.

In my head, I knew Caleb’s obligations to a wife and to his country meant that he would eventually need to provide an heir. But I suppose I never truly considered what that meant before.

Such an important part of Caleb’s life would be gifted to someone else.

I want to be the one who shares that gift with Caleb. I want to be the one to bear his children.

But it’s impossible. There’s nothing I can do to change his mind.

Caleb, looking at me, is waiting for a response. I don’t have one to give. The only thing worse than not having Caleb’s children is hearing him say he wouldn’t want them with me anyway.

“Please,” I say once more. “Go.”

As King, he can do whatever he wishes. Earlier in our knowing each other, he would have taken such a request as an insult and taught me a lesson in pleasure and obedience. Even now, I can see the anger swirling in his gaze.

He really doesn’t like to be told what to do.

Yet, looking at me, something in him seems to soften a marginal amount. He still looks angry but not quite as murderous as he might have looked in the past. His shoulders are slack, the tension draining from his body.

“Fine,” he snaps, the small word filled to the brim with venom. Yet still, he obeys my request. Turning, he snatches his clothes off the floor than storms to the door. He walks out into the hallway, uncaring that he’s naked, and slams the door so loudly behind him that it echoes in my ears.

I wrap my arms around myself in attempt to give myself comfort. It’s a pale comparison to the strong arms that held me only a few minutes before.

Glancing at my bed for a moment, I felt fresh pain. Looking away, I knew I would be finding no sleep tonight.

Caleb spends the rest of his night pacing angrily back and forth in his bedroom.

Who does Harper think she is to order him around? And why couldn’t she understand that his marrying Annabelle is an important piece of his kingly duties?

He needs children, and legitimate heirs could only be born with his wife. Did Harper expect him to never lay with his wife, never sire children?

If he does that, then the line will end with him. Usurpers would step in and rule this kingdom. It’s precisely for the kingdom’s sake that he needs to do his part to produce strong heirs, to continue the prosperity of the kingdom into future generations!

Harper is selfish, only thinking of herself.

Yes, sure, Caleb doesn’t exactly want to have sex with Annabelle. For the sake of his kingdom, he’s tried to imagine it, but always his stomach turns uncomfortably.

Lately, Harper has been the only one to bring him desire. But he has to find a way to make this work. The entire Kingdom is at stake.

Too soon, it becomes time for Caleb to begin his day. He’s groggy and annoyed as he changes and steps out of his bedroom.

Those bad feelings only amplify when he runs into Annabelle standing on the other side of his door.

She gives no greeting, simply glares at him while the guards at my door aggressively look away, desperate to mind their own business while respecting Caleb’s.

Caleb appreciates their efforts and will commend them later. For now, he has to deal with his increasingly aggravating new bride.

“Well?” Caleb asks, already out of patience. “What is it?”

“I tried to come to see you last night, but you weren’t here,” Annabelle says. “Your guards would not tell me where you were, despite my being your future wife.”

She turns her glare onto the guards at my door for a moment, and I decide once more to make sure they are commended.

“I was with my harem,” Caleb says.

That sharp look returns to me. “As your wife, I demand to be respected.”

“You aren’t my wife yet,” Caleb reminds her. “And I see no way that I disrespected you.”

“Your entire harem is a disrespect,” Annabelle says. “You shouldn’t feel the need to run around with other woman. I will be your wife, so I should be the only one you need.”

Caleb stares blankly at her. Surely he misheard. She truly believes that I would give up my other lovers – or, as things have recently been, just Harper – because she wants me to?

“I am Alpha King,” I remind her. “I do not belong to you.” I belong to no one.

Her glare intensifies. “I will be Luna. We will belong to each other.”

“That’s not how this works,” I say.

“It is, if you expect me to marry you,” Annabelle says. “Don’t forget that our wedding is going to inspire the masses and single-handedly stop the rebellion without violence.”

Ah. Caleb understands now. Annabelle has gone mad with power.

“I will always be the sole leader of this kingdom,” he tells her. “You are but an ornament.”

Her frown deepens. “Ornament or no, I expect a certain level of respect, such as knowing where you are when I am trying to find you.”

“You’ve found me now,” I say. “What could be so important?”

“It’s not enough,” Annabelle says. “I think, the proper thing for you to do, to show me that I am respected and appreciated is to honor me with a gift.”

“Oh? And what gift would you expect?”

“As I wedding gift to me,” Annabelle says, “I want you to get rid of your harem.”