Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 31: Becomes my soft spot

Chapter 31: Becomes my soft spot

The honesty in his tone sent a flush creeping up her neck. Adeline bit her bottom lip, her heart racing as she wondered when he would finally let her go.

Despite his teasing, there was an underlying intensity in his eyes that made her realize that Gideon was holding back.

"A kiss will be sufficient to calm me in my rut. You may get scared of me during that time because my wolf seeks blood at that time, Adeline," he finally revealed a detail of which she was unaware.

Then, pretty calmly, Gideon let her go. "We talked so much about us, especially me. Let’s go to bed because tomorrow we have a long distance to cover."

Adeline was still processing the information he had confided in her. Her mind spun with the image of his wolf seeking blood.

"Here, wear this. You certainly won’t sleep in that dress," Gideon stated, opening the door and taking out one of his T-shirts along with a pair of trousers. "They will be loose on you, but comfortable for sleeping."

Adeline took the clothes and headed to the washroom. When she returned, she found Gideon already in bed, his head resting against the headboard as he waited for her.

As she walked toward the bed, he tilted his head, a genuine smile breaking across his face. Seeing her drowned in his clothes, the fabric hanging far looser than he had even imagined, softened the sharp edges of the Alpha Prince.

She carefully draped her dress over the chair and looked around the room. "Where is the switch? I’ll turn them off," she asked, her voice slightly hesitant in the quiet space.

"Just come to bed," Gideon replied, his voice a low vibration. He reached out, his hand slowly caressing the empty space on the mattress beside him as if inviting her in.

Adeline moved to the vacant side of the bed, but before settling in, she quickly began gathering the extra pillows. She arranged them in a firm, vertical line between them, creating a makeshift barrier.

"Don’t come to my side," she asserted, giving the pillow wall a final, protective pat.

"And what if you come to my side?" Gideon asked, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips. "I won’t be letting you go then."

"That won’t happen, Prince. I don’t move in my sleep," Adeline clarified, meeting his gaze with a serious expression. "But you cannot cross the wall. If you do, I won’t be able to trust you in the future."

"Blackmailing me already?" he mused, his eyes glinting with amusement at her boundary-setting.

"No. I’m being honest," she answered simply, pulling the covers up to her chin. "Goodnight." She shut her eyes tight, wishing for sleep to envelope her and quiet the racing thoughts in her mind.

Gideon clapped his hands, and every light in the room vanished instantly into darkness. He slid beneath the covers, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment before turning his head toward Adeline.

She had already turned her back to him. He followed suit, turning onto his side to face her, but he felt a sudden restlessness in her presence.

’If she becomes my soft spot, others will not hesitate to target her,’ he thought. ’Presley is already after her life because she knows Adeline will bring power to me. I need to stay guarded at all times, even if it’s a matter of the heart.’

~~~~~

The next morning, the sound of the door opening pulled Adeline from her sleep. Still half-submerged in a dream, she tilted her head toward the noise.

Her vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, she was met with the sight of a bare, damp chest.

She shook her head, her eyes widening as she realized Gideon had just stepped out of the shower.

His chest and abdomen were a map of various cut marks that had long since faded into rugged scars. Her gaze involuntarily traveled lower, following the sharp v-lines of his hips to where a towel hung precariously low.

"Where are you looking?" Gideon’s voice was laced with a hint of amusement as he caught her staring.

Startled, Adeline snapped her head away, her face flushing a deep crimson. She sat up quickly, nervously smoothing her hair. "I—I didn’t mean to see you like this," she stammered, keeping her eyes fixed on the far wall. "I’ll stay turned away. You should get dressed."

"Nevermind. You’ll need to get used to seeing this daily once we’re married, or perhaps even before then," Gideon stated, his voice devoid of any bashfulness.

The sound of the cupboard doors swinging open echoed through the quiet room.

"We aren’t going back to the palace today," Gideon asserted as he began pulling on his clothes. "Just freshen up. Your things will be here by the time you’re finished with your bath."

"But shouldn’t you see your father before we depart?" Adeline asked. Forgetting herself for a split second, she started to turn her head back toward him.

The words died in her throat. He had already discarded the towel, standing completely unburdened by clothing as he reached for his attire. Adeline whipped her head back around so fast her neck nearly snapped, her cheeks and neck burning with a fierce, searing heat.

’What did I just see?’ she screamed internally, shutting her eyes tight as if she could physically claw the image from her mind.

The Alpha Prince clearly had no concept of modesty, and the realization of what her future held was starting to feel very, very real.

"Going to the palace is just another risk. Besides, I have no desire to see certain faces; it only ruins my day," Gideon explained. He slid into his clothes before finally clicking the cupboard door shut.

"You can look at me now," he said.

Adeline turned back toward him, her breath hitching slightly. He stood before her in a crisp black shirt and navy blue trousers, looking more than perfect.

The dark colors made his golden eyes flash with an intensity that seemed to pierce right through her, momentarily sweeping away the embarrassing image of a few seconds ago.

For a second, she forgot the scars and the nakedness, caught entirely in the pull of the man standing in the morning light.