Love and Chaos Series
The Alpha King’s Ugly Bride Chapter 81

Xavier's lashes fluttered and a long moan left his mouth as he twirled around in bed. He soon came to the actuality that Mia wasn't there with him. They had gone to bed wrapped in sheets and each other's arms after a session of lovemaking. He was exhausted and thought she would be as well. Well, she wasn't. He loved her with every fibre of his being. He loved her with everything he possessed. She loved him, too. His heart leapt for joy at that affirmation.

Her confession last night had affected him beyond comparison. It also made everything perfect. She loved him. Mia Ainsworth, luna and queen of Wahala loved him and she had loved him for a long time. He must have been blind to not see. Perhaps he saw and didn't really consider it. He had no idea what he did to deserve her affection. She could do so much better, but she trusted him with her heart and he would do his very best to cherish it. He would put her first. Her needs, her welfare, her desires until his last breath. His gaze scanned around the room and almost didn't see her until he got to the study table and there she was, focused on whatever was before her. She lowered the light on the table so that it illuminated only the table and not every part of the room. Xavier told himself she did that because she thought about him.

She had a keep focused he found a turn on. The way she always bit her lips whenever she tried to concentrate always made him tingle. There was no being that made reading look hotter than his queen.

He knew about her undying love for reading and knowledge, but he felt it was a bit late and also that she needed rest.

He pulled himself up a little, his elbows coming to act as support for his new position.

"Mia, what are you doing?" he asked with a deep hoarse voice caused by the state of sleep.

Her head lifted, and her eyes met his dull ones. A smile crept into her face, and she could not control it. One of the sexist looks she'd accuse him of having was his sleepy look. This time there was no effort placed into looking or sounding his best to her, yet it was at this moment that she thought he was most handsome. Hair roughed up, his eyes heavy and barely opened, his lips slightly parted, red and dry, needing hers to wet them up. This was her weakness, and the small smile that now crept on his face told her he just read her thoughts. "Hey." she bit her lips and stared down.

"Please don't tell me you're reading." he rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair. She had been focused on the kingdom's book of trial for the last two days, but he thought she had finished reading. He appreciated her commitment, but it also scared him. "I'm not reading, I'm writing."

"What are you writing?"

"I can't tell you."

"Then come to bed."

"I can't, I'm almost done."

"Done with what?"

"I can't tell you."

He didn't know what she was trying to hide, but the more she tried, the more curious he became. Placing his legs to the floor, he rose to his feet and dragged them over towards her.

A few scrolls lay on the table, rolled up, and she held the last one in her hand. She was almost done, and all that was left was the seal of the queen. She returned the feathered ink to the bottle of ink on the table.

Xavier caught her hand as she reached for the seal on the other side of the table. Sparks travelled through her at the touch of his hands and her body came alive to his touch.

"What are you doing?" he asked and this time she couldn't escape.

She sighed in defeat. "I'm writing these letters to the noble houses in the kingdom. I read the book of trial. During the trial of witnesses, you need at least seven witnesses, and at most ten, to testify in your favour. Their testimonies, if accepted, will reveal if you're competent and fit to exercise fair judgement throughout the kingdom of Wahala as her king. With these letters, I will request the lords of these houses to witness for you. I am hopeful. They all respond and come out for you."

"I don't think any would come."

Hurt flashed in her face at his words, and he knew he had said something wrong. He had just taken her hard work and tossed it to the ground and he felt like shit about it.

"Mia, I'm sorry."

"So, which is it? You don't believe in your people or you don't believe in yourself."

"Yes," he answered, not wanting to lie to her.

"Your lack of belief won't stop me. I believe in you, the kingdom and the people here, and I'm going to fight."

"You have so much faith in the world."

"I watch a man change from cold-hearted and angry to a loving person. So yes, I believe in the world because I believe in him."

Her words touched him and what an asshole he had been for not being grateful. She was fighting for him and he wasn't even fighting. He was giving up. He may have already made plans for her, but she was fighting for him and he needed to appreciate that. He pulled out the chair opposite her and sat. "What do you need me to do?"

A smile came to her face, and he wanted to keep it there for as long as possible.

She handed the box of bands to him. "You can put the bands on them. It's all that's left."

They finished, and Mia took them and placed them into the drawer before closing it.

She rose to her feet, and Xavier does the same. "What's next?" his brow of interest rose.

"Tomorrow, the King's guards will ride to the destinations of each letter and deliver them. They are to write back immediately so that the king's men can bring them along. Their reply would be yes, I will testify on behalf of the king or 'No, I'm sorry I cannot.' but we don't want a silent response."

"Did I ever tell you how you're the best thing that ever happened to me?"

She shook her head. "No, but you still have time to do that."

He strode towards her, lazy but seductive in his step. "Well, you're the best thing that ever happened to me and I hope you believe that..."

She swallowed, once again affected by him, although they had each other not so long ago. There was something about her that made him insatiable, that made him long for her always, and he knew the feeling was mutual.

He tilted her chin with his finger so that their eyes met. "Do you believe that?"

Her eyes lingered on his red full lips, before travelling up to meet his.

"Yes, I do." she bit her lips and rubbed her palms together.

His thumb rubbed over her chin, gentle but intoxicating. He moved up and down her lower lips from between her teeth, then he ran it over her slightly swollen bottom lips.

He felt a stir in his trousers. She could do that to him, make him want her, make his cock hard. If she knew the power she had on him, she'd know she's a powerful creature. The connection he felt for her was surreal, and knowing she loved him made their bond special. She affected him by doing absolutely nothing. She had stripped him of his pride and ego. With her, he was just a slave, waiting to do her bidding.

The things he wanted to do to her, the things he wanted her to do to him.

"You're so beautiful, wild and smart and brave and you make it so fucking hard to be in control," he admitted, his thumb still running faint lines over her full lips.

He knew she was wet, he could smell her arousal, and it made his cock leap for joy and strain in his pant. He wanted to take her, fill her until she could take no more. Have her eyes roll back like he'd seen a few times when he'd taken her. That would be hot, but he couldn't... Not yet. He slid his thumb into her mouth and her red lips closed around it, sucking and wetting it up. Her tongue curled around it as if she'd been waiting for it and her lips clung to his thumb. Her eyes fluttered, and she released a low moan. Fuck, that was hot!