The Alpha King Call Boy
Chapter 97

Alexander

We'd had better times in bed together. But there something satisfying about what Fiona and I had just done, satisfying in a different way than just the pleasure of teasing and touching and making each other come.

her heart.

Fiona had always held back with me. She kept her emotions buried somewhere very deep within her. From the day of her wedding, when I claimed her and stole her away, she had submitted to being my Luna, but she had also kept good care of a brick wall around And her lips. She still wouldn't let me kiss her on the lips.

I tried to not let myself think about it. What purpose would it serve? I just did everything I could think of to try to win her over, instead. Just kept working. Because I had to.

I had to hold onto Fiona for as long as I could.

This scuffle with Iris and Fiona's response to a perceived rival - it was not how I pictured I'd finally catch a glimpse of what lay behind that brick wall. But that was the way it happened.

Fiona dropped her guard tonight and let me see a glimmer of her true feelings for me. But it wasn't a soft emotion that she shared. It was heated anger and primal jealousy.

It might not have been a confession of love, but it did tell me, finally, that she really did feel it too. The look in her eyes was decisive. Undeniable.

She wanted me and only me, and she was requiring me to let her mark me as hers.

I didn't think it was necessary, but I liked it very much.

Iris was very surprised to replace me at her doorstep.

"Alexander! I thought you were at dinner with, um, Fiona..." She put a hand to her lips and started chewing on her fingernails.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. Fiona told me you two had a chat today, and that you seemed quite upset. Can you and I talk for a minute?"

"Yes, alright. Do you want to come in? Or is that inappropriate now, too?"

There was the sarcasm that Fiona must have been talking about.

I ignored it. "I don't mind stepping inside for a minute, or we could take a short walk if you'd prefer."

She shrugged. An "I don't care" gesture.

Since Iris did not seem dressed for outdoors - the sun was setting soon, and a cold wind was chilling the marble halls - I suggested I could step inside for the conversation. "I only need a minute of your time," I told her.

"Is Fiona mad at me?" Iris asked quietly once we were seated at the little table in her room.

I shook my head. "No. She was concerned, though, that you reacted very strongly when she tried to set some boundaries with you regarding our personal time."

Iris sighed, looking down at the floor. "I really don't know what I did to offend her. I'm so sorry for whatever it was. But, I think that maybe she just really doesn't like me."

"That's not true. Fiona is just not afraid to speak her mind about things that are important to her. It's one of the many things I admire about her. And I am here to request that you please respect her wishes, and simply steer clear of Fiona from now on." She frowned. "Wait, I'm not even allowed to talk to her at all?"

"I don't think it's helpful to speak about it in those terms. I only ask that you give her space. Fiona is very busy, and as you know, also pregnant. I simply must give her my full attention when she is here."

"Why can't that ever involve me too, though? How hard is it to set one more place at the dinner table, honestly?"

I had to close my eyes and recalibrate my patience.

"Ohhh," Iris said suddenly. I met her gaze and saw that she understood perfectly now why Fiona and I needed privacy. She took a deep breath in, smelling the air, and said, "Hm. How foolish of me. Oh, you must think I am so ridiculous, not understanding why a man wants to be alone with his woman."

She dropped her elbows to her knees, her face into her open hands. And started crying.

"All I wanted to do was be nice to your fiancée, Alexander. Please believe me. I'm so silly for thinking a woman like that would ever stoop so low as to waste her time with someone like me."

"That is not it at all, Iris. I am begging you to please try to understand. Consider her perspective."

She sniffled, her sobs slowing down.

"I need to get back to her, now. I am very sorry to have upset you, Iris."

"No, please don't say sorry. It's not your fault. It's mine. I'm the one that should be sorry. Maybe I should go and apologize to Fiona, too?"

"I will pass your message along to her."

"Right," she said. "Right. The giving her space thing. Okay."

"Good night, Iris. I'll be in touch with you when I hear from the doctor about scheduling your tests, okay?"

"Alright. Fiona won't mind?"

"No." I stood and moved to the door, began to turn the knob. And realized I should probably say more. "I do need to spend the day with her tomorrow, though. I hope you understand. I'll send Kayden by to check in on you and see if there's anything you need. When the doctor calls me, I'll convey her message to you by phone. Okay?"

Iris stared at me a moment before saying, "Alright."

I opened the door and had one foot partway out when she spoke again, startling me with a suddenly rude and childish tone.

"Why do you even like Fiona?" she asked. "She is mean and cold."

I spun to balk at Iris. I nearly snapped.

But I kept my cool by reminding myself vehemently: I owed it to my mother to be kind to Iris, no matter how she behaved. And after all, I had just given Fiona a laundry list of reasons to be patient with this woman. Surely I could try to do the same thing myself. "Iris," I said calmly, "I am going to leave you tonight with just one last request."

"Hmm?"

"Do not speak like that about Fiona." Already my words were making her well up into tears again. "Fiona is my Luna," I continued. "The mother of my child and my future wife, and my chosen mate. I cannot allow you to speak ill of her." She frowned deeply and whispered, "I'm sorry."

I was still standing at the threshold of the open door, eager to cross it and hightail my a*s back to the silver-haired goddess waiting for me in our bed.

"To be very clear," I added, "Fiona is my one and only interest. You and I are only friends. I hope you understand that."

Iris covered her face with her hands. "Oh, you've misunderstood me," she said, laughing. "That wasn't the way I meant it. Of course I know we're just friends. You're engaged, for goodness sake! Oh, I am so embarrassed."

I was starting to realize something: if I waited until Iris could pull herself together before I left her, I would be waiting forever.

"Good night, Iris. I apologize again for upsetting you." And with that I was gone. I pulled the door closed behind me and waited until I was around a corner before I let out a sigh of relief.

I ran a hand down my face. It was concerning, this rift between the girls. It had escalated quickly and was already putting undue stress on Fiona and the baby.

All I could really do was hope that Iris would obey me. That she would just leave Fiona alone.