Chapter 209 He fell asleep
_Rowena’s POV_
The moment I opened the door, my annoyance completely melted away.
Alaric stood in the hallway holding a small, decorative box tied with a gold ribbon. But it was his face that made my breath catch in my throat. He looked absolutely exhausted. Dark circles lined the skin under his eyes, his complexion was unnaturally pale, and his posture lacked the effortless towering power he usually had on.
Even his aura felt unusually faint, as if his wolf spirit was sleeping deep beneath the surface.
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest. "You look terrible."
A small smile touched his lips. "That is not exactly the grand welcome I was hoping for, Rowena."
He held out the box toward me. I stepped back, letting him walk into the lab. He set the box down on the small table near the sofa in the room, and the sweet smell of chocolate and samosa drifted into my nostrils.
"I came by because you called me earlier," Alaric said softly, turning around to face me. "When I tried calling you back, your phone was completely off. I was worried something had happened."
"My phone died while I was out running an errand," I explained, walking over to my desk to grab a clean cloth to wipe the graphite off my hands. "I only called to ask about a market document I saw today. Some thugs were using a fake tax paper with your signature to steal money from poor shopkeepers."
Alaric’s face instantly darkened, a flash of his usual authority returning to his eyes. "A fake tax paper? In the district?"
"Yes. I handled it," I said smoothly, not wanting to stress him out further with the details of the brawl or Brielle’s mother’s dramatic encounter at the mall. "I paid two heavy enforcers to teach them a lesson, cleared your name, and made sure the market vendors were left in peace."
Alaric stared at me for a long moment, a look of genuine surprise and admiration washing over his features. "You went down to the lower market on your own and handled a gang of extortionists?"
"I am more than capable of taking care of myself, Alaric," I replied, setting the cloth down. "Besides, I knew you were stuck in your meetings. But seeing you like this... what happened to you today? Why do you look so weak?"
Alaric let out a sigh, sinking onto the cushions of the sofa as if his legs could no longer support his weight. He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face with his hands.
"I do not know," Alaric admitted, his voice sounding rough and raspy. "The meeting lasted for hours, but my body feels completely drained. Phillip is quiet, he is barely responding inside me, which has not happened in years."
I frowned, stepping closer to the sofa. Seeing the mighty Alpha King looking so physically vulnerable was jarring. He was always the pillar of strength in this city, the unbeatable Alpha everyone looked up to. Yet right now, he looked like a man carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.
I sat down on the leather sofa right beside him. Without saying a word, I reached out and placed my hand gently against the side of his face. His skin was pale and slightly cool to the touch.
Alaric closed his eyes the second my fingers touched his skin. He leaned his head heavily into my palm, letting out a long breath that sounded like pure relief.
"Your hand feels warm," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "The moment I am near you, the noise in my head just stops."
"You need rest, Alaric," I said gently, my heart softening as I looked at his tired face. "You spend every single day protecting everyone else, managing the pack, dealing with council elders, and putting up with people, you need a break.”
"I cannot afford to stop, Rowena," he murmured, his eyes still closed. "There are too many threats surrounding us right now. Drake is still hiding, the pack elders are pushing for political alliances, and my aunt is lying in a hospital bed."
"And none of that matters if you collapse from total exhaustion," I cut him off firmly, but gently.
I reached for the small box on the table, untied the gold ribbon, and opened the lid. Inside were six beautiful, high end chocolate. I picked one up and held it out toward his lips.
Alaric opened his dark eyes, looking at the chocolate, and then up at me. A small playful glint returned to his gaze.
"Are you feeding me, Marchioness?" he teased softly.
"I am making sure you eat something before you pass out on my floor," I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the sudden warmth in my cheeks. "Now take a bite."
Alaric leaned in slightly and took a small bite straight from my fingers. He chewed slowly, his eyes locked onto mine the entire time. The rich chocolate seemed to bring a tiny bit of color back into his pale face.
"It is delicious," Alaric said, his voice low and intimate. "Though I think I only bought them as an excuse to see you."
"You don’t need an excuse to see me, Alaric," I said, setting the rest of the pastry back in the box.
Alaric didn’t answer with words. Instead, he reached out, caught my hand in his grip, and gently pulled me closer until I was sitting flush against his side. He rested his head on my shoulder, wrapping one arm firmly around my waist.
I froze for a second, startled by the sudden closeness, but as I felt the rise and fall of his chest, I relaxed completely. I raised my hand and gently ran my fingers through his dark hair, stroking it ti help him relax more.
Within less than two minutes, Alaric’s breathing slowed down as a sign that he slept. The mighty Alpha King, exhausted to his very bones, had fallen fast asleep right on my shoulder.
I looked down at his sleeping face, keeping my posture completely still so I wouldn’t wake him.
Once again, my work was paused.