Chapter 208 Seeing her
_Alaric’s POV_
I sat back in the chair in my private office, my eyes closed as I slowly rubbed my throbbing temples with my thumb and forefinger. My head felt like it was going to split open. The long, drawn out council meeting with the senior elders had just wrapped up, but my energy was completely drained.
For some strange, unsettling reason, my body felt heavy and my wolf, Phillip, was unusually weak. Phillip was usually restless, clawing at my mind and demanding action, but right now he was lying low and quiet inside me, barely making a sound. All I wanted to do was close my eyes, shut out the noise, and sink into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.
"My Alpha,," Gabriel’s voice broke through the quiet room.
I didn’t open my eyes. "Continue, Gabriel."
Gabriel stood near my desk, reading off his tablet as he reported everything that had transpired over the past couple of days while I was locked in high level strategy meetings. He went over the market reports, the whispers floating through the upper class circles, and the ongoing security patrols along the borders.
As his report dragged on, the dull ache behind my eyes only worsened. I let out a low, weary sigh, sinking deeper into my chair.
Gabriel paused, noticing my pale face and exhausted posture. "Your Majesty... you do not look well at all. Should I call the head pack doctor to examine you? Or perhaps I could contact Brielle? She is your specialist, after all, and—"
My eyes snapped open instantly. I turned a razor sharp, icy glare directly onto Gabriel, cutting him off mid sentence. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet in an instant.
Gabriel’s mouth snapped shut instantly. He swallowed hard, taking a quick step back and ducking his head respectfully.
"I apologize, Your Majesty," Gabriel muttered quickly, realizing his mistake. "I spoke out of turn."
I didn’t bother reprimanding him further, I reached out, picked up my phone from the wooden desk, and tapped the screen to check for any urgent messages.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw a missed call notification on the display.
It was from Rowena.
She had called me earlier in the afternoon while I was stuck in the boardroom. A wave of instant regret washed over me for missing her call. Without wasting a single second, I tapped her contact name and raised the phone to my ear, listening to the tone ring.
It rang all the way through until it hit voicemail.
Frowning, I immediately dialed her number a second time. This time, the call wouldn’t even connect; it went straight to a voice mail stating her phone was currently unreachable or switched off.
My chest tightened with sudden concern. Rowena rarely called me out of the blue unless something important was happening. Sitting around waiting for her to turn her phone back on was simply not an option.
"Prepare the car, Gabriel," I commanded, standing up from my desk and grabbing my jacket. "We are heading to the Ashthorne residence right now."
Gabriel blinked, looking at me with genuine worry written across his face. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, you can barely stand straight. You desperately need rest. Or if your wolf is acting up, perhaps a long run through the forest would help free Phillip and settle your energy."
I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned my head to glare at him again.
Gabriel didn’t wait for me to speak a single word, he scrambled off toward the door as fast as his legs could carry him. "I will have the car ready at the front gates immediately!"
Ten minutes later, we were on the road, despite my body feeling heavy and exhausted, my mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Rowena.
On the way to the estate, I had the driver make a brief detour to a high end sweet shop near the city center.
I stepped inside personally and picked up a small, elegant box of her favorite imported chocolates and samosa. I wanted to bring her something sweet to brighten her day, especially after the chaos she had been dealing with.
We arrived at the Ashthorne residence in record time. I bypassed the main living hall, brushed past the bowing servants, and walked straight up the staircase toward the wing where Rowena had set up her workspace.
I stopped in front of her door and reached out to turn the handle, but it was firmly locked from the inside.
I raised my hand and knocked gently three times. "Rowena?"
From inside the room, her voice came through, sounding slightly muffled, and entirely focused. "Whoever it is, go away. I told everyone I am not to be disturbed under any circumstances today."
A quiet, amused smile touched my lips despite my fatigue. She was clearly deep in her element, working hard on her project to help my aunt.
I was impressed by her. My woman.
"It is me, Rowena," I spoke through the wood, keeping my voice gentle. "Open the door for a moment. Just let me see your face."
"I am right in the middle of a delicate something, Alaric," she replied instantly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I can’t step away right now. Please go away."
She went completely silent after that, ignoring my presence entirely.
I stood there in the hallway holding the box of chocolate, letting out a long sigh. My body was aching, and my head was pounding harder with every passing second.
I knew how stubborn she could be when she was focused on a goal, and pushing her right now would only annoy her.
"Alright," I said softly, stepping back from the door. "I see you are busy. I will leave the sweets outside your door and let you work. I am leaving now, Rowena."
I turned my heels and took a step away, preparing to head back downstairs to my car when I heard a loud click sound.
It was the sound of the lock disengaging, she was opening the door.
I stopped in my tracks and turned around just as the door slowly swung open, revealing Rowena standing in the doorway with her sleeves rolled up and a smudge of what seemed to be graphite on her cheek.
Looking at her, a smile spread across my tired face.