Chapter 37


    Chapter 37 Attraction and Control


    CA SSANDRA


    By the time I had Asher’s condition stable and under control, I was utterly exhausted. The clock on the


    wall read 4:00 AM, and I was certainly feeling the effects of being up sote.


    It took a lot of effort and plenty of medicine, but Asher finally looked better than he had before. His


    breath was steady, no longerbored, the blueness of his lips had faded, and the swelling of his bite


    went down. Yet, he still hadn’t regained consciousness, so I needed to stay with him and make sure he


    was truly alright.


    I pulled a chair up over to Asher’s bedside and then slumped into it with a long, heavy exhale. This felt


    like the longest night I’d ever experienced, longer than the night Finnick and I had spent in the woods.


    I rested my head in my hands for a moment and closed my eyes. My adrenaline was finally wearing


    down and sleepiness was starting to take hold.


    As I sat there, Kane’s earlier words yed like a repetitive song in my mind. There was a chance


    Asher’s stepbrother was right- Asher had been suspicious of my identity from the start. I was starting to


    run out of luck very quickly. The longer I stayed here in Anemond, the more difficult it would be to keep


    my past a secret.


    My only way out of here was to discover the cause of the mysterious disease that gued the Alpha


    King. But how could I discover the source when I had no clue of its origins?


    My head swam with dizziness and I slumped in my seat a little. This was bing a major disaster


    very fast. I needed to do anything in my power to keep -my identity hidden from those who would use it


    to destroy me and my son.


    I leaned back in my seat and settled in. I struggled to keep my eyes open and every so often, my entire


    body twitched from the effort. I was exhausted.


    Nearly two hourster, I hadn’t realized I’d fallen asleep and awoke to a soft touch against my cheek. I


    blinked my eyes open sleepily, and then Asher’s face. came into focus.


    Panic set in for a moment, and then my eyebrows creased together.


    “Asher?” I whispered, forgetting all formality.


    The Alpha King nodded and stared deeply into my eyes. His expression was full of affection and his


    finger brushed against my lips. I shivered. What was happening?


    My heart raced in my chest and the distance between us narrowed until I could feel his breath against


    my face. Part of me thought I was dreaming, but the other part wasn’t quite sure. This all felt so real.


    Asher’s lips pressed against mine, and for a moment, I hesitated, until I went against my own instincts


    and kissed him back. I knew it was a bad idea, but I did it


    anyway.


    Heat spread up from my core.


    Asher and I were kissing.


    He pressed up against me further and then swiftly lifted me up from the chair. I wasn’t sure where this


    was going but I wasn’t about to question it. He was warm and inviting, and the scent of his wonderful


    cologne invaded my nostrils. He was enticing in every way, and my body was going numb from


    pleasure. I wrapped my legs around his torso fór stability.


    Asher held mé against him gently and ran his hand and then we copsed onto the bed. He arranged


    himself on top of me and then leaned down and kissed me again. We continued on like this for a while


    until I carefully sat up and began to unbutton my nightgown. Asher took over by the third button and


    then eased me out. of the dress, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.


    Asherid me back down on the pillow and stared at me. His expression was intimate like he was


    looking at the sun for the first time, and I couldn’t help but be in awe of this reverence.


    He pulled me against him then, and as I lifted up from the bed, my hair red out around me. The


    Alpha King’s hands got lost in the coppery strands, and when he tugged slightly, a soft sigh escaped


    me. I didn’t like to admit it to myself very often, but I enjoyed a little roughness when it came to


    intimacy.


    Asher’s lips curled into a grin at this discovery, and then he pulled again, a little harder, before he


    brought his lips down against mine. We kissed for a while and then he pulled away and kissed my


    neck. His breath was hot against me, and I moaned with delight as he cupped my breast and ran his


    thumb over my nipple. I hadn’t been touched like this in years, and my body yearned for it.


    Asher ran his fingertips along my bare skin and I shivered in anticipation. This moment was unlike any


    other. I wasn’t sure how far this was going to go, but if I had it my way, we’d never leave this bed.


    I


    Eventually, before our intimacy could reach the next logical step, I caught his hand and held it in ce.


    Asher froze and his eyebrows creased together in confusion.


    We caught our breath and then there was a long, drawn-out silence between us that spanned for what


    felt like hours but was likely only a few minutes. I stared deeply into his beautiful gray eyes and


    searched my mind for the right words to say.


    What could be said?


    Should I apologize? Exin myself?


    “I… I’m sorry, Ca ssandra,” Asher breached the silence, and he offered me an apologetic expression. “I


    don’t know what came over me.”


    “It’s okay,” whispered, and then I broke my gaze to look for my discarded nightgown. “Are you feeling


    better now?”


    The Alpha King nodded. “Yes, I’m feeling much better. Thank you, Ca ssandra, for taking care of me.”


    “Of course,” I replied, and I carefully rose from the bed and began to dress myself. Asher helpfully held


    my hair back as I pulled my dress on, and once I had it


    securely buttoned, he dropped the strands and let them fall down my back.


    I studied him again, wondering what else to say until I finally managed to speak. “I should leave. The


    hour iste and Finnick is probably wondering where I am.”


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    “Yes, of course,” Asher whispered. I wondered for a moment if he would stop me, but I was relieved


    when he made no move. “Ca ssandra, is there anything you want?”


    I frowned. “What do you mean, Your Majesty?”


    Asher ran his hands through his hair. “I want to repay you for saving my life. Is où for saving my life. Is


    there anything you require, anything at all that would make you happier here in the pce?”


    I considered


    I considered the idea briefly, but nothing came to mind. I wouldn’t be able to find happiness here in


    Anemond, no matter what favor he could grant me, so it was probably best to turn him down.


    But when I opened my mouth to speak, a thought crossed my mind..


    Maybe there was something after all.


    “Perhaps,” I said, and I raised my chin slightly. “I want your maid, Erika, to be appointed as Finnick’s


    babysitter.”