Chapter 106: Morning Whispers

Alexander carried Iris into the dim, heavy quiet of his master suite, her sleeping weight resting naturally against the broad expanse of his chest.

Every step he took across the dark hardwood floor was fluid, silent, and deliberate, the massive mahogany doors swinging shut behind them with a low, weighted click that sealed the room off from the vast estate.

He approached the monumental king-sized bed, lowering her onto the plush mattress with painstaking care. She let out a soft, contented sigh in her sleep, her body sinking into the incredible soft layers as the heavy charcoal duvet settled around her shoulders.

Alexander stood beside the bed for a long moment, his gaze lingering over the delicate line of her jaw and the rhythmic, steady rise and fall of her chest. Reaching out, his fingers gently swept a stray lock of dark hair away from her cheek, his touch feather-light so as not to disturb her slumber.

A rare, unreserved warmth softened his harsh, aristocratic features. He leaned down, pressing a lingering, soft kiss against her forehead before straightening up into the quiet shadows.

Unbuttoning his tailored suit jacket as he walked, he draped it over the back of a nearby leather armchair. He loosened his silk tie, sliding it from his collar, and unbuttoned his shirt, shedding the heavy formal layers of his daytime uniform. Broad shoulders, a deeply sculpted chest, and hard-carved abdominals bore the silent, terrifying testament of an ancient apex biology, illuminated only by the faint glow of the bedside light.

He walked into the adjoining master bathroom, the quiet hiss of hot water echoing against the grey slate walls as he took a brief shower to wash away the lingering, bitter tension of the Conclave. Moments later, he returned to the bedroom wearing only a pair of dark, loose trousers, his chest and torso completely bare, faint droplets of water still glistening against his skin.

Stepping up to the bed, he slid beneath the heavy covers and gathered Iris into his arms, pulling her flush against his heat. She shifted instinctively into his embrace, her forehead resting against the crook of his neck, her hand resting over his ribs.

Alexander drew in a long, slow breath, inhaling the intoxicating, familiar scent of vanilla and rain that belonged entirely to her—a scent that instantly quieted the volatile beast pacing beneath his ribs. Closing his eyes, he let the silence of the fortress wash over him, allowing the heavy weight of three thousand years to fade into sleep.

******

When morning broke, pale autumn light filtered through the grand floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long, silver streaks across the dark room.

Iris stirred, her consciousness slowly returning as her body registered the cold morning air. Her bladder was aching with a sudden, urgent pressure that demanded immediate attention. She tried to shift on the mattress and roll onto her side, but a heavy, immovable weight anchored her completely in place.

Opening her eyes, she found herself nose-to-nose with Alexander. One of his large, muscular arms was wrapped tightly around her waist, pinning her flush against his bare chest, while his long legs were tangled with hers beneath the duvet. The heat radiating off his skin was staggering, completely overwhelming her senses before she could even fully process where she was.

“Alexander,” she groaned softly, placing her palms flat against his broad chest and trying to push herself backward. “Alexander, let me move.”

The immovable frame didn’t budge a single inch. Instead, a low, resonant rumble vibrated deep within his chest, sounding almost like a purr mixed with a warning growl.

His arm tightened around her waist, hauling her hips flush against his with possessive authority. His right hand trailed down the smooth fabric over her back, his long fingers sliding lower to firmly palm the curve of her buttocks through her clothes.

Iris let out a sharp, breathless gasp at the sudden, explicit intimacy, her cheeks flaring instantly with white-hot heat. “Alexander! Wake up right now and let me go—I really, really need to go to the bathroom!”

She wriggled her shoulders frantically, trying to slip out from beneath his crushing grip. Alexander stirred, his long dark eyelashes fluttering open to reveal brilliant, clear blue eyes that instantly focused on her flushed face. A slow, lazy smile curved his lips, looking devastatingly handsome and wicked in the early morning light.

Before she could utter another protest, he tilted his head, reached down, and aggressively captured her mouth in a warm, deep kiss that took her completely off guard.

Iris melted against him for a fraction of a second, her mind going hazy as his tongue swept past her parted lips, claiming her with an unreserved, possessive demand that made her pulse race. But the physical urgency in her lower stomach snapped her back to reality just as he pulled back an inch.

His voice was a low, gravelly rumble against her swollen lips. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Iris gasped out, her hands pressing firmly against his bare shoulders to keep her head above water. “I really, really need to go, Alexander.”

His dark brows furrowed in mock confusion, his blue eyes dancing with subtle amusement as his hand remained firmly planted against her waist and on her ass. “Go where?”

Iris let out an exasperated sigh, glaring up at him through her lashes. “To the bathroom! I need to pee right now, Alexander. Let me up!”

Only then did a quiet, rumbling laugh escape his chest. He finally loosened his suffocating grip, pulling his heavy arm back to grant her space.

The moment the physical weight lifted, Iris scrambled off the bed, her bare feet hitting the rug as she hurried across the master suite and darted behind the heavy bathroom door, shutting it firmly behind her.

Alexander lay back against the pillows, a genuine, humored smile resting on his lips as he listened to the faint sound of running water from inside.

His moment of quiet amusement was cut short when his mobile phone on the bedside nightstand began to vibrate softly against the polished dark wood.

He sat up in one fluid motion, leaning his broad back against the carved wooden headboard as he reached over to pick up the sleek device. He slid the screen to answer, placing it to his ear. “Speak, Derrick.”

“Sir, we have successfully obtained the DNA samples from Mr. and Mrs. Carter,” Derrick’s voice came through the speaker, crisp, formal, and entirely efficient despite the early hour.

Alexander raised a dark eyebrow, genuinely impressed by the turnaround time. “That was remarkably fast.”

“After you issued the directive order following the Conclave last night, Oliver boarded the private Grant helicopter directly to Spokane,” Derrick explained smoothly over the encrypted line.

“He linked up with Wilson on the ground. They executed a quiet, undetected entry into the Carter residence, secured several viable genetic samples from their personal items, and cleared the perimeter without leaving a trace.”

“Excellent work,” Alexander said, his tone turning sharp and calculated. “Have the samples transferred immediately to our private medical laboratory in the city under maximum security protocols. I will secure a sample from Iris today and have it delivered to your team.”

“Understood, sire. The lab technicians are already on standby and have been cleared for high-level clearance,” Derrick replied.

There was a brief pause on the line, followed by the faint rustle of paper before Derrick’s formal demeanor shifted entirely. The strict corporate register dissolved, replaced by the casual, familiar tone of a lifelong friend.

“Now that official business is concluded… I would like to get back to the personal stuff, Alex.”

Alexander leaned his head back against the headboard, letting out a small, quiet exhale. “What is it, Derrick?”

“I received a notification from Oliver through our link early this morning,” Derrick said, a distinct, playful edge creeping into his voice. “He mentioned that he was instructed to prepare the guest suite directly opposite your master quarters for Miss Carter tonight. According to your beta, Miss Carter flatly refused to stay in your room.” Derrick paused, clearly enjoying the rare moment of vulnerability from his king. “What exactly did you do to fuck it up so quickly?”

Alexander closed his eyes, running a large hand over his face as he recalled her earnest, wide-eyed plea from the previous evening. “I did nothing at all, Derrick. She simply expressed that everything was moving too fast. She felt overwhelmed by the sudden shift in her reality, and she asked for space. She called it taking ‘baby steps.'”

Derrick’s playful tone sobered instantly, the humor replaced by genuine concern. As a werewolf—and an Alpha Gamma—he understood the intense, primal nature of the mate bond all too well. For an Ultimate Alpha, physical separation from a marked mate was a constant, gnawing agony that tested the absolute limits of self-control.

“Can you actually bear being away from her?” Derrick asked quietly, his tone serious now. “A Lycan’s instinct isn’t built to yield space, Alexander. Forcing yourself to sleep in a different room while her scent is right across the hall is going to be torture for your beast.”