Chapter 199
Only With You
As soon as Gavriel finished speaking with Zander and settling the remaining matters, he didn’t waste another second. He headed straight for the cottage where Althea was resting.
Night had already settled over the land, and warm light spilled softly from the windows.
When he stepped inside, he found Melva arranging dinner on the table where Althea sat waiting.
The moment Althea saw him, her face brightened. “You’re back. Come, let’s eat dinner together!” Her voice carried a kind of warmth that instantly pulled him in. Seeing her smiling like that — bright, enthusiastic, full of energy — eased every tension he carried.
Melva bowed politely and slipped out, leaving the two of them alone.
Althea rose from her chair and walked toward him. Gavriel didn’t hesitate. He reached for her, pulling her against his chest, wrapping her tightly in his arms. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her familiar, soothing scent.
“It was a rough day, wasn’t it?” Althea murmured against him.
“Hmm. But it’s fine,” he replied, his voice low and steady. “Everything is falling into place now, Althea. And I’ll make sure that when you return to the palace, you won’t face any more trouble. You’ll be our kingdom’s queen… my Luna. You’ll stay by my side for the rest of our lives.”
His hand moved slowly along her back, gentle and protective. He never imagined he would become this attached to anyone. But here he was — holding her, needing her calm more than his own. All he wanted now was for Althea to have peace… to be happy… to live freely, doing whatever she wished.
As soon as their embrace eased, Althea stepped back with a shy smile and tugged him gently toward the table. “Come on,” she said, “you look like you haven’t eaten all day.”
“That’s because I haven’t,” Gavriel admitted as he took the seat beside her instead of across from her. “But I’m here now.”
Althea settled beside him, their knees almost touching. She lifted a spoon toward the stew Melva had made and paused when she noticed Gavriel watching her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because,” he said simply, “I like seeing you this way. Relaxed. Happy.”
Then his expression softened, a rare warmth flickering in his eyes. “Let me take care of you.”
He picked up a small piece of meat, blew on it once, and held it to her lips. Althea blinked, flustered, but she slowly opened her mouth and accepted it. Gavriel watched her chew, his gaze steady, almost reverent.
Althea swallowed, cheeks warming. “You don’t have to feed me, Gavriel.”
“I know,” he replied, lifting another bite. “But I want to. You’ve carried too much on your shoulders. Let me do at least this much.”
She hesitated, then leaned forward and took the next bite from his hand again, this time without looking away. Gavriel’s eyes darkened with a quiet, restrained tenderness that made her chest tighten.
When he offered the third bite, she gently pushed his hand down. “My turn,” she declared with a small smile.
Gavriel raised a brow, amused. “You want to feed your Alpha King?”
She rolled her eyes lightly. “Stop that. Just open your mouth.”
He did — without question. Althea scooped a spoonful of warm broth, guiding it carefully to his lips. Gavriel leaned in, his lips brushing the edge of the spoon before closing around it.
His gaze stayed locked on her the entire time, like he was memorizing every tiny expression she made.
“You should eat more,” she murmured. “You look tired.”
“I’m fine now,” he replied. “Seeing you like this… it clears everything.”
Althea paused mid-reach. “Gavriel… you do know I’m not fragile, right?”
“I know,” he answered. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I want to protect you. And spoil you a little.”
She snorted softly. “You? Spoiling someone? That doesn’t sound like the terrifying Alpha King everyone fears.”
She liked how their conversation flowed so smoothly, so naturally. For the first time in a long while, Althea felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders after learning the truth about her origins, about her real father. It was freeing in a way she never expected.
Yet a quiet ache lingered.
The man who raised her, the father she grew up loving, wasn’t someone she could easily cast aside. A part of her still felt uneasy, still worried for him despite everything. The relief of truth mingled with guilt, forming a knot in her chest she wasn’t sure how to untangle.
But having Gavriel beside her like this, speaking to her without any walls or restrictions, felt unexpectedly good. Seeing him relaxed, open, and unguarded in her presence was something she truly treasured, a side of him she never thought she’d witness.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping into something low and certain. “I only spoil one person. And she’s sitting next to me.”
Her breath hitched. She quickly looked down at the bowl, trying to hide the sudden warmth flooding her cheeks. Gavriel smiled faintly as if he found her flustered reaction more satisfying than any victory in battle.
They continued eating like that, quietly feeding each other small bites. The room felt peaceful, filled only with the faint clink of utensils and the soft rustle of their movements.
Every time their fingers brushed, Althea felt a spark shoot up her arm. Every time she lifted the spoon to Gavriel’s lips, his eyes softened in that rare way only she ever saw.
It wasn’t grand. It wasn’t loud. But this simple act — this shared, quiet dinner — felt intimate in a way that wrapped around her chest and held her gently.
When the meal was nearly finished, Gavriel brushed a smear of broth from the corner of her lips with his thumb.
“You eat like a child when you’re excited,” he teased softly.
Althea swatted at his arm. “And you talk too much for someone who pretends to be serious all the time.”
He chuckled—a deep, soft sound that made her heart flutter. “Only with you.”
Gavriel finally stood and offered her his hand. “Come,” he said softly. “Let’s rest. You need it.”
Althea took his hand without hesitation, a playful, mischievous smile curving her lips. “Why do I have a feeling we won’t end up resting at all?” she teased.