The Alpha King's Slave (Book 2 Of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 29

Charlotte woke the next morning aching all over from sleeping on the window seat. She groaned as she got up. She hadn't slept well; her sleep plagued by nightmares. Her neck and back were aching terribly.

She knew a soak in the bath house would help and debated between that and breakfast. Her growling stomach made up hr mind for her and Charlotte dressed quickly and headed down for the meal.

She was late, she knew that the moment she walked in and saw everyone eating. She glanced up at the head table and saw Caleb there with the blond. She was laughing and he had a smirk on his face. She laid her hand on his arm and he laid his own over hers.

Charlotte grabbed a muffin off the table and turned around, leaving the dining hall. She didn't want to watch him with this woman. It hurt. It annoyed her that it hurt, but it did.

She hurried up the steps as quickly as her sore body would allow and into her bedroom, sitting down with her muffin which she had lost her appetite for.

She slipped her dress off, and pulled on her dressing gown, then headed down to the bath house. Inside, she stripped and slipped into the water, sighing as she sat down.

She wondered about the woman. Was she Caleb's new love interest? It was possible. She wondered how long she'd be able to keep her room before he'd make her move.

Charlotte leaned her head back, staring at the sky. She hated the situation she was in, uncertain of her future and even her current place wasn't really laid out for her.

She was a concubine for a man who hadn't bedded her even though she's been here for three weeks. She supposed she should be thankful for that, but as long as she belonged to him, she could never be with anyone else. She could never get married, and she'd probably never have child. The thought saddened her.

Charlotte slipped out of the water and dried off. She slipped on her dressing gown and headed back up to her room. She needed to get down to the kitchen. It was not a good day for her to be alone.

***

Ragnar knocked on her door after lunch, and Charlotte grabbed her shawl and followed him outside.

"So, you made a brief appearance for breakfast, and skipped the noon meal. Are you well?" Ragnar asked as they walked through the garden.

"I'm fine," she said vaguely.

"Charlotte." Ragnar stopped, and looked at her pointedly.

She sighed. "I didn't sleep well."

He studied her for a moment, but didn't press. He knew she was lying, but he also realized she was about to cry, and decided to change the subject. "So what are you reading right now?"

They stayed out for an hour, discussing books before Ragnar finally took her back to her room. She changed and went down for tea, though she was quiet for most of it, not really following the conversation. She'd seen the looks of concern from Penny, but she ignored them.

She skipped dinner as well. She couldn't bear to see Caleb with another woman. She sat up in her room, reading. She knew he wouldn't miss her anyway.

Sudden movement woke her a few hours later, and Charlotte found herself in Caleb's arms. "Alpha?"

"You're going to be hurting tomorrow if you spend the night in the window seat," he murmured.

"I know," she said, wondering if she was dreaming.

"Can you stand?"

She nodded and he let her go, and turned her around, then began to undo her dress. "What are you doing?"