The Alpha King's Mind Reading Maid (Cecilia) novel Chapter 134

Chapter 134

Cecilia’s POV

“Warren…” I said, stepping out of the bathroom. My hands were trembling, though I tried to keep him from seeing them. “How did you find me?”

I wouldn’t look at him, and I knew he was growing aggravated because of it.

“Not hard to track you,” he said, his eyes following my every move. “Why do you avoid me?”

I could hear the hurt in his voice, and it was almost my undoing. I hated hurting him, yet I knew I had to keep my distance to protect myself, especially with the consort ceremony in a couple of days. My conflicting feelings tightened my stomach, leaving me torn between desire and duty.

The thought made the knot in the pit of my stomach tighten.

“I’m not avoiding you,” I said quietly.

It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it also wasn’t the truth that he deserved.

That answer didn’t seem to satisfy him because his jaw tightened.

“Not what it looks like.”

I kept my eyes on the floor, focusing on the faint crack in the tile as if it could anchor me. If I looked at him… If I saw the hurt in his expression… I knew I would fold right away.

I smoothed down the skirt of my sleepwear with my palms, realizing how sweaty they were getting. A clear sign of my nervousness. I could feel his eyes narrowing as he watched me, and heat burned my cheeks.

“I’ve just been… busy,” I tell him; I didn’t even sound convincing to my own ears.

He took a step closer, crowding my space almost entirely. I felt his nearness more than I saw it. The shadow of his tall form fell around me, and I struggled to keep from looking up at him.

“Why do you sleep here?” He asked, his tone low like he was afraid of startling me. “You don’t sleep in your own room anymore. Now, you won’t look at me. What do you call this?”

He was right; I couldn’t even come up with a good enough excuse as to why I haven’t been sleeping in my room or how I can’t even look at him.

“Warren-”

“Are we friends?”

His question made my words get caught in my throat. When my eyes met his, I saw not anger but deep hurt, and it made my chest ache. His vulnerability made me realize how much I was risking by hiding my feelings.

I knew I couldn’t lie to him or else that hurt would deepen. He was the last one I ever wanted to hurt, and I realized that more

now than ever.

“Of course we are friends,” I tell him, my voice barely above a whisper. “I just needed some space. This past week has been… a lot.”

“Space from me?” Warren asked, his voice dropping an octave as well. “I did something wrong…”

“No,” I said before I could think better of it. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me… It’s not you.”

I realized how awful that sounded, so I tried to backtrack.

“The consort ceremony is approaching in a couple of days…” I remind him. “And once you find your mate… or your queen…

+15 Bonus

you’ll forget all about me. I thought it might be better if we gained the distance now, rather than later.”

His brows furrowed.

“Why distance? Why does finding my mate matter?”

The way he was asking made me think he genuinely didn’t understand.

“Would you really keep me as a concubine while you are courting your mate?” I asked, raising my brows. “I know many Alphas kept lovers on the side, but I thought better of you.”

He winced at my words, and I knew that he understood exactly what I was saying now.

“We can still be friends, though,” he murmured, his eyes almost pleading with mine.

My chest tightened painfully. I knew he wanted this, but I wasn’t sure if it was something I could personally handle.

“I wish it could be that easy,” I told him, my voice soft.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and it opened.

Rebecca, one of the slaves who allowed me to borrow her room for the night, walked in. She froze in the doorway when she saw me, standing in front of the King. The moment I heard the door open, I grabbed Warren and pulled him towards a corner of the room so the shadows would cast on his face and keep his identity hidden. The last thing I needed right now was people thinking I was sneaking away for some romantic time with the King, especially when he was about to choose a consort.

“Oh, sorry!” Rebecca said, her cheeks burning and bright red. “I forgot something… but I can grab it tomorrow.”

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