Chapter 20
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“Hmmm…” Freya sighed as she nestled against Matteo, who wore a broad smile. He had been roused from his slumber by her continuous strokes on his chest, and he couldn’t deny the physical response it triggered. Taking hold of her hand, he halted her actions, uncertain of how long he could restrain his primal desires. Despite his intense longing to claim their mate, he hesitated, not wanting to further provoke her by pushing for a union and marking.
As Freya lay still, she gently opened her eyes and discovered Matteo looking down at her. Trying to recollect why he was beside her, she remembered falling asleep alone. Anger surged within her, and she glared at him, but he simply brushed it off. “Good morning, mate,” he greeted before claiming her mouth with a kiss. Gasping for air, she was left breathless as he withdrew.
“We skipped dinner last night. You slept like a baby, and I felt a bit tired too, so I decided to join you,” Matteo explained. “This is the first time I’ve slept so peacefully,” he added.
Freya wanted to believe him, sharing a similar experience, but the nagging thought that he hadn’t marked and claimed her troubled her. He remained silent about whether they would announce to everyone that she was his mate. “I’ll freshen up first; the King invited us for breakfast,” he informed her, rising from bed and heading straight to the bathroom. She scanned the room, impressed by its modern and regal aesthetics.
To be precise, it was a modern royal setup. After almost a century of living, she expected his room to exude an old, classic royal ambiance. Instead, it was strikingly modern, filled with cutting-edge technology. The traditional four-poster bed for royalty was no longer in vogue, and he emanated a strong sense of masculinity. The room resembled something out of a billionaire’s lifestyle TV series she had watched out of sheer boredom.
Lost in admiration for the room, she only snapped out of it when she heard the bathroom door open. Turning her attention in that direction, her eyes widened as Matteo emerged, clad only in a towel with water droplets cascading down his body. ‘Geez… he looks so appealing,’ she thought, her eyes widening even more as she registered her own thoughts.
“Ehem,” Matteo cleared his throat, catching her attention. When she looked at him, she found him grinning from ear to ear. Blushing with shyness, she hurriedly got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, paying little attention to his gaze tracking her every move. Passing him, she quickened her pace and promptly locked the door once inside. Lost in thought, she spent almost an hour in there, realizing belatedly that she forgot to bring a towel.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “You forgot the towel,” Matteo’s voice reached her ears. Opening the door slightly, just enough for her hands to reach out, she accepted the towel from him. After drying herself off, she exited the bathroom, wrapped in the towel. “I knew my bathroom was impressive, but I didn’t expect you to make it your permanent residence,” he teased upon seeing her.
Matteo, already dressed, was waiting for Freya to finish. Puzzled by her extended bath, he soon realized she hadn’t brought a towel with her. Figuring she might be too shy to ask, he mentioned, “Your clothes are in the walk-in closet,” leading her there. “Just a walk-in closet?” she asked, surprised by its size, even larger than her own. She marveled at the palace’s opulence. “Yes,” he replied, pointing to a closet where her clothes hung. “It’s just breakfast, so anything will do,” she inquired.
“Yeah, wear whatever makes you feel comfortable,” he replied, smiling. She sighed and glanced at him. She wanted to don something akin to his attire, but she lacked clothes that matched his style, so she settled for a sundress. All her clothes were personally bought by her. Rica tried to purchase something for her, but she didn’t like it, so she decided to let her choose her own things.
“You look refreshing in that dress.”
“Thank you,” she replied. They stood before the mirror, with Matteo behind her. His breath brushed her ear when he spoke, sending chills down her spine. It made her desire him, but she had to restrain herself. Initiating something that he should be doing was not in her plans, or so she thought.
However, Matteo wondered if she was ready for him. He desired her so intensely that he worried about potentially hurting her during their marking and mating. His sexual longing was so overpowering that he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop once he started claiming her. Closing his eyes, he reminded himself, ‘Not yet, not until the full moon,’ he thought, inhaling deeply before exhaling.
“Let’s go; the king is waiting,” he said before turning around. Meanwhile, Freya felt anxious. He had never tried to kiss her, leading her to believe she meant nothing to him. She sighed before following him and catching up when he was about to open the door.
“You are very beautiful,” King Marco said with a sincere smile.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” she replied. Besides the king, Calvin, and Matteo, there were two others she didn’t know.
“You’re very shy too,” he added. “Anyway, I want you to meet James, the future gamma, who will be looking after you from now on, and Ronaldo, the royal financial advisor.” She nodded and gave them an uneasy smile. Glancing at Matteo, she found him eating quietly, never looking her way.
“I can see that the prince has not marked you yet,” Ronaldo said, glancing at Matteo, who now wore a stoic expression, as if telling him to be quiet. Ignoring it, the royal financial advisor continued, “Is it because of the mate you mentioned nine years ago?”
“Ronaldo!” the king interrupted with authority.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness; I didn’t know she was not allowed to know about it. I just thought they were deeply in love, so things like that shouldn’t bother the princess,” he replied.
Freya looked at Matteo, who was glaring at the royal financial advisor. “Don’t dwell on it, dear,” the king said, attempting to ease the worry on her face. Matteo looked at her, but she kept her head down and continued eating.
‘F***ing Ronaldo,’ Matteo thought.