Casaio didn’t wish to speak about Zilia to any of his parents. And now, suddenly his mother asked about her, which made him uneasy.
"You can go ahead and search someone for me," Casaio said. He felt if he would tell his mother how Zilia betrayed him, she would not even let Dominick marry the woman of his choice. As for Zilia’s punishment, he decided to make it happen in San Ravendale only. He had no intention to bring her to the palace.
Meanwhile, Mabel looked at her son in bewilderment. "What did you say?" She only wanted to confirm she didn’t hear anything wrong.
"I severed ties with Zilia. Forgive me for not telling about it earlier," Casaio said, keeping the normal face. He had no intention to show her the turmoil he underwent all this time.
"Did something happen between you both? Ask her to meet me once," Mabel said.
"She has left the capital forever," Casaio replied.
"What?" Mabel frowned. "Why didn’t you tell me before?"
"What difference would it have made? Mom, I won’t object for the proposal you bring for me. I will accept it without any protest. As for Zilia, I hope we never talk about her," he requested.
Mabel didn’t say much. "Fine. You took many years to realize that Zilia isn’t the one for you," she muttered.
"I won’t tell Gabriel it was you, who tried kidnapping Amelie," Casaio assured her. "However, I want you to stop here. Amelie is currently pregnant. You know this well too. If anything wrong happens, Gabriel will keep blaming you all his life."
"I wasn’t going to do anything to her pup. I only wanted to prevent their wedding to take place. But it seems fate had other plans," Mabel said, sighing. "In my eyes, Amelie isn’t suited for Gabriel."
Casaio turned quiet, not understanding what was exactly in his mother’s heart. Sometimes she would talk so softly that it would show she was vulnerable inside. But the other times, it appeared she only wanted to assert her authority.
"I’ll ask for you once I find the suitable woman for you. You should marry soon and get yourself ready to become the next Alpha King," she explained.
"Yes, Mom," Casaio replied, not objecting her.
~~~~
Amelie collapsed onto the bed, her arms sprawled out as she rested on her stomach. The day with Gabriel had been filled with laughter and adventure, but now her body begged for rest. Her legs ached in a way they never had before, pulsing with exhaustion.
Gabriel, in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt, paused when he noticed her discomfort. Quietly folding up his sleeves, he headed to the bathroom.
A few moments later, he returned with a tub filled with warm water in which he already had added the salt. Placing it gently at the foot of the bed, he knelt beside it.
"Sweetheart," Gabriel called her affectionately.
Amelie turned her head slowly, her brows furrowing with curiosity. "What is it?"
"Nothing," he said with a soft smile. "Come sit up."
She obeyed, albeit lazily, and watched as he carefully lifted her legs and guided them into the warm tub.
"Wait—what’s this?" she asked in a surprising tone.
"A warm soak," Gabriel said calmly. "It’ll ease the ache in your feet and take away the cramps. It will make you feel relaxed."
Gabriel gently massaged her feet in the warm water. But Amelie placed her hands on his shoulders, a trace of guilt flickering in her eyes.
"You don’t have to do this," she murmured. "The pain will go away after some rest. You shouldn’t be washing my feet..."
"Stay quiet," Gabriel cut her off.
"But—"
He looked up and met her gaze. "You’re pregnant, Amelie. It’s normal for a husband to take care of his wife."
That one sentence made her heart skip a beat. She stopped blinking, completely taken by the quiet devotion in his words. Her hands fell away as she stared at him, admiration shining in her eyes.
As the water cooled, Gabriel gently lifted her legs from the tub and grabbed the towel hanging from his shoulder. He dried her feet slowly, with such care that made her heart race.
The ache had vanished. And it felt the exhaustion had suddenly disappeared from her body.
Once done, he placed her feet gently on the mattress and stood with the tub in hand.
"You should sleep," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "I’ll be back in a moment."
Amelie remained curled beneath the blanket, her hand gently caressing the soft curve of her bump.
"You’re still awake," he said as he entered, rolling down his sleeves.
She looked up, her gaze catching on the damp strands of his tousled hair. Water still clung to his forehead, glistening in the soft glow of the lights. Without a word, he pulled off his shirt and turned off the main lights, the room now bathed in a comforting darkness.
"Let’s sleep," he murmured, placing one knee on the mattress.
Amelie shifted slightly to give him space. He slid under the blanket and immediately pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in his warmth.
Amelie turned in his arms, her eyes searching his face before she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She pulled back just slightly, whispering, "I love you."
Her fingers brushed gently across his cheek before she leaned in again, capturing his lips once more, this time with deeper intensity. Gabriel smiled against her mouth, his own lips parting as he returned the kiss with warmth and hunger.
His hand slipped down to her thigh, guiding it to rest over his leg. Their bodies instinctively drew closer, the kiss deepening as their tongues met, exploring and savoring each other.
Her nails raked across his abdomen, leaving faint red trails in their wake as she needed much needed oxygen. Gabriel didn’t pull away, deepening the kiss that left her moaning softly into his mouth.
He guided her gently down onto the mattress, his body hovering just above hers, braced on his elbows. His lips moved from hers to her jawline, trailing slow, heated kisses down her throat. She gasped, his name spilling from her lips as his mouth found the sensitive skin of her neck.
"Ahh, Gabriel..."