The Alpha King and I novel Chapter 5

~ Ethan ~

I sighed. It hurt me to hear her sobbing. So, I pulled Helena into my lap and hugged her. “Poor girl. You don’t need such a wimp beside you. Trust me! You’ll be better without him.” I patted her back. “You’re such a beautiful girl. Any man will be lucky to have you.”

Helena then stared at me while still crying. “Including you?”

“Not me.”

Then she sobbed again. “Even my savior rejected me.”

“It’s just ….”

“What?” She glanced at me again.

“Forget it! You’ll be better without me either. Trust me!”

“No! You saved me. Then you talked sweetly with me. Then, finally, you wanted to help me tend my wound.” She smiled though in the middle of her tears. “You’re a good man. But you don’t want me.”

“It’s not true!”

“Really?” She widened her eyes. “So, you want me. But then, why do you push me away?”

“I wish I could explain it to you.”

“Try me. I’ll listen.”

I scratched my head. It was so frustrating to be in that situation. “I wish I could have you. There’s nothing I want rather than to have my mate beside me.”

“Mate? What do you mean?”

I shook my head. “Forget it.”

“Mate? What do you mean?” Helena stared at me with her big blue eyes. “I don’t understand why you repeatedly send on and off signals. Is it because you don’t like me? Is it because I’m too skinny to your liking?”

“No, you’re perfect.”

She blushed and smiled a little. But then, she frowned. “But you don’t want me. Tell me why? At least I need to know. If it’s something I can change—”

I interjected immediately, “I have told you. In my eyes, you’re perfect.”

“Then why?”

“Oh, for goodness sake, leave it, Helena! Okay?”

“No, it’s not okay! How can I be okay when anyone rejects me?” Helena sobbed again. “No, not anyone, but you. I feel it. I feel something I can’t explain inside, and now, it hurts so much!”

“Gosh!” I pulled her into my embrace. Then I stroked her hair. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I wish it could be different.” I sighed. “There’s nothing I want more than meeting my mate and spending the rest of my life with her.”

Helena sniffed; her eyes showed a deep confusion. “Mate? What do you mean?”

I sighed, refusing to reply to her questions. “But I can’t, and I can’t tell you why. It’s better this way for you. If you know more, you’ll be hurt more.” Then I kissed her hair. “The last thing I want is to hurt you.”

“You have already hurt me. The question is, why don’t you tell me your reason?”

I took a deep breath. “We can go on and on and on, but I’ll not tell you anyway.” Then I took Helena’s feet. “Let me give balm to your feet and your waist. After that, you should rest.”

She was finally quiet and let me take care of her. She winced when I touched her feet. “Does it hurt badly?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be more gentle.”

I placed some balm on Helena’s feet and started rubbing a little.