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Scarlett rested most of the day, only waking for a few minutes at a time. The doctors said it was best for her to sleep, so Grux didn’t worry. Even though he kept himself busy by rubbing her feet or brushing her hair, he was soon going stir crazy from being locked up in the room.
He was pacing in the far corner away from Scarlett when he heard a clatter at the door. When he looked up, he saw an older woman with a tray of tea, coffee, and snacks. Grux was so taken in by the food breaking the monotony of his day that he didn’t notice how the maid was looking at him.
When their eyes met, Grux’s heart fell like a stone in his chest. He reached up, and realized that his hood had fallen down as he fussed, pacing and running his hands through his hair.
“Would you like tea… sir?” the maid asked. Grux nodded.
He sat down beside Scarlett’s bed with his mug of tea and crackers, saving some cake for Scarlett. Grux tried not to panic. Maybe, the maid wouldn’t gossip.
A few minutes later, people began passing by the door in small groups. All of them paused, pointed, and hurried off again. He sighed, knowing the secret was out, and nothing could be done about it.
When Scarlett awoke, he decided not to tell her, knowing she had enough to worry about right now. He would let her know as soon as they were out of here, and that time was approaching faster with the more people that saw him.
“You saved me some cake?” she asked happily as she rolled over.
He nodded, smiling. “It’s good. Something like chocolate, I think. Not that I’ve eaten much Earth chocolate. I assume it’s the same.”
He handed Scarlett the plate and fork and went out to get her a cup of tea. He kept his hood up, but as he walked down the hall, people pointed and whispered.
The complimentary drink station was almost empty, and Grux hurried to make the tea so he could get back to Scarlett. As he was leaving, he caught a hint of conversation from across the room.
“Is that really the prince of Lorr?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Well, it’s obvious. But if you needed more proof, the king himself contacted the hospital this morning to tell the head doctor to take extra good care of the woman and the baby. Do you think he’d do that for just any human?”
Grux hurried from the room, his heart sinking just as fury began to rage through him. How was he supposed to protect his mate now?
Oh, shit.And it hit him all at once. Scarlett was hismate, and as he realized it, he knew he had to protect her even more fiercely.
When he got back to Scarlett, the afternoon doctor had arrived to examine her. Grux paced by the edge of the bed, trying to control his emotions.
“You’re doing very well,” the doctor said to Scarlett. “It appears the contractions have completely settled. We need you to stay off your feet. I can take out the IV, though, but only if you promise to have lots of fluids.”
“Doctor, does this mean she is ready to leave?” Grux asked.
Scarlett looked up at him, her eyes wide. He didn’t have to say anything to her about the king. She could guess why he wanted to leave so soon.
The doctor frowned.
“I’m really not sure. I’ll have to do some tests first. If all seems well, I suppose she can stay on bed rest at home, but there will be some risk involved.”
Grux nodded, watching his mate with wide eyes. His anxiety was growing as he calculated the risk of staying in the hospital against going back to the hut.
Scarlett eyed him, and he knew she was afraid. He wished he could take all the stress away from her so she could focus on taking care of herself and the baby.
Grux sat down beside her, taking her hand in his and gently kissing her fingers.
“It will be all right, my love,” he said. Grux smiled warmly, and Scarlett smiled back, relaxing under his touch. He was glad she didn’t ask him any questions because he wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to answer them.
He didn’t want to lie and say they were still here in secret, but he couldn’t tell the truth, either—that the king knew they were here. It would only be a matter of time before the king sent for them.
“Just rest,” Grux said, leaning over to stroke Scarlett’s hair from her forehead. The nurses came to take blood and do another scan for the baby, and Grux prayed all would be well so they could leave as quickly as possible.
Chapter 14
