The Alpha King's Series

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

BRINLEY.

I open my eyes to see the sunlight shine through the window; Xander must have put to bed. The last thing I remember was falling asleep in the car. It feels strange to wake up in the Caputo kingdom again, but it also feels like home.

I yarn, stretching my limbs, glancing around the room, then I realized I was not in Xander's room, and we didn't share the bed. I had gotten so used to him sleeping next to me.

He still must be angry with me.

“Try talking to him,’ Sage, my wolf, tells me.

'If he wanted to talk to me, he would be here," I replied.

'My human, you hurt him by keeping things from him. He needs to hear how sorry you are and that you love him,’ Sage says, her voice cracking at the end.

I feel bad for Sage because she can't form a bond with Xander's wolf, her mate. After all, they will take her from me.

“Okay, I'll try," Sage nods her head before descending to the back of my mind.

I climb out of bed and walk to the door and open it. Xander placed me in a room only a few doors down from his; I knocked but got no answer.

I turn the knob, and the door opens. I step inside and freeze, my eyes glued to the bed. Knots twisted my stomach, and my heart pounded hard against my chest.

Julia was lying in Xander's bed, wearing only her white laced panties. The sheets were tangled around her feet, and her breast was exposed from lying on her back.

I knew Xander was mad at me, but for him to run back to Julia after one fight?

I turned to leave when a small cry filled the room, and I turned around. I noticed that a cradle sat beside the bed, and the blanket was moving.

Julia woke from her sleep with a groan.

"Not again. Why don't you ever sleep?" Julia whines.

She raises and stretches her arms above her head and yarns.

Julia had her baby, and she is exhausted from her looks.

Julia's gaze fell on me, and she narrowed her eyes

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

"I was about to ask you the same thing,"

She huffs, "I was trying to get some sleep, but Bane here won't let me,” She shakes her head. "Why are you in Xander's room?" I ask, arching my brow.

"Because Xander and I together. He left early for a meeting; and why are you back here? I thought he shipped you off somewhere else," She says, crossing her arms.

Xander and Julia are still together? He told me she went back to her mate.

"Xander told me you went back to Jerry,"

She shakes her head, "Why would I go to him? Xander and I are getting married so our son will have a family,”

Is Xander marrying her? No, Xander wouldn't lie to me. He said he loved me.

"You're lying," I tell her.

"I'm not lying,”

Julia sits up and grabs a can from the bedside table and a baby bottle of water. She pours the powder into the bottle and shakes it up.

"I'm his mate. Xander made it clear to everyone, and he said he loves me," I tell her shaking my head.

"Brinley, don't be stupid. He only did that to protect his son and me,"

"Stop lying, Julia,”

"If I'm lying, Brinley, why would he have me name our son Bane after his wolf?"

Xander's wolf's name is Bane? How doe's Julia know that, and I don't?

Julia lifts the baby from its bed and starts feeding him; his tiny lips suck the bottle, and his little eyes close.

"You know, instead of insulting me, you should be thanking me," Julia says, looking up from the baby.

"What do you mean?”

She sighs, "I texted Xander and told him I needed a nanny, so I suggested you.”

Xander has been texting a lot at my parents’ house, said it was Kyle. He was so upset that I kept secrets from him, yet it's okay for him too?

Now I know why he insisted on me coming here; Julia needed me to take of her baby.

I forced the tears back that were threatening to fall; I would not let her see me cry.

"Here," Julia says, handing the baby over to me. I was caught up in my thoughts that I didn't see her get up from the bed.

She places the baby in my arms and walks back to the bed.

"I need rest. He had me up all night,” Julia yarns.

I was about to tell her to go fuck herself, but then I looked down at the baby in my arms. He can't help that his mother is a bitch, or that Xander wants her.

I bite my tongue and walk out of the room, making my way back to the spare room.

I understand now why Xander put me only two doors down from him and Julia so that I could watch Bane.

The little fellow was hungry, and he drank the four ounces Julia made him. I burped him, changed his diaper, and he went right to sleep.

I laid Bane in the middle of the bed and walked to my suitcase; after finding some shorts and a t- shirt, I took a quick shower.

I could relax under the hot water, afraid the baby would wake up and somehow fall from the bed. After drying myself off, I changed quickly and ran a comb through my hair. Bane was still out, so I brushed my teeth and added some mascara to my lashes.

My heartfelt like it was in pieces over what Xander did to me. He had to ask me to come back to the palace to care for Julia's baby. He didn't have to pretend to love me, make me think he cared about my unborn baby Dominic.

I needed to get out of the palace; whenever I felt like this back home walking around town always helped get my mind off things.

I slipped back into Xander and Julia's room, and she was still sleeping. So I grabbed the diaper bag and made my way back to my room.

I dressed Bane into the clothes Julia had in his bag. It has a white onesie that reads (Future King) and tiny black jean shorts. The black dress shoes and the small black hat looked so cute on him, and I could help myself. I snapped a picture of him and sent it to Kelsy.

I tried to find Katie before leaving the palace, but Becca said she had taken Annabella to her doctor's appointment. So, Bane and I have been walking around town for about two hours. He is such a chunk he has already eaten another bottle.

'Why did you agree to watch her child? After what she and Xander did to you?’ Sage asks.

'lt's not the baby's fault. And I figured he would help me not think about it,’ I tell her honestly. Since I've had Bane, I don't think about Xander's betrayal.

Yes, I'm hurting. I feel sick that he wants me to nanny the child he will raise.

'I'm sorry this happened to you, my human,’ Sage says.

'l love you, Sage," I tell her.

'l love you too,’

Bane and I spent hours in town and ate lunch under the tree while I read him a story (The Cat And The Hate). Bane was out of bottles, so I decided to go back to the palace.

As I push the stroller with the baby sound asleep, I notice a wooden cabin with nuns standing with a few children.

I made my way over to them, curious.

"Hi," 1 said to them as I approached the yard.

The nun turns and smiles, "Hello, can I help you?"

"I was just walking by, and I saw the kids playing,”

The nun smiles as she looks at the children.

"They've been here a few years,” She says, glancing back at me and then down at Bane.

"I see you have a future king," She laughs, rubbing Bane's tummy.

"I'm his nanny, and he belongs to the king and his soon-to-be wife Julia,” The nun nods.

"I'm sister Mary Danvers,” She says, reaching out a hand.

I shake it.

"Brinley,"

Sister Mary Danvers smiles, "Would you like a tour and maybe meet the kids?"

I smiled, "1 would love that," I told her.

I pick sleeping Bane up from the stroller and follow the sister into the cabin.

It's a big cabin from the outside but small on the inside. It has a small kitchen in the back, a living room, and three bedrooms. Most of the kids share a room. This place needs work.

"Sister, why is there tape on the sink?"

Sister Mary Danvers sighs, "The faucet's broken. Even if it wasn't, we couldn't use it, and the pipes are busted as well,"

"How do you shower the kids? If you don't mind my asking,"

She shakes her head, "Not at all. The well in the backyard is what use, and we carry buckets back in forth until each child is bathed,”

I nod.

My heart hurts for the sisters and how these children have to live.

"Why not ask for donations?"

Sister Mary Danvers gestures for me to sit. She grabs a cup and pours some freshly made tea into it. "Thank you,” I tell her as she sets the cup in front of me.

"No one wants to Donate. We've tried fundraisers, selling paintings that the kids made. We only brought in two hundred dollars, the roof leaks when it rains, and the pantry has hardly any food. I'm afraid of what to happen to the children if we get closed down,”

"What happens if you get closed down? Where could the kids go?" I asked her.

"To the next orphanage that has the room for them,” She says, tears welling up in her eyes.

The sisters had it rough I cannot believe that no one would help them or the kids. It's sad to see a kingdom so cruel.

"Have you asked the king for help?"

She nods, "We have written him many letters, but he never responds.”

Wow, Xander.

"Sister, do you mind watching after the baby?"

She shakes her head, "I don't mind.” She says.

I mutter a thank you and hand Bane over to her.

I walked as fast as possible to the market, filling four carts with food and water bottles. And the most amazing thing happened when I was checking out. A young man about fifteen offered to give me a ride.

When he asked, I told him why I had brought so much food. I told him about the orphanage, and it just so happened that he knew how to replace the damaged pipes. While I was unloading the groceries, he said he would look at them and give me a price on replacement ones.

When we pulled up to the cabin, The young man, Seth, went straight to work under the house. The sisters had tears of joy running down their faces as they saw all the food.

"Brinley, you didn't have to do that,” Sister Mary Danvers says, shaking her head.

"I have a lot more outside,”

They hugged me and lent me a hand in carrying the bags.

"You're looking at about five thousand to replace the pipes." Seth said as he walked inside.

"Okay, and your price to labor?"

Seth shakes his head.

"No charge," He tells me.

"Can you meet me in town tomorrow to get the supplies?”

Seth nods, "Yes, ma'am. It was nice meeting you all,” Seth waved as he left.

Sister Mary Danvers, hands me Bane.

"Brinley, thank you so much for what you have done,” The sisters say.

"I'm nowhere near done,"

I didn't stay long with the kids; Bane got hungry.

I heaved a sigh before walking back into the palace to face reality.