Reject My Alpha President (Iris and Arthur) novel Chapter 119

She painted…. us. In the closet. Her mouth turned up in a smile, her eyes closed For the first time in five years, the looks truly peaceful and happy in this image, and yet for some reason, I found her tearing it to shreds like she’d gone rabid.

My throat bobs as I finally look up at her. She’s sitting on the daybed, trembling, her paint–stained hands gripping her knees. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” she says. I just… I don’t know what came over me.”

I think I have a pretty good feeling as to what came over her, and it’s my fault. I should have explained the situation to her when I got home, but I was overcome with thoughts and just needed to rest.

But I couldn’t sleep. I never can without her or Miles by my side.

“You didn’t wake me,” I say, gingerly setting aside the piece of canvas. I swallow hard, then decide to just tell her outright. “Iris, I ended my contract with Selina.”

Her eyes turn to saucers, fresh tears misting over the familiar honey color. “What?” she breathes, her voice hardly more than a whisper. It’s as if she’s not sure if she can believe it or not.

I don’t have the strength to tell her everything. Not in detail, anyway. So I just say, “Selina developed feelings for me, which goes strictly against our contract. I ended things. It’s going to be finalized tomorrow.”

So does that mean…”

I nod, taking a tentative step closer to her. “Selina is no longer engaged to me,” I say quietly.

Iris stares at me, a million different emotions seeming to war on her face at the same time. Finally, she lets out a shuddering little sound that’s almost like a sob, and hunches over. A fat tear drops onto her leg.

Without thinking, I rush forward, dropping to my knees in front of her and gathering her into my arms. She doesn’t fight it as I pull her close, stroking her chestnut hair.

I hold her like that for several long moments, cradling her slender frame as she quietly cries. I’m not sure if they’re tears of joy or sadness, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that she’s crying, and she needs me, and I’m not fucking going anywhere.

Finally, once her breathing has evened out a little, I pull back slightly. “I want you and Miles to stay with me now,” I say firmly. “We should be together.”

There’s a strange look on her face, and she hesitates. “Publicly?” she chokes out. “If we get back together, we won’t have to hide away? Would you still view Miles as your true heir or would you want a werewolf surrogate?”