Page 103 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

The room is cold. I’m tucked inside the blanket as he holds me to him, but Robert is on top of it.

Silly man. I touch his hands and feel displeased. He’s like a block of ice. He should have climbed under the covers with me.

The pounding sound intensifies, and I figure out it’s coming from downstairs. Someone’s banging on the front door.

“Robert.” I shake him, but he doesn’t respond. Robert isn’t a heavy sleeper. Worried, I shake him harder.

He moves slightly.

With no other choice, I get out of bed, still in the sweatshirt and pants that I put on at the animal shelter.

“Robert!” I try to wake him up again, and this time, his eyes open slightly.

“What?” He almost sounds drugged.

“Somebody’s downstairs at the door.”

He gives me a confused look, and I press my lips together, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. What is wrong with him? He’s one of the most alert people I know!

“I’m going to go see who it is,” I tell him. “In the meantime, wake up!”

I can’t find my shoes, so I hurry downstairs barefoot. It’s still raining outside, and the house is way too cold. I adjust the thermostat before I answer the door.

I recognize the man.

“Hi.”

Harry Montgomery, Robert’s assistant, stares at me. “What are you doing here?”

“I was sleeping till you started trying to break the door down.” I give him an irritated look. “Robert’s asleep.”

Harry tries to push past me, but I block his path, my voice hard. “He’s sleeping. This better be important.”

I’ve never seen Robert sleep so deeply. He must be exhausted. If his body wants him to rest, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let anyone wake him up.

“It is important!” Harry hisses at me. “So, get out of my way!”

“I told you, Robert’s resting—”

“I’m up.” The tired voice from behind me prompts me to look at the staircase. Robert asks, “What do you want, Harry? It’s two in the morning.”

“I’ve been calling you for an hour.” Harry gives him a distressed look. “Florian. We found him.”

All the tiredness vanishes from Robert’s eyes. “What do you mean, you found him?”

Harry meets his gaze. “You told me to check on him because you couldn’t get a hold of him this evening. Thing is, he got a call from someone after lunch, and one of the security guys told me he said he’d be popping home for a bit. I sent some men to his house. His body was in the bathtub.”

I sink my teeth into my lower lip to stop my gasp.

There is a terrible look on Robert’s face, and his voice is thin and cold, chilling my blood. “Let’s go.”

I watch him leave without so much as a second glance at me. The door closes after him with a controlled, quiet click.

I know who Florian is. He came over to the house a few days ago to introduce himself. He’s been watching the cafe to make sure no vampires bother me. My heart aches. He was a huge, hulking man, but whenever he spoke to me or our eyes met, he always had a smile ready for me.

I drag myself to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. I won’t be able to sleep now. Not till Robert comes back.

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