Page 30 of Alpha's Impostor Bride

“Fine. Don’t bite my head off.”

Once he’s gone, I sit down at my desk and try to get some work done. However, every few minutes, my eyes wander toward the window. What is she doing? Maybe I’ll just go see. If she’s trying to find an escape route, I’ll have to tell her that’s not the right spot to dig.

After making my way downstairs, I head outside. It’s cold. But then, it’s always cold. As I approach my mate, however, I see that she has taken off her jacket. A growl builds in the back of my throat.

“Why aren’t you wearing your coat?”

She nearly jumps in fright. “What?”

“Your jacket, Leanna. Why did you take it off?”

Grabbing it from where she has tossed it on the ground, I pick her up by her arm and begin putting it on her.

She struggles against my grip. “I don’t need it.”

“The healer said you’re not supposed to get cold. Why is it so hard for you to listen to instructions?”

“Let go of me!”

She’s trying to pull away, but I’m determined to get her into this coat and zip it all the way up.

“Why are you such a bully?!” she suddenly bursts out, pushing me away, her cheeks flushed from the cold and her eyes glittering.

“Bully?” I echo, my eyes narrowing. “Since when have I bullied you? You’re not supposed to be out in the cold.”

“I am minding my own business,” she snaps, and I see her try to regain composure.

Lately, it’s been harder for her to maintain that cool façade around me. Probably has something to do with the fact that she wakes up in my arms, all tangled up with me. I refuse to let her go back to her room. She clearly doesn’t know how to look after herself, and I have no plans of searching for another queen anytime soon. Leanna has been resistant to the idea of sleeping in my bed, but she’s slowly getting used to it. I’ve also begun to notice that she is getting a little mouthy around me. That part, I like. I have no use for a weak mate. Leanna has a spine, and it’s starting to show a little bit.

“What are you doing digging out here? Where are the gardeners?”

“They don’t know how to plant this.”

She’s holding the packet of seeds I gave her two days ago. Her eyes filled with shock when I handed them to her and told her that I specially requested them from the king of the Human Wolf Kingdom.

“They will if you tell them.” I cross my arms over my chest, and when she leans down to resume her work, I snarl. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you into the castle if I have to. Get somebody to do this for you.”

“They’ll ruin it.” She’s beginning to get upset now, and my wolf stirs, not liking the look on her face.

“They are gardeners.” I try to speak patiently. “This is their job. This is what they are trained to do.”

“I know how to plant these seeds. You can’t make the holes too small or too big. They have to be the right size, and the right distance from each other, and around the right tree.” She begins to babble, and I can feel myself getting a headache.

Annoyed, and seeing no other way out of it, I roll up my sleeves and crouch down to the ground. “Fine. You tell me how to do it. I’m sure I have enough brain cells to follow your instructions.”

Cheeks turning red, she stammers, “Y–You can’t dig. You’re the king.”

“And you’re the queen,” I retort. “And you’ve been digging out here, looking like a fool. What if somebody saw you?”

I see the shame in her eyes and instantly regret the harshness of my tone. As soon as I do, I catch myself and feel a hint of irritation. Since when do I care how I speak to her?

She picks up a book that has been lying on the ground. “Two more handfuls. It has to be seven inches deep.”

“How do I measure?” I look at her. She immediately hands me a ruler, and I stare at it. “Have you been carrying that around?”

“Yes?” she answers cautiously.

I give her one last look before proceeding to dig the hole.

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