Page 28 of A Hal for my Heart

“Do you like being a royal advisor?” I asked Hal, realizing it must be so different from what he was used to.

“I’ve barely worked,” Hal chuckled, then turned his head and pursed his lips. At first, I didn’t understand what he wanted, but when he made this adorable pouty face, I realized my alpha was asking for a kiss. I looked around, but the gardeners were preoccupied. Leaning over his shoulder, I captured his lips, and warmth flooded my chest. My cock stirred, poking into Hal’s back, and my hole clenched with need. Gods, was it always going to be like this? Was I always going to be this insatiable for him? “It’s all your fault, Briar,” he murmured against my lips. “You’re the sweetest distraction.”

Hal was right. He’d spent my entire heat with me, which meant that poor Elias had been the only advisor during that time. Seb must be drowning in work, yet he still insisted we take our time to recover. Hal had said as much after we’d passed Stefano.

“We should get back to work tomorrow,” I sighed, already dreading it. I just wanted to have fun with Hal and, for once, enjoy my life.

“Nope,” Hal declared. “You’re off for the next week. We don’t know how your body is going to react, and it’s clear it needs lots of rest and food.”

I smiled into his neck as I once again took in a lungful of his calming scent. It was remarkable how Hal could soothe places inside me that’d been broken for so long, healing parts of me I’d thought I’d lost forever.

“Gus told me there’s a tree near the lake that’s perfect for sitting in the shade and eating,” Hal said, unaware of my thoughts. “Do you think Stefano will be able to find us there?”

“Yes,” I rasped, clearing my throat. “It’s Seb’s favorite place whenever he needs to hide away for a while.”

“And you think it’s alright for us to use it? I don’t want to feel our king’s wrath.”

I laughed at that. “Seb is not that bad!”

“You weren’t there when he gave birth,” Hal grumbled, then shuddered to make his point clear. We both laughed at that, and I felt even lighter, as though more of my darkness had receded into the past.

We’d only been sitting by the tree for a few minutes when Stefano came bustling into the clearing by the lake, one basket in each hand, a blanket nestled under one arm, and a wide grin. “Here you go, you two. Make sure not to swim today, though; the water isn’t warm enough.”

I gaped. “Who would swim at this time of year?”

“Oh, just His Royal Consort,” Stefano snorted, then smiled wistfully. “How things have changed around here,” he winked at Hal, “since you alphas now roam around freely.” I could only nod at that. My life had changed so much in such a short time, and it was all because of the wonderful man sitting next to me.

Stefano clapped his hands together. “Now, enjoy your food. I’ve added some of those grapes that were in high demand a few days ago.” He waggled his eyebrows, and my face drowned in a crimson blush.

“Thank you!” Hal blurted, then we waved Stefano goodbye.

“Chatty,” Hal chuckled, then reached for the blanket Stefano had placed next to us. “Let me put the blanket out,” he offered, giving me a hand to help me stand. I stood to the side and watched Hal work, his movements sure and precise as I admired his toned arms. He was such a handsome alpha, and he was all mine.

I decided to check the contents of the baskets, smiling when I found several of my favorites. Stefano had even given us some wine to enjoy, something I rarely indulged in out of fear of what I would do if I wasn’t fully in control. Now I had Hal to look out for me, a freeing thought.

“Anything good in there?” Hal asked, offering me his hand so we could sit down again. He sat with his back against the tree, with me between his legs, a place I found I loved to be.

“Several things,” I grinned, grabbing one of the baskets first and emptying the contents out carefully one at a time. “We’ve got warm bread, jam, sliced meats, sausages, fruit, and some wine.”

Hal hummed with appreciation behind me. “Sounds perfect.”

My alpha then proceeded to hand-feed me bread and then juicy, green grapes, seemingly content to feed me until the point of bursting before he even tried anything himself.

“You don’t like grapes?” I asked, chewing on the last one he offered me. They were crunchy and bursting with flavor.

“I love grapes,” Hal shrugged. “It will always be one of those rare treats I associate with certain holidays or celebrations.”

“Why is that?” I asked, intrigued about Hal’s past. I knew so little of him still.

“There aren’t any places close to Lord Willoughby’s farm that grow grapes, so we only had them on rare occasions when he left the farm to stock up on certain produce or tools for the farm. On my first day at the farm, they offered me a bowl of grapes, and I cried as I ate them, simply because it was the first time I’d ever tasted grapes. I remember feeling like I mattered for the first time in my life, for them to share such rare delicacies with a simple alpha like me.”

I was glad Hal couldn’t see the tears trailing down my cheeks. Simple. Anger rose within me. There was nothing simple about this beautiful, compassionate alpha. Hal was so precious to me already. It felt like I’d known his soul all my life. He deserved all the grapes. “Can I feed you some? Please?”

He must’ve heard the urgency in my voice, because he turned me around, offering me a soft smile. “I would love that.” He wiped my eyes. “But no more tears, sweetness. It’s all in the past now. I’ll never feel like I don’t matter again, because I have you now, my precious omega.” He seemed to ponder something, his jaw clenching as his hold on me tightened. “You’ll never feel that way again, either.” There was an edge to his voice. “Like you don’t matter, Briar. You matter more than anyone.”

I almost died right there under the tree, a bunch of grapes dangling between my fingers. I had no words left in me, so I just nodded solemnly. Sitting in my alpha’s lap, I fed him grapes, our eyes never leaving each other. It felt more intimate than anything we’d done together. It shouldn’t just be him taking care of me, but us caring for one another. I liked doing this for him; it made me feel like I’d finally found my person, the one I would cherish forever.

As we sat there, the grapes all gone, a comfortable quiet came over us, one of contentment and gratitude. Birdsong surrounded us like nature’s own choir, insects buzzing above our heads in the tree crown. Eventually, a butterfly with stunning blue wings landed directly on my nose, opening and closing its fragile wings.