Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince-Chapter 700: It was a gift

A startled gasp escaped Jeniva’s lips as she felt the world tilt. She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, bracing her body for the hard impact of the palace floor. Instead of cold stone, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap securely around her waist and shoulders, halting her descent in mid-air.

She snapped her eyes open to find Dominick’s face inches from hers. He had caught her in time thanks to his Alpha’s speed. But that brought him down to one knee against the rug to absorb the weight of the fall.

"Careful," he breathed with genuine concern. He held her for a second longer than necessary before gently lowering her onto the floor rug.

"Thank you," she murmured, her heart still hammering against her ribs as she sat up, smoothing her skirt with trembling hands.

"Don’t mention it," Dominick replied, his gaze scanning her for any signs of injury. He stood up, offering her a hand to help her steady herself. "But you should be more cautious. You could have suffered a serious concussion if you had hit the floor at that angle."

"I didn’t exactly plan on falling," Jeniva countered, her cheeks flushing as she tried to regain her composure. She looked at him with sudden worry. "You didn’t get hurt, did you? I’m not exactly light."

Dominick shook his head, a reassuring smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He stood up and extended his hand to her. Jeniva grasped it, and with a firm pull, he hoisted her back to her feet. The moment she was steady, she pulled her hand away, busying herself by smoothing the tangled golden wires around the tree to hide her lingering nerves.

"I have to return to the palace tomorrow for the family portraits," Dominick said, watching her work. "Why don’t you spend the holiday with your sister? I can teleport you there directly."

Jeniva paused, a strand of lights still in her hand. "Her college isn’t in the capital. It’s quite far."

"That doesn’t matter," he offered without hesitation. "I’ll teleport you straight to her campus."

Jeniva sighed, finally turning to face him. "You’ll deplete your strength trying to jump that far. Besides, she texted me earlier, she’s gone on a short trip with her friends to a resort for Christmas. I can’t just show up and ruin her time with them. You should go to the palace and be with your family. I’ll be fine here; I truly won’t mind the quiet."

Dominick’s gaze lingered on her, his expression clouded with a flicker of guilt he couldn’t quite mask. "I would have taken you to the palace with me," he said softly, "but under the circumstances... I can’t. Not yet."

"It’s totally fine," Jeniva replied, offering him a small, reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Having a family to go home to is such a blessing. You shouldn’t be cooped up here when they need you for the holidays." She turned back to the tree, adjusting a stray bulb.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Hmm," she hummed in affirmation.

"I’m heading out to the market to buy some suppressants before the shops close," Dominick said, checking his watch. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure. Just give me a moment to dress warmly," she asserted. Before he could respond, she hurried toward her room, disappearing from his sight to fetch her winter coat.

Dominick, too, went upstairs to his room to dress up.

~~~~

Aisha double-checked her mental checklist, her eyes scanning the bags as she wondered if she’d overlooked any cruise ship essentials.

"The taxi will be here any minute," Karmen noted, his eyes flicking down to his watch.

"We definitely packed everything, right?" Aisha asked, seeking one last bit of reassurance.

"Everything is accounted for," he confirmed with a confident nod. "Grab your purse. We need to head down to the lobby now."

He deftly maneuvered both heavy trolleys through the doorway and into the hallway. Aisha followed close behind, pulling the apartment door shut and locked it from outside.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and they stepped out just as a taxi pulled up to the curb. The driver was quick to hop out, offering Karmen a hand as they stowed the heavy luggage into the trunk and backseat.

Aisha slid into the backseat, followed closely by Karmen. With a sharp nod from the driver, they were off, weaving through the streets toward the bustling docks. As they approached, the massive silhouette of the cruise ship loomed over the harbor.

They reached the terminal with time to spare. After passing through security and presenting their tickets, they were welcomed aboard. An usher in a uniform led them through the carpeted corridors, eventually stopping before a room.

"Your suite, as requested," the usher said, gesturing for them to enter.

Aisha stepped inside first, her breath catching as she wandered further into the room. The VIP suite was expansive, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the darkening ocean, with plush velvet furnishings.

"It’s beautiful," Aisha breathed, spinning around to face him with a wide, bright smile.

"Yeah, it is," Karmen agreed. He began hoisting the heavy trolley bags into the spacious mahogany cupboard. "We can worry about unpacking later. For now, let’s just get settled."

Aisha paced the length of the suite, her heels clicking softly on the plush carpet. "Was this incredibly costly? The suite is massive, Karmen. I’ve never seen a cabin this size." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Does the price really matter right now?" Karmen asked, glancing over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course it does. I would have contributed," Aisha countered, her practical nature surfacing despite the luxury surrounding them. "I don’t like you shouldering such a huge expense alone."

Karmen straightened up, closing the cupboard door. "Gabriel actually booked these for us," he admitted. "He wouldn’t hear of me paying, even though I insisted on a bank transfer. He said it was a gift."

Aisha’s expression softened into one of genuine surprise. "That is so incredibly thoughtful of the Prince," she murmured, looking out at the wake of the ship. "He really does look out for his friends."

"A lot," Karmen answered. "We only have one bed though."

Aisha’s eyes finally landed on the King-size bed and bit her lips. "I-I can sleep on the couch."

"Are you serious?" Karmen chuckled. "Just use the bed. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in any way."