Damon's POVIt's the evening by time I get back to our room and I see she's asleep again. How extensive were these injuries? The longer I dwell on it, the angrier I become, and the hotter my blood boils throughout my body. I've been spending the past several days between watching her sleep, training, and having meetings with my men about strategies. Sleep has been off and on, practically nonexistent during the entire time she's been out. Dixon won't let me sleep anyways. I feel the unease deep within me the longer I watch. I shake my head to help alert myself. I need a shower, I probably smell pretty rank right about now. Before I head into the private bathroom within my chambers, I lean down to stroke her hair. As I'm moving it from her face, any uneasiness on it disappears. Almost like my touch is enough to calm the waters of her healing mind. I sigh as I force myself to step away from her and head toward the shower, turning the water on as hot as I possibly can to ease the sore
Leena's POVMy peaceful sleep wears off faster than I would like for it to. I scrunch my eyes shut to force myself back to sleep but it's not working one bit. I guess I've rested enough that my body recovered. I hear the sudden sound of running water and slowly sit up to see what's going on. I look around me as my eyes readjust. The most beautiful room surrounds me with its stark shades of emerald and gold make themselves known. The bed I'm in is enormous. I don't think I've ever seen one this big before. There's a velvety canopy above me that accentuates the frame beautifully. It's also extremely soft. My bed back home is a cot on the floor. It's stiff and had no give, which makes it difficult to get in and out of. The sheets are fresher too. I don't think I've ever seen any so clean. I'm used to sleeping on one caked in dirt since the basement only has a dirt floor. There's pillows behind me and the feel like I'm propped against clouds. I love never used one before, so I'm enjo
Damon's POVI don't want to leave Leena before answering her question. Leave? What does she mean leave? She must be having trouble comprehending that she's my mate. She's not leaving, I can't allow it. As far as Torrance's interruption, I don't want to overwhelm her with this Hybrid business when she's still barely recovered from the last few nights. It takes me several moments to calm myself and keep Dixon from rising up. Once I successfully calm myself and my body down, I rush to get my suit on and head out the door to where everyone else is. I'm making quick strides towards my study where the rest of my men are waiting for me. "Talk to me!" I shout out in anger. Another one of them has died, I can sense it. I feel my beast scratching to the surface to take the lives of those responsible. He's thirsty for the blood of those who dare threaten my people, my mate. My queen. Goddess! I need to calm myself down before I do something I will regret later. I can feel my entire body tre
Leena's POV It's late in the evening when I find myself able to move around again. I clamber out of the bed and place my bare feet on the stone floor. A shiver makes its way through my body from how cold it is and I wince. I make my way through the room, exploring my new surroundings. As I come to an ornately carved armoire, I grow curious as to what style clothes the Lycan king dresses himself in. I grab the handles and swing the doors open wide and gasp at the sight. These aren't his clothes, they're beautiful gowns for all occasions. My hand goes to the fabric of each and I feel my mouth hang open. They feel as luxurious as they look. I find a beautiful dusty rose colored gown meant to wear during casual settings. I grab it off the hanger and pull it down into my arms. The soft silky texture has me in awe and I decide that I will change into it. As I start removing the hospital gown from my body, I catch a whiff of something. Oh my goddess, what is that awful smell? My nose c
Damon's POVThe rays of the early morning sun peek through my curtains and land right in my eyes. I wake up in annoyance by the sudden brightness and rub the sleep from my eyes with one hand. A slight groan escapes from me as I move around to get up. Except I can't move. Leena is lying on me, grasping me tightly in her sleep. Her mouth is slightly agape with some drool coming out the corner. The hair framing her face has come out from her braid and is in several different directions. I let out a small chuckle looking down on her sleeping predicament. She has really made herself at home here and seems to sleep more peacefully than earlier this week. I can't help myself any longer and stroke her hair and scalp gently. Her hair is soft like silk and I can smell my shampoo emanating from it and I can't help by smile devilishly at the thought of her smelling of me and only me. She startled the both of us by letting out one of those loud, sudden snores. After a second or two, she's bec
Leena's POVI've finished crying now and the only thing that comes from me are violent hiccups and my body shaking. I have no idea why I cried like that, mourning the life I had before now. It's not like it was even that great. After I finished crying for all those people gone, I started crying because I was finally free from that life. Then I started because I wasn't even sure if I was free in this one. So many different emotions are swirling in me and my head is foggy from it. This man hasn't let go of me since, not even a muscle twitch. He's just held me while I cried and snotted all over him. After a few minutes, my body starts to calm down, deeper breaths, less violent tremors, and no longer any sounds of anguish. It's then that I feel him move. He's rubbing his thumb in a slow, circular motion on my thigh. While it's soothing, there's sparks of electricity between us as he does so. If I'm a prisoner or even worse, a sex slave to the Lycan king, would he really be doing this
Damon's POVI'm not quite sure what I said or did, but I agree to walk her back to the room. The long walk back is spent in awkward silence, with only the sounds of our footsteps echoing along the stone floors. She's no longer holding onto me, but following a couple steps behind me. I glance behind and see her head hung low. She's completely distancing herself from me. I'm so confused as she initiated that kiss back in the room. I was more than willing to go further, but respected her wishes when she stopped it. I thought we were getting on better terms when she agreed to walk with me, so it has to be something that I said. The rest of the way back is spent with me replaying it all to figure out what I did. When we make it back to the room, she makes her way to the sofa in front of the fireplace and lays down, and curls up with her knees pulled up into her torso. Instead of ruining any good grace she's extended, I just go to the fireplace and work on getting a warm fire started s
Leena's POVI'm cuddled up against this man that I've barely known an entire week. Did I really just do what I think I just did? I did and it felt, well I don't know how I would describe it. The realization hits me. I've just given this man my virginity. I don't know why I even did it. I was just lecturing myself earlier today about keeping my distance. He just makes it so hard. His presence is calming and soothes my fears. I felt so guilty for how I made him feel earlier that I wanted to make amends. I don't know what came over me. However he was gentle and he allowed me to lead the encounter, which consoled any fears I had about his intentions. A slave master and a torturer wouldn't relinquish control like that. My body can still feel the effects of what we've just done and I feel weak and exhausted. However, I need a bath, so I can't succumb to it just yet. I roll over and try to get up, failing to do so. "What's wrong mate?" I hear softly behind me, filled with concern. "Jus
Leena's POV I leave Nalia to do what she needs to do to prepare for the upcoming battle. I can't actually believe it. She's pregnant too! And married to Torrance? This week just keeps getting stranger, it's giving me whiplash. She asked me to keep her marriage and pregnancy a secret for now, so I will do just that. Nalia has given me a friendship I never knew I needed. However, she did tell me of her plan to put a magical barrier around my womb to help protect my pups from any damage to my body that may occur in the battle. I was at least given the go ahead to let Damon know since it pertained to me and not just her. So that is just where I'm headed. I made sure to wear my sexiest lingerie underneath my silk robe just for him. I'm hoping for a seductive tryst in his study again before I let him know.I knock lightly on the door, just to make sure it's okay to come in when the door opens. I walk in to see the generals of the royal army sitting around the desk and Damon is sitting b
Nalia's POVI'm starting to think that King Damon doesn't understand the limits to my influence on witches as a seer. I get that I have trained under a powerful group of witches to obtain the magic that I have, but there are still many that think of me as a lowly maggot. However, if what Leena says is true, I have to try my best to convince them. Who would have ever thought that those banished witches from a thousand years ago were the ones responsible for this carnage we're seeing today. Finally, I have arrived back at the first village of those who don't want to meddle in werewolf affairs. Unease hits me immediately, and so does the smell of smoke and blood. There's a deeply dark feeling that's overwhelming my senses and I can't pinpoint it's exact location until I start looking all around me. That's when I notice the bodies lying in heaps amongst the heavy smoke. So many eyes are open and glassy from what seems to be a sudden death. Tears fall from my eyes heavily as I'm holdin
Damon's POV I can hear the screaming all the way down to my study. Apparently, so does Nalia, Torrance, and the rest of the royal army. I bound out of there so fast that I nearly knock everything and everyone over while doing so. I can feel my blood boiling as Dixon and I find out that the agonizing scream belongs to our mate. I push myself to go quicker but the pain she's feeling is now transferring to us. So this is what a mate bond on both sides feels like. What will happen once I finally mark her, completing the mate bond? Will the pain be even more agonizing for the other when one of us gets hurt? I shake those thoughts from my head. I can't let myself be distracted while I'm trying to get to her. When I finally get to the royal chambers, I see that Nalia and Torrance have beaten me. They must have transported after I left. Nalia is standing next to Leena who is writhing in pain, fresh marks around her wrists and blood pouring out. She has her hands hovering over Leena's bod
Leena's POVI'm too stunned to say anything. All I can do is cry. What if I'm not good enough for them? And three pups?My head is spinning and so are my thoughts. I feel strong arms pull me into a hard, muscle-defined body and my mind instantly clears. I can feel Sheera purring inside and she's murmuring something. It's quiet at first, then gradually she's screaming one word over and over again. MATE. MATE. MATE. MATEMATEMATEMATE!Suddenly this overwhelming scent of cedar and allspice floods my senses. Any electricity I felt slightly when touching Damon is now intensified. Moisture pools in between my thighs and my breath becomes thready with need. I feel Damon tensing up around me once he realizes what's going on. We must look as startled as we feel because someone clearing their throat pulls us back to reality. Nalia and Mistress Lana are just standing there staring at us, worry etched on their faces. "I found my mate." It comes out as a whisper, but the thick and heavy silen
Damon's POVI continue reading this book on the history of witches while Leena sleeps. I'm trying to distract myself from this nagging feeling about her fear over becoming a mother. Why am I so mad about it? I never thought once about having a mate, let alone a family. I can feel Dixon rolling his eyes at me. Damon, you moron. You may not have thought about any of this, but I found our mate. As for the family, you're bred to carry on the royal lineage. We are a direct descendant of Tyrian Lycanus, the first Lycan king. It's in your blood to breed the Lycan line. You may not be immediately wanting it, but subconsciously you do and that's why what she said upset you. Damn it, Dixon. I don't have time for your shit right now. I have to figure out how to stop these witches. I get it Damon, I do. I need you to listen to me though, because I'm about to tell you something completely out of my character. I laughed quietly. Yeah, Dixon may be my beast, but he's not much like me. He's abra
Leena's POVDamon has officially lost his mind! Maybe we had too much sex this morning and he's in this heightened sense of euphoria and that's why he's got this through his head? I mean, a mating ceremony, I'm not that shocked by it. We've discussed him marking me when I'm ready for it. But pregnancy? I'm not completely sheltered. Lancaster made me stay with the females in heat and help them when they went through their births. I wonder if Damon thinks that I don't know anything. It's his turn to snap me out of my own thoughts. When my eyes focus back to reality, I notice the look of concern on his face. "I'm sorry, just, I, huh... what?" He brings me into a loving embrace and rubs my back to help calm me down. I can hear his beast trying to communicate with my wolf. "It can't be possible right?" I can feel his energy shift from comforting to sad, now to annoyance. "I mean we don't know how far into the future these dreams are Leena. So it doesn't seem to be that far fetched
Damon's POVMy study is a complete disaster from Leena's and my sexual rendezvous, so I let a maid know discreetly on our way to our bed. When we get back to our chambers, I lay Leena down onto the bed and cover her up. She fell asleep on the way over, her mind and body exhausted from the several times we went at it in the study. I'll have to work slower on building up her stamina. Once we complete the mate bond, we'll be at it for an entire night, if not for days. She hasn't had her first heat since she technically hasn't shifted, so she hasn't experienced the type of starvation of elation that most she-wolves go through during that time. Now that I think about it, it's possible that she knows nothing of it. Between not having her mother around to teach her about these things, Lancaster kept her hidden away in that basement most of the time, so she may not have experienced it with other she-wolves in her pack. I guess it's up to me to start finding out what all she knows and does
Leena's POVI wasn't expecting to give in so soon. I really did go to Damon to apologize for my earlier behavior. It really wasn't fair for me to explode like that on him last night. Since my partial shiftings, Sheera has been more present to me. I'm more aware of her thoughts and emotions. She's been on me all morning about making up to him and his beast. The damn traitor. She bails out then makes me feel guilty about my actions? Whatever. I couldn't help but give myself to him though. What he said he would do... it just set a fire within me that could only be quelled with only he could give me. Now we're here together after satiating each other's physical and emotional needs resting. His breathing is deep and even, letting me know he's dozed off. I try to fall asleep myself, but Sheera's anxiety is keeping me awake. So I just lay here and relax with him, bonding in quiet intimacy. An hour passes by and I can feel him moving beneath me. His small movements turn into violent thra
Damon's POVI was in a restless, fitful sleep all night long. Dixon spent the entire time letting me have it about angering our mate. To be fair, it didn't take much. The woman is like a ticking time bomb. She did have a point though. I've been smothering her and forcing her to be strong. I never stopped to think if she was ready or even willing, I just threw her into it all. Despite being the ruler over the entire race, I really am a stupid mutt. The sun finally peeks in through the window and I give up on sleeping. I turn over and see my mate sprawled out across her side of the bed with the blanket thrown haphazardly over her naked body. I can see one of her luscious breasts peering out of the top and her legs are draped over top each other, uncovered. Under any other circumstances, I would totally give her quite the awakening, but this morning would have to be different. Instead, I carefully climb out of bed and get myself ready for the day and give her the space she so despera